The UK Politics and EU Referendum thread - merged

[EvilPie]

Fucks sake hope this doesn't happen, that will totally balls up my 10 year plan 

May as well go and do some shite lower paid job with less hassle....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/12115198/52-days-left-of-66pc-pension-tax-relief-boost-This-is-what-you-need-to-do.html

They've already hit the people with the shite lower paid jobs job mate so that won't help.

Not quite so tolerable when it's your pocket and future that's being affected is it?

This isn't a direct dig at you as I'm in exactly the same boat. Just got to suck it up and adapt in the best way possible.

[Woodsey]

Fucks sake hope this doesn't happen, that will totally balls up my 10 year plan 

May as well go and do some shite lower paid job with less hassle....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/12115198/52-days-left-of-66pc-pension-tax-relief-boost-This-is-what-you-need-to-do.html

They've already hit the people with the shite lower paid jobs job mate so that won't help.

Not quite so tolerable when it's your pocket and future that's being affected is it?

This isn't a direct dig at you as I'm in exactly the same boat. Just got to suck it up and adapt in the best way possible.

Nah I don't have to suck it up and may well not depending on what they do with it.

I had a significant promotion in the last year or so with a chunky pay rise to go with it. I have put ALL that pay rise into my pension so I'm not getting any extra money right now, I did it mainly because it would probably see me out of the rat race 5 years earlier.

As always when you hop up the greasy pole with more cash the jobs get a lot harder, I'm working my bollocks off now and the job is really hard and fairly stressful. I can tolerate that with an end goal in sight, if that end goal is forced to change because of these possible pension changes then I'm less inclined to want to do the job.

I'll happily slide back down the pole to what is a relatively easy and stress free job that I'm really good at, and it's still pretty well paid, so no sweat to me really. If I'm gonna have to work until 60+ I'll take the easier option thanks......

[DungBeetle]

I think a sales tax would just be passed onto the customer so will just end up being the same as increasing VAT.

There must be a way of collecting a fair amount of tax from large corporations.

Feels currently like we are getting screwed over big time.

The current system ends up with the Government collecting tax from the easiest targets, which are individual tax payers earning reasonable money collecting through PAYE etc.

We are being shafted from a corporation tax perspective. But the flip side is the fact that Starbucks (for example) generates a huge amount of national insurance, business rates and PAYE from it's activities.  I agree we need to take steps on the corporation tax front but we need to be careful that we still make the UK attractive for business.  It's a 2 way street.

I think Starbucks is a bad example, as any alternative coffee shop will generate similar amounts of PAYE/NI etc, but will likely pay more corporation tax and will almost certainly serve better coffee!

Would they though?  I don't remember much of a coffee shop culture before Starbucks rocked up.  I don't especially like Starbucks but I think they amongst others started the trend of numerous coffee shops in the high street.  They did it better than anyone else and stimulated a bunch of high street activity with associated benefits.

[TightEnd]

[AlunB]

If I'm gonna have to work until 60+ I'll take the easier option thanks......

The idea of people who aren't very wealthy retiring before 60 is already fairly ridiculous, it will be utterly absurd in 20 years time. Concept of retirement is completely out of line with its initial meaning.

[TightEnd]

If I'm gonna have to work until 60+ I'll take the easier option thanks......

The idea of people who aren't very wealthy retiring before 60 is already fairly ridiculous, it will be utterly absurd in 20 years time. Concept of retirement is completely out of line with its initial meaning.

with longevity/healthcare changing so dramatically, that would make some people retired 40 years+.

not sure the state is in a place to cope with that, is it? (doobs?)

[ripple11]

Interesting...that quite a big gap (even adding in the "don't knows")

Maybe the EU bigwigs look at this and say "no deal Dave".....because you're country ain't leaving anyway?

[PokerBroker]

If I'm gonna have to work until 60+ I'll take the easier option thanks......

The idea of people who aren't very wealthy retiring before 60 is already fairly ridiculous, it will be utterly absurd in 20 years time. Concept of retirement is completely out of line with its initial meaning.

with longevity/healthcare changing so dramatically, that would make some people retired 40 years+.

not sure the state is in a place to cope with that, is it? (doobs?)

Don't we have to take into account the type of work someone does? 

Perhaps there is an argument for banking a higher amount of NI/Tax off of those individuals who work in jobs were it is unlikely they will work any later than 60 and invest this in a pension for them? 

I recently had an engineer from BT attend the property to fix a fault with my internet, it was quite a windy day outside and I felt somewhat uneasy letting the chap climb his ladder to get to the box outside, he was in his late 50's, rather portly and out of breath just after taking 13 steps to the property.   I can't imagine this fella would be able to work any later than say 63.   

Despite not being related this takes us back to the tax system the state could well afford to pay pensions and look after those who need it if we were more efficient at collecting tax from those who tried to use loopholes.

[TightEnd]

big difference phone and online polls

[TightEnd]

quite the reaction

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Click to see full-size image.

[Woodsey]

Does seems a bit of a waste of time going through this process, can't think that many people will be influenced either way with the paltry amount that appears to be on the table. Maybe Cameron is just hoping that the small lead in the polls will see him through and get a vote to stay in.

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

[PokerBroker]

The EU's treatment of Greece and way the people of Portugal were treated recently has me seriously considering about voting out.  Until these recent events I'd have been committed to staying in. 

[RickBFA]

Interesting to see the BBC headlines this morning "bed blocking costing NHS £900m a year".

Report by Labour Peer Lord Carter says blocking by medically fit people should be addressed.

I'm sure a lot of this blocking is old people unable to leave hospital for care reasons but also reinforces the point we were making a week or so ago.