UK General Election 2015

[arbboy]

Some interesting stuff posted but there are still some people who live in a bubble.  

I see the poor, the elderly and the fat are being picked on.  Makes a change from the foreigner.  

How much does the professional gambler/poker player cost the economy?

What's needed is a fresh approach, successive governments stick to the same failed policies of yester year.  

In what sense Kmac?  Lack of income tax paid?  Cost to NHS from lifestyle?  

Both.  

Quite a few poker players gambles are over weight, smokers heavy drinkers and over indulge in in many other excesses.

The sheer fact they do all of the above would suggest to me they pay fortunes in VAT/other excise duties alone on their fast lifestyles more than enough to cover any costs they incur to the government.  I would be amazed if any long term pro gambler is a NET taker from the taxation system over their lifetime.

I would imagine a fair few people on benefits making decent livings in the black economy on the side would tick all of the above boxes as well without donating anything back to the system via their indirect taxation spend.

[redsimon]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

if the last 5 years are an indication twenty years of them wouldn't reduce the national debt a penny

[DungBeetle]

I don't think the Tories have done much other than tread water, although they talk a tough game.

However they inherited a record deficit when they took over and turning a large deficit round takes many years.

I'm not sure why you are surprised total debt has increased - it was 100% certain that debt would be higher now than in 2010 whoever was in charge.

[doubleup]

Some interesting stuff posted but there are still some people who live in a bubble. 

I see the poor, the elderly and the fat are being picked on.  Makes a change from the foreigner. 

How much does the professional gambler/poker player cost the economy?

What's needed is a fresh approach, successive governments stick to the same failed policies of yester year. 

In what sense Kmac?  Lack of income tax paid?  Cost to NHS from lifestyle? 

Both. 

Quite a few poker players gambles are over weight, smokers heavy drinkers and over indulge in in many other excesses.

Cash professional poker players prob generate more tax on their income than other occupations due to gambling duty.  A rakeback pro making 20k at 30% rakeback would generate 7k tax.  A betting exchange pro also generates tax.


Profitable bookmaker sports/horse betting players though - including ones that are good at Scottish football picks- cost the exchequer.

[doubleup]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

Actually due to Labour's prudence in the 13 years of office the present govt can borrow at very low interest rates.  So debt interest is only 2.9% of GDP (it was 3.4% in 1997).  There is an argument for borrowing even more at these rates - Apple recently issued a corporate bond despite having billions in cash.

[arbboy]

Some interesting stuff posted but there are still some people who live in a bubble. 

I see the poor, the elderly and the fat are being picked on.  Makes a change from the foreigner. 

How much does the professional gambler/poker player cost the economy?

What's needed is a fresh approach, successive governments stick to the same failed policies of yester year. 

In what sense Kmac?  Lack of income tax paid?  Cost to NHS from lifestyle? 

Both. 

Quite a few poker players gambles are over weight, smokers heavy drinkers and over indulge in in many other excesses.

Cash professional poker players prob generate more tax on their income than other occupations due to gambling duty.  A rakeback pro making 20k at 30% rakeback would generate 7k tax.  A betting exchange pro also generates tax.


Profitable bookmaker sports/horse betting players though - including ones that are good at Scottish football picks- cost the exchequer.

Who is the Scottish football picks dig at and why just out of interest ? Ansell?

[simonnatur]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

Actually due to Labour's prudence in the 13 years of office the present govt can borrow at very low interest rates.  So debt interest is only 2.9% of GDP (it was 3.4% in 1997).  There is an argument for borrowing even more at these rates - Apple recently issued a corporate bond despite having billions in cash.

Have I been whooshed, this is a joke right?

[simonnatur]

I don't think the Tories have done much other than tread water, although they talk a tough game.

However they inherited a record deficit when they took over and turning a large deficit round takes many years.

I'm not sure why you are surprised total debt has increased - it was 100% certain that debt would be higher now than in 2010 whoever was in charge.

Tories are dealing with deficit and thank God have started to make some inroads on the benefit budget. Glad they're starting to make life on benefits a little less attractive as a lifestyle choice.

I've never cared deeply enough to vote in recent elections, but the current crop of Labour clowns are a truly terrifying prospect. Can't even make their spending plans balance on paper let alone the real world.

[RickBFA]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

Actually due to Labour's prudence in the 13 years of office the present govt can borrow at very low interest rates.  So debt interest is only 2.9% of GDP (it was 3.4% in 1997).  There is an argument for borrowing even more at these rates - Apple recently issued a corporate bond despite having billions in cash.

Apple are only borrowing funds because if they use the cash they hold outside the US they will suffer a tax charge.

By no reasonable measure can you describe Labour's 13 years in office as prudent. Frankly that is laughable. Brown should have been running a surplus in the boom times not constantly building debt.

We do have increased debt under the coalition but that is due to largely committed expenditure. The difference ofcourse between the Tories now and Labour is that they have made it clear they plan to run a surplus and reduce borrowing.

[arbboy]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

Actually due to Labour's prudence in the 13 years of office the present govt can borrow at very low interest rates.  So debt interest is only 2.9% of GDP (it was 3.4% in 1997).  There is an argument for borrowing even more at these rates - Apple recently issued a corporate bond despite having billions in cash.

Have I been whooshed, this is a joke right?

+1

[TightEnd]

Debt as a percentage of UK GDP has more than doubled.

granted there is a numerator and a denominator here and 2009-11 saw the credit crunvh where the denominator fell

describing labour in the period 2008-2010 as prudent has given me a long chuckle  

they borrowed a lot more because they thought there wouldn't be a traditional economic cycle

Click to see full-size image.

its gone up since the coalition came in too, but at a lower magnitude (once stuff approved in 2008-09 went through the books in 2010-11)

[neeko]

Debt as a percentage of UK GDP has more than doubled.

granted there is a numerator and a denominator here and 2009-11 saw the credit crunvh where the denominator fell

describing labour in the period 2008-2010 as prudent has given me a long chuckle  

they borrowed a lot more because they thought there wouldn't be a traditional economic cycle

Click to see full-size image.

The y axis on this graph is tilting me </penantry>
its gone up since the coalition came in too, but at a lower magnitude (once stuff approved in 2008-09 went through the books in 2010-11)

[doubleup]

Interesting how some people always target areas like health, social care, housing, benefits. No doubt savings can be made there, but they can also be made in other areas, you know. I'd start by taking an axe to military spending.

I would target spending £47bn a year on debt interest and start having a surplus so we can lend to other countries and earn interest rather than pay it.  That would take a tory government for 20 years though so please stop voting labour!

Actually due to Labour's prudence in the 13 years of office the present govt can borrow at very low interest rates.  So debt interest is only 2.9% of GDP (it was 3.4% in 1997).  There is an argument for borrowing even more at these rates - Apple recently issued a corporate bond despite having billions in cash.

Have I been whooshed, this is a joke right?

obv lol

[TightEnd]

Labour ahead in the polls – Tories ahead in the betting.

http://politicalbookie.com/2015/02/13/labour-ahead-in-the-polls-tories-ahead-in-the-betting/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sports&utm_campaign=politics&hootPostID=dc3a0f1080ade1fd875c9e058c7f6f7e

[doubleup]

However, it is an interesting policy point - should you take advantage of low interest rates to invest in infrastructure?  I think borrowing for investment in social housing for example would have huge benefits.