2015 Election season ..........stuff it in here.

[MooseBreath]

That's 172 employees all paying income tax and capital gains tax where applicable on their share rewards. The company paid no corporation tax because they didn't make a profit in the UK. They've obviously cooked the books to ensure that loss but if that's the only way they're willing to do business in the UK then what does that say about our tax policies? Surely you'd rather take the jobs and the associated tax revenue rather than pushing them out of the country completely?

[Nalis]

I've taken that survey and none of those options reflected my views.

Vote Monster Raving then.

[lavrentis]

We need to remove Sunday working hour restrictions like Scotland.

 

Annoying as ****

[Alf Bentley]

That's 172 employees all paying income tax and capital gains tax where applicable on their share rewards. The company paid no corporation tax because they didn't make a profit in the UK. They've obviously cooked the books to ensure that loss but if that's the only way they're willing to do business in the UK then what does that say about our tax policies? Surely you'd rather take the jobs and the associated tax revenue rather than pushing them out of the country completely?

 

Obviously, I wouldn't want to push anyone out of the country. But are you seriously trying to tell me that Facebook is a struggling business that can't pay a reasonable amount in tax and still make a profit?

 

Is it a business that would forego significant amounts of revenue and profit from the UK market of 60m potential consumers, just because it was expected to pay its fair share? No. It's just taking advantage of low-tax regimes because it can.

 

Clearly, removing such abuse requires international diplomacy, international agreements on tax and action against tax havens....but none of that should be beyond governments that have a will to tackle the problem. It's just that we haven't got a government like that now - and didn't have under New Labour, either. For a start, a lot of the corporation tax issues relate to Ireland - a country with which we should be able to have a lot of influence on trade issues, given that the UK is Ireland's biggest export market (and Ireland is our 5th biggest).

 

A quick look at comparative corporation tax rates confirms that the UK has lower rates than most of its main competitors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates

The logic of your argument is that we should join a race to the bottom - perhaps compete with the 0% corporation tax rate in the Virgin Islands. The only problem is that they need to spend sod all on public services with a population of 21,730. We'd have to eliminate almost all public spending on health, education, defence, welfare etc to compete.

[Webbo]

Obviously, I wouldn't want to push anyone out of the country. But are you seriously trying to tell me that Facebook is a struggling business that can't pay a reasonable amount in tax and still make a profit?

 

Is it a business that would forego significant amounts of revenue and profit from the UK market of 60m potential consumers, just because it was expected to pay its fair share? No. It's just taking advantage of low-tax regimes because it can.

 

Clearly, removing such abuse requires international diplomacy, international agreements on tax and action against tax havens....but none of that should be beyond governments that have a will to tackle the problem. It's just that we haven't got a government like that now - and didn't have under New Labour, either. For a start, a lot of the corporation tax issues relate to Ireland - a country with which we should be able to have a lot of influence on trade issues, given that the UK is Ireland's biggest export market (and Ireland is our 5th biggest).

 

A quick look at comparative corporation tax rates confirms that the UK has lower rates than most of its main competitors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates

The logic of your argument is that we should join a race to the bottom - perhaps compete with the 0% corporation tax rate in the Virgin Islands. The only problem is that they need to spend sod all on public services with a population of 21,730. We'd have to eliminate almost all public spending on health, education, defence, welfare etc to compete.

Nice idea but it's not going to happen is it?

[MooseBreath]

Corporation tax only makes up about 8% of UK tax revenue so we wouldn't have to go without any of those things. There is clearly also a link between the amount of tax paid on profits and what a business has left to invest on employing people and paying for other products and services which generates further growth and attracts other forms of tax. Corporation tax seems ineffective and unnecessarily burdensome so maybe a race to the bottom of that kind of tax would be a good thing.

Regardless, if labour's argument is that companies should pay corporation tax then fine, but to try and describe it as "zero tax on the rich" is totally wrong, because it's nothing to do with "the rich", it's zero corporation taxes on companies who don't make a profit. Their crass attempt to sensationalise the issue should cause offence to anyone who expects integrity from a potential government.

[Alf Bentley]

Nice idea but it's not going to happen is it?

 

I'm sure that neither tax havens nor the use of low tax regimes is going to disappear quickly - and it probably wouldn't be a good thing if they did, economically, as governments and businesses need to be able to plan ahead.

Significant progress is possible, though. There has already been some progress within Europe - the Swiss and others (Luxembourg, Liechtenstein?) have cut back on some abuses and started sharing more info.

 

That should certainly be possible within Europe: e.g. with Ireland, Holland etc. I'm sure that it would require compromise and flexibility, but we do have some bargaining power as one of the biggest economies in Europe: neither major global corporations nor European countries (particularly those, like Ireland, with which we trade a lot) would want to risk facing much less beneficial trading conditions here. It's just that the will to tackle this issue properly has been lacking until now, as governments (red and blue alike) have been in the pocket of big business.

 

I suppose the alternative would be to cut UK corporation tax even further to compete (not sure what EU limitations there are on that - some, I presume), to raise the minimum wage and to set income tax at rates and thresholds that would compensate for the revenue lost from corporation tax. I'm sure you'd like to see public spending slashed instead, but we're in political disagreement there

 

Tax havens in Caribbean islands would be a different situation, but certainly not impossible. Maybe the West could offer development aid / investment in exchange for the gradual dismantling or reduction of tax haven arrangements? Certainly, some quid pro quo would be needed, unless the West was going to exercise strong-arm tactics (always an option)....but do Western governments really want to tackle this? Maybe they're quite happy to continue serving the interests of global capital to the detriment of the lives of their citizens?

[ADK]

I quite like the phrase "socialism for the rich"

 

With a decent pictorial representation it would be a better slogan to adopt.

 

Labour's problem imo is in the leadership. Ed Milliband has a lower approval rating than Nick Clegg the proven liar, and yet Labour as a party are still well in contention for the next election. Ed Milliband should have stepped down by now but it seems labour have a problem as there are no candidates with any leadership qualities to pick from.

 

If I had to sum up Ed Milliband in three words it would be something like weak, timid and naïve. Not very good qualities for a leader. 

 

Labour may lose the next election, the conservatives will not win it.

[purpleronnie]

All I can say is.

 

Well said John Major.

[Webbo]

I'm not sure it's a case of either party being in the pocket of big business. Countries need jobs for their people, especially some of the  of high end jobs that these multi nationals can provide, not to mention the VAT, business rates, national insurance and income tax their employees pay.

 

These firms can set up anywhere, saying that you're getting tough with them won't make them stay here and pay more tax, they'll just move on. It's totally self defeating.

[Webbo]

All I can say is.

 

Well said John Major.

Which bit, there's too much immigration to the UK, take us serious or it's 50/50 whether we leave?

[ADK]

I'm not sure it's a case of either party being in the pocket of big business. Countries need jobs for their people, especially some of the  of high end jobs that these multi nationals can provide, not to mention the VAT, business rates, national insurance and income tax their employees pay.

 

These firms can set up anywhere, saying that you're getting tough with them won't make them stay here and pay more tax, they'll just move on. It's totally self defeating.

 

They can't though. Do you really think a company can just relocate their British work force to the Virgin Islands?

[Webbo]

They can't though. Do you really think a company can just relocate their British work force to the Virgin Islands?

They relocate parts of their business to tax havens to avoid tax. They can do this because they are doing this.

[Alf Bentley]

I'm not sure it's a case of either party being in the pocket of big business. Countries need jobs for their people, especially some of the  of high end jobs that these multi nationals can provide, not to mention the VAT, business rates, national insurance and income tax their employees pay.

 

These firms can set up anywhere, saying that you're getting tough with them won't make them stay here and pay more tax, they'll just move on. It's totally self defeating.

 

Countries do indeed need the things you mention - and in a globalised economy, that's an argument for not getting too "tough" (not levying tax at rates massively out of line with your main competitors). But, as ADK has just said, companies don't just go to the place where tax is lowest. They generally need to be close to their customers, to have access to decent infrastructure, a well-educated labour force etc.

 

In the "Celtic Tiger" years, before the financial crisis / Irish housing crisis, Ireland did very well at attracting global companies, particularly I.T. companies, in that way. They offered low corporation tax, but also proximity to much bigger markets (including ours) and the provision of a highly-educated workforce (particularly in I.T, the Irish education system had the reputation of being better than ours). If tax had been the only reason, those global I.T. corporations would have been in the Virgin Islands, along with the financial shell companies, which DON'T need to be close to customers or skilled labour, as they are paper-based tax avoidance operations. 

 

As I understand it, Facebook's scam is to declare that all the highly profitable advertising revenues from its UK operations are earned in Ireland. This despite the fact that Ireland has a population of about 4-5m, compared to 60m+ in the UK. This is an obvious scam and a piss-take, and it shouldn't be beyond the capabilities of the UK government to negotiate with or lean on Facebook UK or the Irish Government, to introduce UK legislation or to exert diplomatic influence within the EU to tackle this clear piss-take. Why haven't they done so, I wonder? Interesting article here: http://rt.com/uk/201291-tax-avoidance-hypocritical-cameron/

 

Tax havens like the Virgin Islands are a different matter, and probably mainly affect certain types of business that are light on physical trading operations (e.g. finance sector, trading in assets). By definition, the countries concerned are not major powers in any sphere other than tax avoidance: Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Andorra etc. Why would the USA, UK and EU be unable to exert influence over such minnows? We're hardly likely to be afraid of Andorran gunboats or trade sanctions imposed by the Cayman Islands! Maybe it's because the most influential people in the USA, UK and EU benefit from those arrangements?  

[Webbo]

The situation in Ireland proves why it can't be tackled. The companies that located there created at great deal of wealth for that country, why should they give that up now to help us out?

[Alf Bentley]

The situation in Ireland proves why it can't be tackled. The companies that located there created at great deal of wealth for that country, why should they give that up now to help us out?

 

That's very fatalistic, Webbo! Situations can (almost) always be changed through legislation, diplomacy, pressure, realpolitik, use of international institutions etc.

 

As a fan of Mrs. T, I'm surprised to hear that you feel we're so helpless and incapable of exerting influence. Mrs. T didn't say "the unions have created wealth for their members, why should they give it up to help us?", did she? 

She said "what can I do to change this situation?". I didn't approve of most of her policies, but do approve of her "can do" attitude. 

[ADK]

In my opinion all the money can be tapped one way or another. Perhaps in industries where it is difficult to recover tax, there should be a spending tax imposed. For example, charging businesses 10% tax on internet adverts.

[leicsmac]

That's very fatalistic, Webbo! Situations can (almost) always be changed through legislation, diplomacy, pressure, realpolitik, use of international institutions etc.

 

As a fan of Mrs. T, I'm surprised to hear that you feel we're so helpless and incapable of exerting influence. Mrs. T didn't say "the unions have created wealth for their members, why should they give it up to help us?", did she? 

She said "what can I do to change this situation?". I didn't approve of most of her policies, but do approve of her "can do" attitude. 

 

Exactly. 

 

Saying "Nothing can be done" when a situation is clearly wrong is no better than actively endorsing that situation. Another very famous British PM said the same thing, though in more eloquent language.

[Collibosher70]

Manifesto watch: Where parties stand on key issues

The main UK-wide political parties are putting together their manifestos for next May's general election. Here's a guide to where they currently stand on the issues voters say they care about most (according to pollsters IPSOS Mori).

Immigration

Conservatives: David Cameron has promised to put reform of EU free movement rules at the heart of his renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the EU. This could involve caps on the number of new arrivals from certain countries but no details have been announced. The party has a continuing goal to bring net immigration down to below 100,000 people a year (it currently stands at 243,000).

Labour: "Stronger" border controls to tackle illegal immigration with "proper" entry and exit checks. "Smarter" targets to reduce low-skilled migration but ensure university students and high-skilled workers are not deterred. Employment agencies who only recruit abroad will be outlawed while the fines for employing illegal immigrants will be increased.

Lib Dems: Reintroduce exit checks at borders, so the government can identify people who are overstaying their visa. Will require all new claimants for Jobseekers Allowance to have their English language skills assessed, with JSA then being conditional on attending language courses for those whose English is poor.

UKIP: Introduce an Australian-style points policy, used to select migrants with the skills and attributes needed to work in the country - covering people from inside and outside the EU. Bring net immigration down to 50,000 people a year. Priority lanes for UK passport holders. Increase UK border staff by 2,500. Tougher English language tests for migrants seeking permanent residence. Opt out of the Dublin treaty to allow the UK to return asylum seekers to other EU countries without considering their claim.

Greens: Progressively reduce UK immigration controls. Migrants illegally in the UK for over five years will be allowed to remain unless they pose a serious danger to public safety. More legal rights for asylum seekers.

Taxes and the economy

Conservatives: Eradicate the deficit by 2018. An income tax cut for 30 million people by 2020. Tax would start to kick in at £12,500 a year, instead of £10,500. This will cost £5,6bn. The higher tax rate, 40%, would start at £50,000 instead of £41,900, again by 2020, at a cost of £1,6bn. This will be paid for through £25bn in additional spending cuts and economic growth.

Labour: Get the current budget into surplus and the national debt falling "as soon as possible in the next parliament". No additional borrowing for new spending. Reintroduce the 50p top rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000. Cut income tax for 24 million people by bringing back the 10p rate. Bring in a "mansion tax" on properties worth over £2m, to raise £1.2bn. Abolish the Married Couples' Tax Allowance. A tax on bankers' bonuses. A 5% pay cut for every government minister.

Lib Dems: Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020. "Strict new fiscal rules" to ensure the deficit has gone by April 2018, with the wealthy contributing the most. The Lib Dems invented the "mansion tax" but in contrast to Labour have set out how it would operate - along similar lines to council tax bands. There are also Lib Dem plans to increase capital gains tax - paid on profits from second homes or shares - from 28% to 35%.

UKIP: Increase the personal allowance to the level of full-time minimum wage earnings, about £13,500, by 2020. Abolish inheritance tax. Introduce a 35% income tax rate between £42,285 and £55,000, at which point the 40% rate becomes payable. Set up a Treasury Commission to design a turnover tax on large businesses. Cut foreign aid budget by £9bn a year. Scrap HS2. Save £8bn a year in membership fees by leaving the EU.

Greens: People earning more than £100,000 a year would pay 50% income tax. Wealth tax of 1% to 2% on people worth £3m or more. Renationalise the railways and energy companies. Scrap HS2. Allow councils to impose extra business rates on out-of-town supermarkets to fund small local businesses. Crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals. Allow "the current dependence on economic growth to cease, and allow zero or negative growth to be feasible without individual hardship". Commit Britain to a "zero carbon" future.

The NHS

Conservatives: No real terms cuts in the health budget. In England, everyone would be able to see a GP seven days a week by 2020. Recruit 5,000 more doctors.

Labour: An extra £2.5bn a year to recruit more staff. The money will come from three sources - a new "mansion" tax, clamping down on tax avoidance by big corporations and a new tax on tobacco companies. Patients in England would get a GP appointment within 48 hours and would not have to wait longer than a week for cancer tests and results. Scrap the Health and Social Care Act and end "creeping privatisation" of the NHS. Integrate health and social care services into a system of "whole-person care". Give greater priority to mental health services.

Lib Dems: An extra £1bn for the NHS every year, to be funded by - amongst other things - making higher earners pay more tax on their shares. Half of this will go towards mental health. People who need therapy for conditions such as depression will be guaranteed treatment within 18 weeks. For young patients experiencing psychosis for the first time treatment will be provided within two weeks of being referred by a GP. This is all going to happen from April, with more mental health targets to follow if the Lib Dems return to government. Wants a cross-party review of the future of NHS funding.

UKIP: Ensure all migrants and visitors have NHS approved medical insurance as a condition of entry to UK, with £200m of the £2bn saved to be spent on ending hospital parking charges in England. Tougher regulation of NHS managers. Bring back state-enrolled nurses and return powers to matrons. Monitor and Care Quality Commission to be replaced with county health boards. Stop spending £90m a year on gastric band and breast enhancement operations.

Greens: Funding to be diverted away from centralised facilities towards community healthcare, illness prevention and health promotion. Stop privatisation. Abolish prescription charges. Dedicated NHS Tax to go direct to the health service. Ban proactive recruitment of non-British NHS staff from overseas. A complete ban on the promotion of tobacco and alcohol products, including sponsorship.

Security, defence and foreign affairs

Conservatives: Hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU by 2017, after negotiating the return of some powers from Brussels. Protect foreign aid budget. Replace Trident.

Labour: Push for reform of European Union and prevent Britain from "sleepwalking" towards exit. Commit in law to holding a Strategic Defence and Security Review every 5 years.

Lib Dems: Campaign to reduce the number of Trident nuclear submarines. Push for greater European Union efficiency.

UKIP: Leave the European Union. Remove the passports of any person who has gone to fight for a terrorist organisation and deport anyone who has committed a terrorist act. Cut foreign aid budget by £9bn. Create a Veterans Department to look after the interests of ex-service men and women.

Greens: Referendum on Britain's EU membership. Want reform of EU to hand powers back to local communities. Boost overseas aid to 1% of GDP within 10 years. Scrap Britain's nuclear weapons. Take the UK out of NATO unilaterally. End the so-called "special relationship" between the UK and the US. Stop EU-US free trade deal TTIP.

Jobs

Conservatives: Create three million apprenticeships to be paid for by benefit cuts.

Labour: Guarantee a job for under 25s unemployed for over a year and adults unemployed for more than two years. As many young people to go on an apprenticeship as currently go to university by 2025.

Lib Dems: An extra £1 an hour for the lowest paid apprentices. Campaign to create a million more jobs.

UKIP: Allow firms to offer jobs to British workers first "without the fear of being sued for discrimination".

Greens: A national energy conservation scheme to create thousands of new jobs. The party wants to create "sustainable jobs" and promotes more local production of food and goods.

Education

Conservatives: Continue with free school and academy programme.

Labour: All teachers would have to be qualified. Parents of primary school children would be guaranteed childcare from 8am to 6pm. The amount of free childcare for three and four year olds would be increased from 15 to 25 hours a week. Compulsory sex and relationship education in all schools.

Lib Dems: Protect the education budget from cuts. Guarantee qualified teachers and a core curriculum set by independent experts, as well as compulsory sex education, in all state schools including academies and free schools. More money for disadvantaged school children and free childcare for all two year olds. A two-thirds discount on all local bus fares for young people aged 16-21.

UKIP: More grammar schools. Scrap sex education for children aged under seven. Scrap tuition fees for students from poorer backgrounds who take degree courses in the sciences, technology, maths or engineering. Greater emphasis on vocational education with new Apprenticeship Qualification Option. School governing boards must be made up of at least 30% parents of children at the school. Allow universities to charge same amount for EU students as non-EU students.

Greens: End performance related pay for teachers. Replace Ofsted with an independent National Council for Educational Excellence. Bring Free Schools and Academies into local authority control. Ensure all teachers are properly qualified, abolish SATS and Year 1 phonics tests. Raise school starting age to 6 if parents want it. Scrap National Curriculum.

Housing

Conservatives: First-time buyers in England under the age of 40 would be able to buy a house at 20% below the market rate, with 100,000 starter homes to be built for them.

Labour: Build 200,000 houses a year by 2020, including new towns and garden cities. Cap rent increases in the private sector and scrap letting fees to estate agents to give a "fairer deal" to tenants.

Lib Dems: Build 300,000 houses a year, with up to five new garden cities in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

UKIP: Protect greenbelt land by incentivising the building of affordable homes on brownfield sites. Establish a UK Brownfield Agency to hand out grants, tax breaks and low interest loans. Major planning decisions to be ratified by local referendum.

Greens: Abolish right to buy. Give councils the power to borrow money to build houses or buy them on the open market. Introduce a rent cap to prevent exploitation by private landlords. Set up a living rent commission, to work out how to bring rents back in line with incomes. Home owners unable to meet mortgage payments or under threat of repossession would get right to transfer ownership to the council, at less than market value, and pay rent as council tenants.

Law and order

The Conservatives say that public sector workers - like police officers - are being dragged into higher rate tax

Conservatives: Banning orders to outlaw groups that incite hatred or cause fear. Extremism Disruption Orders (EXDOs) to stop "disruptive" individuals from speaking in public or holding a position of authority. A new law setting out victims' rights. New laws to make it easier for the police to collect information about internet activity by suspected criminals. A Communications Data Act, requiring companies to start storing certain types of information. Replace Human Rights Act with Bill of Rights to give UK courts and Parliament the "final say".

Labour: Scrap Police and Crime Commissioners, which the party says would save £50m. Local residents to be given a say in deciding crime fighting priorities and have access to police planning meetings. Bring back control orders to combat extremism and revive Prevent strategy. Ban convicted child sex offenders from working with children. More money for frontline policing to prevent cuts in officer numbers. End £17m "subsidy" for cheap gun licences. New commissioner on domestic and sexual abuse and cash for a national network of refuges.

Lib Dems: End prison sentences for personal drugs possession. Users would instead receive non-custodial sentences and appropriate medical treatment. Replace Police and Crime Commissioners with Police Boards made up of councillors from across the force area. . Pass a Digital Bill of Rights to help protect people from unwarranted intrusion and give them more control over their own data. Make 'stop and search' more accountable by making the wearing of body cameras by officers compulsory in some areas and for firearms officers.

UKIP: Repeal Human Rights Act and replace it with UK Bill of Rights. Withdraw from European arrest warrant. No votes for prisoners. Those responsible for criminal damage forced to carry out unpaid work in area where it was committed. Those jailed for offences affecting their community should be banned from returning to live in the area, as a condition of their release. "Complete overhaul" of police taking into account "best practice from other countries".

Greens: Decriminalise cannabis and axe prison sentences for possession of other drugs. Legalise prostitution. Ensure terror suspects have the same legal rights as those accused of more conventional criminal activities.

Benefits/Poverty

Conservatives: No increase in benefits for working-age people for two years to save £3bn. Affects those receiving jobseekers' allowance, income support, tax credits and child benefit. Cut maximum amount a household can claim each year from £26,000 to £23,000. Withdraw Jobseeker's Allowance from young people after six months unless they take part in "community projects". And 18 to 21-year-olds wouldn't be entitled to housing benefit. Ban on zero-hours contracts which stop people getting work elsewhere. Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020, which means that if you work on minimum wage for 30 hours you will pay no income tax.

Labour: Freeze energy prices until 2017. Increase in the minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. Ban "exploitative" zero hours contracts. Rises in child benefit capped at 1% for the first two years of the next parliament. Winter fuel allowance would be withdrawn from the wealthiest pensioners. Repeal what the government calls the removal of the spare room subsidy, dubbed the "bedroom tax" by Labour. A million interest-free loans to help people insulate their homes. Rail fares would be capped.

Lib Dems: Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020 (the Conservatives are promising the same thing). Nick Clegg has said he would not accept Conservative plans to freeze working-age benefits without taxing the rich too. He hasn't said he would block welfare cuts altogether. Withdraw eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment and free TV Licence from pensioners on the 40% rate of income tax. A "yellow card" system to deal with benefit claimants breaking the rules, rather than imposing sanctions without warning.

UKIP: Only pay child benefit for the first two children for new claimants. Increase the Carers' Allowance to the same level as Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) and pay a higher rate of JSA if you've been in work and already made tax and National Insurance contributions. Prevent anyone taking up permanent residence in Britain unless they're able to support themselves and any dependents they bring with them for at least five years and stop them receiving benefits. Stop paying child benefit for children who don't live in Britain. Scrap what UKIP calls the "detested bedroom tax". Boost "credit unions".

Greens: The party backs a Citizen's Income, a fixed amount to be paid to every individual, whether they are in work or not, to be funded by higher taxes on the better off and green levies. But in the short-term it would increase the minimum wage to £10 by 2020. Ban zero hours contracts. Axe the "bedroom tax". Abolish the work capability assessment and restore the level of the former disability living allowance.

you read that and it's ukip all the way

[MooseBreath]

I think it makes UKIP look very vindictive. Lots of reactionary stuff in there and nothing about how they're going to make the country better, once they've got rid of all the immigrants of course. They seem to be going after the 'angry at the world and looking for someone or something to blame' vote. I think they'll steal more votes from labour than from the tories.

[Mark_w]

 

Manifesto watch: Where parties stand on key issues

The main UK-wide political parties are putting together their manifestos for next May's general election. Here's a guide to where they currently stand on the issues voters say they care about most (according to pollsters IPSOS Mori).

Immigration

Conservatives: David Cameron has promised to put reform of EU free movement rules at the heart of his renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the EU. This could involve caps on the number of new arrivals from certain countries but no details have been announced. The party has a continuing goal to bring net immigration down to below 100,000 people a year (it currently stands at 243,000).

Labour: "Stronger" border controls to tackle illegal immigration with "proper" entry and exit checks. "Smarter" targets to reduce low-skilled migration but ensure university students and high-skilled workers are not deterred. Employment agencies who only recruit abroad will be outlawed while the fines for employing illegal immigrants will be increased.

Lib Dems: Reintroduce exit checks at borders, so the government can identify people who are overstaying their visa. Will require all new claimants for Jobseekers Allowance to have their English language skills assessed, with JSA then being conditional on attending language courses for those whose English is poor.

UKIP: Introduce an Australian-style points policy, used to select migrants with the skills and attributes needed to work in the country - covering people from inside and outside the EU. Bring net immigration down to 50,000 people a year. Priority lanes for UK passport holders. Increase UK border staff by 2,500. Tougher English language tests for migrants seeking permanent residence. Opt out of the Dublin treaty to allow the UK to return asylum seekers to other EU countries without considering their claim.

Greens: Progressively reduce UK immigration controls. Migrants illegally in the UK for over five years will be allowed to remain unless they pose a serious danger to public safety. More legal rights for asylum seekers.

Taxes and the economy

Conservatives: Eradicate the deficit by 2018. An income tax cut for 30 million people by 2020. Tax would start to kick in at £12,500 a year, instead of £10,500. This will cost £5,6bn. The higher tax rate, 40%, would start at £50,000 instead of £41,900, again by 2020, at a cost of £1,6bn. This will be paid for through £25bn in additional spending cuts and economic growth.

Labour: Get the current budget into surplus and the national debt falling "as soon as possible in the next parliament". No additional borrowing for new spending. Reintroduce the 50p top rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000. Cut income tax for 24 million people by bringing back the 10p rate. Bring in a "mansion tax" on properties worth over £2m, to raise £1.2bn. Abolish the Married Couples' Tax Allowance. A tax on bankers' bonuses. A 5% pay cut for every government minister.

Lib Dems: Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020. "Strict new fiscal rules" to ensure the deficit has gone by April 2018, with the wealthy contributing the most. The Lib Dems invented the "mansion tax" but in contrast to Labour have set out how it would operate - along similar lines to council tax bands. There are also Lib Dem plans to increase capital gains tax - paid on profits from second homes or shares - from 28% to 35%.

UKIP: Increase the personal allowance to the level of full-time minimum wage earnings, about £13,500, by 2020. Abolish inheritance tax. Introduce a 35% income tax rate between £42,285 and £55,000, at which point the 40% rate becomes payable. Set up a Treasury Commission to design a turnover tax on large businesses. Cut foreign aid budget by £9bn a year. Scrap HS2. Save £8bn a year in membership fees by leaving the EU.

Greens: People earning more than £100,000 a year would pay 50% income tax. Wealth tax of 1% to 2% on people worth £3m or more. Renationalise the railways and energy companies. Scrap HS2. Allow councils to impose extra business rates on out-of-town supermarkets to fund small local businesses. Crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals. Allow "the current dependence on economic growth to cease, and allow zero or negative growth to be feasible without individual hardship". Commit Britain to a "zero carbon" future.

The NHS

Conservatives: No real terms cuts in the health budget. In England, everyone would be able to see a GP seven days a week by 2020. Recruit 5,000 more doctors.

Labour: An extra £2.5bn a year to recruit more staff. The money will come from three sources - a new "mansion" tax, clamping down on tax avoidance by big corporations and a new tax on tobacco companies. Patients in England would get a GP appointment within 48 hours and would not have to wait longer than a week for cancer tests and results. Scrap the Health and Social Care Act and end "creeping privatisation" of the NHS. Integrate health and social care services into a system of "whole-person care". Give greater priority to mental health services.

Lib Dems: An extra £1bn for the NHS every year, to be funded by - amongst other things - making higher earners pay more tax on their shares. Half of this will go towards mental health. People who need therapy for conditions such as depression will be guaranteed treatment within 18 weeks. For young patients experiencing psychosis for the first time treatment will be provided within two weeks of being referred by a GP. This is all going to happen from April, with more mental health targets to follow if the Lib Dems return to government. Wants a cross-party review of the future of NHS funding.

UKIP: Ensure all migrants and visitors have NHS approved medical insurance as a condition of entry to UK, with £200m of the £2bn saved to be spent on ending hospital parking charges in England. Tougher regulation of NHS managers. Bring back state-enrolled nurses and return powers to matrons. Monitor and Care Quality Commission to be replaced with county health boards. Stop spending £90m a year on gastric band and breast enhancement operations.

Greens: Funding to be diverted away from centralised facilities towards community healthcare, illness prevention and health promotion. Stop privatisation. Abolish prescription charges. Dedicated NHS Tax to go direct to the health service. Ban proactive recruitment of non-British NHS staff from overseas. A complete ban on the promotion of tobacco and alcohol products, including sponsorship.

Security, defence and foreign affairs

Conservatives: Hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU by 2017, after negotiating the return of some powers from Brussels. Protect foreign aid budget. Replace Trident.

Labour: Push for reform of European Union and prevent Britain from "sleepwalking" towards exit. Commit in law to holding a Strategic Defence and Security Review every 5 years.

Lib Dems: Campaign to reduce the number of Trident nuclear submarines. Push for greater European Union efficiency.

UKIP: Leave the European Union. Remove the passports of any person who has gone to fight for a terrorist organisation and deport anyone who has committed a terrorist act. Cut foreign aid budget by £9bn. Create a Veterans Department to look after the interests of ex-service men and women.

Greens: Referendum on Britain's EU membership. Want reform of EU to hand powers back to local communities. Boost overseas aid to 1% of GDP within 10 years. Scrap Britain's nuclear weapons. Take the UK out of NATO unilaterally. End the so-called "special relationship" between the UK and the US. Stop EU-US free trade deal TTIP.

Jobs

Conservatives: Create three million apprenticeships to be paid for by benefit cuts.

Labour: Guarantee a job for under 25s unemployed for over a year and adults unemployed for more than two years. As many young people to go on an apprenticeship as currently go to university by 2025.

Lib Dems: An extra £1 an hour for the lowest paid apprentices. Campaign to create a million more jobs.

UKIP: Allow firms to offer jobs to British workers first "without the fear of being sued for discrimination".

Greens: A national energy conservation scheme to create thousands of new jobs. The party wants to create "sustainable jobs" and promotes more local production of food and goods.

Education

Conservatives: Continue with free school and academy programme.

Labour: All teachers would have to be qualified. Parents of primary school children would be guaranteed childcare from 8am to 6pm. The amount of free childcare for three and four year olds would be increased from 15 to 25 hours a week. Compulsory sex and relationship education in all schools.

Lib Dems: Protect the education budget from cuts. Guarantee qualified teachers and a core curriculum set by independent experts, as well as compulsory sex education, in all state schools including academies and free schools. More money for disadvantaged school children and free childcare for all two year olds. A two-thirds discount on all local bus fares for young people aged 16-21.

UKIP: More grammar schools. Scrap sex education for children aged under seven. Scrap tuition fees for students from poorer backgrounds who take degree courses in the sciences, technology, maths or engineering. Greater emphasis on vocational education with new Apprenticeship Qualification Option. School governing boards must be made up of at least 30% parents of children at the school. Allow universities to charge same amount for EU students as non-EU students.

Greens: End performance related pay for teachers. Replace Ofsted with an independent National Council for Educational Excellence. Bring Free Schools and Academies into local authority control. Ensure all teachers are properly qualified, abolish SATS and Year 1 phonics tests. Raise school starting age to 6 if parents want it. Scrap National Curriculum.

Housing

Conservatives: First-time buyers in England under the age of 40 would be able to buy a house at 20% below the market rate, with 100,000 starter homes to be built for them.

Labour: Build 200,000 houses a year by 2020, including new towns and garden cities. Cap rent increases in the private sector and scrap letting fees to estate agents to give a "fairer deal" to tenants.

Lib Dems: Build 300,000 houses a year, with up to five new garden cities in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

UKIP: Protect greenbelt land by incentivising the building of affordable homes on brownfield sites. Establish a UK Brownfield Agency to hand out grants, tax breaks and low interest loans. Major planning decisions to be ratified by local referendum.

Greens: Abolish right to buy. Give councils the power to borrow money to build houses or buy them on the open market. Introduce a rent cap to prevent exploitation by private landlords. Set up a living rent commission, to work out how to bring rents back in line with incomes. Home owners unable to meet mortgage payments or under threat of repossession would get right to transfer ownership to the council, at less than market value, and pay rent as council tenants.

Law and order

The Conservatives say that public sector workers - like police officers - are being dragged into higher rate tax

Conservatives: Banning orders to outlaw groups that incite hatred or cause fear. Extremism Disruption Orders (EXDOs) to stop "disruptive" individuals from speaking in public or holding a position of authority. A new law setting out victims' rights. New laws to make it easier for the police to collect information about internet activity by suspected criminals. A Communications Data Act, requiring companies to start storing certain types of information. Replace Human Rights Act with Bill of Rights to give UK courts and Parliament the "final say".

Labour: Scrap Police and Crime Commissioners, which the party says would save £50m. Local residents to be given a say in deciding crime fighting priorities and have access to police planning meetings. Bring back control orders to combat extremism and revive Prevent strategy. Ban convicted child sex offenders from working with children. More money for frontline policing to prevent cuts in officer numbers. End £17m "subsidy" for cheap gun licences. New commissioner on domestic and sexual abuse and cash for a national network of refuges.

Lib Dems: End prison sentences for personal drugs possession. Users would instead receive non-custodial sentences and appropriate medical treatment. Replace Police and Crime Commissioners with Police Boards made up of councillors from across the force area. . Pass a Digital Bill of Rights to help protect people from unwarranted intrusion and give them more control over their own data. Make 'stop and search' more accountable by making the wearing of body cameras by officers compulsory in some areas and for firearms officers.

UKIP: Repeal Human Rights Act and replace it with UK Bill of Rights. Withdraw from European arrest warrant. No votes for prisoners. Those responsible for criminal damage forced to carry out unpaid work in area where it was committed. Those jailed for offences affecting their community should be banned from returning to live in the area, as a condition of their release. "Complete overhaul" of police taking into account "best practice from other countries".

Greens: Decriminalise cannabis and axe prison sentences for possession of other drugs. Legalise prostitution. Ensure terror suspects have the same legal rights as those accused of more conventional criminal activities.

Benefits/Poverty

Conservatives: No increase in benefits for working-age people for two years to save £3bn. Affects those receiving jobseekers' allowance, income support, tax credits and child benefit. Cut maximum amount a household can claim each year from £26,000 to £23,000. Withdraw Jobseeker's Allowance from young people after six months unless they take part in "community projects". And 18 to 21-year-olds wouldn't be entitled to housing benefit. Ban on zero-hours contracts which stop people getting work elsewhere. Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020, which means that if you work on minimum wage for 30 hours you will pay no income tax.

Labour: Freeze energy prices until 2017. Increase in the minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. Ban "exploitative" zero hours contracts. Rises in child benefit capped at 1% for the first two years of the next parliament. Winter fuel allowance would be withdrawn from the wealthiest pensioners. Repeal what the government calls the removal of the spare room subsidy, dubbed the "bedroom tax" by Labour. A million interest-free loans to help people insulate their homes. Rail fares would be capped.

Lib Dems: Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020 (the Conservatives are promising the same thing). Nick Clegg has said he would not accept Conservative plans to freeze working-age benefits without taxing the rich too. He hasn't said he would block welfare cuts altogether. Withdraw eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment and free TV Licence from pensioners on the 40% rate of income tax. A "yellow card" system to deal with benefit claimants breaking the rules, rather than imposing sanctions without warning.

UKIP: Only pay child benefit for the first two children for new claimants. Increase the Carers' Allowance to the same level as Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) and pay a higher rate of JSA if you've been in work and already made tax and National Insurance contributions. Prevent anyone taking up permanent residence in Britain unless they're able to support themselves and any dependents they bring with them for at least five years and stop them receiving benefits. Stop paying child benefit for children who don't live in Britain. Scrap what UKIP calls the "detested bedroom tax". Boost "credit unions".

Greens: The party backs a Citizen's Income, a fixed amount to be paid to every individual, whether they are in work or not, to be funded by higher taxes on the better off and green levies. But in the short-term it would increase the minimum wage to £10 by 2020. Ban zero hours contracts. Axe the "bedroom tax". Abolish the work capability assessment and restore the level of the former disability living allowance.

you read that and it's ukip all the way

 

 

The people who have no idea how to reply to a quote on an internet forum probably read that and  think 'UKIP all the way'.

[Nalis]

As excellent as DavieG's post on policy's is, please stop quoting it, spent the last 30 seconds scrolling!

[Kopfkino]

Did anyone watch the Agenda on itv? Ed Miliband was on and I found myself wanting to like him but he seemed to struggle. Myleene Klass was irritating and gave him no chance to defend the mansion tax but on the whole I thought he seemed uncomfortable. Osborne came across much better last week, he has changed his approach maybe because of a potential leadership battle next year. There was a decent interview and article about him in The Times magazine last Saturday which shows much the same thing. 

 

I think Miliband is going to struggle when it comes to the debates next year. He's clearly a smart guy but it seems to me that he should be more of a behind the scenes policy maker than leader of a party, let alone PM of the UK. Clegg did well in the debates last time, Cameron is a good speaker, Farage will be like he was in the EU debate and similar to Salmond in their 2nd debate and I think Miliband will be overwhelmed by them.

[Guest MattP]

Did anyone watch the Agenda on itv? Ed Miliband was on and I found myself wanting to like him but he seemed to struggle. Myleene Klass was irritating and gave him no chance to defend the mansion tax but on the whole I thought he seemed uncomfortable.

 

Just watched this, that was seriously painful.

 

When a failed member of a girl band can take you apart in a political debate, it's probably time to decide you probably shouldn't be trying to be prime minister.

 

As for this....

 

Greens: People earning more than £100,000 a year would pay 50% income tax. Wealth tax of 1% to 2% on people worth £3m or more. Renationalise the railways and energy companies. Scrap HS2. Allow councils to impose extra business rates on out-of-town supermarkets to fund small local businesses. Crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals. Allow "the current dependence on economic growth to cease, and allow zero or negative growth to be feasible without individual hardship". Commit Britain to a "zero carbon" future.

Greens: Abolish right to buy. Give councils the power to borrow money to build houses or buy them on the open market.

Greens: The party backs a Citizen's Income, a fixed amount to be paid to every individual, whether they are in work or not, to be funded by higher taxes on the better off and green levies. But in the short-term it would increase the minimum wage to £10 by 2020. Ban zero hours contracts. Axe the "bedroom tax". Abolish the work capability assessment and restore the level of the former disability living allowance.

 

It's amazing to think a political party can write this about a country that has a debt of 1,400billion and a rising deficit, thank god they don't have any power. I know I said I'd stop saying this but if that lot got anywhere near it would be time to get out as quickly as possible, we'd we bankrupt within a year let alone 5 years into a term with them.

 

How many of those people they would be inflicting a 'wealth tax' on do they seriously expect to stay when they also want to stay in an EU that allows people to live where they want across the continent?

If even the people of Brighton kick that lot out next year then take the message. Do Bennett and Lucas actually live in such a bubble they think the whole of UK is as wealthy as Brighton Pavillion?

[Kopfkino]

Just watched this, that was seriously painful.

 

When a failed member of a girl band can take you apart in a political debate, it's probably time to decide you probably shouldn't be trying to be prime minister.

 

As for this....

 

Greens: People earning more than £100,000 a year would pay 50% income tax. Wealth tax of 1% to 2% on people worth £3m or more. Renationalise the railways and energy companies. Scrap HS2. Allow councils to impose extra business rates on out-of-town supermarkets to fund small local businesses. Crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals. Allow "the current dependence on economic growth to cease, and allow zero or negative growth to be feasible without individual hardship". Commit Britain to a "zero carbon" future.

Greens: Abolish right to buy. Give councils the power to borrow money to build houses or buy them on the open market.

Greens: The party backs a Citizen's Income, a fixed amount to be paid to every individual, whether they are in work or not, to be funded by higher taxes on the better off and green levies. But in the short-term it would increase the minimum wage to £10 by 2020. Ban zero hours contracts. Axe the "bedroom tax". Abolish the work capability assessment and restore the level of the former disability living allowance.

 

It's amazing to think a political party can write this about a country that has a debt of 1,400billion and a rising deficit, thank god they don't have any power. I know I said I'd stop saying this but if that lot got anywhere near it would be time to get out as quickly as possible, we'd we bankrupt within a year let alone 5 years into a term with them.

 

How many of those people they would be inflicting a 'wealth tax' on do they seriously expect to stay when they also want to stay in an EU that allows people to live where they want across the continent?

If even the people of Brighton kick that lot out next year then take the message. Do Bennett and Lucas actually live in such a bubble they think the whole of UK is as wealthy as Brighton Pavillion?

 

Somehow she's worth 11million as well, she's done alright for herself there.

 

I love the idea that the greens are going to pay just for being alive  But yeah they are clueless fantasists. 

 

The Green council in Brighton has one of the worst recycling records in the country and their whole tenure in Brighton seems to have been a shambles