Are our views always entrenched?

Just back on after another wonderful night out so will take the points in the order they come.

Greatnan I didn't suggest that you said I was dishonest, I knew you could not have been referring to me. My post was about the word, not about to whom it was addressed. Was it me? It couldn't possibly have been because I didn't say you used that word.

Bags I don't think HQ agrees with you. I said that my post had been *** not that the person was *****.

Elegran I agree with you. It would be wonderful if I could post my opinion on a thread without someone jumping in and 'misinterpreting'. what I say. This 'picking' is unpleasant not only for the recipient but for those who read it too.

granjura I don't think it is fair to criticise you for your decision about where to live or whether you have one home or ten. As far as I know you are not starving the peasants (terminology perhaps after watching 3 Giselle's this week?) or cheating on your tax and your affairs are nothing to do with anyone else. 18 years ago we had a Swiss bank account and people made assumptions about us but it was to pay our son's bills when he was studying in Lausanne!

J08 I did address Bluebell's point but I don't think I was interesting enough for it to be taken up.

Greatnan please would you answer my question about why you interpreted my political opinions as you did/misinterpreted what I wrote/knew what I was thinking? On previous occasions when I have asked you to explain what you have said about me you have not done so and it is unfair to state something about someone and then not be prepared to justify what you have said.

Nanaej I think you will find that your post is rather OTT. Since when is injecting a little humour 'point scoring'? I think that's unkind and unnecessary. There was an immense amount of real 'point scoring' in this thread, and some consider that making their point soundly is just that and it is a necessary part of debate. I could nitpick at your use of the word 'always' and refer you to numerous occasions where I've made contributory points, but I really can't be bothered.

I don't think any of the views expressed on this thread are extreme politically. What is needed is agreed upon. How to get what is needed was not agreed upon. I think it'd be quite weird if we did all agree on such troublesome issues. It was a good discussion.

nonu, what you suggest would be a breach of confidentiality. HQ wouldn't do that.

Jingle - you can sell personal items on ebay without declaring a profit, but if you use it regularly HMRC keep an eye on it and could declare that you are running a business.
Same with boot sales - 'regulars' have been known to find a local inspector having a word!
Most people who make a profit on the sale of their main/principal residence need it to buy another home. If they are forced to move, say for employment reasons, and have to buy another before it is sold, there is a period of grace (it used to be three years) before it is concluded that it has become a second home, and therefore any profit is taxable. Quite fair, I think.

Capital Gains Tax is payable at 40% on the profit from the sale of a property which is not the vendor's principal residence.
It would be ridiculous and unfair to levy it, in addition to stamp duty, when someone was selling their home in order to live somewhere else for whatever reason.

Agreed !

Why are we not told who these "several gransnetters" are ?

I detest the secrecy .

Night night.

Why did "several gransnetters" report this thread?!

Don't bloody read it if you don't like it. Nobody forces you to!

#pathetic

It would put a lot of people off moving at all though, if they were going to bt taxed on any profit. The housing market would stagnate, and that wouldn't be good for the economy or families wanting to up/downgrade.

There is Capital Gains Tax, which applies to some forms of transaction - not well enough up on it to say further than that, and it's too late to Google!

Ignore me. #thinkingaloud #probably rubbish

But then, I suppose if you sell something on ebay and make a profit, you don't have to declare that as income. Or do you? I dunno.

bluebell made a good point back there! About why profit made when selling a house (due to the house price going up (when they did!) is not taxed as income, when money earned through a person's job is taxed (income tax).

It's all income, isn't it?

Gosh Aka I do feel you always appear to prefer 'point scoring' rather than being keen to discuss the real issues.

It is interesting to read the breakdown of the educational background of cabinet, Osbourne went to St Paul's I believe.

However the fact remains they are not representative of the majority of the population and probably few cabinets have been. I think that the increase of the 'career' politician rather than the 'work your way up' through grass roots is part of the reason politics is so narrow nowadays.

Interesting!

Grumppa good knowledge and/or research. That's scuppered 'em

Before the red sails of this thread vanish into the sunset, can we get rid of the notion that members of the Cabinet "all went to the SAME public school" (*Greatnan*)?

Of the 22 full Members of the Cabinet, eleven went to grammar schools or their Scottish equivalent, two went to comprehensives, and nine to independent schools. Of those nine only one, David Cameron, went to Eton.

Of the ten further Ministers who also attend cabinet meetings, two went to comprehensives and the remaining eight went to independent schools. Of these, two, Sir George Young and Oliver Letwin, went to Eton.

Taking the 32 together, there are three Old Etonians, two from Westminster, and two from Nottingham High School (one from when it was a direct grant grammar school and one after it was fully independent). [Source: Wikipedia.]

Perhaps the sheer noise emanating from Boris Johnson (not even an MP) gives the impression that Eton and Bullingdon are ubiquitous.

I tried a while back to throw out some real suggestions for discussion to solve the housing problems but they must have been too stupid as no-one took them up...

I am glad I went to the cinema tonight and for a yummy meal at Jamie's. I'd like to get in the boat too but think I might sink it..throw me a lifebelt and drag me along!

Turn that one on its head Gorki ... Some people are worried about posting in open forum as Merlot said. Can't imagine why

Good grief - object - fingers all over the place.

I agree it's a shame about not posting openly - defeats the pbject of a discussion forum, but still sense the thread has run its course.

Surely it defeats the object of a thread if people feel the need to post "in secret".

Not worried about supporting your middle of the road views openly Jura

I agree with Ana
It's a shame but not surprising that some people are worried about posting openly.

No I wasn't giving her a hard time, I honestly felt this thread had run its course. Assumed it was a joke.