It's Insulting The Way Pensioners Are Being Grovelled Over.

The moment voting is made compulsory I will stop voting. In a democracy, by definition everyone should have the right to refuse to be part of it.

As it is now so easy to keep copies and pictures of politicians making promises on what they will do if elected, it would be good if these were collected and retained and were then available to remind the very short memories of the politicians , of their promises after they were elected. Having the actual recording of what they said would mean that they could not weasel their way out or conveniently "half remember" only what suits them. Perhaps this would make politicians think twice. It would be easy to play the recordings side by side with whatever they said in the future if this differed a great deal

Maggiemaybe

Germanshepherdsmum
“I’m sure that if Labour had announced this there would be no criticism.
Oh, there would. If I disagree with a policy, I disagree, wherever it originates. We’re not all blind to the faults of our chosen political party. I haven’t come across a perfect one yet.”

I too would have disagreed, just as I’ll disagree if the LP did/does this for the under 25’s.

I disagreed with the decrease of NI, for exactly the same reasons, it benefits only SOME who pay tax, not all taxpayers, and this would also have benefitted high income earners too!

Germanshepherdsmum

No, because their entitlement to benefits depends on individual circumstances.

It depends more on income, than their circumstances.

Their income is surely part of their circumstances. Two people might manage, add a child into the mix and they need benefits.

Current full state pension is £11,500. Current personal allowance is £12,570

State pension would have to increase by over £1,000 pa before it is subject to tax. If inflation is running at about 4% by next year the increase in SP would be about £480, not enough to bring it into the tax bracket. It might just achieve that in the following year.

The Telegraph story said that the initial saving for those on state pension only would be ( in a couple of year's time) £100 pa. Wow!

Is that really enough to bribe enough pensioners to vote the tories back into power?

This is policy won’t bribe many pensioners who would benefit more from having a functioning NHS and social care system. The joke is there used to be tax allowance for pensioners which the Tories got rid of in 2010. Raising the personal allowance for all in line with inflation would be fairer, plus raising the pension to match it, so those who only have a state pension wouldn’t pay tax. They really are straw clutching here.

vegansrock

This is policy won’t bribe many pensioners who would benefit more from having a functioning NHS and social care system. The joke is there used to be tax allowance for pensioners which the Tories got rid of in 2010. Raising the personal allowance for all in line with inflation would be fairer, plus raising the pension to match it, so those who only have a state pension wouldn’t pay tax. They really are straw clutching here.

I do agree with this statement.

Sparklefizz

I think it should be law that everyone eligible has to vote so that at least a true picture of the country’s wishes is arrived at.
I believe this is the law in Australia?? Perhaps someone in Aus can correct me?

As long as you have a category "none of the above" whose votes are counted and recorded, then I'm fine with compulsory voting. We all know not every vote for a candidate is an endorsement of them but that a proportion will be "least worst option" votes. No elected mp has ever said they acknowledge some voted for them as least worst option have they? They all take every vote as a ringing endorsement.

Calendargirl

Sparklefizz

I think it should be law that everyone eligible has to vote so that at least a true picture of the country’s wishes is arrived at.
I believe this is the law in Australia?? Perhaps someone in Aus can correct me?

Yes, it’s compulsory to vote in Australia.

Yes, there's a fine if you don't vote.

Even with a 'none of the above' choice, if I was made to vote I would refuse to. If we live in a democracy that includes the right to play no part in it at all.

It would certainly be helpful if the threshold were raised to £20k, as Reform UK have said they’ll do, alongside wiping the debts of university students who have accrued debts of some £55k+ with a horrendous interest rate attached. The debt just keeps growing for them. I’m sure many of us have children or grandchildren in this position and they start their lives with this massive burden around their necks.
It’s worth checking out their manifesto.

M0nica

Even with a 'none of the above' choice, if I was made to vote I would refuse to. If we live in a democracy that includes the right to play no part in it at all.

But with rights come responsibilities. If people want to keep a democracy, they need to vote for it.

Many people in the world are not so lucky.

Any idea of the cost or where the money would come from?

mae13

If the Tories really intended to raise the Income Tax threshhold it could have been done, but not tacked onto the manifesto as if they've just remembered us - how doo-lally do they imagine we are? And Labour will likely dream up some reason - should they win - why they can't improve things for us "just yet."

Well, if I were an MP on 94,00 per annum (plus a few part-time directorships to keep my finances ticking over) I probably wouldn't feel it was necessary to get off my arse on behalf of others too quickly(pardon the language.)

I've lived long enough to see several elections come and go.......nothing but disillusionment EVERY time.

If politicians could just keep one promise they might not have the reputation they've acquired.

I totally agree with you. I find it insulting.

We live in a two-party system. ­Everything else is a protest vote.

I read somewhere a couple of years ago that over 90% of laws and legislation never changes from Government to Government, be it Conservative to Labour or Labour too Labour etc.

Some seem to think that when Labour come in all their dreams will be answered, just as several years later some will think the same about the Conservatives.

It's the same all over, our problems ae not unique. Other countries have other issues that are equally annoying to them.

Government is about managing money. Takeaway from the people, give it back to the people in another way, whilst trying to make enough to pay the interest on the historical debt the Government already has. Plus a bit put aside for a rainy day.

Blatant bribery for pensioners to vote Tory. I guess he has to counter the balance as he's most likely lost the votes of every 18 year old with his national service/volunteer idea.
I don't believe any of the manifesto pledges until they are honoured.

I read on page one of this thread about it being an election gambit.
Everything we currently hear is an election gambit by one party or another.

Germanshepherdsmum

It’s not a scam!

I was looked after perfectly well during covid, weren’t you?

Raising the personal allowance for everyone would be hugely expensive, and of course it would benefit very high earners too. Then it would be that thing politicians love to accuse one another of, an unfunded promise.

If they really want to help the low paid without vast cost it's simple. Increase the basic allowance then lower the levels that the higher tax rates kick in slightly so that higher paid individuals don't benefit but are effectively still with frozen allowances. That would slightly reduce the difference between rich and poor.

Having to wait an extra six years for my state pension however I don’t exactly feel “grovelled” over!

I’m quite capable of weighing up any ‘offer’ to pensioners against the effects of other measures on my (and my friends’) adult children and our grandchildren. I’m not going to vote for benefits for my generation at the expense of younger people!

If Labour are elected or any party actually after the Tories thay have an almost insurmountable task to make things better. So many years of downgrading services, transport, roads, the NHS etc etc. I only hope that whoever is given the job is also given the time to improve things before they are voted out again.

Robin20 It would certainly be helpful if the threshold were raised to £20k And along with that adding a rate of 50-60% above £200k.

Politicians make fabulous promises during every election campaign. And that’s what their promises are- fables! They try bribery, scaremongering, the lot, to appeal to voters. None of them appeal to me at all; I’ve seen too many election campaigns, politicians and governments come and go to have any faith left in any of them. This country will continue on its downhill path to mediocrity whatever happens.

So what would policy would get your vote? I'd vote for the party that made it illegal not to provide twice as many ladies toilets in buildings and at events!