How would YOU decrease the national debt?

Stop fighting pointless wars we can't win and reduce defence spending to a level consistent with the european average/other economic leaders like japan? It's not going to solve everything but we're spending about 2.5% annually on defence, whereas developed countries with small professional armed forces (including several who've contributed forces to Afghanistan in the past) are spending 1-1.5%.

A 1% cut is the equivalent of raising VAT from 17.5 to 21% - I know which I'd prefer.
 
Gaygle said:
Is anyone here even nearly qualified to answer that question with any accuracy?
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Well, I have a masters in economic policy - so probably more than most.

The easy answer is simply to inflate the deficit away, the 'only' downside is it'll completely screw anybody with savings. But hey, pensioners don't riot, lets get on it...

(on a serious note, that will happen to some extent, it's inevitable. We're fairly lucky that we - unlike the eurozone countries - can do it).
 
Forde said:
I'm no environmentalist, but I would start with taxing the Hell out of those stupid 4x4s (the ones driven by posh ****s) and high-performance cars that do sod all MPG. Apart from the extra wear & tear on our already pot-holed roads they are using up the finite amount of petrol quicker.
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Which I and people in the same situation already pay for... I use more petrol, so I buy more petrol, so by deafult I pay more tax into the coffers. I also currently pay K band tax on the car. So people who drive thirsty cars are already paying for it I would say.
 
Andr3w said:
If you actually can't work (disabled etc) then you get benefits and care.

If you actually can't be BOTHERED to work, you get sod all.
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How about if you can't work you get benefits and care and if you seemingly can't be bothered to work, you get the option of doing community work for your benefits or not getting them at all (or just food stamps or something).
 
johnny6 said:
Employ people at the job centre who actually care if people are looking for work, or are just claiming the dole because they can and have no intention of finding a job.
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This would start helping benefit reduction. Make the people on JSA actually look a bit harder for jobs too. When I was on it I needed to show I had done two things each week, these could include asking if they had a job available in a shop or looking in a newspaper...

No wonder people can't get jobs for so long... If I couldn't when doing it essentially full time those people are *******....:rolleyes:
 
I'm going to uni in september. Meanwhile I'm claiming Job Seekers Allowance, but I'm not actually bothering to look for a job - I'd rather play games and go out with my mates :D Bazinga!

I'd rather be spending my time smashing pasty [read:attempting to] and enjoying life than working 25-40 Hrs a week... for now :P
 
Lightnix said:
How about if you can't work you get benefits and care and if you seemingly can't be bothered to work, you get the option of doing community work for your benefits or not getting them at all (or just food stamps or something).
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Somehow you have to get it, so there is an incentive to get any job. even if it's a job you don't wont to do.

Shared housing would be a start along with strict vouchers you can only spend on certain items. Along with raising tax free allowance to the breadline, IIRC ~15k ish. Then flat tax after, need people to realise you work hard you are rewarded (evenly). Rather than punish the "rich" and hand outs to the "unfortunate"
 
can start with an additional 75% profit / bonus levy for banks and bankers who earn more than £100,000

will the "best minds" leave the country? fine, bye bye!
 
bazaarboy said:
can start with an additional 75% profit / bonus levy for banks and bankers who earn more than £100,000
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The attitude which Labour has inbreed into the population and makes no sense. It must be someone elses fault, never your own. I always deserve more more more, whilst taking it of others. I hate this attitude.
 
[FnG]magnolia;16795143 said:
e : I would run you over in my high performance car in the hope that it somehow made the world a better place :)
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At least the gov't would get more tax out of you then!

I know my ideas were not realistic (duh), but it is galling to purposefully buy an economical car and see morons runnin around in 18 mpg cars just so they can tell the world they earn a lot of money.
 
Well I'd try to avoid being petty, jealous, greedy and self-serving for a start.

For so many reasons we need to move jobs from the public to private sector - and that doesn't mean contracting out, it means it's not paid for by the state any more. Why *does* the council maintain a monopoly on emptying bins?

End the ludicrous situation of paying people to work (tax credits), it's subsidising low wages and is unsustainable. It's tough but if you genuinely cannot earn enough to buy a house or a car you don't get them. Similarly if a job doesn't pay enough to live chances are it won't be filled and they'll have to offer more. Tax credits are at least in part responsible for the housing boom and low wages.

Legislate that all materials and products used by the state are significantly produced in the UK unless there is no UK produced option. (there is no doubt an EU law about this but stuff them, France seems to get away with ignoring the rules they don't like).
 
z3b3dy said:
I'm not a banker but with attitudes like that I'm glad I left the country!
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hard working enterprise deserves the be rewarded - thats not what i'm referring to

the banking industry has been bailed out by the tax man, but seems to be both ungrateful and going to back to their old ways...
 
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