Political discussions...

So, in order to get skilled employees better wages will need to be offered.
Hence raising minimum wages raises the pay of all of us.

To attract people to jobs there has always been a wage gradient.

The biggest threat to jobs is not today, but in the future as automation takes hold. There will likely need to be change to how the present system works.
But that is beyond a single budget, or a single Government, or a single country.

Arguing to keep low pay is truly a sign of the “race to the bottom”.

Those businesses that cannot pay their taxes will go to the wall.
The widgets they were supplying will be supplied by others who have a better business model.

The skilled employees may not get that rise though. A few years of minimum wage increasing and skilled wages stagnating and workers won’t be willing to use their skills.

I’m not arguing to keep wages low I just understand how basic economics works and sadly how things work in the real world.

Many jobs particularly in small businesses are minimum wage skill level and raising that to unsustainable levels will just result in these businesses letting staff go or not hiring, thus defeating the point in the first place.

This budget is starting to unravel. The NHS is exempt from the NI increase, yet GPs’ surgeries aren’t.

Reeves has admitted that workers’ pay will be effected by the NI increase. Breaking manifesto pledge effectively.

Tax increasing every year due to thresholds staying the same.

We will be seeing doctors and nurses parking at hospitals full of Lamborghinis and Bentleys while we all pay for it.

They will go to the wall because of unsustainable wage rises and national insurance increases. This is the problem with governments full of politicians who have zero business experience. If we actually allowed these wealthy entrepreneurs that Labour despise and drive out the country to run the economy we’d be in a much better financial position.

Starmer and this Labour government lied with their manifesto simple as. They didnt want a repeat of 1992 when Neil Kinnock lost from an unloseable position by being honest right before the election by saying there was going to have to be tax rises.

This could be their downfall a la Liz Truss…the pound shop Maggie Thatch.
Give em enough rope etc .
Even expert non biased financial economists are questioning this black hole sh.

It is stealth tax all round to be honest. The Conservatives had already started it.

I just don’t think business can bear the brunt. Ultimately if businesses go under, there will be unemployment and no growth in the economy. I can’t see Reeves lasting.

I also note the private schools are going to town on the government with the VAT on fees. Can see that one going to the Supreme Court taking years and probably with the schools eventually winning.

As far as I can see the private schools already subsidise the education sector by providing education the government doesn’t need to pay for.

So, if parents can’t afford it, guess what, the kids will be going to state schools.

Un***believable.

Where exactly, please?

Up to a point, yes, that is true.
Why as said here

Seems about correct too.

Unfortunately too many voters believe the liars who say vote for us and we give better hospitals, schools, roads etc and you will all pay nothing.
Cloud cuckoo nonsense.

The country is on it’s knees, and we need to invest now to make it better in the future.

All fund raising measures will have some negative effects…or obviously they would already have been used.
Employers NI is going to have some minuses, true enough.

Maybe if private schools were banned then all politicians, of all parties, would vote for more funds for state schools?

That is a different argument. I am just talking about the bad decision-making by this government in this budget regards the VAT.

It might have escaped you, but generally people spending their money helps the economy, whatever you think about the inequality of the standard of education provided. The rich not spending their money on education = they are more rich.

Which I agree with.

So what is wrong with the rich paying tax on their purchases? (it is generally the better off who use private schools)
Why should private education be exempt from taxation?

Let those who can afford it pay a bit more!

It’s not though is it. Wealthy entrepreneurs know how to generate income, create jobs, create growth, reinvest to grow. They would be much more clued up on where to redistribute the money in public services such as health and educational to make them much more efficient and effective. Instead its left to a bunch of politicians with no business experience or nouse and we wonder why everything is constantly in the toilet.
I know Liberal leftys like you despise successful and wealthy people, but drive them away and we all suffer.

They said that working people wouldn’t be affected with tax and national insurance rises. They tried last week to play about with words and definitions around “working people” to backtrack on their lies that have come from this budget.

People are successful in business because they know how to redistribute wealth towards themselves.
“Successful in business” a synonym for “wealthy”.

It is far more efficient to only invest in health care for those who will quickly and cheaply recover. Just let the chronically ill and old die.
Far better for business and business owners!

Why on earth would those who have a proven track record of gathering money for themselves be motivated to do the same for a “country”? The wealthiest most “successful” are often hopping borders, and swopping passports and tax havens, to do what is right for them against what is right for the country.

As Tony Blair and others used to say ‘I refer you to the answer I gave some moments ago’.

Well think for a second about it and perhaps think about debating the other way, which I’m sure you are capable of. I’m no proponent of private education by any means by the way, but if people want to do it, I haven’t got a problem.

The service being provided is education which otherwise would have to be paid for by the public purse. The money being used to pay fees presumably has already been taxed to help provide education across the board.

I think it may well be verging on unlawful to be honest.

Which working people have had tax rises?
VAT? PAYE? Fuel? NI?

In the end of the year we will all (mostly) be paying more out, that is true.
But anyone who looked at the situation on Jan 1st 2024 and thought it was going to be a good year was a fool.

That is a very slippery argument to use.
Since I pay PAYE, I must be exempt from paying VAT?

My line about banning private education totally was a bit of a throwaway, but there is still an idea behind it.
If all kids were state educated then yes it would cost a bit more, but I am all for that.

I always look towards the Nordic countries, high tax, but for that they have high welfare, and a happier population.

Money can’t buy happiness, and low taxes don’t either.