Poll: *** 2010 General Election Result & Discussion ***

[D.P.]

Internet access is essential?! Having a phone is essential?! Owning a car is essential?!

Indeed, as a student I had no mobile phone and mostly no landline, no car, no internet access, and minimized electricity and gas bills. Energy saving bulbs, switching light out, wearing warm clothes.


No TV and hence license either!

 

[JBuk]

What about the lazy low paid that don't work hard, how do the get hit?

I was wondering that myself

I'm guessing most low paid people don't work hard either, because errr... they are low paid

 

[dirtydog]

I was wondering that myself

I'm guessing most low paid people don't work hard either, because errr... they are low paid

How hard you work and what you are paid are not necessarily related in any way, shape or form.

 

[JBuk]

How hard you work and what you are paid are not necessarily related in any way, shape or form.

I was being serious and factual though

 

[dirtydog]

I was being serious and factual though

This is OcUK where that sort of tripe is passed off as sensible comment usually

 

[AGD]

Anyone complaining or surprised about a VAT rise clearly hasn't been paying any attention to politics in the last 6months. It was clear that both Labour and the Tories and possibly the lib-dems were all planning immediate VAT increases. They may not have said so but the lack of guarantees not to in the face of similar guarantees for income tax made it obvious.

 

[dirtydog]

Internet access is essential?! Having a phone is essential?! Owning a car is essential?!

Given that lower paid people DO have these things (do you think they shouldn't?) then a VAT rise hits them disproportionately hardest, so it is bizarre for the Lib Dems to support it. Especially when they campaigned on a platform opposing VAT rises.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

If Charles Kennedy still ran the Lib Dems, would he have agreed to the current arrangement ?

 

[LiE]

We just have to accept we are going to be raped for the next few years to pay back the deficit.

 

[Stewy]

We just have to accept we are going to be raped for the next few years to pay back the deficit.

Thanks Labour

 

[dirtydog]

If Charles Kennedy still ran the Lib Dems, would he have agreed to the current arrangement ?

Dunno. I have to believe there are some Lib Dem MPs that are opposed to this deal but they are keeping schtum at the moment, no doubt under strict orders from the leadership.

 

[cheets64]

We just have to accept we are going to be raped for the next few years to pay back the deficit.

I hope that at the end we all can get jobs and the worlds financial market is doing super and everything will be fairytales. You actually have chance of putting more people in debt, millions are still paying of bad debt (credit cards, loans, remortgages) and the last thing you need to do is start taking more money from the average wage. Yes the countries debt is bad but its the tax payer who pays the debt repayments.

Getting the deficit down means nothing in todays world, look at China in the recession it was out of debt but millions lost jobs due to the lack of interest for its goods.

 

[Dj_Jestar]

Given that lower paid people DO have these things (do you think they shouldn't?) then a VAT rise hits them disproportionately hardest, so it is bizarre for the Lib Dems to support it. Especially when they campaigned on a platform opposing VAT rises.

I'm not disagreeing there. In fact I agree, but the point I was making is that none of those items are essential. My Nan lived without telephone, TV, car and Internet for the last 20 years of her life (popped her clogs at the ripe old age of 84).

As much as we "depend" on them, they are not essentials.

 

[Mr Jack]

If Charles Kennedy still ran the Lib Dems, would he have agreed to the current arrangement ?

Only if they promised not to raise duties on Whiskey.

 

[Dj_Jestar]

I hope that at the end we all can get jobs and the worlds financial market is doing super and everything will be fairytales. You actually have chance of putting more people in debt, millions are still paying of bad debt (credit cards, loans, remortgages) and the last thing you need to do is start taking more money from the average wage. Yes the countries debt is bad but its the tax payer who pays the debt repayments.

So where is the money supposed to come from? Magic? Trees? The nation is in debt. If it does not reduce this debt, or at the least halt the growth of this debt, we'll be just like Greece. You think there's high unemployment now?

And boo ****ing hoo for those who borrowed more than they can affored.

Getting the deficit down means nothing in todays world, look at China in the recession it was out of debt but millions lost jobs due to the lack of interest for its goods.

Becuase the rest of the world couldn't afford as many goods due to the recession...

 

[Mr Jack]

Items that are taxed at the full rate include things like TVs, playstations, etc.

And clothes (except children's clothes), shoes, cutlery, crockery, furniture, curtains, etc.

Not to mention that the zero-rate of VAT on food benefits the rich more than the poor.

 

[scorza]

Internet access is essential?! Having a phone is essential?! Owning a car is essential?!

I'd say that in today's society all three of those are essential - try getting a job without those things. Ok, so maybe you can get away without a car in the big cities like London or Manchester, but outside of these metropolitan areas, where public transport has been privatised and cut back, running a car is pretty essential for being available to work.

 

[Greebo]

Internet access is essential?! Having a phone is essential?! Owning a car is essential?!

That's the problem of people's perceptions and how "luxury" and non essential items have changed.

I quite often see people claim a 40" tv and a playstation is essential nowadays.

In general, VAT is indeed the fairest tax as it is totally based on consumption. The poorest people will hardly pay any VAT at all if they are just buying their basic food items. Of course if they choose to have take aways then they are paying VAT.

I would claim that internet and a car are still not essential. Perhaps a phone should be excluded from VAT nowadays.

There are also a few things which really shouldn't have VAT on at all such as womens sanitory products and it does amaze me how every government has successfully defended calls to have VAT removed on the grounds that tampons are non essential!

 

[The Mad Rapper]

Didn't Gordon Brown describe Internet access as a 'Human Right'?

In this link, he describes it as being 'as vital as gas and water':

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6506136.ece

 

[snowdog]

Indeed, as a student I had no mobile phone and mostly no landline, no car, no internet access, and minimized electricity and gas bills. Energy saving bulbs, switching light out, wearing warm clothes.


No TV and hence license either!

That is your own fault for moving out though.

A ( basic, 10 quid) mobile, and internet ( at home) is essential in my eyes.
A car is not, but I wouldn't like to be without one.

I would claim that internet and a car are still not essential. Perhaps a phone should be excluded from VAT nowadays.

Internet is FAR more essential than a phone though imo.