Set it at 80 unless physically unable, if your able then why not. The majority of older people suffer greatly from not knowing what to do with themselves when retired, why not allow 65+ to work if able, its should be on ability to work, rather than age.

If I'm able to I'll work for as long as I can, then when I can't I plan to volunteer with the RSPCA or another charity looking after cats and dogs, as if I had the money and space I'd do it now on my own.

 

Agreed.
Part of the problem too is that their hands are tied behind their back, with the country so unstable and an election looking, they can't cut as deep as they should. Europe being a pigs ear also means limited options, once they sort Europe out we can sort ourselves, as Liberals and Labour constantly shy away from the big picture, as that's their voting base esp Labour.

 

Bismark came up with the idea of pensions for the old, so it's the Germans fault again!

 

Yeah but sensibly put it at an age most people never got to, the rare who did deserved the support. Retiring at 65, and with life expectancy likely to get to 100+ in our life time (well some of us) this is impossible to fund.

 

Most of Europe are in the **** with money so I don't see any of our Government are really to blame.. Vote Brand!

 

Are you not allowed to work past 65?

My big issue is the public sector workers who are retiring at 50 or 55. This is what is killing the country.

The public sector pension liabilities are enormous, like a time bomb. £1.2tn! It isn't even counted as part of the national debt!

 

Excellent post, Les, but it is unfortunately wasted on what is an Internet persona looking for a rise.

If it were a serious thread with genuine opinions looking at discussing the topic, your post would have been worthwhile

 

Britain in debt, hey let's launch a £120bn home buying scheme, create another housing bubble, then crash and do it all over again.
You couldn't make it up.

 

The point of that is to buy the next election.

It's a terrible idea on balance of course. So irresponsible.

 

It's meant to end in 2017, however no politician will have the ***** to end it (excuse the pun).
Do you know house prices in Germany are lower, in real terms since 1971. God know what the multiplier is in the uk.
Let the fun begin.

 

True, socialism created some of this country's finest achievements like the NHS and welfare. However over the years successive governments (socialist and otherwise) have allowed these great things to be eroded by greed and short termism so that, for instance, welfare is now a lifestyle choice not a safety net for those dealt a cruel hand through losing their job or unable to work due to a disability

If they were such a bad idea at the core why did your hero Thatcher (about as far from a socialist as it is possible to get) not dismantle them?

The fix for our debt is unpalatable to most and certainly to the shower of **** we call our politicians as it involves taking pensions off people who think they deserve it, cutting welfare to a genuinely bare minimum survival level, prosecuting anyone who defrauds the state by banning them from any future handouts including their pension, removing red tape form businesses so they can function properly, cutting public sector jobs and pay drastically etc. etc.

None of which any politician who wants a job (as that is all they give a crap about) will do!

We're f**ked and anyone who believes any political party is better than another in this respect right now is a cretin!

 

What he said^^^^

 

I work a lot in America, and I am very proud of our NHS and benefits system. You lose your job in America and you will literally be on the street if you can't keep up your repayments and with limited 'walk-in' healthcare.

But as the excellent post above, it has been abused beyond recognition sadly

 

Agreed, but the reason why politicians will not go near the NHS is that its such a holy cow, in that no one dare say anything against it or their career is over. I mean how much capital would the Labour party take from any fundamental (needed) changes in the NHS. They would stir up the masses with false claims and general bull they always spout.

Take Ambulances in Wales, they are constantly being berated by Labour Politicians for failing their call out times, they have their system meddled with leaders changed, but they CANNOT deal with the problems they have as the politicians CANNOT admit the REAL fault. Namely the Hospitals cannot get the throughput needed, so patients sit in Ambulances outside with their crews, sometimes 6 at a time, as the hospitals cannot get the patients in. All this from a service that gets £108 BILLION, if it were private it would have failed long ago. But as soon as someone suggests change, all hell breaks loose. Instead of a fit for purpose system, they constantly tinker with it, and do little to nothing other than throw money at it (with their eyes closed).

The health service in Thatchers time was no where near as stretched as it is now, as now its at breaking point but no one has the cahonas to admit this, as the media and other parties would say they are ANTI-NHS and so become un electable.


So my advise is to listen to the people who say it how it is, instead of the typical crap that the usual politician comes up with, that the media uses and people like PsLewis spout as its drivel.

We need to reclaim politics from the career boys, who have NEVER done a days real work, a vast number of politicians from all parties have only ever done politics, and went into it straight from uni.
I seriously think if we stood up and said to our local parties that we are NOT happy and want change, and actually do something about it then we as a country will improve. As most will sit back and moan, but do next to nothing.

 

It’s all too easy to criticise the Government for not doing enough and for certain demographic sections in our society to blame their policies for causing their economic woes. Whoever is in Government will be faced with an impossible task to keep everyone happy. First and foremost they have the arduous task putting forward policies to shore up and maintain economic stability in a volatile global economic climate. Most of us would balk at making these decisions and whether the decisions made are really what’s truly for the best outcome overall. I’m no expert as this in itself is of a complexity that very few have a true grasp or understanding of how many variables are involved and how finely balanced this is, the balance, in layman’s terms, being between social security and economic security. Then consider which has a higher priority and the impact it has to this country on a national and global social and economic scale. These decisions cannot be made by one person alone and that person will draw upon the resources of teams of researchers, analysts and statisticians in coming up with their policies. Having said that, they don’t always get this right, but we can only hope that given the task they do what is in this country’s best interest.

Looking at the current situation this country is in we’re not in a bad state nor are we likely to be in the future. Sure we’re not experiencing massive growth but neither are we in the same situation as countries such as Greece or Cyprus. It turns out we did not experience a double dip recession, the past month has seen a boost in the retail with high street stores seeing a growth in sales and with British manufacturers reporting increased output and orders. Despite being in the hard hit squeezed middle, I remain optimistic and tend not let negativity cloud my judgement. Is this country “f*cked”? Not in my opinion.

 

 

^

can we move on now?

 

£1.2 TRILLION in debt ... No realistic plan to make more than a slight dent in it and the only thing saving us right now is it isn't due to be paid back for a few years.... and we are not f**ked? Au contraire!

 

It's not the debt you have to worry about, more worrying is the deficit. The Government is spending £120bn a year more than it is collecting in taxes and we're paying £43bn just to service the debt with interest payments. Currently the short fall is being funded by borrowing with the selling of gilts. Obviously we can't keep selling gilts forever, but short of implementing a wealth grab (UK has £7tn tied up in personal wealth!) like the Cypriot Government, I think we are coping and the Government has struck a fair balance without tearing up this country's social fabric and keeping this country economically competitive. When we stop being stifilled by the Eurozone and the global economy strengthens the UK will too.

 

Oh yes COB, I think most of us realise why the original post was made.

Nevertheless I felt that it needed a reply which Pete is very unlikely to reply to.

Les

 

 

Les

I'm sorry I missed your post, it was the last on the 1st page and those tend to get lost in the noise.

Blair and Brown got the economy to a point where the country owed NOTHING, yes we were in credit!!! Unfortunately the world, yes world, events took the country down a road to disaster ..... the fact that we haven't ended up like Ireland, Greece, Spain and the rest is that Labour steered the country through the worst of it.

Now, the Tories have increased our debt massively PLUS they have cut things back!! It's a lose - lose situation for everyone but the rich ...... oh, yes, they would be the Tory cronies!!

I'm not a Labour supporter, as you well know, but I speak for common sense and logic ..... the Tories destroy the country and Labour re-build it. It's how it has always been.

Now, don't get me wrong, I believe the Tories should be vicious in their cuts to the welfare benefits ........ we need to get the lazy chavvie scum off their ***** and into work - we need to stop the idea that having 4 kids means that you would have to earn £80,000 a year to make working pay.

The Liberals are slowing down the policies of the Tories which I admire, they have lost many votes by being in a share of power.

There should be a benefits cap, there should be another Trident, there should be child benefit for the 1st child only, there should be a living wage for everyone, work should always pay over the dole, the overseas aid should be stopped, the rich should be hunted down to pay their rightful taxes, big Companies need to pay their taxes, the NHS should be for those who have paid in ...... I could go on.

I do not support any Political Party - but, at my age, I do see that the country is a happier place with Labour in power ...... that's a fact.

 

Well, they do say ignorance is bliss.

 

Thanks for the reply Pete.

I have to say in all honesty that despite what I said in my post above, I am not all that impressed with what we have in charge now!

Les

 

Really?




Agree with that though.

 

Pete, labour were in deficit from 2002 and thus adding to the debt. Not to mention the explosion in PFI which is debt kept off book, and includes the empty police stations which the taxpayer has to pay millions for over the next 30 years.

 

Interesting graph, presumably the dramatic increase in 2008 was as a result of a "bank transfer" from the tax payer to the banks

 

So, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 we were in credit?

Labour were in power then i seem to remember - then Labour decided to spend it on making things better ..... NHS, Schools, Poverty ..... which was all fully affordable, until the worldwide downturn.

The Tories have only had 2 years in surplus.

There are hidden factors like the fall off of North Sea Oil

 

Pete, you said we were in the black up until the credit crisis which isn't true. Labour were adding to national debt from 2002 despite the 'boom'. Labour were spending money left right and centre, making massive future commitments by raising the pay of people like doctors, teachers, and raising benefits.

They should have been in the black all the time paying down national debt.