My big political wish (well one of them) for 2024

GrauntyHelen

Scottish Independence is my one wish For those of you ignorant enough to believe Westminster gifts Scotland money just be aware we Scots are contributing to capital projects that don't benefit us and Westminster are just giving us our own money back !!

Doesn't most of the UK pay for London and the South-East?

Until we have a law saying each area must receive the same amount, this will continue. Under current rules, investment made by the government is done according to the best return they will get. This is bound to be areas where a great deal of previous investment has been made.

And so the vicious circle continues.

That was from assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5dfa039340f0b6094e25ac94/Disaggregated_tax_and_NICs_receipts_-_methodological_note.pdf There is more detail there about how much was received by HMRC in that year from each of the countries from each of the various sources of taxation. there may be more up-to-date reports, but that one was easy to find.

7.7% of total HMRC tax receipts came from Scotland in 2018-19,.

The population of the UK in mid-2018 was estimated to be 66,436,000.
In mid-2018, the population of Scotland was 5,463,300

I leave it to someone else to work out whether the Scots paid their fair share of the taxation levied on the whole country, proportionate to their share of the population. it looks about right to me.

GrauntyHelen
Unfortunately, the lies told by both Westminster and Scotland mean I don’t believe either of their claims.
But if Scotland want independence, they should go for it!
The only problem is who should decide? How should it be decided? Will those who lose support the decision or will it be like the last vote?
It costs a lot of money to arrange a vote. Who will pay?

Scottish Independence is my one wish For those of you ignorant enough to believe Westminster gifts Scotland money just be aware we Scots are contributing to capital projects that don't benefit us and Westminster are just giving us our own money back !!

I think we need a second chamber for some balance but agree it is in dire need of reform. I would get rid of hereditary peers and also bishops and I'd also stop the PM honours list. I'd also get rid of any HOL members who only attend to sign in in order to collect their allowance and then take no part at all in the procedures. We need intelligent people who have a strong commitment to the good of the country and not just to themselves, people from a wide range of businesses and backgrounds the problem is, of course, how to achieve this.

You're right, Gundy, getting people out to vote is crucial. I'm worried that a lot of people might think that a Labour victory is inevitable here, and so might assume that it will happen even if they don't bother to vote, and then we'd end up with the awful Tories AGAIN! It happened with the Brexit referendum, when it was wrongly assumed that Leave could never win...

I think most people here are very concerned about what might happen in your election in the US, as if Trump gets back, we're all buggered in trouble

Reading these posts reflect so much of what is going on in our American political system - lots of division. There are many nations undergoing elections (free or not) this year.

Democracy is on the ballot.

Within our government(s) is a strain of corruption, grifters, religious zealots, authoritarian personalities and totally unqualified seat holders. They have to be voted OUT. The key to change is to get out the vote! Make sure your friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc all get to the polls this year.

Everyone is wary of what might happen this year. There’s potential for violence in my country as we approach national election, so we are dealing with unhinged unelected persons, along with those already in Congress.
Oh, what country to escape to?
USA Gundy

I would like to see more devolution As I see it from "up north" there is Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland England and London.
I still think the best governments we have had have been coalitions which reduced the extremes of opinion .
The PR we were offered was badly thought out, There should have been only one transferable vote, Would PR be the way forward to remove extremism?

Independence for Scotland or for Wales will just split the country further…look at what Brexit has done already.
The solution has to be at the top…and yes there needs to be a radical change in government. Tho nothing like the way countries have been heading to the extreme right! I was ill during the ‘Trump’ riots Jan 6 watching all on tv from my sick bed hourly, since then I have avidly followed the disintegration that he and others have brought to the US….it’s not just the UK….! The solution…?? I haven’t a clue! Just find some SENSIBLE people to run things… women perhaps?

I must admit that where think tanks are concerned I would rater have Citizens. Juries. That way we all learn.

Dream on ladies, no matter who wins the next election nothing much will change. Cromwell believed in a 'commonwealth' and look what happened there.

Jannipans, I read your post with interest. They sound like good ideas, especially the think tank.
My concern would be the decisions on what to do being made by listening to public opinion.

Whose public opinion would win e.g. in the need for a high speed link between London and the North?
Would it be the public opinion of those who would benefit or the public opinion of those whose homes and livelihoods will be destroyed by the construction of such a link?
Would it be the public opinion of those who advocated vaccination and wearing masks, or the public opinion of those who declared it was unnecessary and refused to do it?

Ethical Labour government is an oxymoron, surely.

Governments are only people and people are flawed.

Nothing will change unless the people as a whole stand up to those who attempt to wield power. To protest, to call out the ideological foolishnesses that appear to drive politically correct thinking. To not be afraid to speak out. Right now we appear cowed, wanting to get on with our own little lives as unnoticeably and quietly as possible. We can’t if we want change, we have to stand up and be counted. For a small example, I have always called out anti social behaviour from those around me. Casual violence/bullying, excessive loud swearing in public, threats to someone weaker etc which, sadly, I see all the time where I live. I am little old lady (67) and am bemused that strapping men will tell me to pipe down and not get involved with what is not up to me to sort out even if it causes bystanders annoyance and not a little fear. And so the ugliness, the demise of decent standards continues because ‘a few good men do nothing’. I’d like us all to be braver and unafraid to stand up for what we believe in, what we want our society to be and what we need from our government to achieve it. To not be silenced by those who would turn us into a class that meekly accepts the status quo and the current right think/right speak for fear of standing out. Heaven knows if it will ever happen though, perhaps we’re too far down the rabbit hole for that now.

I would like to get rid of the party system of government. Local representatives should form a government and these people should rule the country. They should decide (by listening to public opinion) on what they are going to try to achieve and then they can divide into smaller working groups to achieve it. The house of Lords, should be abolished but should become a think tank of advisors to the government - people who are successful in their field, to provide their expertise - for example - top scientists, doctors, judges, head teachers, entrepreneurs, engineers and accountants etc.
And when we see Prime ministers questions there will be discussion about common goals, reports on progress, discussion of possible future ideas as opposed to the current posturing and bickering. A group of people putting their time and energy into supporting each other for the good of our country.
The King can still "honour" people in recognition of their achievements - (like a Royal Bafta!)
(Just saw a pink sparkly pig flying past my window!)

Mollygo very well said!

I too wholeheartedly agree with most OP states, however I’d like our 2nd chamber AKA to be partially made up of elected personnel and party appointed, there are many “normal” people in our current HoL and this would maintain “balance”.

Is one of the basic problems with housing that the rentier economy has, to some extent, taken over the work dependent economy? Not that I think of work as "moral" or investment as "evil" but the rentier economy seems to strip out growth.

Is this a reasonable interpretation?

Casdon

The point being made though was that they are empty, potentially useable areas. I’m sure they are a mixture of all the different types mentioned, but they will all be potentially useable. I know my local council housing department did a survey, which I assume was replicated nationwide.

I agree. There will be different useable spaces in almost every authority.

Katie59

Flats above shops would require a separate entrance and probably a high standard of fire escape provision, separating services too. Where it can be done easily I’m sure landlords will use the space, a lot of other property needs major work to bring it up to standard. There is an incentive to occupy property because rates are charged after being empty for 3 months.

It's happened in my town, probably because house prices are so high and every space is used for housing.

I once lived in a flat over a shop. There were already stairs to the upper floors and you could see where an additional entrance had been added without disruption.

Sorry, but if it's possible, it should be done.

It's a different story when a whole row of shops is dilapidated. The freeholder is probably hanging on until the whole row can be demolished and redeveloped. Land with planning permission is likely to be worth than run down shops.

The point being made though was that they are empty, potentially useable areas. I’m sure they are a mixture of all the different types mentioned, but they will all be potentially useable. I know my local council housing department did a survey, which I assume was replicated nationwide.

Flats above shops would require a separate entrance and probably a high standard of fire escape provision, separating services too. Where it can be done easily I’m sure landlords will use the space, a lot of other property needs major work to bring it up to standard. There is an incentive to occupy property because rates are charged after being empty for 3 months.

Elegran

Some flats above shops belong to the owners of the shop below them because a previous owner lived "over the shop". They are used for storing goods and so on, so are not really empty, even if they are uninhabited.

I was wondering about that. The report doesn't make it clear whether the spaces are empty flats or storage areas. I think there might be council tax/business tax implications.

Some flats above shops belong to the owners of the shop below them because a previous owner lived "over the shop". They are used for storing goods and so on, so are not really empty, even if they are uninhabited.