Topical political theory

[Richard Barrett]

poor Bruckner ... still at least he has now made Glastonbury!

I'm sure Bruckner, having been a benign sort of individual, is smiling down on the proceedings if anything! More so than when the Game of Thrones theme is playing anyway...

[greenilex]

I agree with RB about the historical moment.

But I think level-headed cooperative good sense has an important part to play.

We must preserve and enhance peace at all costs. Fighting talk is just plain silly.

[MrGongGong]

Here's a little conundrum for you. Person X is forced to leave work in 2010 because of austerity. After six months. he doesn't qualify for any benefits. While born in this country - and more to the point having paid taxes for nearly three decades - he has no income and no benefits for six years plus during which time he still has to pay for a mortgage.

I've not been following your thread
but

No income
No benefits
How do you pay for a mortgage ?

For a start, where are these poor people in Britain? There aren't any poor people in Britain.

Wrong

[Richard Barrett]

Wrong

Lat-Literal seems to exist in a parallel universe where there are no poor people and composers are in the upper tax bracket. Sounds to me like a good place to be!

(Mind you, now that tax has been mentioned twice the cold hand of tedium will soon descend on this thread...)

[MrGongGong]

Lat-Literal seems to exist in a parallel universe where there are no poor people and composers are in the upper tax bracket. Sounds to me like a good place to be!

(Mind you, now that tax has been mentioned twice the cold hand of tedium will soon descend on this thread...)

I've heard that Graham McKenzie carries bin bags of cash around to distribute to anyone who can make a funny noise.......

[Bryn]

Lat-Literal seems to exist in a parallel universe where there are no poor people and composers are in the upper tax bracket. Sounds to me like a good place to be!

Though clearly in cloud cuckoo land regarding your tax coding, Lat-Literal is surely more grounded re. poverty in the UK. Compared to what constitutes poverty in much of the rest of the world, it is indeed arguable that such poverty is not to be found in this country.

[Richard Barrett]

I've heard that Graham McKenzie carries bin bags of cash around to distribute to anyone who can make a funny noise.......

Have you indeed.

[Richard Barrett]

it is indeed arguable that such poverty is not to be found in this country.

That is true of course, but given that it's one of the richest countries in the world there's no excuse for the poverty that does exist, for people to be homeless, going to foodbanks etc.

[teamsaint]

Though clearly in cloud cuckoo land regarding your tax coding, Lat-Literal is surely more grounded re. poverty in the UK. Compared to what constitutes poverty in much of the rest of the world, it is indeed arguable that such poverty is not to be found in this country.

Standard tax tables and codes take care of the higher rate taxes that composers suffer, as I am sure you are aware Bryn !!

The PAYE system is an elegant system, appallingly run. In any case composers in the main enjoy the " benefits" of being under schedule D, except for the woodlands that they likely invest their vast wealth in,being an environmentally sympathetic lot, which of course are tax exempt .

And somewhat unrelated, the idea that England on its own could never elect anything other than a Tory government is a ( dangerous IMO ) myth. Nothing lasts for ever.Things change.
the " unelectable " Jeremy Corbyn just put a huge spanner in the Tory works.

[teamsaint]

That is true of course, but given that it's one of the richest countries in the world there's no excuse for the poverty that does exist, for people to be homeless, going to foodbanks etc.

I don't know about true poverty , but some things are clear.

The more unequal a county is, the less happy and fulfilled the people are.

There are WAY too many homeless/rough sleepers in the UK, a sure indication of unacceptable housing issues.

Economic growth in our societies is based on very very shaky foundations, as we saw in 2007.

[gurnemanz]

I don't know about true poverty , but some things are clear.

There are WAY too many homeless/rough sleepers in the UK, a sure indication of unacceptable housing issues.

We were in Oxford the other day and were rather shocked by the number of such homeless/rough sleepers there seemed to be - more striking than elsewhere, including London.

[teamsaint]

We were in Oxford the other day and were rather shocked by the number of such homeless/rough sleepers there seemed to be - more striking than elsewhere, including London.

In Southampton there are lots. One on every street corner is the impression you get. I'd say on my walk back from St Mary's to the station ( just over a mile) on an evening game, I see around 10. Mostly young, too.

[greenilex]

I get the impression that our homeless hostels are full all the time, and there is a great deal of take-up for charities offering food and furniture vouchers. I know that our Credit Union is incredibly busy.

We are "always with you", folks.

[Lat-Literal]

I've not been following your thread
but

No income
No benefits
How do you pay for a mortgage ?

This is well trodden ground but since you have been kind enough to ask.

Via a contribution based redundancy payment entitlement which was reduced by law by 66% just one month before the redundancy programme was announced. Consequently, the guarantee of paying off the remaining mortgage and having sufficient money to live on for a while in the extremely unlikely event of being made redundant flew off into the blue yonder. I was someone who unlike government had budgeted sensibly and became one who by government decree was in debt on the personal balance sheet with no access to benefits or as it turned out income. How long did the money last? Almost six years but, of course, one doesn't own a car, use a mobile phone, have the house redecorated, "party" or go on holiday. It requires an iron will that very few are willing to have. The mortgage, ongoing, is now being paid from the significantly reduced lump sum attached to the taking of a significantly reduced work pension at 54 rather than 60. My politics shifted albeit slowly over this period. No real time at all for the very wealthy or most benefit claimants. But in some senses, I haven't changed. It's well documented I've always been on the Social Democrat/One Blue Nation cusp. It's just that I have no tolerance now of any other agenda.

It's only rational.

Even if I could have got to Glastonbury, it would have cost £500 to be there and given responsibilities that is a considerable amount - on whose behalf were the chanters chanting? I doubt very much that I will ever be driving a proverbial tank but I do think it is now very important to demonstrate how aggravated we the middle aged lower middle class/upper working class of all colours have been made to be. The main point is not to bizarrely anticipate we are so soft soaped that we will not oppose radical politics of whatever kind. So, yes, I have reviewed my original post. In the cold light of day I may have worded it slightly differently but many of us have subsidised the two ends of the financial spectrum with extremely good grace to the point where we are virtually on our knees. I feel now it is self-defeating to remain diplomatic and benign as it would convey a lie and be unaffordable!

[MrGongGong]

aaah

So in spite of what you wrote
You DID have enough money to pay for things
What always strikes me is the myriad of ways in which people describe the money they have
Some folks (and i'm not necessarily referring to you) say "I have no money and am living off my savings"
"SAVINGS" ? what on earth
THEY ARE MONEY FFS

"Lump sum" = MONEY to most of us
and so on and so on

There is also a bit of an assumption that goes that those who have "savings" etc are the ones who "budgeted sensibly" ... Whilst this was true in the past , in the current climate (and probably from now on ?) no amount of "sensible budgeting" will allow one to "save" up money. The current vogue for attacking the most vulnerable in our society is very worrying indeed.