Bye Bye Burnham

[ZedLeg]

That was the point in time at which the gap between richest and poorest was the smallest. And I infer you think that is a good thing since you bothered to mention it and criticised the policies introduced by Reagan and Thatcher. Therefore you think the pre-Thatcher 1970s was the best time. If you didn’t mean that, correct your own post.

Don’t be an arse, it’s objectively true that wealth disparity was at its lowest in the 70s and immediately started climbing after Thatcher and Reagan were elected.

Any inference on the wider social and political environment at the time is coming from you.

[duncs500]

Getting the richest to pay tax at the same rate as the squeezed middle classes should be the aim.

I think if we could get them to pay even half that we'd be doing well!

[Mito Man]

Inequality would still further increase though, just at a slower rate. Say someone with an income of £1 million a year pays a 90% tax rate. They still take home more 4x the amount of someone on minimum wage.

Putting aside Thatcher I thought inequality generally drops following a major war because you end up in a wartime economy - maximum taxation (wasn’t it at 99% for high rate earners after ww2?), low unemployment, government spending goes crazy, loads of assets destroyed. Pretty unsustainable, although it draws parallels with a welfare state. But it’s easier to get people to pay tax when the alternative is becoming a prisoner of war.

So the solution is pretty simple. It’s clearly why we have John Healey as chancellor now

[Rich B]

Inequality would still further increase though, just at a slower rate. Say someone with an income of £1 million a year pays a 90% tax rate. They still take home more 4x the amount of someone on minimum wage.

i can’t believe they didn’t consider you for the job with this insight…

[Marv]

Mito turned it down, too busy enjoying his life with the birds and the bees.

[Mito Man]

Damn right I did.

[dinny_g]

That was the point in time at which the gap between richest and poorest was the smallest. And I infer you think that is a good thing since you bothered to mention it and criticised the policies introduced by Reagan and Thatcher. Therefore you think the pre-Thatcher 1970s was the best time. If you didn’t mean that, correct your own post.

Don’t be an arse, it’s objectively true that wealth disparity was at its lowest in the 70s and immediately started climbing after Thatcher and Reagan were elected.

Any inference on the wider social and political environment at the time is coming from you.

What’s that got to do with politicians always working to ensure they and their mates leave office richer than they entered???

[Mito Man]

This is hilarious
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce970y1n7plo
After 1 day FFS.

[Mito Man]

And £45 a year saved on electricity. I imagine the usual council tax rise will wipe that out and then some by a margin.

[ZedLeg]

That was the point in time at which the gap between richest and poorest was the smallest. And I infer you think that is a good thing since you bothered to mention it and criticised the policies introduced by Reagan and Thatcher. Therefore you think the pre-Thatcher 1970s was the best time. If you didn’t mean that, correct your own post.

Don’t be an arse, it’s objectively true that wealth disparity was at its lowest in the 70s and immediately started climbing after Thatcher and Reagan were elected.

Any inference on the wider social and political environment at the time is coming from you.

What’s that got to do with politicians always working to ensure they and their mates leave office richer than they entered???

My point was that there was a brief period in the mid 20th century when making sure the rich got richer wasn’t a primary focus of governments.

Not sure why Jobbo got so cross about it.

[Jobbo]

I’m not cross. You’re banging on about it then denying you hanker for that. If it was so good, why don’t you want to take us back to the 1970s?

[dinny_g]

My point was that there was a brief period in the mid 20th century when making sure the rich got richer wasn’t a primary focus of governments.

Not ‘the rich’ - just the government politicians and their friends..

[V8Granite]

My point was that there was a brief period in the mid 20th century when making sure the rich got richer wasn’t a primary focus of governments.

Not ‘the rich’ - just the government politicians and their friends..

It was also trying to stop the unions destroying the country, which they did a cracking job of doing.

Dave!

[jamcg]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvj5zdjj2o

[Jobbo]

So he quickly worked out that it was dodgy without giving anything away. Is there a better way he could have done it? As Prime Minister it's not like the Nigerian prince or pretend HMRC texts you get - the chief of staff at the White House is someone who would plausibly contact you.

[jamcg]

I know this isn’t his idea but posting here as it is a labour idea:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14dlm5e22ko

Who could have predicted that?

[Rich B]

I know this isn’t his idea but posting here as it is a labour idea:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14dlm5e22ko

Who could have predicted that?

Anyone. But what are the alternatives? the prisons we have are overcrowded and falling apart because they haven’t been building new ones at the appropriate rate for the last 15 years. You need to make space as a short term solution so what else can you do?

[Gavster]

Community rehab is supposed to be quite effective when done well, however I guess this wasn't, so the early releases simply acted like they'd been let off school early so went on a bender instead.

[V8Granite]

I know this isn’t his idea but posting here as it is a labour idea:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14dlm5e22ko

Who could have predicted that?

Anyone. But what are the alternatives? the prisons we have are overcrowded and falling apart because they haven’t been building new ones at the appropriate rate for the last 15 years. You need to make space as a short term solution so what else can you do?

They're prisoners, hot bunk it or pick who gets to be the big spoon.

Dave!

[jamcg]

Stack bunk beds 3-4 high if needed. Use old military barracks as minimum security prisons, leave cells for more hardened criminals, or any building with a guard and a fence for that matter