You’re in Charge…

I lean neither to the left nor the right and will make no comment on all the extreme responses in this thread. There is one area in which I feel passionate, the NHS. There is only one model for healthcare that works for every member of society and that is compulsory cradle to grave insurance which is free at the point of use. Do what you will with the rest of the economy but please support our health system.
I speak as a septuagenarian taxpayer with no significant health problems who is more than happy to support those whose health is not as good as mine.

Crikey! What a thread! I could write a book on this frankly, but in brief here's my assessment.
1. Everything Gary Dully said.
2. Low tax economy. Reduce ALL taxes immediately. 15-25% income tax TOPS howsoever earnt or acquired, at any level of wealth.
3. Encourage all housing by slashing red tape, praising and encouraging landlords, have the govt set up a company to build on unused govt land, discourage land-banking (say over 3 yrs?) and favourably tax new-builds. Offer tax-free brownfield development.
4. I believe in Gary's grammar school idea, but would also encourage - indeed, allow a tax-break for - families using private schools. This takes pressure off the state system and encourages excellence/cost effectiveness as more private schools compete for the increasing business. Better education thus comes to more people. Bursaries for the gifted poor could be included.
5. Slash and burn immigration to the smallest amounts necessary.
6. Protect national character. There'd be no tensions, terrorism or changing national character at any level - its not Naziesque to suggest this, Japan, China and Angola all manage to do this perfectly well. Cultural heritage is protected at all costs and any newcomers violating this are deported.
7. Regulation, red tape, barriers to entry all slashed. Let the market decide which and what survives.
8. Public spending totally re-built. Why are the NHS paying 35x as much for some items? Because the suppliers know they'll pay it! 8 years ago I dealt with a case of a speed hump that had cost £141,000. Yes! 141k!! A single speed hump! Why? Because we pay it!!!
9. Public service for the lazy and feckless. 6 months claiming then you work in some allocated public service - litter picking, road sweeping, gardening etc - for benefits.
10. I learned only last night that if you defraud your benefits you don't lose your council house!!!! Can you believe that? TWO cases of fraudulently claiming over £30,000 in my authority, and six more of over £10,000, yet the council tenancy is still secure! Nonsense. Immediate termination of tenancy for all cases of public fraud.
I could go on!

Reply to the comment left by James Fraser at 13/12/2017 - 11:22
You don't mind if I take issue with your point 6 do you?. What s immigration to do with anything? That is an abstract idea of " I woz here furst and am gonna draw a line of conveenance that soots me" I hope you are aware that if you are not African then your heritage is African by default because every race originated from Africa. That maybe an inconvenient fact. Given the subject matter is economics a more appropriate qualification would be contribution to the economy. Would that qualifying criteria have you worried ?

Reply to the comment left by Asif Ahmed at 13/12/2017 - 11:47
I mind.
If you can't understand what uncontrolled immigration does to a country then you'd better clue your self up before making ridiculous statements about us all being descendants from Robert Mugabe and therefore have no place denying anyone or everyone entry to your country. Just how many of the 6.5 billion people in the third world surviving on $2 a day - a. would come if invited - b. we could handle, house, feed, educate, and provide services to? Please answer, I'm really interested.

Has anyone mentioned voluntary (or otherwise) Euthanasia yet! I suspect this will become more topical as we approach 2020 with landlords who didn't understand section 24!

Reply to the comment left by Rob Crawford at 13/12/2017 - 12:25
I have made the difficult decision to have pets put down to prevent them suffering a long, painful and undignified death.

I have also seen humans suffering long, painful ad undignified death because Euthanasia was not an option.

If I could write a Euthanasia into my own Lasting Powers of attorney I would do so, and I suspect many others would too.

I know my wife wouldn't though. She would be kept on life support indefinitely in the hope that a solution to eternal life would be provided.

I do think we should all have the ability to choose.

Reply to the comment left by Jamie Moodie at 13/12/2017 - 12:01
I think I am pretty clued up on economics as it is a degree that I pursued ( many years ago before everyone started going to University) and do understand the consequences of immigration . However my understanding is from economic studies and empirical evidence and not from the latest article in "The Daily Mail" or "The Sun"
Here is a question ?Do you recollect 1992 ? Do you recollect the hysteria ? , the borders are open (scream) they are all going to come here.
And they didn't did they ? The Europeans.
The recent influx of the Eastern Europeans (relatively newcomers to Europe) was felt by UK society because there was concentrated immigration in a short time frame ( 10 years circa 2 million) which could not be comfortably absorbed. The economy had not grown sufficiently.
Economic growth formula s which are part of balancing budgets have to incorporate population growth in the calculation. The increase in population is a net contribution to the figures.
if you adopt a xenophobic mind set you emulate where Japan is right now. A decaying economy.
My point was anyone advocating slash immigration has a point of view "I was here first" and is drawing a time line of convenience and demonstrated that with evidence ( which by your response you wish to contest....groan. I will say in my defence I am not an anthropologist but I can refer you to one who would support what I have said). I then suggested a line of convenience off contribution to the economy.
"Can I come in, I have money to invest in your country?"
"No you cant we have slashed immigration"

PS There is nowhere I can see where I mentioned uncontrolled immigration. And as to the contributors comment about "heritage" read as " I wish to live in a time frame where specific social norms prevailed even though time, values, and norms have marched on"

Reply to the comment left by steve p at 13/12/2017 - 10:39
Excellent, well thought out reply, Steve. I would support much of this too.

Reply to the comment left by Asif Ahmed at 13/12/2017 - 12:58
Are you and James not saying the same thing in different ways?

And with my initial suggestions, why would immigration be a problem?

Well i am sure my thoughts will be popular. I would introduce higher income taxes to help pay down the deficit - after all there are two ways to balance a budget and we have done quite a lot of cutting.

To fund education and health services that are the envy of the world I would implement a new tax. What better way to fund these critical areas than to remove a source of unearnt inequality in the country? 100% inheritance tax.

I'd reverse brexit and encourage free-trade and free-movement of labour. I am sure there's some other stuff, but thats not a bad start for day 1...