Your Top random 10 policies

[trev]

Another thing I'd like to see is rehabilitation in prisons. A lot of crime is related to poverty, whether that be financial poverty or poverty of aspiration is for another thread.
I watched something a few months back where Gordon Ramsey set up a scheme in a nick which went on to be self financing and actually turned in a profit. He set up a training regime where he got some lags through elementary catering qualifications, once they were through them he got them producing cakes, flapjacks etc and used his industry contacts to get in front of the buyers for several chains like Café Nero. They sampled the produce and gave him a trial order which sold very successfully, the trial order was then rolled out over a wider and wider area.
As the scheme brought in more money he used it to finance higher qualifications and as the inmates were coming to the end of their sentences, once again he used his industry contacts to get some of them interviews with restaurants, hotels, coffee chains etc and a lot of them got jobs and became worthwhile members of society.
Obviously this will only work with non violent offenders but it's pointless just locking people up.
Make the prison regime one where you enter with no entitlements (no luxuries)but if you work at it and toe the line there's a carrot on the end of the prison stick

 

[Octopus]

1 An end to the teaching of religion as fact in schools, you may as well teach kids that the cat in the hat is real. Replace it with more citizenship type lessons, teach them about their rights AND responsibilities.

2 Regulation of the banking system. It is this that is largely responsible for the state of the country's finances.

3 An end to the bedroom tax. There are not enough 1 and 2 bedroom properties in the social/private sector

4 A programme of building social housing.

5 Stop the stealth privatisation of the NHS.

6 Get rid of the work programme, it has been proven not to be working

7 Greater accountability for MPs coupled with an end to the multiple homes fiasco. There are empty properties in London which could be converted into small but comfortable housing units

8 Raise the NMW to a level which means the taxpayer is not subsidising businesses by giving them cheap labour which has to be topped up by benefits.

9 Means test child benefit. At present, Prince Willam is entitled to it and soon will be for another child. Perhaps make it only available to those claiming benefits (see 8)

10 Stop allowing the slaughter of animals according to centuries old religious practice.

8. See my comment earlier re tax credits - I'm sure FD's of large companies do calculations working out how my the tax payer will be paying via the credits system.

9. It is already tested - anyone earning as a higher rate earner gets it reduced or withdrawn completely:

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-charge

 

[Diddy]

Missed this last night.
1. Work out a minimum wage based on the average needed for a single person to live in a basic existence with ZERO support from taxpayer. My definition of basic is thus - Food, clothing, Heat and light as well as travel AND have 10% left over for saving/leisure/ect. This is MINIMUM.
2. Huge social house building program throughout the country.
3. Tougher on the bankers and traders - much more effective checks and balances
4. Renationalized Energy generation and supply, Fuel, Steel and Coal. Trains and all other utilities 5. A charter which reforms politics - Recall of under performing MP's and public servants (Say only activated after 1 year in job)
There is a sub plot to this - A huge bug bear of mine is the cabinet and the permanent sectaries. I would reform this with qualifications based appointments.....You want to be minister for Education....I want you to have been involved in all forms of education in public sector for 25 years......Want the job of Chancellor ? Show me your 25 years experience in finance and relevant qualifications in accounting and maths degree ect......Do you see the pattern ? I would then further reform this by saying that the person given the job at the beginning of government stays in that job until the end of the 5 years. Only gross misconduct or outright sacking can remove them. Finally the perm sectaries - I would keep them but make them easy to remove if they are as obstructive to change as some come across.
6. Change voting to PR system for whole country.
7. Free school meals for all from 5-18 - Nutritious meals only no junk....can use local produce to where applicable.
8. Reverse privatization of NHS
9. Scrap Trident - Spend the cash on a navy and many other more pressing things.
10. Pull away from international armed conflict.

I could think of tons too. My number 4 is my favorite. We already subsidize half the country to "work" through in work benefits such as WTC CTC council tax subs, housing benefit ect....We basically subsidize most supermarkets employees as well as other retail.....So why not subsidize steel and coal again at least we can use/export the stuff and make a shed of of tax payers at the same time.
As said I really could go on and on.....And for the record I would be PROUD to be part of a UK that was even headed in this direction

 

[ian.settle1]

Missed this last night.
1. Work out a minimum wage based on the average needed for a single person to live in a basic existence with ZERO support from taxpayer. My definition of basic is thus - Food, clothing, Heat and light as well as travel AND have 10% left over for saving/leisure/ect. This is MINIMUM.
2. Huge social house building program throughout the country.
3. Tougher on the bankers and traders - much more effective checks and balances
4. Renationalized Energy generation and supply, Fuel, Steel and Coal. Trains and all other utilities 5. A charter which reforms politics - Recall of under performing MP's and public servants (Say only activated after 1 year in job)
There is a sub plot to this - A huge bug bear of mine is the cabinet and the permanent sectaries. I would reform this with qualifications based appointments.....You want to be minister for Education....I want you to have been involved in all forms of education in public sector for 25 years......Want the job of Chancellor ? Show me your 25 years experience in finance and relevant qualifications in accounting and maths degree ect......Do you see the pattern ? I would then further reform this by saying that the person given the job at the beginning of government stays in that job until the end of the 5 years. Only gross misconduct or outright sacking can remove them. Finally the perm sectaries - I would keep them but make them easy to remove if they are as obstructive to change as some come across.
6. Change voting to PR system for whole country.
7. Free school meals for all from 5-18 - Nutritious meals only no junk....can use local produce to where applicable.
8. Reverse privatization of NHS
9. Scrap Trident - Spend the cash on a navy and many other more pressing things.
10. Pull away from international armed conflict.

I could think of tons too. My number 4 is my favorite. We already subsidize half the country to "work" through in work benefits such as WTC CTC council tax subs, housing benefit ect....We basically subsidize most supermarkets employees as well as other retail.....So why not subsidize steel and coal again at least we can use/export the stuff and make a shed of of tax payers at the same time.
As said I really could go on and on.....And for the record I would be PROUD to be part of a UK that was even headed in this direction

Which would make them at least 50 years old before they became an MP

 

[Diddy]

Yep the parties would do well to recruit experience and I think 50 ish is s decent age for someone to share their experience and vision. 50 is far from old these days.

 

[trev]

8. See my comment earlier re tax credits - I'm sure FD's of large companies do calculations working out how my the tax payer will be paying via the credits system.

9. It is already tested - anyone earning as a higher rate earner gets it reduced or withdrawn completely:

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-charge

I knew about that mate but the point was, I could earn £49,999, Mrs Trev could earn the same and we would still qualify for Child benefit on a joint income of just shy of £100 k.
We'd hardly need it would we? that's why I think it should possibly only available to those claiming other benefits.

 

[Octopus]

I knew about that mate but the point was, I could earn £49,999, Mrs Trev could earn the same and we would still qualify for Child benefit on a joint income of just shy of £100 k.
We'd hardly need it would we? that's why I think it should possibly only available to those claiming other benefits.

hum, not sure that would work either - it would give people even less incentive to work or better themselves (see my post about tax credits above).

The whole system of handouts in the uk is a complete mess and needs an over haul - but none of the current crop of politicians have the "balls" to do it properly.

The biggest anomily is when you sign on:

1. If you claim contributions based JSA, it stops after 6 months, and if your patner works any income is deducted from your tax credits allocation.

2. If you claim income based JSA, it continues as long as you sign on and if your partner works any income is ignored from you tax credits allocation.

So you could have 2 families - side by side - and by the process of ticking one box and selecting income based JSA, they could be hundreds of pounds better off.

That is hardly fair either.

 

[trev]

So because of something which might or might not exist you'd continue to pay me and Mrs Trev public money even though between us we're earning just shy of 100 grand?

 

[Octopus]

So because of something which might or might not exist you'd continue to pay me and Mrs Trev public money even though between us we're earning just shy of 100 grand?

Well I do agree but its no different to the late Bob Crow earning £150K and living in a council flat and paying a pittance for rent

 

[trev]

Well I do agree but its no different to the late Bob Crow earning £150K and living in a council flat and paying a pittance for rent

Of course it's different, Bob Crowe will not have been paying a pittance in rent. He'll have been paying the full whack of it because of how much he was earning.
Whether social housing should have been refused to him is another matter entirely although.

 

[Octopus]

Of course it's different, Bob Crowe will not have been paying a pittance in rent. He'll have been paying the full whack of it because of how much he was earning.
Whether social housing should have been refused to him is another matter entirely although.

With the greatest respect, no it isn't.

He was in a position to buy and pay his own way and he chose to abuse the goodwill of the state.

As I previously stated the WHOLE system is a mess and needs a major rethink.

 

[trev]

I wish my edit button was working. I meant to scrub "although" as it makes no sense for it to be there

 

[trev]

With the greatest respect, no it isn't.

He was in a position to buy and pay his own way and he chose to abuse the goodwill of the state.

As I previously stated the WHOLE system is a mess and needs a major rethink.

He was paying his way. As much as his team of accountants would allow him to of course.

 

[Diddy]

Well I do agree but its no different to the late Bob Crow earning £150K and living in a council flat and paying a pittance for rent

Bob Crow was paying INTO the system. He could have bought it at whatever the RTB discount is/was but instead he paid in rent and leaves behind a state "asset".
Also your post re social housing implies that those in receipt of social housing are in some way subsidized by the tax payer ?
You must agree when I say that currently the way interest rates are being kept artificially low that in fact tax payers are subsidizing mortgages all over the UK .......Not to mention subsidizing the private rent sector in terms of housing benefit paid straight out the tax payer pocket right into the private BTL landlord.
Social housing although subsidized remains an asset......one we should NEVER sell off and that we should build millions more.

 

[Octopus]

Bob Crow was paying INTO the system. He could have bought it at whatever the RTB discount is/was but instead he paid in rent and leaves behind a state "asset".
Also your post re social housing implies that those in receipt of social housing are in some way subsidized by the tax payer ?
You must agree when I say that currently the way interest rates are being kept artificially low that in fact tax payers are subsidizing mortgages all over the UK .......Not to mention subsidizing the private rent sector in terms of housing benefit paid straight out the tax payer pocket right into the private BTL landlord.
Social housing although subsidized remains an asset......one we should NEVER sell off and that we should build millions more.

The rules should prevent people with such incomes from buying social housing. Full Stop.