Why the Tories haven't really changed!

[kyser_soze]

If £350,000 is 'not so rich' I wouldn't like to be one of the 10,000,000 less well off in this country?
Those in £350,000 homes should be happy they have £350,000 assets!!!
It really kills me how people moan about paying tax.

There's a difference between actually having £350K in assets or property and having the money to pay the IR when a relly pops it. Even if you negotiate with them, you've still got to come up with £140K in tax. Hmmm...maybe there's a mortgage business opportunity there...

It's why I think property should be handled separately from other forms of assets like shares, trusts etc - they're all easily realisable and unlike houses I can't see anyone being too attached to the family share portfolio.

Plus, there will be a lot of people who inherit places like this who don't, and never will, earn enough to pay that kind of tax bill...

 

[Haller]

Therefore if you can portray inheritance tax as not only affecting the rich but as also affecting 'normal folk' then the latter will be overjoyed that they can be seen to be associating with the former and are in turn likely to support any such measure, regardless of whether or not it affects them.

When the average house price in London is £300,000 then that does affect 'normal folk'.

 

[jiggajagga]

When the average house price in London is £300,000 then that does affect 'normal folk'.

And of course to Londoners the rest of the UK doesn't exist!
My son has just bought a 3 bed semi for £79,000 here in the North Midlands ( no worry of inheritance tax here mate!)

 

[Ned Pointsman]

When the average house price in London is £300,000 then that does affect 'normal folk'.

The average when you include everything out here in this mad max style barren landscape (or 'north of the watford gap) is £210k.

Plus it depends whether or not these folk are married or not, the transfer of assets between spouses is exempt, if there are children or other beneficiaries after that, it's easy to get around, the whole thing is a total non issue.

Mailwatch had a competition when the express were at the height of their 'inheritance tax crusade' and were giving out 'abolish inheritance tax stickers' to see who could be the first to actually find one displayed somewhere.

The winner found one being paraded by someone who was operating a barrier at a car park.

 

[Haller]

Mailwatch had a competition when the express were at the height of their 'inheritance tax crusade' and were giving out 'abolish inheritance tax stickers' to see who could be the first to actually find one displayed somewhere.

The winner found one being paraded by someone who was operating a barrier at a car park.

I think that story demonstrates why it isn't a non-issue in electoral terms. The failure of inheritance tax to match the rise in house prices means that it is getting close to the perceived reality of a much larger number of people than it was ever intended for.

I suspect this is a vote-winner for the Tories, and that it will lose them no support whatsoever.

 

[Ned Pointsman]

Oh in electoral terms of course it's an issue, it's a vote winner for the reasons I outlined, it's also an important marker; will Cameron support reality or bend to the dyspeptic whims of psuedo conservative aspirational thatcherite types ?

Incidentally, I do think the threshold should be risen by a much larger margin that Brown did raise it, if only to shut up the sort of people who work in car parks whilst trying to convince people that a 300k threshold will affect them.

 

[Haller]

Oh in electoral terms of course it's an issue, it's a vote winner for the reasons I outlined, it's also an important marker; will Cameron support reality or bend to the dyspeptic whims of psuedo conservative aspirational thatcherite types ?

Incidentally, I do think the threshold should be risen by a much larger margin that Brown did raise it, if only to shut up the sort of people who work in car parks whilst trying to convince people that a 300k threshold will affect them.

If he's got any political sense - and I think that, despite current appearances to the contrary, he does - he'll go for the latter. He needs those aspirational types if he's going to win an election.

But I also think Brown's a sharp operator, and he has plenty of time to raise the threshold substantially. If it's seen as applying only to the overtly wealthy, the tax becomes politically neutral again.

 

[Ned Pointsman]

I think you're probably right.

Anyone who does cede to these people needs to realise they're like stray animals, as soon as you feed them, they keep coming back for more and more and more, there are no 'political' ends for them, only means.

 

[Wookster]

There is actually no choice in UK politics. All the parties are just as bad as each other.

 

[jiggajagga]

There is actually no choice in UK politics. All the parties are just as bad as each other.

My God Wookster! Are you saying that we actually DO NOT live in a democracy because we have no choice!!!???

OLIGARCHY See definition

"a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few. "


Sound familiar?

Has it ever been anything else?

 

[Wookster]

My God Wookster! Are you saying that we actually DO NOT live in a democracy because we have no choice!!!???

No - don't put words on my post

I've always been a huge proponent of voting but now for the first time I actually think there isn't any point, simply because all the parties are just as bad as each other: labour with their assaults on freedoms, Iraq, ID cards etc. The Tories... well they have a new face, but lets be honest its still the same old Iain Duncan Smith's, David Davis behind the scenes isn't it? And the Lib Dems (who I would want to vote for) who have the most wishy washy policies/ presence. Campbell could talk you to death. Also I think they aren't very strong on personal responsibility.

 

[jiggajagga]

No - don't put words on my post

I've always been a huge proponent of voting but now for the first time I actually think there isn't any point, simply because all the parties are just as bad as each other:

I am in my 50s and feel exactly the same.

I do believe we live in an Olgarchy though, not unlike modern Russia really?!