I am terrified that the Conservatives may be returned with a thumping majority. Just think of our failing NHS, Care and Mental Health services, the reduction of funds for our schools, the increasing national debt, the lack of suitable housing, the homeless, the crime on our streets and the problems with our prisons. Consider the personal debts from the use of credit cards and pay day loans, the interest being charged on the iniquitous loans for university, the people on low pay, zero hour contracts, part time work and apprenticeships. I will deal with each of these issues and say what I think should be done.
1.The NHS
People think the NHS is underfunded . The truth is that it is badly run and money is not spent wisely.
There are too many managers and they are often not qualified in the medical profession.
Drugs and equipment, food and 'household' goods, e.g bedlinen, toiletries, food, cleaning materials, light bulbs, etc cost far too much. Better deals must be negotiated.
More full time nurses and doctors should be employed to avoid using agency nurses and locums who are far too expensive with agencies taking their cut.
Too many people fail to attend an appointment without prior notification . They should be refused an alternative appointment and with 'No Show' on their record be charged for further appointments.
Normally healthy young women should be allowed one termination. A second termination should only be carried out for medical reasons.
Hospitals are for sick people. If an elderly person is cured of a medical condition they must leave the hospital. After all, they have lived somewhere else, (their home or with a relative) before they were ill or injured. Their care must be their own responsibility.
I would pressurise the Government and the Health Ministers to build 'Care Hotels' for people who need time before returning to their homes.
These measures will save money and improve the service
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ReplyDeleteWHY NOW?
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have lived in Redbridge since we married and I taught in Redbridge schools for 18 years. Brought up in very poor circumstances, though we are not wealthy, we are no longer poor.
Although I was always interested in politics, I have never wanted to be a politician. Now, however, like so many of you, I am horrified at the mismanagement of our country and its finances and the corruption and dishonesty which is endemic from the leaders and throughout our society.
There are. no doubt, many well-intentioned, dedicated and hardworking M.Ps but too many are self-serving, inept or impotent. Ministers run departments when they have no practical experience in the field. Back benchers have to follow the party line and often cannot act according to their true convictions. The majority have other, sometimes full time, jobs, directorships or seats on boards. To my mind, these are part-time MPs and should be paid no more than 50% of an MPs salary and pension.
This dishonest attitude has permeated our society so that we all feel it’s OK to cheat even if it is only to take advantage of a tradesman who will ‘lose the VAT if you pay cash’, or feel it’s OK to take home some pens or Selotape from the workplace. And we all know about benefit fraud.
This government is succeeding in pitting the poor and middle class against each other while many of the rich are getting away with ill-gotten gains. Such a situation must not be allowed to continue.
Which is why I feel so passionate. Do you feel the same way?
ReplyDeleteTAXES Working people, pensioners and people receiving benefits pay income tax, national insurance, council tax, VAT on practically all goods and services they purchase, fuel tax, vehicle licenses, taxes on holidays, insurances, stamp duty and interest on savings (if they get any), share dividends and inheritance tax. I estimate that many people pay at least 60% (or even as much as 75%) of their income in taxes. Businesses are also paying corporation tax and various other taxes.
Yet the government is still spending more than they receive and the deficit is increasing. It is currently £1.16 trillion and the interest on the debt is rising. Here is one idea to deal with this.
There are 650 MPs, and 835 Members of the House of Lords who can receive a salary and tax free pay and expenses as do unelected advisers, personal security staff, hangers on, various quangos, civil servants, secretarial and domestic staff in the ministries and all public organisations etc. etc. They incur the excessive costs of travelling abroad with their entourages. Some MPs do very little and there are some who hardly ever go to debates at the House of Commons. Some Peers turn up to register and then return home but still claim pay and allowances. The taxpayer is being fleeced.
Local councillors, over 18,000 of them, have pay, expenses and staff to deal with local matters. MPs say they hold surgeries in their constituencies dealing mostly with local issues. It is expensive for an M.P to have a local office with staff, equipment and running costs. I consider that the MPs should concentrate on running the country and leave the local issues, except in exceptional circumstances, to the local councillors. They can be contacted on line.
Our government costs far too much and MPs and Lords should be reduced by about a half.
To reduce the £1.16, trillion deficit;- ‘Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’.
ReplyDeleteWe are losing billions of pounds from many large public organisations, including the Houses of Parliament, the Ministries, the NHS, and Council Offices due to the theft of expensive equipment and furnishings. Valuable artwork is stolen from publicly owned buildings and offices are frequently very expensively redecorated and refurbished. Purchasing of stock, food and equipment is poorly negotiated.
Stock controllers, security and purchasing officers,. should be appointed to prevent such ‘losses’
Government inquiries and reviews (e.g The Leveson Inquiry, the Chilcott etc) should be discontinued. They provide ‘jobs for the boys’, are protracted, (deliberately?) and their findings are seldom implemented. (the Leveson recommendations are being disregarded) Crimes should be dealt with by the police, the Fraud Office or other body involved in criminal investigations. The Government spends millions on feasibility studies, e.g the high speed railway, and often do not proceed with the project. Elaborate computer systems and programmes are purchased and abandoned because they don’t work.
All three main parties agree that the welfare bill must be reduced but none of them are seriously tackling other means of saving money. Perhaps you have some ideas
MY OPINIONS ON EMPLOYMENT, PAY AND TAX
ReplyDeleteThe minimum wage, a seemingly good idea, has enabled some employers to keep pay low and should be scrapped. I would love to see a maximum wage but this would not be practicable.
1. Employers and employees should be allowed to negotiate any wage or salary however high or low, (I will deal with benefits later), and there should be no ceiling for an annual salary.
2. Income tax should not be payed by anyone getting less than a designated amount, say, £14,000 p.a.
3. The income tax for high salaries should be no greater than 45%. No-one wishes to retain only half their salary.
However bonuses must be discontinued and only awarded in very exceptional circumstances for exceptional performance. The Inland Revenue can require justification for such an award. Alternately, any bonuses awarded automatically and indiscriminately must be taxed at 90%. With such a move employers must be encouraged to pay all their employees acceptable wages/salaries.
• Anyone carrying on a business in this country must pay British taxes.
• Anyone receiving a salary from an employer must pay income tax at the designated rate and not be allowed to avoid tax by being paid through a company they own.
I am not an accountant or economist but I know that there are loopholes which must be closed.
3R Benefits
ReplyDeleteWealthy people do not have to rely on receiving benefits which is why the politicians do not understand those who do.
There are very few receiving benefits who carry out benefit fraud but they are the ones we hear about.
Why do people need financial help?
They are elderly, an earner has lost a job, a person cannot get a job, someone in work is not earning a living wage, a single parent cannot go to work or get work that pays enough, a person is mentally or physically disabled or sick and cannot work, they have not planned their lives sensibly, do not or cannot make sufficient effort to improve their lot
All these have one thing in common. They haven’t enough income for their needs. They must be helped, and receive care and assistance.
At the same time, steps must be taken to improve their chances.
We must ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads and sufficient food and suitable clothing. That means providing sufficient finance.
The difficult solution is to stop people from getting into difficulties for whatever reason.
My suggestions to help people in need but reduce the welfare budget are:-
ReplyDeleteCHILD BENEFIT
Parents at present receiving child benefits for several children should continue to do so. They can’t put them back! But it should be announced that from 10 months from now, only the first two children will be eligible for child benefit. In addition a mother failing to name the father will not receive child benefit. An efficient Child Support Agency must require the fathers to pay maintenance for their offspring. This will involve a cost for implementation but the amount saved will be considerably more. The offshoot will be that both parents will have to be more responsible. It will undoubtedly result in fewer children with a single parent (the mother) and no male influence and a consequent improvement in childrens’ upbringing.
COUNCIL HOUSES
Council properties are for those in need. From now on anyone being offered a council house to rent should be informed that, should their circumstances, (income or reduction in their family), change significantly, they will have to vacate the council house to free it up for a more deserving applicant. Only the original occupant can remain in the property in their lifetime. Children will not be able to 'inherit' a council property. Right to buy should be discontinued. It is unfair and leads to abuse of the system. All councils should be told to submit their plans to build a number of new council properties.
GREATER DEPRESSION. Here is the latest sad real estate deflation economy statistics as of November 15, 2010: More than 1 million Americans will lose their homes this year. In Nevada 70 percent of homeowners are "under water" - they owe more that the house is worth. A sick housing sector due to the end of federal tax credits for first time home buyers, tight credit for higher-end homes and concerns over the deflation insurance newseconomy and job security mean fewer jobs for construction workers, realtors, title companies and others tied directly to the industry.
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