If You Were The Pm For Long Enough To Do One Major Thing

[DangerUXD]

what would it be?

[emmie]

because some see that figure, 150k, and believe that's way too much, some sort of perverted envy, we really have to start thinking that not all of those who earn higher wages, or own businesses are shysters, and should be punished at every level.
You are also right Naomi, those people may well have private schools for the children, and private medical care, and so not taking money out of the state.
some low earners should get state help, housing and council tax benefits. I worked all hours, didn't have a massive salary, but got by, it's what you do. I wish i could have had a lot more, to buy the home i am in, i didn't and couldn't.

[sunny-dave]

It's not envy - that's a trite belittling of my basic socialist (with a small 's') tenet of 'reasonable equality' - ie everyone should have a fair/basic minimum (which they will work for) and those who work hard should have a decent amount more.

At what point should we draw a line and say "that's ridiculous" - perhaps £150,000 is too low - but what about a footballer on £50,000 per week - is that sensible?

[naomi24]

Dave, I'd like to see a society where everyone has enough too - but you cannot expect to have a 'fair distribution of wealth' without a fair distribution of labour. That would be like saying I'll go to university, get my qualifications and then work 100 hours a week for years building a factory; you leave school at 16 with no qualifications and work 40 hours a week in that factory - and we'll both get paid the same. That's equal. Is it?

[emmie]

i think it is, maybe not you, but some i see and hear, if i was earning 150k, then i would be paying a lot more, in tax, in getting no state help, and every which way. Most on those salaries are likely to have a mortgage, so no need for social housing, see where this is going...

[emmie]

i worked hard, but i didn't earn anywhere near 150k, how i wish i did believe me i wouldn't be worried about how the council are going to rearrange things in the very near future with regards to housing, if i could have bought it would have saved a lot of future aggro.

[emmie]

as much as i don't care for football, i don't think the majority of footballers get that kind of money, those that do, it is obscene, if you consider what we pay nurses. Footballers careers are relatively short, one would hope the very high earners would save money for a rainy day, when their career is over.

[humbersloop]

it's not about envy - that dismissively ducks the argument imo em - I'm all for as many people as possible earning high wages. It's about challenging our cultural acceptance of big wage differentials justified by very little hard evidence. The banks played that one right to its limit to all our cost.

It doesn't wash in countries like Norway, which also has higher levels of social capital than we do here: I read recently the Swiss are worried about rising wage differentials because of their adverse social impact.

[jno]

yes, sloopy, the gap between rich and poor has been growing faster here than anywhere else

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2070099/Pay-gap-growing-faster-UK-worlds-richest-countries.html

(Daily Mail, a bit over a year ago.)

That must explain why the country's economy is so strong today.

[emmie]

if i was a high earner in UK, and the government of the day brought in 90 percent tax then i would seriously consider moving elsewhere.

[humbersloop]

^exactly jno

em, as dave said earlier, russia's nice....

[emmie]

hardly, it's a damn sight more cold than here, and i wouldn't want to give my nice home to yet another family from someplace else.

[humbersloop]

em, it was reference to gerard depardieu being given russian citizenship for exactly the reason you describe. Which in reality, I think, means he'll be living in belgium.

[jno]

you could live in belgium, em, they do great frites. And the Breughels in Brussels are wonderful. You could rename yourself emanova10.

[seadogg]

Am I wrong in thinking that we have a pyramid, with very few top earners and a great mass at the bottom. Therefore it wouldn't solve the country's problems by simply redistributing income. The only way out is to become more competitive in world markets which is difficult as the West is so debt ridden and people have unrealistic expectations.

[Le Chat]

Stop all overseas aid until our own country was in the red.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

If all the wealth were to be redistributed equally we would be back to square one within 5 years.IMO.

[RATTER15]

Sack all the lying, swindling deceitful politicians and prevent them from lining their own pockets with our hard earned money, yes sack all of them!! Lying barstuards!

[keyplus90]

I will make all those people work who are claiming benefits but are fit enough to work.

[keyplus90]

Is it only one major thing or can we list more than one?

[naomi24]

Keyplus, looking at all the discussin here, I think you can list whatever you want.