[Archived] Rant (4?)

[yoda]

Corporate tax in Britain is among the lowest of the G7 but the reduction in business costs have not been passed down to consumers merely pocketed by shareholders in the form of higher dividends and the fat cats in the boardroom in the form of ever higher pay rises and bonuses.

VAT is the most pernicious of taxes but it hits the poorest and weakest in society the most. Property is severely undertaxed in this country and is one reason why house prices continue to go through the roof (so to speak), though to be fair Osborne has started to clamp down on the buy to let market. Capital gains on primary residences would help to end this nation's (and other countries such as the US) obsession with investing in property.

Income tax is the best form of taxation because if it is structured properly it is progressive and helps to tackle inequality. I am happy to pay higher income tax if it leads to better public services and better infrastructure.

And controlled by the EU

[jim mk2]

Are living standards dropping? People are living longer, more active, healthier, safer lives than ever before? It is true middle and lower incomes have hugely stagnated, and property is unaffordable (both massive issues) but consumable products and services have become much cheaper.

It's a strange thing about humanity that the last 65 years have seen extraordinary growth of opportunity - health, travel, technology, peace which are accessible to the majority of people not just elites - yet it is a common opinion that things are getting worse? Interesting.

In terms of the broader point about population density - personally my view is London and the South East are already very densely populated, but there is some room for expansion. That area is not as dense as the province of Holland in the Netherlands for example. That said London is projected to grow by a million people in the next ten years - it is hard to see how it can grow much beyond that.

On the other hand much of the North and West, as well as Wales and Scotland, could desperately do with the economic stimulus immigration provides, but you need the economic infrastructure to provide the jobs for the people coming in (and provide better jobs for the people already there). Much of that isn't in place at the moment. George Osbourne is on to the right track with the "northern powerhouse" but you have to wonder how good the plans are. It seems like empty rhetoric mostly, I don't see a real desire to become less London focussed.

Companies need to want to move away from London. That is the crux of it, and then the deman for everything (houses, jobs, employees, infrastructure, migrants) can work to everyone's benefit.

Good post. The apparent "overpopulation" (not true) in England is skewed by the London and southeast figures. There's plenty of space elsewhere but not enough decent jobs, as you point out. The northern powerhouse idea is an idea that Gideon lifted directly from Labour (among many others). Personally I think it was a cynical election ploy by the Tories and it amounts to little more than hot air - certainly it won't see significant new spending to redress the every widening north-south divide.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

The apparent "overpopulation" (not true) in England is skewed by the London and southeast figures. There's plenty of space elsewhere.

There's plenty of space outside of England. As you can see below, most of England is densely populated, the midlands, north west and west Yorkshire just as much as the south east.

[jim mk2]

Just the belt down the middle has average density. The west, east and far north are well below.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Just the belt down the middle has average density. The west, east and far north are well below.

"Average density" is an entirely subjective measurement, used in this case as the most meaningful numbers to apply to a very densely populated country. Those bands in the top left could just as easily be 0-10, 10-20, 20-50, 50-100 etc (probably more accurate for a world average) and then the vast majority of England would be coloured red/dark red.

Well you're getting closer with the belt down the middle compared to just London and the south east, but there's still clusters in the north east, south coast and somerset. You're also failing to mention that huge swathes of the sparsely populated areas are national parks, do you want to start populating those?

Surprised to be having this argument with an environmentalist (as your previous comments seem to suggest). That's always the main casualty of a constantly rising population. But then I suppose its a matter of priorities, pro-immigration must trump environment, just like it apparently trumps feminism.

[jim mk2]

I said London and the southeast is overpopulated, the middle bit less so and the rest has lots of empty space..

Have you even flown in a light aircraft over England - it's amazing how much is green and empty. Even big towns are dots on the landscape.

[T J Hooker]

go live somewhere else if it bothers you so much, nobody's forcing you to stay and live in this little nook of the world

[Biddy]

go live somewhere else if it bothers you so much, nobody's forcing you to stay and live in this little nook of the world

No sure who that was aimed at. Seems a little uncalled for.

[T J Hooker]

Mainly skh, in this instance😈😁

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

No sure who that was aimed at. Seems a little uncalled for.

Yeah its ok, you can't debate certain topics without that nasty little pr*** resorting to swear words or spitting his dummy at you.

[ABBEY]

go live somewhere else if it bothers you so much, nobody's forcing you to stay and live in this little nook of the world

such a real top dude aint you..

[T J Hooker]

Yeah its ok, you can't debate certain topics without that nasty little pr*** resorting to swear words or spitting his dummy at you.

Nothing nasty about me princess and seriously that's probably the dumbest contradiction I've ever seen anybody post.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Nothing nasty about be princess and seriously that's probably the dumbest contridiction ive ever seen anybody post.

Pathetic/childish do you instead then? At least Jim was interested in debating the topic. All I got from you is a suggestion that I shouldn't have kids, followed by one that I should go live in another country. Don't know why I'm surprised to be honest, people like you have been using these tactics for years.

The political left get to air their opinion how they want, when they want. Post-election anti-austerity marches to oppose the democratically elected government, anti-capitalist marches to attack some policeman, welcome refugee marches, Unite Against Facism marches, death threats and abusive letters/e-mails by the thousands to Labour MPs who voted for air-strikes. The political voice of the hard left is loud, constant and never makes the slightest attempt to restrain itself.

And as soon as the political right (or even centre) attempts to have their say, your kind of tactics are used. Hostile barbs and childish one-liners that have little/nothing to do with the point of contention and could have been written by the hardman from your local primary school. 5 years ago you'd have been playing the racist card if people like you hadn't spent decades massively over-using it to the point that literally everyone knows its just a crude silencing technique for people who no longer have an argument.

Anyway, you can save it where I'm concerned because it doesn't work, I suggest you spend your time practicing your spelling instead.

[yoda]

I said London and the southeast is overpopulated, the middle bit less so and the rest has lots of empty space..

Have you even flown in a light aircraft over England - it's amazing how much is green and empty. Even big towns are dots on the landscape.

It's not empty Jim, it is full of farms that provide the food for us

[T J Hooker]

Pathetic/childish do you instead then? At least Jim was interested in debating the topic. All I got from you is a suggestion that I shouldn't have kids, followed by one that I should go live in another country. Don't know why I'm surprised to be honest, people like you have been using these tactics for years.

The political left get to air their opinion how they want, when they want. Post-election anti-austerity marches to oppose the democratically elected government, anti-capitalist marches to attack some policeman, welcome refugee marches, Unite Against Facism marches, death threats and abusive letters/e-mails by the thousands to Labour MPs who voted for air-strikes. The political voice of the hard left is loud, constant and never makes the slightest attempt to restrain itself.

And as soon as the political right (or even centre) attempts to have their say, your kind of tactics are used. Hostile barbs and childish one-liners that have little/nothing to do with the point of contention and could have been written by the hardman from your local primary school. 5 years ago you'd have been playing the racist card if people like you hadn't spent decades massively over-using it to the point that literally everyone knows its just a crude silencing technique for people who no longer have an argument.

Anyway, you can save it where I'm concerned because it doesn't work, I suggest you spend your time practicing your spelling instead.

Golly gosh thats a lot of letettery thingies! Is a cud reed um

[Biddy]

I've just hidden a post by TJ. Please stop it now.

[T J Hooker]

Sorry, Dont bother hiding skh insult ridden rant though,ill live, i learned long ago never to take anything mean spirited haters say seriously.

[Baz]

There's plenty of space outside of England. As you can see below, most of England is densely populated, the midlands, north west and west Yorkshire just as much as the south east.

Whats the scale? 5000 per....

[Baz]

Pathetic/childish do you instead then? At least Jim was interested in debating the topic. All I got from you is a suggestion that I shouldn't have kids, followed by one that I should go live in another country. Don't know why I'm surprised to be honest, people like you have been using these tactics for years.

The political left get to air their opinion how they want, when they want. Post-election anti-austerity marches to oppose the democratically elected government, anti-capitalist marches to attack some policeman, welcome refugee marches, Unite Against Facism marches, death threats and abusive letters/e-mails by the thousands to Labour MPs who voted for air-strikes. The political voice of the hard left is loud, constant and never makes the slightest attempt to restrain itself.

And as soon as the political right (or even centre) attempts to have their say, your kind of tactics are used. Hostile barbs and childish one-liners that have little/nothing to do with the point of contention and could have been written by the hardman from your local primary school. 5 years ago you'd have been playing the racist card if people like you hadn't spent decades massively over-using it to the point that literally everyone knows its just a crude silencing technique for people who no longer have an argument.

Anyway, you can save it where I'm concerned because it doesn't work, I suggest you spend your time practicing your spelling instead.

The left can raise their opinion, in the same way the right and centre can, it's called democracy. Its a democratic right to be able to protest against a government, as long as it is done in a lawful manner.

There are as many if not more unsavoury characters on the far right, as the far left.

[T J Hooker]

The left can raise their opinion, in the same way the right and centre can, it's called democracy. Its a democratic right to be able to protest against a government, as long as it is done in a lawful manner.

There are as many if not more unsavoury characters on the far right, as the far left.

precisely, luckily though there are far more good well intentioned decent people in the world that care passionately about humanity as a whole, thankfully they pretty much drawn out the squealing of the natural born fear filled haters.

[adopted scouser]

Nothing nasty about me princess and seriously that's probably the dumbest contradiction I've ever seen anybody post.

Warning points are handed around and trite nonsense like this warrants nothing ? 'Princess' Tough from a guy behind a keyboard.

precisely, luckily though there are far more good well intentioned decent people in the world that care passionately about humanity as a whole, thankfully they pretty much drawn out the squealing of the natural born fear filled haters.

I take it Helen Keller means 'drown' out, and 'haters' for goodness sake, are we mid atlantic now ?

Irritating beyond belief.

[T J Hooker]

at times maybe, but at least I'm not a totally unpleasant hateful person like yourself.

I should get warning points for saying princes but you think its OK for me to be called a p###k(along with all the silly insulting tripe in his usual long winded pretentious rant) strange that isn't it.

think ill have to call it a day before I cat a smacked bum, tomorrow ill go back to ignoring those on my ignore list and there will be no more of this tosh from me, sorry.

[K-Hod]

Warning points are handed around and trite nonsense like this warrants nothing ? 'Princess' Tough from a guy behind a keyboard.

I take it Helen Keller means 'drown' out, and 'haters' for goodness sake, are we mid atlantic now ?

Irritating beyond belief.

SKH replied in kind by calling him half a swear word though (editing it), so we could punish both, or neither!

[yoda]

I've just hidden a post by TJ. Please stop it now.

Is it not just easier hiding TJ

[otto man]

Pathetic/childish do you instead then? At least Jim was interested in debating the topic. All I got from you is a suggestion that I shouldn't have kids, followed by one that I should go live in another country. Don't know why I'm surprised to be honest, people like you have been using these tactics for years.

The political left get to air their opinion how they want, when they want. Post-election anti-austerity marches to oppose the democratically elected government, anti-capitalist marches to attack some policeman, welcome refugee marches, Unite Against Facism marches, death threats and abusive letters/e-mails by the thousands to Labour MPs who voted for air-strikes. The political voice of the hard left is loud, constant and never makes the slightest attempt to restrain itself.

And as soon as the political right (or even centre) attempts to have their say, your kind of tactics are used. Hostile barbs and childish one-liners that have little/nothing to do with the point of contention and could have been written by the hardman from your local primary school. 5 years ago you'd have been playing the racist card if people like you hadn't spent decades massively over-using it to the point that literally everyone knows its just a crude silencing technique for people who no longer have an argument.

Anyway, you can save it where I'm concerned because it doesn't work, I suggest you spend your time practicing your spelling instead.

Well said sir! Bravo!