Taking The Proverbial

I would suggest that at least 98% of respondents should have placed themselves in the "don't know" category. I do take your point though.
 
Originally posted by BrianH@Oct 20 2006, 12:57 PM
Yes I certainly do
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I don't.

It would be interesting to run the same survey again. I bet the outcome wouldn't be the same. It has taken people time to wise up to this government, but at least some of them are now realising what they are about.
 
Originally posted by Grey@Oct 20 2006, 11:31 AM
Kathy, have you left anything out of the list, by any chance? I am asking because the items mentioned only add up to £388 bn rather than your total of £516 bn.
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Fuel taxes?
 
I am certainly in favour of paying more tax to fund public services, particularly health and education.

I worry every time some tory twat prattles on about cutting taxes as I start to wonder where the money is going to come from to provide decent levels of health and education.

I don't know what the situation is like in England, Wales and NI but since Labour came to power, there has been a massive improvement in support for education & health in Scotland.

Within a 30-mile radius of where I live there have been no fewer than five hospitals built or rebuilt and there is a huge programme of private finance partnerships (with which I disagree, actually) providing countless new or refurbished schools.

I was recently told I'd need to wait at least nine moths for a consultation with an ENT specialist. The appointment came through at more like nine weeks (still not good enough, though better than the 15 months I once waited).
 
Right, I have found a pie chart with similar figures and it looks as if the £22 billion for the Other Taxes (inheritance and stamp duty etc.) should probably be £74 billion and not £22 billion, assuming the total figure of £516 billion is correct. It shows that the figure on VAT is similar to that of the "other taxes". Does that sound about right?
 
What's the source of the pie chart, Kathy? To judge from the HMRC table to which I posted a link earlier the 22 billion figure for inheritance taxes and stamp duty is correct. As far as I can tell it's the Sunday Times total which is in doubt.
 
Originally posted by Kathy@Oct 20 2006, 02:04 PM
It would be interesting to run the same survey again. I bet the outcome wouldn't be the same. It has taken people time to wise up to this government, but at least some of them are now realising what they are about.
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(1) I wish they would

(2) I wish you were a big gambler

Because a combination of (1) and (2) wold enable me to ytake loadsamoney from you.

The fact is that people want good public services and are prepared to pay for them. It's far from altruism - they want these services for themselves and for their families. Mismanagement and unecessary bureaucracy is a different issue and needs to be addressed - as it always has done in pubic industries, under governments of all colours.

And talking of what has "always" been - in taxation terms we are no worse off under "this government" than we were under its predecessor. Some are even better off.

Also I notice there has been little comment on the other thread in which taxation rates are discussed since I posted figures which show that of 23 European countries the UK is as far down as 16th where the total tax burden is concerned. It's so often the case on this forum - never let the facts interfere with a good argument.
 
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