[Archived] The General Election 2015

[Al]

Here you are. Read and learn.

http://www.accounting-degree.org/accounting-tricks/

Social democrat maybe. Stupid comment.

Read and learned. All legal.

Social democrat? You must be joking! You are left of Putin!

Engineer wasn't you Al?

Tories destroyed engineering/manufacturing/industry in this country, you're a traitor to your profession voting for that lot.

No GAV; Accountant but in the engineering industry and if you care to read my posts you will find that I entirely blame the Thatcher bitch for the demise of my company but that does not mean that the entire party should be held responsible.

Incidentally I voted by postal vote and didn't vote Tory. I leave you to guess who I voted for.

[T J Hooker]

The introduction of 'the spare bedroom tax' was enough to completely put me off the torys and it shows the absolute contempt they have for those people on the lowest incomes.

[Baz]

Read and learned. All legal.

Social democrat? You must be joking! You are left of Putin!

No GAV; Accountant but in the engineering industry and if you care to read my posts you will find that I entirely blame the Thatcher bitch for the demise of my company but that does not mean that the entire party should be held responsible.

Incidentally I voted by postal vote and didn't vote Tory. I leave you to guess who I voted for.

Its over 4 years since Osborne announced he would be bringing in Legislation against tax avoidance. Still waiting....

Incidentally, I remember an article which linked a large number of companies on the list of avoiders who where also Tory donors.

Found out yesterday that my conservative candidate who has made a great deal about being local, lives in St Albans with her husband and 3 school-age kids, where she is an elected councillor. At the last election she was the candidate for Ashton-under-lyne. Can't see her plying the local causes, or even living close to the constituency.

[thenodrog]

One of the myths that is continually perpetuated by the right is that only the private sector creates wealth when in fact, although you may not want to believe it, government spending creates wealth.

Governments create wealth when they provide any sort of private or public service - postal services, health services, transport, education or even the devising of policy by civil servants. Wealth is also created when government money is spent conducting research or invested in innovation. One such innovation which owes its existence to the government is the internet.

I would also remind you that the "excellent job" over the past 5 years by the Tories (coalition actually) has seen more new public debt created than every Labour govt in history combined.

The public sector ultimately is funded by taxation from the private sector. Care to suggest how would it work if 100% of the work force were employed by the public sector and there was no private sector?

[thenodrog]

The only people engaging in class war are the Tories. They demonise the poor, the sick, the jobless and those unable to help themselves.

I keep hearing stuff banged out by Labour supporters about some vague group of people called the 'working class'.

As for the rest 'survival of the fittest'. It's a mighty harsh world but logic dictates that Darwins theory of Evolution cannot be ignored with impunity forever can it?

[Mike E]

The introduction of 'the spare bedroom tax' was enough to completely put me off the torys and it shows the absolute contempt they have for those people on the lowest incomes.

Agreed fully here. That the bedroom tax was applied weeks after the death of children in some families is sick.

Farage's honesty is absolutely refreshing and I'd be tempted to vote for him on that basis alone. At least you know where you'd stand with him.

[jim mk2]

The public sector ultimately is funded by taxation from the private sector. Care to suggest how would it work if 100% of the work force were employed by the public sector and there was no private sector?

The public sector funds the public sector too because it also creates wealth - if you'd read my post.

Social democrat? You must be joking! You are left of Putin!

Silly comment.

[thenodrog]

If anyone doesn't know what working class & upper class are then it's a poor do. I'm still waiting to see if you are going to pay the extra on season ticket prices to what you believe it should be .

Thats not enough abbey. Plenty of lower, middle and upper class work very hard. Just as plenty of lower, middle and upper class simply can't be arsed and prefer to sponge off the rest. The boundaries are very vague but the idlers and the scroungers from all sides are the ones that should be the target of your ire. Thats the only 'them and us' you need to be aware of.

[thenodrog]

After Osbournes last proper budget I did the BBC calculator and found we'd be some £330 a year better off, but even if we'd have been £3300 a year better of I'd never vote Tory. Far to much water under the bridge to ever vote for those *******.

Not sure who I'll be voting for this time tbh.

Most odd. So applying your logic and figures supposing lab get in it will cost you over £300 pa. Turkeys and Christmas springs to mind.

[Sandiway Blue]

The public sector funds the public sector too because it also creates wealth - if you'd read my post.

Silly comment.

If the public sector creates wealth then why do they have to make cuts? as somebody who works in the public sector i couldn't believe the money that Labour threw at it when i first started in October 2010.

Example:I went on a 2 week course in Kirkham as an induction to teach me basics for the job i was doing.I was asked by the catering staff if i wanted to order a lunch i asked how much they charged,expecting it to be around £3 or so and was gobsmacked when they said it was free! I was talking to the chef there who was being moved as the training centre was closing the canteen and he said he wasn't surprised as for every meal they made it cost County £10.50 PER PERSON PER DAY! There must have been around 50-60 people every day for the 2 weeks that i was there and Kirkham was one of god knows how many training centres throughout Lancashire.For me i felt this was a total abuse of taxpayers money and didn't feel comfortable ordering anything.

This was one small example,amongst many i suspect,of the financial waste that Labour was responsible for during their time in office.

[thenodrog]

Yes you're probably right Al, but I do have time for Farage, it's refreshing to hear a politician address the questions put to him frankly and honestly.

So if you can adhere to the power of your convictions rather than your infantile indoctrination that's looking your likeliest vote? Jim will be apoplectic with rage.

[Baz]

Thats not enough abbey. Plenty of lower, middle and upper class work very hard. Just as plenty of lower, middle and upper class simply can't be arsed and prefer to sponge off the rest. The boundaries are very vague but the idlers and the scroungers from all sides are the ones that should be the target of your ire. Thats the only 'them and us' you need to be aware of.

Don't disagree with that, but the idlers and scroungers only make up a very small part of the welfare budget. Tax avoidance by the top earners and top companies dwarfs that value, and although technically legal, it's totally unethical and yet we are still waiting for the chancellor to do something to narrow that.

The wealthiest people in this country have seen a dramatic change during the recession - they have seen their wealth dramatically increase - whilst the rest of the country has seen stagnation (at best).

[Baz]

If the public sector creates wealth then why do they have to make cuts? as somebody who works in the public sector i couldn't believe the money that Labour threw at it when i first started in October 2010.

Example:I went on a 2 week course in Kirkham as an induction to teach me basics for the job i was doing.I was asked by the catering staff if i wanted to order a lunch i asked how much they charged,expecting it to be around £3 or so and was gobsmacked when they said it was free! I was talking to the chef there who was being moved as the training centre was closing the canteen and he said he wasn't surprised as for every meal they made it cost County £10.50 PER PERSON PER DAY! There must have been around 50-60 people every day for the 2 weeks that i was there and Kirkham was one of god knows how many training centres throughout Lancashire.For me i felt this was a total abuse of taxpayers money and didn't feel comfortable ordering anything.

This was one small example,amongst many i suspect,of the financial waste that Labour was responsible for during their time in office.

Believe me, its still going on. The cuts have far more been made to services, than to jobs. That's down to leadership within the councils, (or lack of it), and the party allegiance has very little to do with competence.

[thenodrog]

Don't disagree with that, but the idlers and scroungers only make up a very small part of the welfare budget. Tax avoidance by the top earners and top companies dwarfs that value, and although technically legal, it's totally unethical and yet we are still waiting for the chancellor to do something to narrow that.

The wealthiest people in this country have seen a dramatic change during the recession - they have seen their wealth dramatically increase - whilst the rest of the country has seen stagnation (at best).

As you say Tax avoidance is NOT illegal in any way but you omit the fact that it benefits many citizens from all walks of life. How many times does this have to be repeated? We are all guilty of such if we have a isa, if we are married, if we choose a car for it's low road tax classification etc etc.

[Baz]

As you say Tax avoidance is NOT illegal in any way but you omit the fact that it benefits many citizens from all walks of life. How many times does this have to be repeated? We are all guilty of such if we have a isa, if we are married, if we choose a car for it's low road tax classification etc etc.

As you well know, im talking about the likes of multinationals choosing where to pay their taxes, ftse 100 ceo's who are being paid overseas etc not ISAs. Osborne obviously thought there is an issue or he wouldn't have announced he was going to legislate.

[jim mk2]

If the public sector creates wealth then why do they have to make cuts? as somebody who works in the public sector i couldn't believe the money that Labour threw at it when i first started in October 2010.

Example:I went on a 2 week course in Kirkham as an induction to teach me basics for the job i was doing.I was asked by the catering staff if i wanted to order a lunch i asked how much they charged,expecting it to be around £3 or so and was gobsmacked when they said it was free! I was talking to the chef there who was being moved as the training centre was closing the canteen and he said he wasn't surprised as for every meal they made it cost County £10.50 PER PERSON PER DAY! There must have been around 50-60 people every day for the 2 weeks that i was there and Kirkham was one of god knows how many training centres throughout Lancashire.For me i felt this was a total abuse of taxpayers money and didn't feel comfortable ordering anything.

This was one small example,amongst many i suspect,of the financial waste that Labour was responsible for during their time in office.

If you go on a work-related course you shouldn't have to pay, public or private. And why should you - you were on a training course to make you a better worker.

But you still don't get it. State spending is not spending for spending's sake, but investment to make the country and workers more productive.

It is easy to understand. Investment in healthcare increases economic productivity by keeping workers healthy and alive for longer, investment in education is economically beneficial because educated workers are productive workers, investment in policing is economically beneficial because crime is one of the most economically harmful activities.

Investment in welfare payments to the extremely poor are beneficial, since poor people tend to spend their money in the local economy and the relatively low cost of welfare is much smaller than economic damage if desperate people start turning to criminal activities in order to meet their basic needs.

As you say Tax avoidance is NOT illegal in any way but you omit the fact that it benefits many citizens from all walks of life. How many times does this have to be repeated? We are all guilty of such if we have a isa, if we are married, if we choose a car for it's low road tax classification etc etc.

Pennies compared to the billions squirrelled away by the super rich.

[Baz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17525977

Here you go Theno, heres Osborne in 2012 talking about tax avoiders being morally repugnant, and how he is going to legislate against it.

(That's the last we saw of the legislation, as far as I can see, must have struggled to get it passed by the party members.)

[only2garners]

Its over 4 years since Osborne announced he would be bringing in Legislation against tax avoidance. Still waiting....

Incidentally, I remember an article which linked a large number of companies on the list of avoiders who where also Tory donors.

Found out yesterday that my conservative candidate who has made a great deal about being local, lives in St Albans with her husband and 3 school-age kids, where she is an elected councillor. At the last election she was the candidate for Ashton-under-lyne. Can't see her plying the local causes, or even living close to the constituency.

She was born in the Ribble Valley (she claims to be a Rovers fan!), though she has clearly been living in St Albans whilst looking for a safe seat. She's probably an improvement on the last MP who disappeared back to Hampshire about six months ago and shut her office. She's probably no worse than the Labour candidate who is a Sefton councillor and says she's committed to her constituents in Blundellsands.

I had assumed that South Ribble was a fairly safe seat for the Tories but the Tory pollster Lord Ashcroft did a poll in the constituency and called it "too close to call". So Baz, you and I might be In the rare situation have having votes that might count, although I would still expect it to stay Tory. In any event I expect to keep up my personal record (I think), of never having voted for a winning candidate in a general election and I have voted in every one that I ave been able to.

[thenodrog]

As you well know, im talking about the likes of multinationals choosing where to pay their taxes, ftse 100 ceo's who are being paid overseas etc not ISAs. Osborne obviously thought there is an issue or he wouldn't have announced he was going to legislate.

A difficult one regards Google etc but the likes of costa may be avoiding Corporation tax but are at least paying tax in the form of vat, business rates and of course paying staff wages which contributes to income tax and NHI contributions etc.

[Baz]

She was born in the Ribble Valley (she claims to be a Rovers fan!), though she has clearly been living in St Albans whilst looking for a safe seat. She's probably an improvement on the last MP who disappeared back to Hampshire about six months ago and shut her office. She's probably no worse than the Labour candidate who is a Sefton councillor and says she's committed to her constituents in Blundellsands.

I had assumed that South Ribble was a fairly safe seat for the Tories but the Tory pollster Lord Ashcroft did a poll in the constituency and called it "too close to call". So Baz, you and I might be In the rare situation have having votes that might count, although I would still expect it to stay Tory. In any event I expect to keep up my personal record (I think), of never having voted for a winning candidate in a general election and I have voted in every one that I ave been able to.

Well considering Im in a "swing seat" Ive only had 1 knock on the door, and several leaflets from candidates in a different constituency (i live very close to the border to be fair). I'd reckon on us staying conservative too, but I believe the labour campaign is well organised, and the conservative candidate has only scarcely been up here canvassing so it could be tight.

Personally I'd sooner go for the person who at least has put some effort in, and is based close to the area, rather than someone who looks like they wont move here, and cant be bothered before they begin.

[Baz]

A difficult one regards Google etc but the likes of costa may be avoiding Corporation tax but are at least paying tax in the form of vat, business rates and of course paying staff wages which contributes to income tax and NHI contributions etc.

Defending a losing argument there Im afraid.

Can I opt out of paying income tax, so i can spend the money on a bentley, to keep the bentley staff employed?

[only2garners]

We have only had the local council Conservative candidate round, but we have had a lot of leaflets, mostly Conservative, which I assume is because they have more money. Personally I don't think either of the two main candidates have any commitment to South Ribble particularly. Anyway, I think I'll be voting for the only candidate born in the constituency, although not for that reason.

[Baz]

We have only had the local council Conservative candidate round, but we have had a lot of leaflets, mostly Conservative, which I assume is because they have more money. Personally I don't think either of the two main candidates have any commitment to South Ribble particularly. Anyway, I think I'll be voting for the only candidate born in the constituency, although not for that reason.

Ok, I know where not to lay my bet then

[T J Hooker]

Agreed fully here. That the bedroom tax was applied weeks after the death of children in some families is sick.

Farage's honesty is absolutely refreshing and I'd be tempted to vote for him on that basis alone. At least you know where you'd stand with him.

Farage seems pretty genuine, honest, intelligent and un-afraid to tell the truths that the more pc minded don't want to even acknowledge, its just all the other members of his party I don't trust

[Amo]

UKIP are a glorified personality cult, in other words.