There Never Was A Reason For Austerity

[bainbrig]

There never was a good reason for 'Austerity', but the lie has been swallowed, hook, line and sinker.

It was a very good excuse, post the banking crisis (and did we really cause that ourselves?) for slashing welfare benefits, and generally cutting back on what the country was spending on services for its citizens.

So why don't Corbyn, Khan, and the rest, shout this from the rooftops?

Why does Khan allow the wicked cap on rates to remain? Most people would gladly pay a few pence extra on their rates/council tax, if it meant having decent policing, schools, or local services.

Has everybody gone mad?

(Oh, if you really want a 'News' tag, try the closure of many London police stations, caused so Khan says by government cuts and his inability to raise money on council tax).

[naomi24]

OG, your local council decides where its priorities lie.

[Old_Geezer]

Finem but if they weren't in austerity measures they'd have sufficient, as was the case beforehand.

[naomi24]

OG, 'as was the case beforehand'? When? There never has been an endless pot of money.

[Togo]

//Finem but if they weren't in austerity measures they'd have sufficient, as was the case beforehand. //sic

Yep and when they were rumbled they left a little note saying "Sorry there's no money left".

[Guilbert53]

I would have said being 1 and a half TRILLION pounds in debt was a good reason for austerity.

And the cost of paying for that debt was about 43 BILLION pounds a year.

Of course we could go on spending and giving more money to government organizations, but then we would finish up like Greece, so do you want that?

[Deskdiary]

I really do think there should be a Margaret Thatcher equivalent of Godwin's Law - say 'Maggie's Law' - which states something along the lines of;

'In any political discussion on Answerbank, how many posts will there be before a woman who hasn't been in power for a quarter of a century and dies almost 5 years ago, will be blamed for something or other'.

It only took 8 posts on this thread.

[Deskdiary]

^^^whereas for my money she was, without a single shadow of a doubt, the best PM in my lifetime by a considerable margin.

[Islay]

//she would have been accused of being a tyrant and a traitor//
Oh dear the hysteria has set it!!
Can we please have a link to a reputable source that states there was not austerity?

[bainbrig]

Hook, line and sinker.

And as for the idiot who assumed I’d neither paid taxes or rates, wrong again, sonny. Income Tax all my working life 16 till retirement (and in fact still paying it on pensions), rates or council tax about 1979 to present.

And I’d WILLINGLY pay more for a decent society.

Austerity is a con trick.

[Togo]

Ahh good we can rule that out then. Now you say that you paid your taxes etc. from the age of 16 until retirement and indeed still pay tax. Ditto. So we can assume therefor that it is not personal want that makes you angry and prone to spiteful outrage. I don't suppose you are suffering with ill health and forced to take medication that is resulting in this angst. If so you have my sympathy and I hope that you are soon feeling better.

[dave50]

Those of you he think austerity is a con, please explain how you would reduce the national debt without cutting spending? I am always hearing about the evil of spending cuts but never an alternative plan.

[kvalidir]

I completely agree Bainbrig, I already pay tax in the higher bracket and would happily pay more IF things needed were accomodated. If the NHS, Police, Education and Prison Service was suitably funded and structured, only those unwilling to care about people other than themselves could possibly object. I want a better society for everyone, not a better standard of personal living, because a poor society soon catches you up and ruins everyone's lives, including your own.

[Deskdiary]

I object paying any more kvalidir because I think I already pay too much tax - in fact I think I pay more than my fair share.

I won't be so crass as to tell you my annual income tax bill, but frankly it makes me want to weep in impotent frustration (and as a complete aside, as a PAYE employee without any other sources of income, I am always left scratching my head as to how, when I do my self-assessment every year, I always, without fail, end up owing HMRC money - they never owe me money).

The whole NI thing gets right up my nose as well - frankly, given my PMI (family), PHI and critical illness insurance it is unlikely I will ever be a drain, and therefore I think I should be entitled to a refund.

I even have redundancy insurance, so in the event of redundancy, god forbid, I wouldn't need to claim benefits either.

And to add insult to injury, when I do retire, it is likely my state pension will be less than somebody who has paid the square root of naff all (thank gawd for sage advice when I started work so that I have a private pension pot for my dotage).

[Togo]

Ditto Deskdiary. I once worked out that my NI contributions, almost 50 years worth, would have bought me a pension and private health care that would have enabled me to have a lifestyle in retirement to rival Tony Bliars. Plus no one told me that I only needed 30 years worth to draw state pension and NHS "care", which is of course now afforded anyone who decides to turn up and access it. What happened to the extra 20 years worth that I paid? Nothing to stop the virtue signallers making extra voluntary contributions or donating their unwanted assets to charity either if they need the caring badge. But that, as ever is not enough. Everybody else has to as well, whether they want to or can indeed afford it. Bet you a pound to a pinch that these same people were howling when Mrs May tried to address the elderly care problem recently as well. At one time I, and "She who must be obeyed" were paying £1,500 a month income tax between us. This went on for about 8 years before I retired. "She is 69 years old and still working(by choice) because she is a little Welsh spitfire who actually enjoys work. For this she is penalised, to prop up the venal, idle, or downright corrupt or incompetent. Of course we are fair game for being daft enough to work and take care of our own responsibilities, and are subsequently either tagged a liability due to getting older, or greedy grasping, uncaring fascists who prey on the vulnerable. Depends what is on the menu of the righteous at any particular time as to which one we are from day to day.

[dave50]

Well said Togo. Those of us who have paid our way all our lives are screwed while those who have contributed nothing don't seem to have to worry about being looked after by the state.

[Togo]

Oh I forgot one Dave50........we are not supposed to be capable of an opinion either. We are either senile, or out of touch, and therefor to be dismissed by the intellectual giants that have sprung up unnoticed as a result of years of encouraged indolence, self regard, and entitlement.

[bainbrig]

kvalidir. Good to know you. I’ve been listening to crap like this for many decades, and I’m sustained by the occasional flash of understanding from such as you.

BillB