"Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me."

Millbrook

Wow. Some keen Tories on this thread. Presumably all well/comfortably off and absolutely certain that it is all down to their ‘hard work and sacrifice’......

There are also some smug participants who seem to think that asset stripping the dead is the answer to giving us all the same start in life. It’s not levelling up, it’s levelling down. Why is it that ensuring equality never involves giving, it always takes away, in the name of creating opportunity and equality. That, right there, is your Tory thinking.

That doesn't make me smug!

Nor does it make me a Tory ... or a Commie!

Or a Tory, I should imagine.

Cross Post!!

pen50

We have lost the connection between capitalism and charity. Previous generations knew that their dosh had to be shared; Rowntree and Guinness Trust housing, and Carnegie libraries still proclaim their founders' philanthropy. Yes, self made men were buying social status; does it matter? Indeed, shouldn't people who make lots of money and then give it away be applauded? But now the super rich seem to think that if one megayacht is good, then seven are better.

What is so wonderful about being given the crumbs from the rich man's table?

I was answering a poster who seems to think that if you own your own home and are comfortable, you must be Tory. All of my family are home owners and all worked hard for what they had, including my partner and myself. Not one of us have ever, or will ever, vote Tory. I fail to see what is so wrong with making a good life for yourself through your own hard work. I fail to see why it’s so wrong to have assets to pass on to your children - OK, so they may not have worked for them, but you have. And the reason the word ‘communism’ has reared it’s head on this thread is because there are overtones of the ‘all property is theft’ doctrine. And despite all the criticism of the Tories, what’s being suggested is very close to Tory policy going on under our noses now. Disability benefits are planned to be cut by 2027 and the reasoning is that they create inequality and restrict opportunity. So it’s better to take away than to give in the name of creating a level playing field. Sound familiar ? As I’ve said before, divide and rule is alive and well. While those who have the least are fighting among themselves, they’re leaving those who have the most alone.

GG13 Good posts.

“While those who have the least are fighting among themselves, they’re leaving those who have the most alone.”

This should be put on a billboard! Thank you.

If you tax Inheritance Tax at 100% people just want accumulate their wealth in this country. If you tax the very rich at very high rates, they just leave the country and other countries welcome them because they are bringing in money. It seems to me that the only way of taking these sorts of measure is to make the UK a communist state and ensure the richer person can't leave the country. We've all seen how well that works.

As a 19 year old I stayed with the second or third richest family in what was then Western Germany. I was there to help the younger daughter with her English.

I found the whole experience totally unnerving. Helicopter pads in the back garden, twelve garages in a row each one with a different coloured open topped Mercedes for the elder daughter to drive as long as it matched her outfit.

The father had been a Hitler Youth and hated the British, the 14 year old son regularly caused his mother extensive bruising and was abusive to me.

It goes on and on and I was so glad to get home !!

The more they have the more they want money goes to money always has done nothing will change

The UK is the only country that I know of that will sell land to anyone regardless, sell houses to them regardless, launder their money no matter how it was earned or acquired and ask very few questions, usually via a High street or private bank. It is only when these individuals upset someone or don't play the game then they find themselves exposed to scrutiny. This begs the question -What has the charming Chancellor done to upset Boris?

“While those who have the least are fighting among themselves, they’re leaving those who have the most alone.”

I've thought this for years.

Pammie1

Millbrook

Wow. Some keen Tories on this thread. Presumably all well/comfortably off and absolutely certain that it is all down to their ‘hard work and sacrifice’......

There are also some smug participants who seem to think that asset stripping the dead is the answer to giving us all the same start in life. It’s not levelling up, it’s levelling down. Why is it that ensuring equality never involves giving, it always takes away, in the name of creating opportunity and equality. That, right there, is your Tory thinking.

In some ways you are right but (and a big but) the Tories take away. You only have to look at the cuts in education and the NHS to see that.

There's nothing wrong with giving every child a good start in life and many of them are not getting that at the moment.

katy1950

The more they have the more they want money goes to money always has done nothing will change

It will change if people are determined it will change.

As I said earlier (I think on this thread) I'm not looking to take away what they have (except by fair and progressive taxation), I just think that we should make it more difficult for them to accumulate more.

The problem are our complicated tax laws not the super rich. If we were all taxed on a flat rate that applied to all people there wouldn’t be a problem.

Of course people take advantages of loopholes, nobody wants to pay more tax than they have to and our country is one of the most highly taxed when you take into account stealth taxes like vat, council tax, inheritance tax etc etc.

The only way to stop this is a flat rate but I should not think this will happen anytime soon especially as the super rich have so much influence with governments!

The lumping together of household income hit my OH very hard. We live together as individuals sharing costs. When he was made redndant he was automatically put on Pension Credit. When I received my occupational pension all but £2-3 per week of his pension credit was was taken away and I was expected to support him as if we were a married couple. Obviously I stepped up, but he was so completely humiliated at one point he thought of moving out - but where does a single man go?. I hate to think what would happen to couples if one party was not willing to support the other.
I’d love to make the people who decide ’what the law says you need to live on’ live on those amounts for three years without any additional income

The only way to stop this is a flat rate but I should not think this will happen anytime soon especially as the super rich have so much influence with governments!

So we need to look at voting for parties that don't favour the super rich.

And we need to stop believing this nonsense about taxation funding spending, that state spending comes before taxation, and look at parties which plan to spend the nation's money on services and projects which benefit far more of the citizens of our country. And keep the economy moving.

Maybe we also ought to decide that poverty is not a situation that anyone, whatever their perceived contribution to society, should be in.

And that slogging your guts out at two or three very poorly paid jobs to keep you and your family fed, warm and housed is not a situation that people should be in.

Remember the song from Cabaret? "Money Makes the World Go Round". That is true but only when it's spent. Sitting in offshore bank accounts it's doing nothing.

Dinahmo

Remember the song from Cabaret? "Money Makes the World Go Round". That is true but only when it's spent. Sitting in offshore bank accounts it's doing nothing.

I'm glad a few other people are 'getting' this, Dinahmo

I keep asking myself " why would anyone choose to got into politics?" All they get is criticism, scorn, flak, verbal abuse, disapproval, fault finding, etc ad nauseam. None of them, by whatever colour they fly, do it for the money, which is so dismal, so why do it especially if you are so wealthy you REALLY do not need to work at anything. I personally think it is , with maybe the very odd exception, because they want to help the people of this country in whatever way they can . So I put a question to all 'Gransnetters' and hope you give it some deep thought, "Would you like to take over running the country?" I know I would definitely NOT

I'm surprised that people with non-dom and/or green card status are allowed to become M.P.s, let alone cabinet ministers! Surely there should be some sort of screening to ensure that candidates put the interests of the UK and its inhabitants first? While the super-rich have so much political influence, what hope is their for the rest of us?

pen50: there are still some philanthropists around. Up here in Scotland we have Sir Tom Hunter who, when advised to move to Monaco, said he wanted to bring his family up in Scotland. He set up The Hunter Foundation and is well known for his support to needy organisations. He also donates regularly to small local causes when he sees they need funds to survive.

So I put a question to all 'Gransnetters' and hope you give it some deep thought, "Would you like to take over running the country?" I know I would definitely NOT
Sometimes I think I would. I couldn't make a worse job of it than the current shambles.