Is it time to empty Euro bank accounts?

[neptune]

Jasper53 suggests that we become the 53rd state of America. Home of the Brave, land of the Free. Not all changes would be positive. The first thing you noticed would be getting a free Colt 45 and 10 rounds of ammo with every Big Mack at Mcdonalds. Or a free Assault Rifle with every happy meal. Or other little things, like people getting a 275 year prison sentence for having an overdue library book.

Ten years ago, the Chancellor said he had found a cure for the cycle of boom and bust. Well he was half right, he certainly cured the boom bit...

 

[funkylyn]

How about this as an idea...
Scrap capital gains tax,corporation tax,inheritance tax,NI contributions and have one tax based upon turnover (revenue)......it would be so easy to calculate and nobody (Starbucks,Google etc) could avoid paying for it,you could eliminate armies of accountants,halve the HMRC staff....collect by direct debit on a monthly basis....it would also stop the casino trading of the banks because tiny profit percentages on high revenue turnover just would not be viable...what is the revenue of the country? It may only have to be 1-2% tax.
Seems obviously simple to me.
KudosDave

Sounds eminently sensible to me....you have my vote for pedelecs govt. Finance Minister.....

Lynda

 

[flecc]

So it’s really irrelevant to blame current ills on Europe or even on the Euro. Blame lies much closer to Britain’s borders. Indeed I would suggest it lies within.

Fully agree, it's far too easy to look for the scapegoat outside. Many of the northern euro countries are doing increasingly well now as you've observed, and still bettering their position while we have been sliding downhill. Clearly they are not dragging us down, we're just failing to keep up. As a Northern European country, maybe if we had been in the euro all along we would also have been doing well. It's solely the southern countries around the Mediterranean who we have so little in common with who have been letting the EU economy down.

 

[Old_Dave]

How about this as an idea...
Scrap capital gains tax,corporation tax,inheritance tax,NI contributions and have one tax based upon turnover (revenue)......it would be so easy to calculate and nobody (Starbucks,Google etc) could avoid paying for it,you could eliminate armies of accountants,halve the HMRC staff....collect by direct debit on a monthly basis....it would also stop the casino trading of the banks because tiny profit percentages on high revenue turnover just would not be viable...what is the revenue of the country? It may only have to be 1-2% tax.
Seems obviously simple to me.
KudosDave

Which is a great idea.... But its it's a bit simplistic for it to work !

I'm sure that most peeps who have ever had the misfortune to run their own company will know that turnover has nothing to do with available funds when profit margins have been eroded to a negative figure.

Soooooooooo maybe add a sliding scale 'company tax free allowance' just like the personal allowance but for companys.. I'm afraid to say that the accountants will still be necessary

 

[jazper53]

Jasper53 suggests that we become the 53rd state of America. Home of the Brave, land of the Free. Not all changes would be positive. The first thing you noticed would be getting a free Colt 45 and 10 rounds of ammo with every Big Mack at Mcdonalds. Or a free Assault Rifle with every happy meal. Or other little things, like people getting a 275 year prison sentence for having an overdue library book.

I personally think Britain should be free to make its own mistakes, rather than become victims of EEC policy that favours at best only small sections of the membership. Becoming the 53rd state of American is not one to be desired, but more desirable than continued membership of the EEC.

 

[trex]

John Major is the most honest politician and a realist, Kenneth Clarke was the bravest chancellor and quantitative easing is the best form of taxation.
Why nobody on this forum has anything positive to say about this coalition goverment?
They are doing the right thing for all of us considering the mess we are in.
Me too, I agree with Nick.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Please don't get the impression that all companies in the UK are doing badly....Rally Design and Kudos Cycles are doing very well,the big problem coming up is delivery problems out of China,its got very bad of late....Rally Design is ok because it holds minimum 1 year stock on all products, but we are struggling to get stock from the bike suppliers,Shimano supplies are particularly bad-don't know if this is an after effect of the Tsunami....Shimano is primarily manufactured in China but it is a Japanese company.
KudosDave

 

[flecc]

I personally think Britain should be free to make its own mistakes, rather than become victims of EEC policy that favours small sections of the membership. Becoming the 53rd state of American is not one to be desired, but more desirable than continued membership of the EEC.

If we were properly in the EU and the euro and given the weight we could punch with, we would not be victims of others policies. Rather we would be influential in forming those policies would be one of the more successful Northern European countries. Maybe the answer to the European problems is a two part EU, or a completely separate southern body, or even a return to independence for some of the failing southern countries who are so mismatched to Northern Europe, things we could influence if a full member.

 

[flecc]

we are struggling to get stock from the bike suppliers,Shimano supplies are particularly bad-

Shimano have always been a supply problem. Their dominant position in component supply enables them to enforce very long lead-time ordering, making it difficult for bike manufacturers to respond to demand fluctuations. There's an exact parallel with Kodak in the years of film photography, when their dominance enabled them to enforce year-ahead ordering in a supplier/retailer chain which, like cycling, was very weather and economy dependent.

 

[Kudoscycles]

John Major is the most honest politician and a realist, Kenneth Clarke was the bravest chancellor and quantitative easing is the best form of taxation.
Why nobody on this forum has anything positive to say about this coalition goverment?
They are doing the right thing for all of us considering the mess we are in.
Me too, I agree with Nick.

Unfortunately cannot agree,like it or not to get out of this mess we need a Maggie Thatcher style of government to get things moving but all the policies that the Tories dream up have to be diluted down to appease the Liberals,otherwise they start 'throwing their toys out of the pram'. When Cable was in opposition I thought he had some good ideas but now he has some power he just does not seem able to cope with it.
There are so many things they could do,that really would cost nothing...
1. Have you seen any new factories being built...how about 5 years rate relief on any new build,that will get factories being built
2. Bring back the old BES company idea,promoted by Lawson....100% tax relief on new build housing for rental,that would start to overcome the housing shortage
3. Like in China,the government should become a shared partner in development,sharing the profits on government land.
4. Forming a government 'Payday' loan company that offers fair rates of interest,the company should work at a fair profit but not these extortionate loan rates that these legal loan sharks seem to operate at....that would put them all out of business immediately. The money could come from savers who are fed up with nil interest on their money...if money was secured by the government the savers money would come flooding in.
5. Only get benefits if you work....let every company employ a small number as a percentage of the workforce who are paid at twice the benefit rate ie 50% comes from the government,50% from the employer,long term unemployed would then see a fair wage and get used to work culture...if they dont turn up for work,no benefits and no pay.
How about that lot for starters,but I am sure the Liberals would be negative to the lot.
KudosDave

 

[funkylyn]

If we were properly in the EU and the euro and given the weight we could punch with, we would not be victims of others policies. Rather we would be influential in forming those policies would be one of the more successful Northern European countries. Maybe the answer to the European problems is a two part EU, or a completely separate southern body, or even a return to independence for some of the failing southern countries who are so mismatched to Northern Europe, things we could influence if a full member.

Its not just the euro anymore thats the problem though, is it......
But you are so right about the southern/eastern european countries...we just cannot afford them

For me personally I have benefitted from the euro, its the giving up of our sovereign rights that enrages me, so for that reason, apart from all the others, I want out....

We just dont have a strong enough, Margaret Thatcher type, leader to stand up to the rest of Europe, what did Blair do to the concessions Thatcher won for us.....gave them all straight back .....

Lynda

 

[jazper53]

Unfortunately cannot agree,like it or not to get out of this mess we need a Maggie Thatcher style of government to get things moving but all the policies that the Tories dream up have to be diluted down to appease the Liberals,otherwise they start 'throwing their toys out of the pram'. When Cable was in opposition I thought he had some good ideas but now he has some power he just does not seem able to cope with it.
There are so many things they could do,that really would cost nothing...
1. Have you seen any new factories being built...how about 5 years rate relief on any new build,that will get factories being built
2. Bring back the old BES company idea,promoted by Lawson....100% tax relief on new build housing for rental,that would start to overcome the housing shortage
3. Like in China,the government should become a shared partner in development,sharing the profits on government land.
4. Forming a government 'Payday' loan company that offers fair rates of interest,the company should work at a fair profit but not these extortionate loan rates that these legal loan sharks seem to operate at....that would put them all out of business immediately. The money could come from savers who are fed up with nil interest on their money...if money was secured by the government the savers money would come flooding in.
5. Only get benefits if you work....let every company employ a small number as a percentage of the workforce who are paid at twice the benefit rate ie 50% comes from the government,50% from the employer,long term unemployed would then see a fair wage and get used to work culture...if they dont turn up for work,no benefits and no pay.
How about that lot for starters,but I am sure the Liberals would be negative to the lot.
KudosDave

Dave for Chancellor I second funkylyn's nomination

 

[funkylyn]

Why nobody on this forum has anything positive to say about this coalition goverment?
They are doing the right thing for all of us considering the mess we are in.
.

Doomed from the start as far as Im concerned, how can the Tories do what needs to be done with the wishy washy liberals holding them back at every turn.......actually how can any party do any good until they grow some b****.
The only upside is that we dont have Labour in power, so I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies......

Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

Dave for Chancellor I second funkylyn's nomination

Ive just realised that I called him Finance Minister........Ive obviously been watching far too much 'Borgen' LOL

Lynda

 

[Old_Dave]

Unfortunately cannot agree,like it or not to get out of this mess we need a Maggie Thatcher style of government to get things moving

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want.....

Its a benevolent dictatorship (if there is such a thing).. maybe Tito with added referendums

But its just a dream and then I woke up to the reality of same old same old same old

 

[trex]

Dave for Chancellor I second funkylyn's nomination

.. and the rich get even richer ... sod the rest.

 

[jazper53]

Ive just realised that I called him Finance Minister........Ive obviously been watching far too much 'Borgen' LOL

Lynda

May I suggest Chief Whip for Funkylyn who could keep the closet liberals at bay

 

[funkylyn]

.. and the rich get even richer ... sod the rest.

No.....not true, I'm certainly not rich and I know, being old enough to have suffered during more than one of Labours terms of office, that the best party to benefit all the population, and we do need to keep all sides relatively happy, not just the rich OR the poor,.... is the Conservatives.....just my personal opinion of course and obviously we all have our own opinions which is great .......constructive discussion is never a bad thing

Lynda

 

[Old_Dave]

More ramblings..

Government and ministerial salaries to be at 'national average wage'
Overnight stays for official duties to be at B&B rates
Local reps to be paid travel expense (only if requested to attend) of a return train ticket, otherwise voting to be done by phone / internet/ post.

 

[jackhandy]

Shimano have always been a supply problem. Their dominant position in component supply enables them to enforce very long lead-time ordering, making it difficult for bike manufacturers to respond to demand fluctuations. There's an exact parallel with Kodak in the years of film photography, when their dominance enabled them to enforce year-ahead ordering in a supplier/retailer chain which, like cycling, was very weather and economy dependent.

STD (dormer twist drills) were the same, back in the '70s when I was a buyer for engineering:

52 weeks lead-time on the more esoteric stuff, which meant you had to be Very careful not to break 'em.