UK Politics #7

[bubbadabut]

Huge "LOL" from me this morning at Rishi saying "we are on the side of pensioners". That's the same Rishi whose government abolished the tax free lifetime allowance on private pensions and annuities from April this year, meaning ALL pensioners are now paying more tax on their private pensions, and, more significantly, ensuring those who have never paid tax on their pensions are now finding themselves with a monthly deficit. In the middle of the cost of living crisis, and for the first time ever, their private pensions have gone down, rather than up.

The sad thing is, a lot of them will read the news this morning and think they are being thrown a juicy bone, when it's the same government that has just screwed their pensions over.

I've had so many calls from pensioners this past month, some of them in tears at their pensions reducing, wondering how they are going to manage - "but they can't tax me, I have a tax-free lifetime allowance!" Not since the Spring Budget statement 2023 you don't, Mavis. I told them to remember this when a general election is called. But now Rishi's here to save the day with his convoluted reversal of the scheme and hopes all will be forgiven

 

[monga]

More shocked that the general population of Britain don’t subscribe to British values lol.

 

[Blueblue123]

More shocked that the general population of Britain don’t subscribe to British values lol.

He's not standing in the election and Reform have no MPs. Why is he and that party getting so much airtime? Particularly if this is all they have to contribute to the discussion.

A comment spawned from Farage trying to rubbish the national service idea, and he's somehow ended up advocating for it by targeting Muslims.

 

[Miss Begotten]

Huge "LOL" from me this morning at Rishi saying "we are on the side of pensioners". That's the same Rishi whose government abolished the tax free lifetime allowance on private pensions and annuities from April this year, meaning ALL pensioners are now paying more tax on their private pensions, and, more significantly, ensuring those who have never paid tax on their pensions are now finding themselves with a monthly deficit. In the middle of the cost of living crisis, and for the first time ever, their private pensions have gone down, rather than up.

The sad thing is, a lot of them will read the news this morning and think they are being thrown a juicy bone, when it's the same government that has just screwed their pensions over.

I've had so many calls from pensioners this past month, some of them in tears at their pensions reducing, wondering how they are going to manage - "but they can't tax me, I have a tax-free lifetime allowance!" Not since the Spring Budget statement 2023 you don't, Mavis. I told them to remember this when a general election is called. But now Rishi's here to save the day with his convoluted reversal of the scheme and hopes all will be forgiven

View attachment 2961217

Christ they are useless.
This is the same government that sent thousands of pensioners back to their care homes with COVID and were prepared to “let the bodies pile high”.
On the side of pensioners indeed

 

[Ndrangheta]

More shocked that the general population of Britain don’t subscribe to British values lol.

Good Morning Britain ... that great bastion of British values,

 

[SarcasticEllis]

Huge "LOL" from me this morning at Rishi saying "we are on the side of pensioners". That's the same Rishi whose government abolished the tax free lifetime allowance on private pensions and annuities from April this year, meaning ALL pensioners are now paying more tax on their private pensions, and, more significantly, ensuring those who have never paid tax on their pensions are now finding themselves with a monthly deficit. In the middle of the cost of living crisis, and for the first time ever, their private pensions have gone down, rather than up.

The sad thing is, a lot of them will read the news this morning and think they are being thrown a juicy bone, when it's the same government that has just screwed their pensions over.

I've had so many calls from pensioners this past month, some of them in tears at their pensions reducing, wondering how they are going to manage - "but they can't tax me, I have a tax-free lifetime allowance!" Not since the Spring Budget statement 2023 you don't, Mavis. I told them to remember this when a general election is called. But now Rishi's here to save the day with his convoluted reversal of the scheme and hopes all will be forgiven

View attachment 2961217

‘triple lock plus’ sounds like something you’d see on a new range of pampers. Fitting really

 

[monga]

He's not standing in the election and Reform have no MPs. Why is he and that party getting so much airtime? Particularly if this is all they have to contribute to the discussion.

A comment spawned from Farage trying to rubbish the national service idea, and he's somehow ended up advocating for it by targeting Muslims.

I guess it’s something the gov want across ? Otherwise the main channels wouldn’t touch it ! I do think letting sectarian politics take hold is a big mistake ( from whatever denomination).
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Good Morning Britain ... that great bastion of British values,

What are British values?

 

[Ndrangheta]

What are British values?

Character traits that are not required in order to become a full-time presenter on ITV Daytime and part of 'The ITV Family'.

 

[monga]

Is he correct? No idea who he is but he’s basically backing up Farage!

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Seems younger generations are taking more extreme views than their parents.

 

[thegirlscout]

What are British values?

I guess someone could argue things like freedom of speech are British - we are allowed to speak out against religion for example but if you criticised parts of Islam you could face punishment (or worse). Woman are also meant to be seen as equal to men in British society but in certain part of Islam women are forced to cover their hair, they sit separately from men, they aren’t allowed to be at burials, men can’t shake hands with women etc.
Though if this is what Nigel Farage et al mean when they talk about Islam and British values is another guess.

 

[monga]

I guess someone could argue things like freedom of speech are British - we are allowed to speak out against religion for example but if you criticised parts of Islam you could face punishment (or worse). Woman are also meant to be seen as equal to men in British society but in certain part of Islam women are forced to cover their hair, they sit separately from men, they aren’t allowed to be at burials, men can’t shake hands with women etc.
Though if this is what Nigel Farage et al mean when they talk about Islam and British values is another guess.

Haydel -Mankoo seems to feel the same…I’m wondering if this election has highlighted how divisive British society has become and that’s the reason for the rushed national service/ volunteer integration thinking?

 

[Milliemoo99]

British values are taught in schools and meant to be implicit in British society!!! They also are meant to apply to all of society not just to school children!!

What are these five British values?
So, what are the fundamental British values? They are:

• democracy
• the rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

There are many ways in which schools can support and promote British values. Here are some examples relating to each British value.

Democracy
Pupils, parents, and staff should have the right to have their voices heard. This can be achieved through a pupil-elected school council, in which class representatives raise issues and suggest ideas for improvement. Parents and guardians should also be given the opportunity to express any concerns or queries through parent societies and parents' evenings. (This also I assume is meant to encourage all adults to exercise their right to vote in local council and general elections!)

The rule of law

The importance of law and rules should be referred to and reinforced to teach students (And all adults, ) to distinguish between right and wrong. The rule of law in British values teaches children to take responsibility for their own actions. Students should be taught the reasons behind rules and laws, how they govern and protect us, and the consequences of what happens when these laws are broken. Invite guest speakers to the school and allow children to get involved in workshops to reinforce this teaching.
(I was teaching adult learners, and also tried to explain that laws also include things like paying taxes properly and not just working on a black cash in hand economy!)

Individual liberty

Promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs in a safe environment. Teach children to take responsibility for their behaviour. Children should be supported to understand that they have rights and personal freedoms and should be advised on how to exercise these safely. Pupils should be supported to become as independent as possible. This can be demonstrated in various ways, for example, through PSHE lessons and assemblies.

Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths or beliefs
Students should be taught how to respect those from different backgrounds. For example, giving pupils regular opportunities to learn about different cultures and beliefs will reinforce messages of respect and tolerance in British values. This will also allow them to understand that others may have religions and beliefs that differ from their own and to respect these differing viewpoints.
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British values is on the surface, easy and simple to agree to, but if you really think about it, it can be extremely complicated!

I can be fairly easy going and perfectly happy to agree with the idea of mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs, but then think of our local jehovahs witnesses, no issues for me on the surface, but then when they try and persuade my teenaged daughter about why blood transfusions are immoral and wrong, my head starts to spin!

 

[monga]

 

[Falkor]

Huge "LOL" from me this morning at Rishi saying "we are on the side of pensioners". That's the same Rishi whose government abolished the tax free lifetime allowance on private pensions and annuities from April this year, meaning ALL pensioners are now paying more tax on their private pensions, and, more significantly, ensuring those who have never paid tax on their pensions are now finding themselves with a monthly deficit. In the middle of the cost of living crisis, and for the first time ever, their private pensions have gone down, rather than up.

The sad thing is, a lot of them will read the news this morning and think they are being thrown a juicy bone, when it's the same government that has just screwed their pensions over.

I've had so many calls from pensioners this past month, some of them in tears at their pensions reducing, wondering how they are going to manage - "but they can't tax me, I have a tax-free lifetime allowance!" Not since the Spring Budget statement 2023 you don't, Mavis. I told them to remember this when a general election is called. But now Rishi's here to save the day with his convoluted reversal of the scheme and hopes all will be forgiven

View attachment 2961217

But they replaced it with the lump sum allowance which currently works out exactly the same. The lifetime allowance was the maximum amount you could get tax relief on your contributions for and was, before it was abolished, £1,073,100. You could take up to 25% of your pot tax free, the other 75% you were taxed on (in general - there were things like Fixed Protection and Individual Protection that changed the numbers slightly). What happened in April was that the £1.0731m limit was abolished, you can now get tax relief on contributions that take your pot above this, and replaced with the lump sum allowance, which is the amount of cash you can take from your pension(s) tax free. The lump sum allowance is currently set at £268,275 which is 25% of £1.0731m.

I don't doubt that these figures will get tweaked in the future, but the current position at retirement is no different than it was before. What IS happening for pensioners in payment is that the state pension has increased enough that it now nearly takes the entire nil-rate band of the personal tax allowance, so there is less of it available for other pensions in payment and those are being taxed slightly more highly accordingly, meaning payments have gone down. The state pension has gone up broadly in line with inflation, the tax bands have not been increased, deliberately, to bring more people into paying tax. It's an income tax issue which is affecting everybody, not anything specifically to do with pensions.

 

[HoGi]

But they replaced it with the lump sum allowance which currently works out exactly the same. The lifetime allowance was the maximum amount you could get tax relief on your contributions for and was, before it was abolished, £1,073,100. You could take up to 25% of your pot tax free, the other 75% you were taxed on (in general - there were things like Fixed Protection and Individual Protection that changed the numbers slightly). What happened in April was that the £1.0731m limit was abolished, you can now get tax relief on contributions that take your pot above this, and replaced with the lump sum allowance, which is the amount of cash you can take from your pension(s) tax free. The lump sum allowance is currently set at £268,275 which is 25% of £1.0731m.

I don't doubt that these figures will get tweaked in the future, but the current position at retirement is no different than it was before. What IS happening for pensioners in payment is that the state pension has increased enough that it now nearly takes the entire nil-rate band of the personal tax allowance, so there is less of it available for other pensions in payment and those are being taxed slightly more highly accordingly, meaning payments have gone down. The state pension has gone up broadly in line with inflation, the tax bands have not been increased, deliberately, to bring more people into paying tax. It's an income tax issue which is affecting everybody, not anything specifically to do with pensions.

Exactly this.

The basic full state pension is now £11.5k with personal allowances frozen at £12570 if pensioners have any other earnings they are pretty much paying tax on all of it.

If I had £1 for every pensioner I have had moan that the increase in their pensions wasn't worth it, I could retire tomorrow. I get that seeing your £20pm private pension increase wiped out by an increase in tax is frustrating but an extra £20 a week tax free is still net £80 a month better off, which is more than a lot of working age people can say.

 

[monga]

 

[monga]

Could she not stand as an independent?

 

[bluefoot]

The thing with Diane Abbott is that it’s obvious she won’t ‘behave’ if allowed to stand. Apparently she’s like a tweet about corbyn standing as an independent which I don’t think she’s meant to do as a Labour MP. I can’t see the tweet in question as she’s blocked me despite never interacting with her. Personally id’ve let her and corbyn stay in the Labour Party but it’s probably too late for that now/gone too far

 

[monga]

 

[Ndrangheta]

I think the closer we get to the election The Tories will just flat-out start telling lies. The media just won't be able to deal with that given how its currently set-up. I form this view from watching how certain Right-Wing Republicans carry on in the USA. Grim.