Originally Posted by whitecity

Little graphic to play with...

http://buttonwood.economist.com/content/gdc

Shocking eh? Who would have thought that we are better off than almost every other country in Europe! You wouldn't believe that listening to the current tittle tattle of "their policies are rubbish, and theirs and theirs" in the press.

Originally Posted by jagman

There aprox 29 million people working in the UK
5.8 million of those work directly for the taxpayer, yes a staggerinf 20%ish of working people in the UK are paid for at the expense of the taxpayer.

That means a nation of 62 million people or so are funded by nett contributors of around 24 million.

The NHS alone employs 1.3 million and is the worlds 3rd largest employer.

And yet Gordon seems unable to see why we are sinking fast.

Soviet Britain

Across the whole of the UK, 49% of the economy will consist of state spending, while in Wales, the figure will be 71.6% – up from 59% in 2004-5. Nowhere in mainland Britain, however, comes close to Northern Ireland, where the state is responsible for 77.6% of spending, despite the supposed resurgence of the economy after the end of the Troubles.

Good of Cyclops to create such a nice balanced economy

Apparently the govt had to borrow several billion quid this month. Er, who exactly are they borrowing this loot from? Who could possibly be thick enough to trust a pack of goons like that. And what terms are these generous bungs being organised for I wonder?????

If I remember rightly, a previous article had the North and North East at some 55% working for the State.

Where the feck does Secretary General Brown think all the money is coming from to pay these wages? Added to that is the welfare budget and as has already been stated, the outgoing far exceeds the income which any family elders gathering around the kitchen table would know that the belt has to be tightened and spending reined in.

Cutting Child Benefit payments to all those earning £40k a year or more, limiting Child Benefit payments to the first two born babies in any family and cutting benefits to families when the Kids reach school age would not only reduce the growing dependency on the State, but it would go along way to lowering the debt of the nation. I mean, if you're reliant upon Child Benefit to raise a family then you probably shouldn't be having a large family anyway. Also, to help people to invest in their own retirement cash ISA limits should be raised to £6k so that everyone can invest in their own future without being punished for being prudent.

Originally Posted by heard_it_all_before

If I remember rightly, a previous article had the North and North East at some 55% working for the State.

Is it any wonder that those people are the ones who vote Labour through thick and thin?

A pretty good indicator of how the British economy is doing is the number of UK plated trucks running around Europe.


Well……………


Just spent two weeks bimbling about Europe's Highways - France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

Total number of UK trucks I passed in 2,000 road miles?

5

Bearing in mind defence spending is near the top of most people's preference lists for spending cuts, brace yourselves for the results of the strategic defence review. It is not going to be a pretty sight.

Originally Posted by heard_it_all_before

If I remember rightly, a previous article had the North and North East at some 55% working for the State.

Where the feck does Secretary General Brown think all the money is coming from to pay these wages? Added to that is the welfare budget and as has already been stated, the outgoing far exceeds the income which any family elders gathering around the kitchen table would know that the belt has to be tightened and spending reined in.

Cutting Child Benefit payments to all those earning £40k a year or more, limiting Child Benefit payments to the first two born babies in any family and cutting benefits to families when the Kids reach school age would not only reduce the growing dependency on the State, but it would go along way to lowering the debt of the nation. I mean, if you're reliant upon Child Benefit to raise a family then you probably shouldn't be having a large family anyway. Also, to help people to invest in their own retirement cash ISA limits should be raised to £6k so that everyone can invest in their own future without being punished for being prudent.

Not ashamed to admit my household takes the family allowance and under your proposals I would be at a net loss. However I agree, it's probably money that could be better invested elsewhere. One quetsion though, if I am not going to receive it why should I be taxed to give it to other peoples families?

Thanks for the Economist Chart WhiteCity - fascinating.

The way I see it, this is still do-able. The question is whether successive governments keep nibbling or accept that the state is living beyond its means and either: a) follow the European model and raise taxes (accepting that there will be real pain until the cost of living (especially housing) falls to the European norm), or b) follow the US model and take a big-ticket item or three out and slaughter them. Given current indications, my money would be on expeditionary Defence, Secondary Healthcare and Secondary Welfare (i.e. people wouldn't starve, but that would be it).

Not sure if any of the parties have the stomach for the US model though, at least until the state actually goes bankrupt.....

Originally Posted by BPS666

One quetsion though, if I am not going to receive it why should I be taxed to give it to other peoples families?

That's the benefit of a Welfare State; You either have everything and ask for nothing, or you have nothing and expect everything...!

The only loser is the man/woman in the middle that has a little, but not enough... :(

Phase two of my master plan is to reinstate the lower 10p tax rate and to raise the 40% tax threshold to £40k plus.