Another episode of Benefits St.

[andy at handiwork]

'...Labour and the Lib Dems always want to soak the rich or what they regard as rich...'

If only.

[max_tranmere]

I used to be a Civil Servant for years for a Government department just a stone's throw (literally)
from Parliament Square and if you think the well known people at the top are good at throwing
public money away you should see how bad it is in the mid and lower ranks -
the things the public don't see. The wastage is immense. It would be interesting
to know the exact figure of public money that gets wasted. The amount would be incredible!

[Essex Lad]

David Johnson wrote:

> You need to think a little more before posting.
>
> No-one is saying that there are "utopias", merely that there
> are countries which have more income equality than the UK e.g.
> Scandinavian countries, France.

You think France is a country of equality ? one of the most racist countries in the world where black people are not allowed in some nightclubs? A country where Hollande introduces a 75% income tax ? that worked well. There was a mass dash for the borders.

I doubt very many people in the UK would want to pay the high levels of taxation in Scandinavian countries even in the name of "equality".

[David Johnson]

"You think France is a country of equality ? one of the most racist countries in the world where black people are not allowed in some nightclubs? "

Once again, you do yourself a disservice by not thinking before posting. I use the term "income equality". This has nothing to do with "racial equality".

"A country where Hollande introduces a 75% income tax ? that worked well. There was a mass dash for the borders."

Once again you do yourself a disservice by not thinking before posting. We are talking about income equality and one of the ways of moving nearer income equality is to increase taxes for the well-off. The actual amount to tax is obviously open to debate.

"I doubt very many people in the UK would want to pay the high levels of taxation in Scandinavian countries even in the name of "equality"."

This depends purely on whether people feel that they are getting something back for their tax. Obviously, if you increase taxes and then just give the money to banks, people are not going to be in favour. However, in Denmark where you have excellent health care provision, free child care for the less well off and up to 75% of child care paid by the state on behalf of the better off, the Danes clearly think they are getting something back. I can't say I am aware of floods of Danish people leaving Denmark for the nirvana of wonderful Britain.

[Sam Slater]

[quote]In the 1970s under Labour the top rate of income tax was 98p in the pound. Guess what? It didn't make any difference to poor people. Nearly 40 years later, we still have poor people...[/quote]

By that logic, it's a waste of time having hospitals because people still die of diseases.

It's about improvement, not an answer to everything.

[Essex Lad]

Sam Slater wrote:

> [quote]In the 1970s under Labour the top rate of income tax was
> 98p in the pound. Guess what? It didn't make any difference to
> poor people. Nearly 40 years later, we still have poor
> people...[/quote]
>
> By that logic, it's a waste of time having hospitals because
> people still die of diseases.
>
> It's about improvement, not an answer to everything.
>
No, it's about taxing and spending wisely not profligately like the last Labour government did, selling its soul for a mess of PFI pottage...

[Sam Slater]

Yeah........I guessed you'd miss my point completely.

[Essex Lad]

Which was?

[Gentleman]

"It's about improvement, not an answer to everything."

[Sam Slater]

Thank you, Gentleman. My first reply to Essex Lad was two short sentences. I wasn't being vague or cryptical and cannot understand how my point was missed. I don't think I could have been clearer or more succinct if I'd tried.