The UK Politics and EU Referendum thread - merged

[TightEnd]

History suggests an early election. Economics points the other way,

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/elections/2017/07/history-suggests-early-election-economics-points-other-way

[TightEnd]

Labour is now two parties. For either to win, the other must be annihilated

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/03/labour-now-two-parties-either-win-must-annihilated/?WT.mc_id=e_DM485484&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Pol_New_AEM_Newsletter&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Edi_Pol_New_AEM_Newsletter_2017_07_03&utm_campaign=DM485484

[TightEnd]

Is austerity over? Rhetoric died with George Osborne's exit but for now policy lives, from pay cap to welfare cuts

http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/blog/the-end-of-austerity/

[TightEnd]

Jeremy Corbyn is talking uneducated nonsense about tuition fees, says

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2017/07/jeremy-corbyn-talking-uneducated-nonsense-tuition-fees/

[TightEnd]

Ruth Davidson is the most popular senior Tory among activists (via Con Home).

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Times graphic on public sector pay

[TightEnd]

ICM/Guardian:

LAB 43 (+2)
CON 41 (-3)
LD 7 (-1)
UKIP 3 (+1)
GRN 3 (+1)

Changes vs GE result
30th-3rd
N=2,044

[RickBFA]

Times graphic on public sector pay

The Chancellor's easiest way to pay for it would be abolishing higher rate tax relief on pension contributions.

Can't remember the numbers but it's in the billions. Osborne was definitely going to do it but bottled it a few months before Brexit to try to further his political career.

Wouldn't be popular with Tories voters but might be seen as a good way to fund things like public sector pay by the average basic rate paying Joe Public.

[RickBFA]

Just looked and total tax relief cost is £35-40bn per annum.

I was at a seminar recently where the message was clear. Overall tax relief cost is rising as more basic rate taxpayers are auto enrolled in employer pension schemes.

Higher rate relief will disappear it's just a question of when.

If higher rate relief costs £5-10bn a year it's a massive chunk of cash if the Chancellor is willing to piss off big chunks of his own party.

[Woodsey]

Times graphic on public sector pay

The Chancellor's easiest way to pay for it would be abolishing higher rate tax relief on pension contributions.

Can't remember the numbers but it's in the billions. Osborne was definitely going to do it but bottled it a few months before Brexit to try to further his political career.

Wouldn't be popular with Tories voters but might be seen as a good way to fund things like public sector pay by the average basic rate paying Joe Public.

 

[RickBFA]

Times graphic on public sector pay

The Chancellor's easiest way to pay for it would be abolishing higher rate tax relief on pension contributions.

Can't remember the numbers but it's in the billions. Osborne was definitely going to do it but bottled it a few months before Brexit to try to further his political career.

Wouldn't be popular with Tories voters but might be seen as a good way to fund things like public sector pay by the average basic rate paying Joe Public.

 

 

Get your single premium pension contribution in Woodsey.

Abolishing higher rate relief is not good for my clients but it's defo on the cards at some point.

[TightEnd]

Excellent long read on the state of May's government

https://www.ft.com/content/02f15952-6099-11e7-8814-0ac7eb84e5f1

[TightEnd]

Why has it been left to David Cameron to make the case for ‘sound finances’?

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2017/07/left-former-prime-minister-make-case-sound-finances/

[TightEnd]

Brexit director who created £350m NHS claim admits leaving EU could be 'an error'

(primarily because of the poor way it is being implemented)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-news-vote-leave-director-dominic-cummings-leave-eu-error-nhs-350-million-lie-bus-a7822386.html

[TightEnd]

a cheery article from The Economist

Not only have the windows of Britain's power shattered, but the ceiling has fallen in

https://www.economist.com/news/britain/21724395-country-has-not-cut-such-pathetic-figure-global-stage-suez-britains-decline?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/britainsdeclineandfall