Ukip's Conference Opens Today

[Deskdiary]

UKIP have made a promise to reduce the 40p tax rate to 35p, which they will fund by reducing foreign aid and withdrawing from the EU.

They now have my full attention.

If (and I accept it is a very very big if) they show reasonable success next year and are in a position to nudge a party into a majority position by forming a coalition, could some of their promises become a reality?

I will listen to any party that promises to reduce my tax (over)burden.

[Retrochic]

I'm here! (Doncaster) and surprise surprise the Conference is not full of Racial ,Nationalist bigots, just ordinary people who are striving for real change under a leader who is not afraid to sail into the wind.

[Old_Geezer]

Not the best of starts then. They intend to save money by their usual intent but instead of reducing unfairly applied taxes with it (or sorting out funding for services) they want to make headlines by targeting what seems to be the only fair taxation, where folk pay into the public kitty according to what they've got out of society. Sounds like typical Tory carrots to me.

[Zacs-Master]

The devil is in the detail. Until I knew precisely how they were going to fund this, I would be sceptical. I would also like to know the details of all their other policies which seem wooly at best. If you do a little digging you will see that UKIPs tax policy changes with the wind, so don't be surprised if you vote for them, that you don't get what you 'pay' for ( not that they have a cat in Hells chance of being in power anytime soon).

[naomi24]

//They now have my full attention.//

They're going to have more attention than some would wish.

[Zacs-Master]

That's one of the problems with democracy N, putting the power in the hands of the uneducated masses who can only see the carrot and not the field it's growing in.

[naomi24]

Zacs, but as I said on the other thread, is the field it's growing in any more barren that the field Labour is rotting in? UKIP is certainly making its presence felt - no doubt about that.

[Zacs-Master]

It's not the field which is in question,although you'll see on the other thread I've stated why I think UKIPs is particularly barren, it's the carrot. Which I think might turn out to be a turnip painted orange.

[naomi24]

//It's not the field which is in question//

You introduced the field into the discussion.

[Zacs-Master]

Aaaaahhhh. :-))
The field was the larger political landscape.
The carrot is the enticement which UKIP (in this particular by way of paying lass tax instance) are offering. That was the crux of the OP and is therefore the relevant point.
Why do you insist on exploring the nuances of someone's comments rather than sticking to the overall debate. It's becoming wearisome.

[naomi24]

Zacs, //Why do you insist on exploring the nuances of someone's comments rather than sticking to the overall debate. It's becoming wearisome.//

I do make the effort to fully understand what other people are saying, but if you don’t have the energy to talk to me, you’re under no obligation. I’m not going to apologise for unwittingly wearying you and neither am I going to change my style to suit you. Stop being such a grump!

[-Talbot-]

UKIP are absolutely right when they say our soldiers are treated appallingly.
They are called heroes but treated like lowly labourers who go around the world trying to clean up the *** caused by men in suits.

Why anyone would join the forces with the attitude of both the cons /lab towards the forces is beyong me. (not that I think UKIP would do anything differently)

[Zacs-Master]

Talbot, 'go around the world trying to clean up the *** caused by men in suits' sounds like a perfectly good description of army life to me. And one which most soldiers are perfectly aware of and enjoy doing in the belief that they are doing some good.

[-Talbot-]

They know what they are letting themselves in for as far as their time in the army, but they don't when they leave, in many cases with serious injuries. They are most certainly not looked after and treated like heroes!

[youngmafbog]

Although, being a 40% tax payer I would welcome a reduction by far the better suggestion from UKIP is Scrapping tax for workers on the minimum wage.

Rather looks like UKIP are after the blue collar vote - Milliband and Mickey beware :-)

http://news.sky.com/story/1342356/ukip-seeks-blue-collar-vote-at-conference

[New Judge]

...The only fair taxation, where folk pay into the public kitty according to what they've got out of society."

Er...not quite, OG. Those who pay in the least (i.e. those not working when they can) seem to get the most out of society to me. Those who pay in the most (i.e. those on the top rates of income tax) seem to get very little in return for their 45%. Certainly not as much as those paying in nothing.

Or by "society" are you referring to their paid employment - which most of them have had to work hard to get and retain - rather than the tax they pay?

[sp1814]

Eh?

Is the top tax rate 45%???

Blimey....I honestly didn't know that.

***.

re: the rate cut...I applaud any political party that introduces tax cuts, but I don't think that you keep got their sums right. I suspect that they are conflating overseas aid with overseas development. Not necessarily the same thing.

However bravo to Mr Farage in his attempts to broaden the narrative n UKIP policies. Up until now, all we have heard from them has been very 'Europe-centric'. For those of us who are fine with the UK's position in Europe, it has gotten extremely monotonous.

However, even with the prospect of lower taxes, I still feel more confident at winning next year's Eurovision Song Contest, than voting UKIP.

[New Judge]

Yes, sp, 45% on income over £150k. Tax free allowance reduced for those on £100k to £120k, abolished entirely for those on £120k plus. In fact, someone earning £100k pays roughly £29,600 in tax and £5,200 in NI - more than a third of their income. In addition to that his employer pays 13.8% of all his earnings except the first £7,950, an additional £12,700, making a total take for the Exchequer of £47.5k for this one employee.

When the employee is fortunate enough to get a £20k rise his tax bill goes up to £39,600 (courtesy of the removal of his personal allowance) and his NI bill rises to £5,600 meaning he loses 47% of his pay rise.

Yes these people earn a lot from "society" (i.e. their hard work) but those sitting at home don't do too badly out of it either.

[New Judge]

Oh and I forgot to add, the "Overseas Aid" bill is in fact entitled "Overseas Development". It is entitled thus so as to give the impression that taxpayers are investing their hard earned and may get something back (a bit like"Research and Deelopment"). In fact in most cases they would get the same return if they stood in the rain tearing up £50 notes.

[DTCwordfan]

Excuse me, deskdiary, this is for New Judge - wondering if you would be so kind to look at this one, New Judge.... ta to both of you.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question1367958.html