How have you earned it though? You bought your house for an agreed amount .......you have paid for it and lived in it. Once the mortgage was paid you lived there without a monthly payment .................we are the same (although still paying). You really haven't 'earned' the profit though have you? It's all to do with market forces ......i'm sure you worked hard to pay back your sixty grand .............any profit made after having a home to live in and bring up a family is a bonus ..........why begrudge the tax levy on what's left as inheritance ............as I say - I really dont see it as 'earned' income ................i can see I'm on my own here.

No Soozy, I get you.

I saw a comment elsewhere some woman screaming "I don't want to be taxed from beyond the grave!" and I just thought, but you'll be dead...you won't feel a thing, honest

In fact is being dead not the best time to be taxed, it's got to be the least painful

well ... I still love you sooz

though I don't understand a word of what you are saying My fault, not yours, I can't really get my head around this passionate politics bit. I think I have paid a fortune, worked hard, contributed towards my old age care, paid what bit of private pension I can afford, given to charity, volunteered my time/skills.

What else would you like me to do?

Oh, is that the argument

I'm probably on your side then ... I don't intend inheriting anything, or leaving anything

I thought sooz was saying that I hadn't worked hard to achieve where I am now

Nothing else ...............maybe I'm just all confuddled with my thoughts. I just dont see why people complain about 'their kids' paying tax on what is left to them. If people choose to spend all their (profit) money before they die good on em ....there is no tax on it and that's fair enough - if they leave it to the kids and it's taxed so what? We have to pay for public services somehow ..............the kids haven't exactly earned it and they still get a fair whack. Camerons proposals appeals to people who have made a bit of money from their property ...........in reality it is benefitting the ultra rich big time .................in order to claw back this income Cameron will be cutting back benefits from the less fortunate. I dont see it as fair TBH.

That's what I was thinking..... I think it's misleading just to say the limit is "whatever" without any context. Of course there's the old argument..... if you choose to have that many kids you should bloody well pay for them etc.... but what would people prefer? Supporting 18 kids on benefits...or subsidising their child care costs?

This is all guesswork of course...... Right hands up....who earns £50,000 and claims child credit? Anyone? We need info quick, we're voting in the morning. The clocks ticking people! 

Actually ... I think we might be in agreement ... coming at it from completely differnet angles ... but we both agree what the end result should be.

Damn it sooz - we should have got them election posters out sooner

As an aside ... is anyone watching Newsnight, with that complete twonk pulling faces etc behind Michael Crick.

That's my constituency

 However, I do think that if there hadn't been people over 50k claiming  GB would have certainly picked Cameron up on it.  *probably half the House of Commons*

Which  puling faces Rexi?

It's not over until the fat lady sings. I'm sincerely hoping for one of those complete shockers tomorrow whereby all the polls are completely turned upside down ............desperate I know but I live in hope.

Some local twit after his 15 minutes - Paxman was a tad miffed

MrB earns £46k and we are entitled to the princely sum of £43 a month tax credit....it is paid automatically once the tax forms are filled in each year...we don't 'claim' we are given!!!! I have never filled a form in asking for it anyway....we just get a letter telling us what we'll get each month according to earnings

Sooz - there is no doubt that one or other of us is going to be a bit disappointed over the next few days ... when we meet after the result lets just raise our glasses to the fat lady, take a deep breath ... and then blame each other for voting the wrong way

 Oh I see,,,, I was trying to work out which of the candidates on the wall was yours

Sounds a bit weird to me MrsB....... if I didn't fill the form in by a certain date it was stopped.

Sure MrB doesn't have friends in high places.

Of course  It's called democracy - we are all entitled to one vote - it really wouldn't do if we were all the same.


I do tend to get a tad passionate ............I dont mean to be offensive but I can see I may be accused of making my point a tad forcefully - apologies to anyone who finds me too outspoken

No need to apologise to me - I'm off to bed now, who knows what tomorrow will bring

Like you say Soozy it's democracy... and nothing wrong with feeling passionate about things.... in fact it's quite refreshing *still hope my guy wins though*.

shhhh ... so do I

We get a form every year....it gets signed, confirming that MrB works where he works and earns what he earns...then it's shoved back in it's envelope, posted and then we get a letter saying how much and when. The amount has actually quadrupled this year...last year it was £10 a month....not sure how that happened as no circumstances changed....maybe it's a bribe from gordy!

If he does, they are not high enough!!!

Tax credits were Gordy's way of trying to make the tax system fairer, taking into account people's circumstances, to encourage people to feel better off working than on benefits. Even those with modest incomes, or average incomes, like a couple earning £25, 000 each.

Cameron wants to start dismantling it, whilst he makes sure millionares pay less tax. Caring Conservatism has its limits. 

Spoken like a true Camewrong clone
Change isn't good, if it's change for the worse.

All joking aside, I'm quite disgusted with the way this election has been fought. I haven't seen one of our candidates. I've been outside the area to some town centres and haven't seen anyone there either.
The focus has shifted more towards the party leaders. This business about x million voting Labour and y millions voting Tory is a poor show. One used to have the opportunity to engage with a representative. We'll end up like the Americans if this carries on.

I agree with your post Garage Joe..

Thanks...... even though I posted it in the wrong thread.

I keep doing the same  as long as we can have our say it does not matter which thread it is in

I saw a group of Labour bods, all done up in rosettes, in my street last week. An independent candidate drove by with a megaphone. And we've had an avalanche of leaflets from all and sundry (so much for any of their 'green' credentials).

But not one of the buggers has knocked on my door.

And  retaining the status quo that got us into this mess isn't good if it just compounds it's mistakes

Ditto....... there aren't even very many campaign posters in peoples windows around here either..... guess that could just highlight voter apathy.

Usually my MP calls and asks me to put a poster up. I would have been quite happy to do so.......... I tell you again they have all been in Spain for a couple of weeks.

Brown didn't get us into this mess, it's global. But slashing spending now (as Camerwrong wants) just as we're getting back on our feet, would be a disaster.

He needs a personality transplant.


Voted for the first time too.

Glad to see you've exercised your democratic right darlo.  Did you enjoy the experience??

See! This is my point. In years to come future Prime Ministers will need to look and sound like Nick Clegg even if like his, their policies are lacking and don't make sense.

Having read loads of your posts Garage Joe I never thought I would say this but I agree with you. 

Unfortunately it would seem that this election has been fought (and possibly won) on a slick image and witty repartee. Never mind a serious, dour rumpled old geezer who has his finger on the pulse and in my opinion has and will continue to steer us through troubled waters. It seems we've gone all American and go for style over substance ...............how bloody sad.

Play fair...Nick Clegg isn't a complete twit! Americans are much slicker, I agree, but at least they came to their senses and chose a person of substance in Obama.

Not a complete twit exactly but ........................far from my first choice. All this vote for change ......obviously he's gonna be pushing for it. IMO - if it aint broke don't try and fix it. We're riding stormy waters pretty well under Labour - why rock the boat?


Unfortunately a lot of voters simply dislike GB because he doesn't look cool and isn't quick on witty answers .........IMO that's a great shame and incredibly shallow .........lots of young peeps seem to think a sparkly persona is everything.