Letter to my MP re Gordies latest tax fiaso.
Discussion
I sent this somewhat rantish snotogram to my MP, (Dave Kidney, Stafford) and received a reply an hour later. However, I don't quite see where his reply has any relation to my e mail? 
To his MP King Herald said:
Dear David,
Unbelievable! That is the only word I can think of to describe the latest tax fiasco our dear friend Gordon Brown has unleashed on this poor country. Several days ago Radio One was awash with good news about how the 2.5% VAT cut was going to kick start the economy, boost spending, save this country, but then I read the newspaper the following morning: Tax increases on just about everything else the average working family consumes!
2.5% off VAT sounds good, until you remember there IS no VAT on food or children's clothing, which is probably the biggest weekly expenditure for the average working family. So, the average outgoings for the family goes UP, while all the time the government is telling us how things are going to be cheaper. There are vague promises of a few quid a year tax rebate, but the recent slashing of the 10% income tax bracket has gobbled up any benefits there for many people.
In the end, the working man loses, again, like he has done every time Gordon's mob makes a change to things!
Regards, King Herald
Unbelievable! That is the only word I can think of to describe the latest tax fiasco our dear friend Gordon Brown has unleashed on this poor country. Several days ago Radio One was awash with good news about how the 2.5% VAT cut was going to kick start the economy, boost spending, save this country, but then I read the newspaper the following morning: Tax increases on just about everything else the average working family consumes!
2.5% off VAT sounds good, until you remember there IS no VAT on food or children's clothing, which is probably the biggest weekly expenditure for the average working family. So, the average outgoings for the family goes UP, while all the time the government is telling us how things are going to be cheaper. There are vague promises of a few quid a year tax rebate, but the recent slashing of the 10% income tax bracket has gobbled up any benefits there for many people.
In the end, the working man loses, again, like he has done every time Gordon's mob makes a change to things!
Regards, King Herald
And in reply Dave Kidney said:
Paul,
The global situation is extremely serious - hence a second massive fiscal stimulus announced in the USA overnight. But paying to keep people in jobs and homes today has to be paid for tomorrow. We've set out how we will pay for today's borrowing, which is the honest thing to do. And as a Labour MP I don't mind the Chancellor saying that the highest paid will pay a higher tax rate. The announcements are all for 2010-11 onwards when this present global downturn should have ended.
Regards, David
Should I write back asking him what he is on about, or have I merely received a normal politicians answer to a question?The global situation is extremely serious - hence a second massive fiscal stimulus announced in the USA overnight. But paying to keep people in jobs and homes today has to be paid for tomorrow. We've set out how we will pay for today's borrowing, which is the honest thing to do. And as a Labour MP I don't mind the Chancellor saying that the highest paid will pay a higher tax rate. The announcements are all for 2010-11 onwards when this present global downturn should have ended.
Regards, David
King Herald said:
I sent this somewhat rantish snotogram to my MP, (Dave Kidney, Stafford) and received a reply an hour later. However, I don't quite see where his reply has any relation to my e mail?
Depends how much time you have on your hands, but personally I love engaging in this type of banter. I think you should reply - I'm sure a number of us on here will contribute.To his MP King Herald said:
Dear David,
Unbelievable! That is the only word I can think of to describe the latest tax fiasco our dear friend Gordon Brown has unleashed on this poor country. Several days ago Radio One was awash with good news about how the 2.5% VAT cut was going to kick start the economy, boost spending, save this country, but then I read the newspaper the following morning: Tax increases on just about everything else the average working family consumes!
2.5% off VAT sounds good, until you remember there IS no VAT on food or children's clothing, which is probably the biggest weekly expenditure for the average working family. So, the average outgoings for the family goes UP, while all the time the government is telling us how things are going to be cheaper. There are vague promises of a few quid a year tax rebate, but the recent slashing of the 10% income tax bracket has gobbled up any benefits there for many people.
In the end, the working man loses, again, like he has done every time Gordon's mob makes a change to things!
Regards, King Herald
Unbelievable! That is the only word I can think of to describe the latest tax fiasco our dear friend Gordon Brown has unleashed on this poor country. Several days ago Radio One was awash with good news about how the 2.5% VAT cut was going to kick start the economy, boost spending, save this country, but then I read the newspaper the following morning: Tax increases on just about everything else the average working family consumes!
2.5% off VAT sounds good, until you remember there IS no VAT on food or children's clothing, which is probably the biggest weekly expenditure for the average working family. So, the average outgoings for the family goes UP, while all the time the government is telling us how things are going to be cheaper. There are vague promises of a few quid a year tax rebate, but the recent slashing of the 10% income tax bracket has gobbled up any benefits there for many people.
In the end, the working man loses, again, like he has done every time Gordon's mob makes a change to things!
Regards, King Herald
And in reply Dave Kidney said:
Paul,
The global situation is extremely serious - hence a second massive fiscal stimulus announced in the USA overnight. But paying to keep people in jobs and homes today has to be paid for tomorrow. We've set out how we will pay for today's borrowing, which is the honest thing to do. And as a Labour MP I don't mind the Chancellor saying that the highest paid will pay a higher tax rate. The announcements are all for 2010-11 onwards when this present global downturn should have ended.
Regards, David
Should I write back asking him what he is on about, or have I merely received a normal politicians answer to a question?The global situation is extremely serious - hence a second massive fiscal stimulus announced in the USA overnight. But paying to keep people in jobs and homes today has to be paid for tomorrow. We've set out how we will pay for today's borrowing, which is the honest thing to do. And as a Labour MP I don't mind the Chancellor saying that the highest paid will pay a higher tax rate. The announcements are all for 2010-11 onwards when this present global downturn should have ended.
Regards, David
As regards the general usefulness of MPs I can give the OP the benefit of my own experience.
I have been lobbying Defra regarding some changes to recycling and environmental changes my company is looking for. (In short, we think it would be a good idea for them not to be penalising the most environmentally efficient means of processing construction rubble with un-necessary licencing and permits, but that's another story: my rant)
I wrote to his Mr Kidney, who is my 'home' MP and also to my businesses consituency MP. They were next to useless and, as mentioned by another poster, for some reason all MPs and Defra seem obsessed to the point of fetishism about sending replies to emails by letterheaded (paid by the taxpayer) paper.
I have been lobbying Defra regarding some changes to recycling and environmental changes my company is looking for. (In short, we think it would be a good idea for them not to be penalising the most environmentally efficient means of processing construction rubble with un-necessary licencing and permits, but that's another story: my rant)
I wrote to his Mr Kidney, who is my 'home' MP and also to my businesses consituency MP. They were next to useless and, as mentioned by another poster, for some reason all MPs and Defra seem obsessed to the point of fetishism about sending replies to emails by letterheaded (paid by the taxpayer) paper.
NoelWatson said:
Depends how much time you have on your hands, but personally I love engaging in this type of banter. I think you should reply - I'm sure a number of us on here will contribute.
Quite. You could ask him why a small reduction in VAT will help the real problem of Bank recapitalisation.evenflow said:
He's talking down to you as you admitted to listening to Radio 1.
Yes not exactly a good point to raise in a letter you want a serious response to. It'd be like saying "I read in the Dail Mail today that frogs are being Gassed in the Congo and used to make pea soup on sale in Tesco"...
NoelWatson said:
Depends how much time you have on your hands, but personally I love engaging in this type of banter. I think you should reply - I'm sure a number of us on here will contribute.
If you really want to give him a Groundhog Day, send this:Digga's Rant said:
Dear Asshole,
mongoloid esquire
In essence, we feel that the recent changes Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) conflict with those in the proposed draft Environmental Permitting regulations and will create confusion for Local Authority officials as well as operators and users of mobile crushing plant.
The differing approach of the LAPPC regulations which focuses solely on engine horsepower, defining a small crusher as under 50hp and general triviality exemption at 15hp and the draft Environmental Permitting regulations, which approaches triviality in terms of material – 20 tonnes per hour maximum processing rate and no more than 200 tonnes on site – is confusing and also incorrect. To reliably and consistently achieve at rate of 20 tonnes per hour would require between 35 and 50hp – coincidentally the limit at which we requested general LAPPC general triviality exemptions be set in the very first instance.
A colossal number of skip and tipper lorry loads of rubble can be prevented from ever leaving site by the use of small mobile crushers. The cumulative effect of removing thousands of sites worth of rubble from the LA waste streams each year will be considerable, and will reap benefits in terms of the increase in recycling, the reduction in the amount of virgin quarried aggregate required, reductions in emissions and road traffic and also the compliance with EU targets. However, for this effect to realise its full potential, small crushers need to be numerous.
Additionally, as we have already said, the scope for confusion in the interpretation of differing approaches of the LAPPC regulations leads us directly back to our initial request that triviality for LAPPC be set at 50hp. If you have read and followed our argument thus far, we cannot see that you could fail to agree that this would be a sensible amendment.
Love,
Digga xx
mongoloid esquire
In essence, we feel that the recent changes Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) conflict with those in the proposed draft Environmental Permitting regulations and will create confusion for Local Authority officials as well as operators and users of mobile crushing plant.
The differing approach of the LAPPC regulations which focuses solely on engine horsepower, defining a small crusher as under 50hp and general triviality exemption at 15hp and the draft Environmental Permitting regulations, which approaches triviality in terms of material – 20 tonnes per hour maximum processing rate and no more than 200 tonnes on site – is confusing and also incorrect. To reliably and consistently achieve at rate of 20 tonnes per hour would require between 35 and 50hp – coincidentally the limit at which we requested general LAPPC general triviality exemptions be set in the very first instance.
A colossal number of skip and tipper lorry loads of rubble can be prevented from ever leaving site by the use of small mobile crushers. The cumulative effect of removing thousands of sites worth of rubble from the LA waste streams each year will be considerable, and will reap benefits in terms of the increase in recycling, the reduction in the amount of virgin quarried aggregate required, reductions in emissions and road traffic and also the compliance with EU targets. However, for this effect to realise its full potential, small crushers need to be numerous.
Additionally, as we have already said, the scope for confusion in the interpretation of differing approaches of the LAPPC regulations leads us directly back to our initial request that triviality for LAPPC be set at 50hp. If you have read and followed our argument thus far, we cannot see that you could fail to agree that this would be a sensible amendment.
Love,
Digga xx
Munter said:
evenflow said:
He's talking down to you as you admitted to listening to Radio 1.
Yes not exactly a good point to raise in a letter you want a serious response to. It'd be like saying "I read in the Dail Mail today that frogs are being Gassed in the Congo and used to make pea soup on sale in Tesco"...Firstly, you got a response! I'm still waiting for mine to get back to me on the email I sent him just over 6 months ago
Second, thats not actually a bad reply, from a Labour MP. On message, said what everyone else is saying, didnt quite have the central Gov spin, but obviously read the memo
Now you need to re-educate him as to what you want vs what he's being told by HQ
Second, thats not actually a bad reply, from a Labour MP. On message, said what everyone else is saying, didnt quite have the central Gov spin, but obviously read the memo
Now you need to re-educate him as to what you want vs what he's being told by HQ
motco said:
As an addition, not only do children's clothes and food not attract VAT but gas and electricity VAT remains unchanged as far as I know, as does the overall cost of petrol and alcohol. Probably the next most significant outgoing for a 'hard-working family' beloved of Broonites.
Prepared food does attract VAT. As I understand it: Carrots = no VAT. Carrot soup in a tin consisting of 100% carrots = VAT.Basically over 1/2 my food shopping basket will attract VAT
The BBC reporting over the 18.5% rise has been its usual unbiased self:
The BBC said:
Launching his attack by brandishing a mistakenly published Treasury document, Mr Cameron demanded: "If the government doesn't have a secret plan to increase VAT, why did the Treasury minister put his signature to it?"
Glad to know the Beeb's decided it was mistakenly published, even if no one else outside the Labour party can be so sure.Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff