I never understood why people flocked to London in the first place to be honest. Manchester is a much more liveable city with the majority of the benefits. And if you really want a capital, pre-Brexit there was plenty of chances to live in Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Prague, Stockholm etc.

 

Where did you end up brexiting to Blacksquare?

I think more people will start moving to Manchester and Birmingham post-Covid. Brum is far greener than London, is far cheaper, unrivalled nightlife and a construction boom that’s not slowing down anytime soon. Don’t know why anyone would relocate to London right now.

I think more people will start moving to Manchester and Birmingham post-Covid. Brum is far greener than London, is far cheaper, unrivalled nightlife and a construction boom that’s not slowing down anytime soon. Don’t know why anyone would relocate to London right now.

 

Whilst I am not a huge London fan in terms of living there, our economy is so weighted and balanced to London. The whole entertainment and finance industry is practically located there and most large businesses have some form of office within 1 hour of London. I think you'll see people who are in the higher tax brackets moving either to the suburbs or east coast mainline. I really do hope it just resets the renting balance in London, people forget there are shitloads of jobs there on terrible pay and you can be paying £800pm to rent an average room in Zone 2/3. If anything, it's a good thing to reset the London rental market.

@1367098504854781964

 

Wow.

 

The entire budget is essentially what John McDonnell was proposing in 2017/2019 — it's genuinely far better than I was expecting.

Edited March 3, 20214 yr by blacksquare

I like it. Could do without the lionising of Sunak by the BBC but this is mostly what a budget should be to get out of a crisis (plus riffing off 2017/2019 Labour manifestos is a good thing) and surely there'll be lots on the right who'll be livid at some of this which also bodes well.

 

of course there could be more done and there's a bit of rhetoric about paying it back later down the line which is as far as I understand nonsense but I expected that, this sounds pretty fine.

Tbh Keir Starmer's comment that 'the budget will look better on Instagram" hits the nail on the head.

 

Where is the support for the NHS? Social care? Schools? This pandemic has highlighted more than anything how badly underfunded our essential public services are. Sunak has just nicked a few headline Labour policies to cover up the bad parts.

 

I'm doubtful the corporation tax rise will even go ahead. Why wait? I'm sure highest 10% of corporations can afford it more than anyone else right now, particularly given our corporation tax is ridiculously low anyway.

Yeh a bit worried the Corporation Tax rise isnt until 2023, must be giving his corporate friends a chance to call their accountants. As was said above its good that the tories are pushing McDonnells economics as it shows having a left labour government can make a difference.

Tbh Keir Starmer's comment that 'the budget will look better on Instagram" hits the nail on the head.

 

Where is the support for the NHS? Social care? Schools? This pandemic has highlighted more than anything how badly underfunded our essential public services are. Sunak has just nicked a few headline Labour policies to cover up the bad parts.

 

I'm doubtful the corporation tax rise will even go ahead. Why wait? I'm sure highest 10% of corporations can afford it more than anyone else right now, particularly given our corporation tax is ridiculously low anyway.

 

I know but it is catch-22. We have spent a shitton of money and will continue to be spending a shitton of money which is hard without raising taxes for working people. But while I want us to spend more on public services, it's hard to justify a tax rise right now, although it will surely come in 2022 or 2023.

 

I noticed they've sly frozen the personal tax allowance for 5 years so we will all be paying extra taxes without us really knowing. I'm not really a fan of 5% mortgages for FTBs too, I don't think that is the solution to the housing problem. The problem lies with people who have a portfolio of properties and buy them as solid investments. I doubt they will ever fully attack that problem though.

 

Not a fan of the £100 contactless limit either nor the justifcation for it. How many people don't buy stuff from shops cos they forget their pin number? :lol:

Every government initiative to do something about housing (by Lab govts as well as Tory) only concentrates on one side of the issue. Adding new subsidies for home-buyers (with no regard for people struggling to pay the rent) just serves to put prices up even further. They never do anything about supply. Developers continue to sit on large plots of land with permission to build but without actually building anything.

 

Funny how they seem so relaxed about breaking their manifesto promise on the personal allowance while insisting they cannot possibly increase the top rate of tax. Call me a cynic, but I fully expect them to "find" the money to be able to increase it again in 2024, just in time for the next election.

Yeh agree on the housing debate Simon. Its been that way for 40 years in Britain though they are laissez faire on housing and development because their friends all work in big construction companies and many MPs are landlords. Plus of course their voters want their 'assets' to increase in value and the rest either dont vote or they dont look at them as a threat.

Sunak claimed that the previous £45 limit on contactless payments was the highest allowed by the EU. This is a lie. Member states can set their own limits and several states have a limit of €100. The £45 (€50) is merely an advisory figure as a protection for cardholders against fraud.

One of the announcements in the budget that I found out afterwards is that the quasi-public sector body that I work for is now no longer liable for corporation tax, which means a) there will be more money to spend on council homes in Northern Ireland, and more importantly b) my job just got slightly easier as I no longer have to compute my places corporation tax.

 

I'm pretty sure that the introduction of a progressive corporation tax as per today's budget was one of my ideas when we did the political party teams task on BJ. I'm not saying that Rishi Sunak is a member of Buzzjack and takes his ideas from me, but I'm not saying that Rishi Sunak is not a member of Buzzjack and has never taken any direction from me.

One of the announcements in the budget that I found out afterwards is that the quasi-public sector body that I work for is now no longer liable for corporation tax, which means a) there will be more money to spend on council homes in Northern Ireland, and more importantly b) my job just got slightly easier as I no longer have to compute my places corporation tax.

 

I'm pretty sure that the introduction of a progressive corporation tax as per today's budget was one of my ideas when we did the political party teams task on BJ. I'm not saying that Rishi Sunak is a member of Buzzjack and takes his ideas from me, but I'm not saying that Rishi Sunak is not a member of Buzzjack and has never taken any direction from me.

The secret's out. Michael is really Rishi Sunak :o

I noticed they've sly frozen the personal tax allowance for 5 years so we will all be paying extra taxes without us really knowing. I'm not really a fan of 5% mortgages for FTBs too, I don't think that is the solution to the housing problem. The problem lies with people who have a portfolio of properties and buy them as solid investments. I doubt they will ever fully attack that problem though.

 

And apparently this part of the budget, one its most easily attackable parts from the perspective of working people, is being supported by Labour, with Dodds saying 'In principle, we are not against the freeze' (hellworld, especially given their recent stance on corporation tax which Sunak is currently drifting well left of them on).

 

 

 

Progressive Corporation tax is not new. It’s just that the Coalition slashed Corporation Tax to such an extent that the lower rate was rendered somewhat irrelevant.

 

A progressive Corporation Tax system was introduced by Brown iirc. I remember my Tax course at Uni taking into account the small company rate and the progressive band up to the full rate.

 

 

Again, media framing Sunak as a saviour for something that is neither his idea nor a new concept for a UK Gov Budget.

I know but it is catch-22. We have spent a shitton of money and will continue to be spending a shitton of money which is hard without raising taxes for working people. But while I want us to spend more on public services, it's hard to justify a tax rise right now, although it will surely come in 2022 or 2023.

 

I noticed they've sly frozen the personal tax allowance for 5 years so we will all be paying extra taxes without us really knowing. I'm not really a fan of 5% mortgages for FTBs too, I don't think that is the solution to the housing problem. The problem lies with people who have a portfolio of properties and buy them as solid investments. I doubt they will ever fully attack that problem though.

 

Not a fan of the £100 contactless limit either nor the justifcation for it. How many people don't buy stuff from shops cos they forget their pin number? :lol:

 

Can I ask what is personal tax allowance?

Can I ask what is personal tax allowance?

 

It's the Tax banding before you pay tax. So I think for lower tax it is £12,570 and higher it is about £50,000 - they've frozen the branding so it will push more people in to the lower and higher tax brackets not taking in to account any inflation rates. The first £12,570 we all earn is tax free.

I see thanks Rooney!

It's the Tax banding before you pay tax. So I think for lower tax it is £12,570 and higher it is about £50,000 - they've frozen the branding so it will push more people in to the lower and higher tax brackets not taking in to account any inflation rates. The first £12,570 we all earn is tax free.

 

That's just for income tax. I believe NI contributions start at ~£9,500.

 

I don't think the freeze is a bad way of raising more money. Especially as it should affect richer people more.

 

I am really disappointed with the budget regarding green policy. It's basically... a non event? There should be a lot more focus on green policy - the UK has a lot more it needs to do to get to net zero by 2050.

Edited March 4, 20214 yr by Envoirment

A freeze actually impacts the lowest earners the most. The folk further up can afford accountants to reduce the tax liability through various loopholes and deductions that aren’t available to Kath who works down the big Tesco for 9€ an hr.

 

The absolute majority of people don’t pay the top Rate of tax. If you want to do a raid on income tax then a one off wealth tax or playing with the upper most bands and rates will do that. A billionaire pushing a stealth tax increase on minimum wages workers is class warfare and tory shithousery 101

Wow.

 

The entire budget is essentially what John McDonnell was proposing in 2017/2019 — it's genuinely far better than I was expecting.

 

Actually he was arguing for 26% but 25% is a start.

 

Also:

 

@1367100976398819329

 

*.*

 

You love to see it !