What Martin Amis thinks of Jeremy Corbyn

Thinking around the people I know in my extended family who are more than usually well off - they have all benefitted from inheriting from parents or grandparents.
Others are less well off got help to buy their initial houses - and if they happened to be living in or near London their estates are going to be well over £million.
I think it is completely fair that some of this good luck should be subject to tax when they go.

Cameron inherited from his fathers legal tax avoidance in jersey me he left several million

Huh! He didn't leave any to me...

Tony Benn's tax arrangements seem to largely centre around his wife leaving her part of the house they owned to the children, rather than to him. It would seem to me that although they might have discussed things, given his views on women, the ultimate decision would have been hers. But it is still termed his tax dodge!

But imo it was THEIRS! (or at least their father's to leave as he wished, presumably tax paid and all legitimately earned - or inherited) - so at 40% IHT is is unfair and legalised theft.

If people wish to leave money to the Government coffers in their will, they are at perfect liberty to do so.

I would rather leave it to charities of my choice than to the Government.

Look at it as a final contribution to the NHS rosequartz - most of us incur the bulk of our total lifetime NHS cost in the last few months of life. And paying for that amount of private health cover for all those decades would have been incredibly expensive.

If you put it like that JessM it does sound a bit better

And, of course, pensioners don't pay NI contributions but probably use more of the facilities of the NHS.
Although DH is going to have to pay for an operation that he would have to wait months (or years) for under the NHS.

www.claruswealth.co.uk/2014/11/tony-benn-his-strategy-for-inheritance-tax-reduction/

An article about Tony Benn. I have read two other articles, one saying that his children would inherit £1.2 million each before tax, and the other saying they inherited £800, 000 each after tax. So it does not sound as if they did avoid tax.

J Corbyn has no charisma, which is needed by a leader.

Which leaders have Charsima ?

I think we've been here before!

Margaret Thatcher had it, Tony Blair had it, no one else has had it since.

That's just this country, of course - Putin's probably got it. And Obama, although he's losing his. JFK had it.

I agree with JFK, not the others

Bill Clinton?

Yes Clinton, perhaps charisma like beauty is in the eye of the beholder , I think Putin wooden, Obama has a sunny smile , his eyes smile but no charisma,

How would you describe charisma and, considering the examples given, do you think it is a reliable indicator of a good leader?

I'm not sure how you can lose charisma - surely you've either got it or you haven't - otherwise aren't we just speaking about self-confidence or the ability to convince people of your rightness? If leaders - such as Blair or Thatcher - lose their popularity - are they still charismatic?

Corbynites will like this: twitter.com/johnprescott/status/661919839536209920

What is a Corbynite?

Charisma - 'compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.'

Not necessarily an indicator of a good leader, why should it be? And think it can be lost, or at least diluted, when the public become disillusioned about certain aspects of the leadership in question.

It was so easy to be charmed by JFK in the sixties , there was so much hope that he would bring change to the world,

Tony Benn had what I see as charisma as did Mandela and Dr King, I found Gordon Brown to be charismatic when in a room but it never came across on tv.

Cameron is a leader without a scrape of charisma and George Osbourn! I cannot think of one leader who I think has it.

Well, not everyone finds the same people charismatic.

Corbynites = Corbyn supporters, ab

So Tories are Cameronites thatbags ?

Anniebach

You are an astute poster on politics so I am surprised you are giving the impression you do not understand what Corbynite means.

Corbynite has the same meaning as Blairite/Brownite /Thatcherite. Have you never heard such terms before?

Yes, that's right, ab, you got in one. And Miliband supporters Milibandites and Sturgeon supporters Sturgeonites, etc, etc.