What do you hope for in the budget?

Maggiemaybe

I’d like to see a massive focus on public transport. Working towards making it ubiquitous, reliable and affordable to get rid of our reliance on cars would bring benefits, and savings, in so many areas. Free dental care for all children at the very least. School meals brought up to the standard of the Scandinavian countries’. The reinstatement of Sure Start as it was intended to be rather than the watered down version we have now. Yes, all costing money, but for future public health and societal gains.

Also, getting Amazon and other massive multinationals paying their fair share of tax. And a higher rate of tax for the super rich. And much tighter regulation of public works - every single facility repair or “upgrade” round here now seems to call for a year of “consultation” at massive cost followed by at least a year of closure.

We can dream, can’t we?

I like your list. Mine would be the same with the added: much more social housing, not just housing with half a dozen social terrace houses thrown in, re-instatement of WFA for those not on benefits but on low pensions and no rushed green measures which hit ordinary people too hard and too soon.

I would like to see a reintroduction of the dog licence.

We used to have an annual licence to keep our dogs but there was no enforcement and so it was scrapped. There are so many dogs now whose owners seem to have little idea of how to care for or train them. A licence with the money raised going towards running obedience and care classes would be welcome.

And then of course a positive step towards sorting out all the social injustices mentioned upthread wouldn’t go amiss either. Above all I’d like a clear plan that didn’t result in yet more petty backbiting - and I really do not care one iota what Rachel Reeves is wearing that day.

Thanks for the opportunity to say so Doodledog.

I don’t get it Doodlebug working people need to save money for a decent retirement. No two ways about it. The State Pension alone is insufficient to cover high energy costs and high food prices. So hoarding money otherwise known as saving what you can is going to become more important and not less. There’s no government support for the just managing group of pensioners btw.

So many good things suggested here. I know this is not a budget item, but I would love it if it were made mandatory for all MPs to live for two weeks on the state pension through the coldest two weeks of the year.

biglouis

In a time when there is plenty of full time work available in retail, hospitality and other areas I would like to see a stop to people being allowed to work part time and getting propped up by the tax payer via universal credit. If you can afford to work part time, fine but, not on my taxes.

As someone who had depression/anxiety attacks intermittently all my life but still managed to have 2 successful careers, run a business and breeze through the academic system I am extremely dubious about all these young people with "mental health issues" who cannot work. Another group who need to be encouraged to get up off their asses and work.

Totally agree. I did mention this in one of my previous posts.

Allsorts

Keir and Angela giving up politics, otherwise as Smileless has said. Before that I would like a detailed account of how a person on state pension can eat, keep warm and pay bills including clothes and spectacles because we have to buy ours.

Yep. Me too

I have a long 'wish-list' for the country but mainly for me it is about:

Housing, particularly social housing
Education, particularly recruiting and retaining more teachers'
Health, including investment in primary care and prevention
Social care, increasing wages as in the LIb Dem policy

ronib

I don’t get it Doodlebug working people need to save money for a decent retirement. No two ways about it. The State Pension alone is insufficient to cover high energy costs and high food prices. So hoarding money otherwise known as saving what you can is going to become more important and not less. There’s no government support for the just managing group of pensioners btw.

I am not defending the government. I am asking what would make people happy, not what will make them complain.

And I have said on this very thread that I support saving and working. I loathe means-testing when it penalises those who work and save. I do, however, support measures that stop people from shielding money from taxation and those that aim to reward workers instead of those who can afford not to work.

What would you like to see in the budget ronib? What would make you happy if it became policy?

keepingquiet

I have a long 'wish-list' for the country but mainly for me it is about:

Housing, particularly social housing
Education, particularly recruiting and retaining more teachers'
Health, including investment in primary care and prevention
Social care, increasing wages as in the LIb Dem policy

What can RR do to make those things happen, do you think?

When I’m on my phone I can’t always use the quote facility but in reply to Mt61 above, I also would like to see everyone have to contribute to society in the form of work and taxation. I have also said on this thread that it is wrong that employers get subsidies from working taxpayers that allow them to keep staff on low hours so they don’t have to pay NI or a living wage. It is also wrong that some have to work 40 hours to earn what others get in subsidies when working half of that. It creates divisions and resentments that allow governments and the media to play one group against another.

Doodledog
Re education. Short story - I had the greatest misfortune to be on a bus with my small grandson who had a headache. It was school time. It was a nightmare. The children would not stop talking very loudly and requesting quiet was the wrong approach. Couldn’t easily get off the bus- deliberately obstructed and then hoards of children tried to enter on the exit door. So my point is why would anyone want to be a teacher? Seems to me that something is going badly amiss.

I would like to see a properly regulated care industry. Keeping people at home with compassionate support, community nurses and remote monitoring so hospital beds are freed up for those who need them.
The return of health visitors to help with child rearing, so teaching staff don’t end up doing it and can focus on education.
Stricter enforcement of child support by errant, predominantly, fathers.
The end of loopholes allowing some companies to wriggle out of paying tax.

Cabowich

So many good things suggested here. I know this is not a budget item, but I would love it if it were made mandatory for all MPs to live for two weeks on the state pension through the coldest two weeks of the year.

I know what you mean and would also like to see politicians made to understand how ‘ordinary people’ live as a result of their policies, but two weeks isn’t enough. Matthew Parris lived on unemployment benefits for a while but it proved nothing. It is after the boiler breaks or the roof leaks that living on a low income bites. A week or two when that doesn’t happen is different.

It is fashionable for wealthy people to have ‘no spend’ weeks. These just mean not going out for coffee and refraining from buying ‘stuff’ on Amazon. They still watch Netflix and live in high-rent homes with food in the fridge and clothes in the wardrobes. Not the same at all as living like common people do, as Jarvis Cocker expressed it so well.

ronib

Doodledog
Re education. Short story - I had the greatest misfortune to be on a bus with my small grandson who had a headache. It was school time. It was a nightmare. The children would not stop talking very loudly and requesting quiet was the wrong approach. Couldn’t easily get off the bus- deliberately obstructed and then hoards of children tried to enter on the exit door. So my point is why would anyone want to be a teacher? Seems to me that something is going badly amiss.

I agree. What can the budget do to correct that though?

School buses ?

If parents are producing children who can’t behave on public buses, it’s time for change to coin a cliche. Parents should be paying for private buses therefore. As an additional thought Doodledogto your question.

I could manage without my bus pass. However, for those who have had the WFA taken and are just a few pounds over the qualifying amount, the pass could be a lifeline. Our local pub is giving free tea and coffee to pensioners every day I'm October, November and December. Pensioners could go places like this to save on heating etc. If they take the passes there will be no option for some people.

in not I'm

Here goes!

Deferral of WFA til next year.

Unfreezing of personal allowance and and increase.

More and still more social housing.

Less “admin” staff and less admin per say in schools/NHS/Police.

Bigger budgets for state schools.

Restrictions on benefits for those who CAN work but choose not to, and a raise in benefits for those unable to work.

Alcohol, vape and cigarette duty raised.

Fuel duty frozen.

Proper investigation/assessment of those “home schooling”

Keep 25% single person discount.

Fund more youth workers and youth services.

Ditto Probation.

Sensible living wages so those working for large companies are no longer subsidised by the govt (UC/ Working Tax Credits)

Review of SEN provision.

Social care and residential care overhaul.

ronib

If parents are producing children who can’t behave on public buses, it’s time for change to coin a cliche. Parents should be paying for private buses therefore. As an additional thought Doodledogto your question.

And if they don’t have the money for private buses? Should the budget have a remedy for that? A special bus allowance, or a parental subsidy? If the latter, should it go to all parents or only those who work? How would you sell the idea that non-working parents should be funded by those who work? Or should those who can’t pay have to walk to school? What about those who can’t work for whatever reason?

I am not supporting any of these things, incidentally- just wondering how the budget can make a difference.

ronib

If parents are producing children who can’t behave on public buses, it’s time for change to coin a cliche. Parents should be paying for private buses therefore. As an additional thought Doodledogto your question.

Really?

I can remember getting a “normal” bus to and from school, many many years ago. We were noisy and shoving and pushing! Our parents would have been horrified

Cossy

Here goes!

Deferral of WFA til next year.

Unfreezing of personal allowance and and increase.

More and still more social housing.

Less “admin” staff and less admin per say in schools/NHS/Police.

Bigger budgets for state schools.

Restrictions on benefits for those who CAN work but choose not to, and a raise in benefits for those unable to work.

Alcohol, vape and cigarette duty raised.

Fuel duty frozen.

Proper investigation/assessment of those “home schooling”

Keep 25% single person discount.

Fund more youth workers and youth services.

Ditto Probation.

Sensible living wages so those working for large companies are no longer subsidised by the govt (UC/ Working Tax Credits)

Review of SEN provision.

Social care and residential care overhaul.

Assuming the detail doesn’t have too many devils in it, I would vote for you😀

Doodledog you have a fixed idea that non working parents are funded by those who don’t work. In a partnership, the family budget is arranged to the benefit of the family unit. One partner may earn even more than Keir Starmer for example and the other partner may choose to stay at home and support the family that way, or combine with part time work. Stay at home mothers are usually supported by working husbands.

Cossy and the problem of school children on buses has worsened. I witnessed a group of children trying to physically overturn a bus in London. The public needs more protection now.

ronib

I hope Rachel Reeves can present the budget, regardless of content, in a neutral way. She has a habit of raising the national blood pressure by at least 20 points.
Please don’t fall for the gdp debt ratio argument - Japan has a staggering ratio of over 220 percent of debt to GDP. Are they freezing the elderly? In fact, from memory isn’t it a country that reveres the aged? That could be a good starting point for Reeves.

Hear, hear ronib!

Please don’t fall for the gdp debt ratio argument - Japan has a staggering ratio of over 220 percent of debt to GDP. Are they freezing the elderly

I think the GDP-Debt is a poor guide for a government to decide how much it can borrow, but it's useful - to convince the electorate that "we can't afford xyz", or that more "difficult" and "painful" decisions have to be taken.

I believe Japan's Debt-GDP - in recent years anyway - rose to over 250%, but its economy remained primarily stable.

I think these fiscal rules are a tad arbitrary.