The PistonHeads Budget

[Plotloss]

Fairly sure I'd be seriously looking at capping fuel tax and removing the VAT on it.

As it makes EVERYTHING artificially more expensive than it needs to be.

[s2art]

martin84 said:

s2art said:

Why do you say that? We will have to repeal the climate change act sooner rather than later, because that really is total fantasy. I will bet good money that the Tories will be forced to offer a referendum on the EU by the next set of general elections.

I say that because I asked what would you do if you were Chancellor right now. There will be no EU referendum, Blair said we'd have one once upon a time and it never materialised. The Climate Change Act won't go but it may be revised, but not in a hurry.

Dont be so sure. Osborn was indeed trying to repeal the target dates for the climate change act in the past few days. Either he will succeed or the defacto position will be they will be ignored. I think you underestimate the feelings on the Tory back benches regarding the EU. It wont take much more to push the EU referendum centre stage. (may take Cameron with it)

[martin84]

s2art said:

Dont be so sure. Osborn was indeed trying to repeal the target dates for the climate change act in the past few days. Either he will succeed or the defacto position will be they will be ignored. I think you underestimate the feelings on the Tory back benches regarding the EU. It wont take much more to push the EU referendum centre stage. (may take Cameron with it)

If the Tories get too bogged down in another bhfit over Europe then they will take Cameron - to the opposition benches. An EU referendum will not win the Tories the election, they campaigned on a right-wing platform regarding Immigration, Europe and Tax during the Blair years and it didn't get them anywhere.

Tory voters fleeing to UKIP might lose the Tories the election, but winning them back won't win them the election.

[spud989]

Alex said:

I'd implement this, in full:

http://www.2020tax.org/

Nice ideas in theory, but what happens to all those high-earning people who don't pay tax on their income because they're paid through a limited company and loans associated with it, etc. Like large numbers of sporting/media big names. Wouldn't that allow them to continue to evade, or am I misunderstanding?

And local authorities should raise half of their spending - won't that further entrench the North/South divide? There's no way that some authorities in Yorkshire, for example, could do that. That just sounds like a plan to keep money in London. Parts of the North are already dead/dying as it is - that would kill them off.

[s2art]

martin84 said:

s2art said:

Dont be so sure. Osborn was indeed trying to repeal the target dates for the climate change act in the past few days. Either he will succeed or the defacto position will be they will be ignored. I think you underestimate the feelings on the Tory back benches regarding the EU. It wont take much more to push the EU referendum centre stage. (may take Cameron with it)

If the Tories get too bogged down in another bhfit over Europe then they will take Cameron - to the opposition benches. An EU referendum will not win the Tories the election, they campaigned on a right-wing platform regarding Immigration, Europe and Tax during the Blair years and it didn't get them anywhere.

Tory voters fleeing to UKIP might lose the Tories the election, but winning them back won't win them the election.

You think? The public are more anti-EU than they have been for years. More to the point the Tories will have to offer a referendum, in case Labour do. The first to do so will get the benefit. In other words, the Tories will have to offer a referendum, and fairly soon, to stand a chance next elections.

[Jackleman]

OK

I would look to reduce spending further, but I would also match tax cuts so slowly the money that would be spent on useless crap in the public sector get's pumped back in to the economy helping businesses.

I'd stop sending foreign aid to countries which have a stronger growth rate than us, I'd also not give money to countries with a space or nuclear programme.

I would make prisoners work on things like road repair and ditch cleaning which would in turn help prevent against local flooding, similar projects where possible.

I would pump in a massive amount of money in to sorting out our train network and when I say sorting it out I would look at the entire network, that is how networks should be looked at.

Cut the armed forces further, we don't need them really.

Stop spending sending money to Brussels.

[trashbat]

MY BRILLIANT IDEAS, in DECREASING ORDER OF BRILLIANCE:

• Reduce military spending but increase intelligent procurement: currently it's a short list of pork barrel scraping companies like BAES. Stop tolerating this, whatever the short term cost. Ditto many civil areas.

• Nationalise certain areas that assist cost reduction in the above, either explicitly or by reproduction, along the lines of vertical integration. Same for anything that adds cost to the public, e.g. utilities

• Using the same scheme, invest in public infrastructure using British companies. Go protectionism!

• Improve long term vocation-oriented education opportunities so we have a skilled workforce that attracts international manufacturers

• Long term, enshrined tax breaks for R&D and high tech manufacturing

• Wring more IP ownership, cooperation and commercial exploitation out of all UK universities

• Incentivise decentralisation away from London

• Do like everyone else and wring a load of money out of the EU for doing nothing

• Bribe foreign businesses

• Industrial espionage

• Boil down the rich into soap and candles, sell them in Lush

• Declare war on Luxembourg

• Threatening Laser On The Moon

• Magic beans?

• Shred all the economic figures; say a big boy took them and ran away

[martin84]

s2art said:

You think? The public are more anti-EU than they have been for years. More to the point the Tories will have to offer a referendum, in case Labour do. The first to do so will get the benefit. In other words, the Tories will have to offer a referendum, and fairly soon, to stand a chance next elections.

Are the public really that bothered? The Express might think so but in reality I'm not so sure. I doubt EU membership comes up very often when MP's meet the public on the doorstep. It might be important to backbenchers and the sort of voter who voted for Hague and Howard when they were losing elections but I just don't think its an election winner.

Didn't the Coalition announce some sort of plan to force every employer to offer a pension or something? Sounds like that needs to go for starters.

[s2art]

trashbat said:

MY BRILLIANT IDEAS, in DECREASING ORDER OF BRILLIANCE:

• Reduce military spending but increase intelligent procurement: currently it's a short list of pork barrel scraping companies like BAES. Stop tolerating this, whatever the short term cost. Ditto many civil areas.

• Nationalise certain areas that assist cost reduction in the above, either explicitly or by reproduction, along the lines of vertical integration. Same for anything that adds cost to the public, e.g. utilities

• Using the same scheme, invest in public infrastructure using British companies. Go protectionism!

• Improve long term vocation-oriented education opportunities so we have a skilled workforce that attracts international manufacturers

• Long term, enshrined tax breaks for R&D and high tech manufacturing

• Wring more IP ownership, cooperation and commercial exploitation out of all UK universities

• Incentivise decentralisation away from London

• Do like everyone else and wring a load of money out of the EU for doing nothing

• Bribe foreign businesses

• Industrial espionage

• Boil down the rich into soap and candles, sell them in Lush

• Declare war on Luxembourg

• Threatening Laser On The Moon

• Magic beans?

• Shred all the economic figures; say a big boy took them and ran away

You would be breaking EU regulations with some of the above.

[crankedup]

Replace the Chancellor with somebody who has a clue would be a good place to start. Slow down the cuts and activate some growth policies. Might, just might take us forward rather than go backwards as last two years have shown, IMPO.

[trashbat]

s2art said:

You would be breaking EU regulations with some of the above.

Ask yourself: what would the French do? We would break them, then we would have the EU pay us to comply, and then we would eat a garlic horse.

[crankedup]

[quote=crankedup]Replace the Chancellor with somebody who has a clue would be a good place to start. Slow down the cuts and activate some growth policies. Might, just might take us forward rather than go backwards as last two years have shown, IMPO. Cut overseas aid, cut trident project. Sell off Olympic infrastructure.

[s2art]

martin84 said:

s2art said:

You think? The public are more anti-EU than they have been for years. More to the point the Tories will have to offer a referendum, in case Labour do. The first to do so will get the benefit. In other words, the Tories will have to offer a referendum, and fairly soon, to stand a chance next elections.

Are the public really that bothered? The Express might think so but in reality I'm not so sure. I doubt EU membership comes up very often when MP's meet the public on the doorstep. It might be important to backbenchers and the sort of voter who voted for Hague and Howard when they were losing elections but I just don't think its an election winner.

Didn't the Coalition announce some sort of plan to force every employer to offer a pension or something? Sounds like that needs to go for starters.

I think the people are, although its probably due to the Eurozone nightmare. Depends how well its sold, regarding attracting voters.

Also see; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18622849

Momentum is gathering.

[Steffan]

martin84 said:

s2art said:

Dont be so sure. Osborn was indeed trying to repeal the target dates for the climate change act in the past few days. Either he will succeed or the defacto position will be they will be ignored. I think you underestimate the feelings on the Tory back benches regarding the EU. It wont take much more to push the EU referendum centre stage. (may take Cameron with it)

If the Tories get too bogged down in another bhfit over Europe then they will take Cameron - to the opposition benches. An EU referendum will not win the Tories the election, they campaigned on a right-wing platform regarding Immigration, Europe and Tax during the Blair years and it didn't get them anywhere.

Tory voters fleeing to UKIP might lose the Tories the election, but winning them back won't win them the election.

I think Cameron is facing defeat whatever he does now. If he and Osbourne cannot outshine Ed Milliband and Balls Up (which they cannot) then there is no hope for the Conservatives. Frankly I cannot see the coalition lasting more than another two years if that.

I do think Vince Cable has a real chance I di think Nick Clegg is visibly out of his depth (unsurprisingly) and I do think the4re could be a Liberal coalition shuffle this Autumn. Mind you my predictions are variable!

But I think Cable could well become Deputy PM and strengthen the whole coalition effectively. I also think labour will recover in the next election. Despite their economic madness under Blair and Brown I di think that they could be the largest party next time.

We could therefore be looking at a Lob/Lab coalition with Cable continuing as Deputy PM or possibly Chancellor.

Sorry if this is a bit OT I will post later in the changes needed to the economy which are essentially back to work and stand up on your own politics for all the UK.

I do think the Lib/Lab pact is a real future possibility. Who would not want to work with Vince Cable on business? The man is a treasure.

[Jackleman]

crankedup said:

Replace the Chancellor with somebody who has a clue would be a good place to start. Slow down the cuts and activate some growth policies. Might, just might take us forward rather than go backwards as last two years have shown, IMPO.

The economy is still growing and has been, it is just the rate of growth that has slowed.

One of the big reasons for this is the Euro crisis which is caused by countries with far to much debt, are you suggesting we join these countries in building our debt to even more unsustainable levels?

[toppstuff]

Alex said:

I'd implement this, in full:

http://www.2020tax.org/

This.

Flat taxes.

They also bring the advantage of removing a massive layer of extraordinarily complicated bureaucracy . Which is why the Sir Humphrey types won't let it happen sadly.

Flat taxes also make tax evasion unattractive in one easy movement.

[toppstuff]

crankedup said:

Replace the Chancellor with somebody who has a clue would be a good place to start. Slow down the cuts and activate some growth policies. Might, just might take us forward rather than go backwards as last two years have shown, IMPO.

You are Ed Balls AICMFP.

[otolith]

martin84 said:

trashbat said:

Hey OP, can you change your post to, 'give us your right wing ideas regardless of whether they relate to growth'?

I was thinking that myself. Some of the ideas here are pure fantasy. Getting out of the EU, repealing climate change acts etc. Never going to happen. Maybe we should stick to working within realistic boundaries?

Those are the boundaries imposed by the current political classes - the question is "what would you do", not "what do you think the government might be willing to consider".

I think the Blair government used to call it "thinking the unthinkable"...

[Alex]

spud989 said:

Nice ideas in theory, but what happens to all those high-earning people who don't pay tax on their income because they're paid through a limited company and loans associated with it, etc. Like large numbers of sporting/media big names. Wouldn't that allow them to continue to evade, or am I misunderstanding?

And local authorities should raise half of their spending - won't that further entrench the North/South divide? There's no way that some authorities in Yorkshire, for example, could do that. That just sounds like a plan to keep money in London. Parts of the North are already dead/dying as it is - that would kill them off.

The North needs to learn to stand on its own two feet. And I say that as a born-and-bred Yorkshireman (now living in Surrey).

[toppstuff]

Steffan said:

. Who would not want to work with Vince Cable on business? The man is a treasure.

I have quite enjoyed some of your posts here Steffan , but this one has me worried.

I hope you are being ironic. But I don't think you are.

Vince Cable's ascendency is completely inexplicable to me. His so called "sage insight " at the time of the start of the financial crises were just the reheated words of others. I don't think he has uttered a word that is original.

A pointless politician IMO.