Rayner Will Not Rule Out Abolishing Council Tax Single Occupier Discount

Is there really any need for the sneering tone on these threads?

maddyone oh yes. 🤣🤣🤣

Under a Labour government, more people would have got off their rear ends and voted so Brexit wouldn’t have happened. (Or maybe it would have got a 2million majority instead of only a 1million one.)

We wouldn’t have supported Ukraine on the grounds that we’re still pouring money into third world countries, that can afford to join the space race. ( even those that segregate their citizens by caste,)
Incidentally, that’s because we are helping India reduce its carbon emissions. Maybe their spaceships will take off on solar power.

We wouldn’t have had Covid. Starmer wouldn’t have allowed it, and if we did, we’d all had to have worn lanyards to protect us instead of masks.

Starmer thinks Lock down for longer?

Last time I heard, lockdown was wrong. Certainly posters on social media criticise the lockdown of schools, shops and services etc.
On the one hand subjecting hospital staff caring for Covid patients to exposure was wrong, on the other hand allowing more people into health care facilities to increase the danger of exposure was wrong.

Which way would Starmer have gone?

I don’t excuse the errors or even wrongdoing with regard to purchases made, maybe voters believe no-one in the LP has ever been guilty of deliberately or accidentally feathering their own nests at the taxpayers’ expense, but you mentioned cloud cuckoo land . . .

With the advantage of hindsight any party/country would know what worked and what didn’t. Still doesn’t mean they’d get it right though.

Thanks for your post.

I really and truly wish that Brexit, Covid, and Ukraine had happened under a Labour government. I would have loved to have seen just how they would have have handled all these situations. Starmer wanted us locked down for longer; I wonder how that would have affected the economy.
To be honest, anyone who thinks it would have been much different either doesn’t understand or is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Covid in particular, has caused economic problems in virtually every country in the world, but of course, it’s all the fault of the government.

Blaming the government for not sorting out problems immediately is par for the course. It happens every time and we’re still suffering now because of GB’s actions.
Just there wasn’t such easy opportunity for people to make their blame public back then, or to leap to the defence of any actions by Starmer or new government.

Regardless of the challenges (undoubtedly serious ones) that faced the Tories, they left the UK in a mess. Blaming the current government for not sorting them out within 60-odd days is very simplistic, and takes no account of the failures of the last one.

As foxie says, we don't even know what will happen in the budget yet.

“The prison situation, the fact that councils are so cash-strapped, the cost of living - blame for all of these things can be laid firmly at the feel of the previous administration, who were around for fourteen years, yet the new government have been in power for something like 68 days, yet are criticised for not having turned back the tide.”

I’m not defending them but the Tories had Brexit, Covid and Ukraine in quick succession, they struggled as did many governments. With hindsight things could have been done differently, Labour was not blameless during the Brexit process and I really don’t think they would have handled Covid or Ukraine much differently.

Now pigeons are coming home to roost, we have got to earn our keep, so hard decisions have got to be made, the giveaways the Tories used to get votes cannot now be afforded. We should not get complacent about how much supporting Ukraine might cost, nor what effect the Gaza war might have if Iran gets directly involved.

IMO judging a government on the strength of 68 days seems a bit premature, we haven't even had a budget, just lots of rumours in the media from sources who are definitely not supportive of labour and some settlements of very long standing wage claims that have been costly and very inconvenient for a lot of people. The issue of WFP is contentious but there are lots of people who are supportive of not giving money to people who don't need it and tbh if any savings are taken up by paying more pensioners PC, I really think that's a win. What I would welcome would be an increase in the threshold for claiming PC and an increase in the tax free allowance which would take some of the poorest paid out of taxation entirely. I think it's sensible to see what is actually in the budget before anyone gets upset about something that might not happen.

HousePlantQueen

Hear hear x 3. I voted to get rid of the Tories too and would gladly do the same again. I am disappointed with the decision about WFA, of course, but I am curious as to what wondrous things people expected the Tories to do had they been reelected.

This is a valid point. We never hear from those calling KS unoriginal (and IMO unfounded) names just what they would do differently, never mind what they seriously think the Tories would have done differently.

The prison situation, the fact that councils are so cash-strapped, the cost of living - blame for all of these things can be laid firmly at the feel of the previous administration, who were around for fourteen years, yet the new government have been in power for something like 68 days, yet are criticised for not having turned back the tide.

Another labour voter here.

Hear hear x 3. I voted to get rid of the Tories too and would gladly do the same again. I am disappointed with the decision about WFA, of course, but I am curious as to what wondrous things people expected the Tories to do had they been reelected.

hear hear @2

Grantanow

I voted to get the Tories out and that was the right thing to do given their incompetence and deliberate recklessness in budgeting a trap for an incoming Labour government. We are all going to pay a heavy price for 14 years of the nasty Party and I won't be voting for them next time.

Hear hear, Grantanow.

karmalady

Same, I never voted for labour, they are a disgrace. I will never vote for them and neither will my younger relatives, who care about the elderly

They are certainly showing their true colours saving £1.4 billion off the back of pensioners but comfortably spending £12 billion on climate change aid for other countries (one of which has a space program amongst other riches)

Is this extra amount on top of the overseas budget?

grandaisy

Instead of burdening single home owners who often have fewer financial resources with increased CT, why not increase it for those with 3+adults living in the home?

That was tried years ago by Mrs Thatcher, I remember the ensuing riots and protests that brought about its demise!

I voted to get the Tories out and that was the right thing to do given their incompetence and deliberate recklessness in budgeting a trap for an incoming Labour government. We are all going to pay a heavy price for 14 years of the nasty Party and I won't be voting for them next time.

Same, I never voted for labour, they are a disgrace. I will never vote for them and neither will my younger relatives, who care about the elderly

eazybee

Part of the crippling costs this government says it is facing is the unwarranted 10 billion payout to train drivers and junior doctors. Pensioners cannot paralyse the country by industrial action so pose no threat. The pension increase of £400 next year will put many pensioners over their personal allowance thus making many more liable for tax.

It's about £8 ish a week from next April. That's round about £32 every 4 weeks.
What will go up in price as usual? Council Tax, water rates, etc.
I can't see that groceries or anything else will go down by then. We'll probably end up worse off.

GrannyGravy13

If Labour removes the single person Council Tax discount it is not just pensioners who will suffer.

It will also be penalising younger widows/widowers, divorced, and those that are single!

In my opinion Labour are perpetuating and increasing the gap between the have and have nots!

My conscience is clear, I didn’t vote for them

Nor did I, and after the first weeks of Labour in power, they have ensured I never will!

It isn't just pensioners, though.

Bloomin well said!

Mojack26 - knew what would happen? That the government would face huge problems trying to rebuild our country after disastrous governments

Knew all this would happen if Labour got in!😡He's a wolf in sheeps clothing! He'll go for the easy targets pensioners,1 person household. Time they went after all those who don't pay and reciver monies owed! Same with Brexit! Big mistake!! Now Labour..Big mistake!

Something had to give. The government decided the WFA should be part of it. I’d prefer to see a larger basic pension so people with private/work pensions and savings pay more tax. Those entirely dependent on a state pension should be able to manage without applying for pension credit etc. There is no escaping the fact that many pensioners do not need the WFA.

I also fail to understand why pensioners are singled out for WFA when others who also need to keep warm are left to get on with it. (disabilities/serious health problems for example)

That sounds very sensible.

Instead of burdening single home owners who often have fewer financial resources with increased CT, why not increase it for those with 3+adults living in the home?