Just one in four support David Cameron over decision to spend billions on foriegn aid

Sorry, I thought you were asking about Council Spending - I was pointing out the comparison wasn't against all Council funding/spending, just against the Central Government Grant portion of it.

[Mr K]

UK foreign aid budget £11bn, amount of tax lost through avoidance and non-payment £35bn. Some interested parties are trying to deflect attention from bigger issues.

[pip08456]

UK Foreign aid is set by the EU according to their rules.

http://www.loc.gov/law/help/foreign-aid/eu.php

Originally Posted by Mr K

UK foreign aid budget £11bn, amount of tax lost through avoidance and non-payment £35bn. Some interested parties are trying to deflect attention from bigger issues.

Here's that £34 billion broken down...

http://www.theweek.co.uk/62461/benef...ich-costs-more

According to figures published by the government in October, the tax "gap" for 2013/2014 stood at £34bn, or 6.4 per cent. This is the shortfall between what is estimated by HMRC to be due in tax and what is actually collected.

This eye-watering figure includes as much as £14bn in uncollected income tax, national insurance and capital gains tax and £13.1bn in uncollected VAT.

It should be noted, however, that these estimates are based on a lot of assumptions about what was due in the first place and that deliberate and illegal evasion is only a small part of the problem. This was deemed to account for £4.4bn of the lost duties, while legal but dubious avoidance accounted for £2.7bn. The rest is spread across various issues such as duties not paid on smuggled goods, non-payment because of bankruptcy or hardship, or simple errors.

It's also only fair to note that the percentage uncollected each year is one of the lowest in the world, although some argue the HMRC figures underestimate the scale of the problem and the gap is more likely to be in the region of £120bn.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mr K

UK foreign aid budget £11bn, amount of tax lost through avoidance and non-payment £35bn. Some interested parties are trying to deflect attention from bigger issues.

Iirc nearly 10% of the world's wealth is out of circulation squirreled away in hidden off shore bank accounts

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Hugh

No, it's not true, as it doesn't count council tax, business rates, etc., that Councils also raise/spend on Local Government - Central Government grants are around 60% of Council Revenue.

Good points but in my tiny little mind I feel that our govt should be giving our councils more money that it gives out in foreign aid......but that's just my personal opinion

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Iirc nearly 10% of the world's wealth is out of circulation squirreled away in hidden off shore bank accounts

Everywhere is off-shore to somewhere.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Iirc nearly 10% of the world's wealth is out of circulation squirreled away in hidden off shore bank accounts

Apart from the wealth that's been stolen by dictators or what comes under illegal tax evasion, I say good for them!
The first worlds governments are greedy for our money and already swimming in it. Why the hell should we feel the need to give them more of what we have earnt?
This groundswell of populist anti tax avoidance feeling is playing into the hands of the worlds governments. But the people who know how best to spend the money are the people who earnt it.....not governments who often waste it. Yet because of envy, many of us are advocating that govts enable the grabbing of more and more of their populations money, starting with the rich, because 'they have enough and can afford it'.
There are already wheels in motion to get rid of £50 notes (which will make cash in hand work harder), get rid of cash (which will make it easier for govts to see whos got what and where it comes from) and allow the taxman to raid our bank accounts (no explanation required).

But like Pastor Martin Niemöller wrote:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."



In your rush to demand that the worlds governments crack down on tax avoidance/offshore tax havens etc, be careful what you wish for......

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Maggy.,
If you thought that l don't know about poverty. I was brought up in poverty, admittedly, like in foreign countries.

BUT, I grew up in Hammersmith, And l knew what poverty was like. Getting food from the rubbish tips of markets, having to sell rags, to get money. Wearing holes in my trousers that you could see me underwear.

Washing in freezing cold water, having to go to the local baths, to have a decent wash.

Going to school wearing wellington boots, because my parents couldn't afford shoes.

I can fully understand that this country has foreign aid. And DC is proud to increase it each year.

BUT, we have problems at home. And he should sort those problems out, before giving our money freely abroad.

Just think ONE countries AID, could solve the NHS problems. And give the staff decent wages. And stop the Junior Doctors strike

And another countries AID, could be given to FOOD BANK charities.

There is other worthy areas that this could be done.

I am talking about ONE YEARS AID, could solve these

So yes, l do know what poverty is like

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Apart from the wealth that's been stolen by dictators or what comes under illegal tax evasion, I say good for them!
The first worlds governments are greedy for our money and already swimming in it. Why the hell should we feel the need to give them more of what we have earnt?
This groundswell of populist anti tax avoidance feeling is playing into the hands of the worlds governments. But the people who know how best to spend the money are the people who earnt it.....not governments who often waste it. Yet because of envy, many of us are advocating that govts enable the grabbing of more and more of their populations money, starting with the rich, because 'they have enough and can afford it'.
There are already wheels in motion to get rid of £50 notes (which will make cash in hand work harder), get rid of cash (which will make it easier for govts to see whos got what and where it comes from) and allow the taxman to raid our bank accounts (no explanation required).

But like Pastor Martin Niemöller wrote:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."



In your rush to demand that the worlds governments crack down on tax avoidance/offshore tax havens etc, be careful what you wish for......

What utter bs, the wealth gap has never been wider, it's not envy that's making people say enough is enough it's the ordinary working man paying for financial finagling or enduring austerity when there's a whole swathe of people not only not paying what due but making yet more cash out of the misery. And seeing as we're quoting people who was it that said paying tax is only for the little people, the same multi millionaire shyster that paid less in tax than his cleaner or another of his ilk.

People don't earn wealth in isolation though and the problem with people avoiding as much tax as they can is the idea they're freeloading off the state. The State provides much of the infrastructure that is needed to earn wealth: Education and healthcare for them, their staff and their clients. The police who provide law and order and allow society to function. We take so much of this kind of thing for granted. Even then not much wealth is 'created' out of nothing but rather moved around so a company's clients themselves have depending of those things to get their money to pay the company.

I agree that the current atmosphere is unhelpful as people become outraged at perfectly normal practises but as I said before I think that is more about people trying to damage Cameron, even left-wingers or Brexiters, than it is genuine horror.

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Good points but in my tiny little mind I feel that our govt should be giving our councils more money that it gives out in foreign aid......but that's just my personal opinion

I am somewhat in agreement with you - but I was just answering your question (is it true?).

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

What utter bs, the wealth gap has never been wider, it's not envy that's making people say enough is enough it's the ordinary working man paying for financial finagling or enduring austerity when there's a whole swathe of people not only not paying what due but making yet more cash out of the misery. And seeing as we're quoting people who was it that said paying tax is only for the little people, the same multi millionaire shyster that paid less in tax than his cleaner or another of his ilk.

You are doing their dirty work for them. When they've managed to extract all they can from the legally avoided tax monies of the rich and then set their sights on your money, don't say that I didn't warn you.

---------- Post added at 22:02 ---------- Previous post was at 22:01 ----------

Originally Posted by Hugh

I am somewhat in agreement with you - but I was just answering your question (is it true?).

I know. It seems that it's not technically true but it still isn't right, imo.

Is not technically true the same as not true?

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Damien

People don't earn wealth in isolation though and the problem with people avoiding as much tax as they can is the idea they're freeloading off the state.

They aren't freeloading off the state. The state is freeloading off of us! The state is rich. It's just spending (some/lots) our money very badly......and wants more of our money to spend.....trust it, it knows how to spend our money best.
Hell, the EU hasn't had it's accounts signed off since god knows when because of the corruption and waste. Most of the worlds governments run their peoples pension funds like a Ponzi scheme......but they need more money, always more

---------- Post added at 22:11 ---------- Previous post was at 22:07 ----------

Originally Posted by Hugh

Is not technically true the same as not true?

lol, slightly squiffy. You know what I mean