Taxpayers' Alliance: Cut Pensioner Benefits 'immediately'

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34439965


Cynical, with a capital C ! Some quotes from this load of smug charmers !!!

"Many of those hit by a cut to the winter fuel allowance might "not be around" at the next election, said Alex Wild of the Taxpayers' Alliance"

"He added: "If you did it now, chances are that in 2020 someone who has had their winter fuel cut might be thinking, 'Oh I can't remember, was it this government or was it the last one? I'm not quite sure."

[Gromit]

Mikey,
I was not saying they are not, but usually when the media report them, they are referred to as a campaign group or a pressure group.

The report in the Telegraph for instance calls them a group not a think-tank.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11911888/Taxpayers-Alliance-Cut-pensioner-benefits-now-they-will-be-dead-in-2020-anyway.html

The Mirror calls them a Pressure group.

I was noting the change in language used by the Beeb.

[Gromit]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-liam-fox-calls-savage-6576145

[jourdain2]

Nasty. I am seriously thinking of starting a group called 'Staying Alive and going to Vote!'

[Jackdaw33]

There is no free rail travel for pensioners, except on some local networks.here for £12 p.a. pensioners get unlimited use of the local light railway. Still a bargain.

[mikey4444]

jourdain2.....I'll join !

[Baldric]

From Wiki

The TaxPayers' Alliance is a British pressure group and think tank formed in 2004 to campaign for a low tax society. The group had about 18,000 registered supporters as of 2008, and claimed to have 55,000 by September 2010.
The mission of the TPA is "to reverse the perception that big government is necessary and irreversible; to explain the benefits of a low tax economy; to give taxpayers a voice in the corridors of power; to oppose EU tax harmonisation."
The TPA was referred to in The Guardian as "arguably the most influential pressure group in the country" in 2009.

[Jackdaw33]

I have an occupational pension and the state pension. Together they amount to about £17,000 p.a. on which I pay about £1450 p.a. tax. If any government were to make the state pension non-taxable it would remove the need for a lot of these benefits, as well as guaranteeing them to be in power forever. The only benefit I would retain is free prescriptions as older people generally need a lot more medication on a regular basis. If I had to pay for my prescriptions I would be skint.

[bhg481]

Only £104 per annum for pre-payment presciption jackdaw, so that's the most that presciptions should cost you a year.

[Jackdaw33]

Just seen your reply, bhg. In that case, fair enough. It only works out at £2 per week, whereas the cost of a single item is over £8. Of course, in Scotland and Wales they are free!

[fiction-factory]

The Tax Payers Alliance is a pressure group. They are not aligned to any party. If they are a think tank then they are a self-created think tank just as The People's Assembly can call itself a pressure group or a think tank.

There has been an apology regarding this speech today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34447917

[fiction-factory]

Liam Fox is not in the cabinet though, Bouncer.

[fiction-factory]

So if two MPs from the same party say two opposite things (eg we should leave the EU and we should stay in/leave the EU, or we should scrap/keep TRIDENT are they both speaking for their party.?
No.
Fox was speaking for himself (and maybe some others) but not for teh government.
But that's my opinion and I know you won't change your opinion

[Canary42]

////The free travel on buses and trains is completely unjustified and just makes travel even more unbearable for paying customers trying to work.////

A load of nonsense as usual, made up to suit your personal agenda.

1. Free bus travel does not apply until after the morning rush hour, so no impact on "those trying to worK'

2. There is no such thing as free train travel. The Senior Railcard, which is AN ALTERNATIVE to the free bus pass and gives one third off, is also unusable during peak travel times.

But hey-ho Gromit, why let a few facts get in the way of your propaganda.

[Gromit]

Canary,
Not all business travellers travel at peak. I am self employed and have to pay my own travel, so if possible I travel off peak. Many is the time I have had to stand on a train journey because it is full of OAP paying concessionary fare with no real readon for travelling other than to pass the day away.

[Davemano]

Not particularly interested one was or another, but out of interest, if it wasn't for OAPs on concession, the buses in our area would at most times d be almost empty.

[Jackdaw33]

// no real reason for travelling other than to pass the day away.\\

You have no real reason to support that statement. Anyway, on most lines you can book a seat at little or no cost.