Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 3:52 am  

cod'ead wrote:

Bollox

I suppose that's why the vast majority of the population pay their taxes on-time and in full

In reality it is the companies/institutions/government depts that 99% of the population work for or use pay their taxes on time and in full - whether that be PAYE, VAT, etc.

Do you think if calculating and paying over taxes was a personal obligation the compliance rate would be anywhere close to the current position?

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 4:00 am  

rover49 wrote:

Lets face it, if the Tories had inherited full employment, good growth and no debt, they would still have gone along an ideological path of cutting spending and privatising as much as they could. They remind me of the Scorpion and the Frog story, they cannot help it, it's what they do.

Agreed but is that not what you would expect from any right wing driven ideology?

If Labour had inherited the exact same situation they would have looked to increase further the size of the state through increased taxation - that is what they do, that is what they always do.

The problem is the term of the government - 5 years will drive a certain pattern of behaviour which they hope will result in re-election.

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 7:45 am  

cod'ead wrote:

Bollox

I suppose that's why the vast majority of the population pay their taxes on-time and in full

The vast majority have little choice with PAYE.

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 10:42 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Agreed but is that not what you would expect from any right wing driven ideology?

If Labour had inherited the exact same situation they would have looked to increase further the size of the state through increased taxation - that is what they do, that is what they always do.

The problem is the term of the government - 5 years will drive a certain pattern of behaviour which they hope will result in re-election.

So, given that the Blair government continued privatisation and deregulation, it was, by your own logic, not a Labour government at all.

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 12:49 pm  

Mintball wrote:

So, given that the Blair government continued privatisation and deregulation, it was, by your own logic, not a Labour government at all.

Did the spending on the public sector grow under the Blair administration - yes so by my definition a typical Labour government.

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 12:53 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

The vast majority have little choice with PAYE.

no shit Sherlock

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 10:36 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Did the spending on the public sector grow under the Blair administration - yes so by my definition a typical Labour government.

Did privatisation and deregulation occur? If so, by your own definition (from the real world, presumably) them obviously not a very 'socialist' government.

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 10:49 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

no shit Sherlock

So what was your point then?

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sat May 11, 2013 10:56 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

So what was your point then?

read the post I responded to

Re: Austerity gone too far? : Sun May 12, 2013 5:17 am  

Mintball wrote:

Did privatisation and deregulation occur? If so, by your own definition (from the real world, presumably) them obviously not a very 'socialist' government.

Where in my point did I say anything about deregulation? - I said if you get a Labour government you will get an increase in the size of the state - this is exactly what happened under Blair. So by the measure I suggested Labour did under Blair exactly did what it always does - it increased the size of the state.

That is the reality/fact - what are you struggling with here!!