Starmer's stubbornness

I do take your point about mortgage rates in areas where housing is expensive Mollygo for average households, but how to address it?

Wyllow3 I thought that all could get help from SSD too but in reality it’s a broken system and is not serving those most in need who apparently are wealthy but in reality are not.

ronib

Wyllow3 I thought that all could get help from SSD too but in reality it’s a broken system and is not serving those most in need who apparently are wealthy but in reality are not.

I’m surprised that you haven’t been aware that local authority social services were gradually devastated by austerity. L.A’s are scarcely able to meet their statutory duties as a result.

As for ‘not serving those most in need who are apparently wealthy but in reality are not’. What does this mean?

Iam64 my friends and I were led to believe that once savings dropped below £23k that support would be set up to help with care fees. Not so. Income is assessed and the cost of care is deducted from monthly income. So to be specific, my elderly frail fractured friend is currently left with just over £200 a week for living expenses and a very inadequate number of hours for care.

Led by which organisation? Your friends are in a similar dreadful situation to so many.
The basic new state pension is £221.30 per week.
Social care has been a national disgrace for many years. Johnson’s oven ready plan was simply a lie.

Wyllow3

I do take your point about mortgage rates in areas where housing is expensive Mollygo for average households, but how to address it?

No idea, Wyllow3, and I’m sure I have that lack of idea in common with every political party so far.
There used to be tax relief on mortgages MIRAS, but Gordon Brown abolished that as he saw it as a middle class perk.

I’m interested in any increased tax on second homes, which might mean people like some of my family members could actually find a first home.
I presume second home owners are among those who would be happy to pay more tax to support the less well off, but I suspect that might come under the heading of politics of envy.

I think £221.30 is the new state pension Iam.
I’m on the old ‘basic’ pension which is now about £191 - I think.

Oh yes, sorry, see you used the crucial word new.
I missed that.

or how about paying buckets of taxes with little end user benefit ronib

Which is currently what we’ve got. Highest tax for a generation, yet public services i.e. ‘end user benefit’ decimated. The result of 14 years of Conservative government!

You ain’t seen nothin yet I think.

I’m tempted to song the old
Labour theme tune GSM, things can only get better 🙏🏿

Iam64

Led by which organisation? Your friends are in a similar dreadful situation to so many.
The basic new state pension is £221.30 per week.
Social care has been a national disgrace for many years. Johnson’s oven ready plan was simply a lie.

I know of several people who voted Tory on the basis of the Johnson lie about care fees.

Sadly, Iam, I don’t share your confidence.

I know GSM. I don’t expect a land running with milk and honey. Public services are in such a mess, the CJS and prisons need investment and overhaul. Where to start? If Labour win I’ve more confidence there’s commitment to improve rather than neglect and destroy
How they’ll find the money and resources ??

From us, that’s how.

Time for a Fact Check I think.
theconversation.com/fact-check-have-the-conservatives-always-been-the-low-tax-party-77742

The thing is, surely, that we can't expect Scandinavian standards of health services and care with American levels of tax. Do we want a country that has good standards of support for the vulnerable in society, good standards in public services - or do we want a Trumpian society based on letting the weakest go to the wall?

Isn't that what's been happening over the past fourteen years? Do we really want more 'austerity'? If we want excellence it will need paying for.

How do other (European) countries mange it?

manage, not 'mange'...

Do we want a country that has good standards of support for the vulnerable in society, good standards in public services - or do we want a Trumpian society based on letting the weakest go to the wall

Excellent question Blinko.

I prefer the former. Clearly there are some GN posters who would prefer the latter.

The outcome on 4th July will show us what sort of country the majority want to live in.

I had a very quick listen on catch-up to Starmer's answer yesterday about VAT on school fees.
Whilst I applaud his desire to look at it across the board and to make sure that Maths teachers are there for all, I am concerned that he is considering nothing transformative for the Arts in education. The whole Labour manifesto is pretty pathetic in terms of promoting these underrated subjects, and these are the very areas at which independent schools excel. It's almost as though he wants to dumb down these very important subjects at which our nation excels, and in which many pupils find so much pleasure, whilst independent schools make them a top priority.
Even Tony Blair was keen to raise standards in the Arts.
Just an observation unless anyone knows where he has said anything elsewhere

LizzieDrip
I prefer the former. Clearly there are some GN posters who would prefer the latter.

Why are we back to some posters?

Germanshepherdsmum

From us, that’s how.

You'd better book an exit ticket then because no amount of complaining is going to dissuade people from voting how they want.

"To be honest, most private schools wouldn't really care if charitable status were to be removed. It nets them little in the bigger picture, and it is a pain to administer."

I have quoted above Joseann who I presume was the principal or owner of a private school. If she feels that private schools are so ambivalent to charitable status and it is basically more hassle than it's worth, then why the unholy furore?

Why are we back to some posters

Mollygo why not?

Easy to say if you don’t have anything to be robbed of growstuff.