SJ_Skyline

BBC NEWS | Politics | '£10 licence to smoke' proposed

As an ex-smoker, I'm perhaps one of the biggest hypocrites frowning on people smoking. That said, this proposal really takes the cake. I mean for christs sake, where will this incessant medling and micro-management of our lives end?

GC8

With the socialists? Theyll micro-manage every aspect of your life, given the chance, from the cradle to the grave. Remember that New Labour loves you.....

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like the original car tax idea. That was £10 and introduced so that it was a certificate to show that you had a valid MOT and insurance. The charge was purely to cover the admin costs.

Of course, of time it was a great tax wheeze. Oh look, he comes another way to get more cash. I don't smoke, but I don't approve of it. Within 10 years you can bet it will be more than £100 a year for the permit.

So there will be people pooling together to buy a "group" permit, with tobacco then resold on. Which will of course be an offence, so the police will have to....etc etc etc.

Lee247

I'd love to know how this is going to work. It will just send people over to France to buy. How much revenue will they lose if that happens. They can't force permits on buying in other Countries, and they can't stop people doing what they want in their own homes.
More garabage, tell you what they will be wanting people to have a license for sex next

oldsplice

Won't cost me a penny then!

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

our government is a right joke now, labour are a bloody joke cannot wait until they **** off ,ive been stopped for 3 weeks now but that is a joke whats next road tax for cyclists

spireite

Its just another tax to add to the other tax the tax on the tax you've just paid oh and the tax on the tax for paying tax . .Next year your going to be taxed on how much oxygen you breath how many times you blink and how often you go for a slash .

Will

Pathetic. Im lost for words, LOL

Ringpeas

The retailers would love that

How would vending machines work?

SlimJ_2005

Don't joke, that could be on the cards, licence plates for cyclists apparently! Which will obviously mean a 'fee' and it would probably have to be renewed each year, and you will also need insurance to ride a bike...

Mental, even being green they tax you to buggery!!!

Lee247

How about we all say NO

Manny Fagnet

Jeez this country really is the bum hole of the world! only our Government could dream up a tax like that, if it goes through expect similar licences on alcohol etc soon after' Britain must be the most taxed nation in the world, what other country has a tv licence etc?

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Like we really have a voice anymore

Clarebabes

Well, in Germany you need to put a card in the copious amounts of vending machines they have before you can buy... So can be done I'm afraid.

STi-Frenchie

France. You can have as many TVs as you want but once a year you pay your "habitation tax" (rough translation) which is for the place you live plus your TV licence. Admittedly, it's not as extortonate as the UK and I dunno how the UK works any more but in France you pay one licence for any number of TVs -- we have 6 but pay one licence fee.

As for paying tax on sex, isn't that what marriage is all about

Clarebabes

Apart from Student accommodation, we only pay once for a TV licence no matter how many sets you have. If not, I'm a criminal!

Echo

Wonder how many wives are trying to stay below the tax threshold

Lee247

As I don't take an active interest in Politics, it bores the pants off me. How much longer has this shower got in power????

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Too long

(not actually sure)

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

You are a criminal depending on the setup of the accommodation. If each room can be locked and has a different number so mail can be sent to it (for example) then each room needs a license.

We got around it at uni by having a nice warden. Without a warrant they needed his permission to enter. He always used to be busy for about 30 mins. During which time a black cab was hailed and bundled full of TVs. He was then sent around the uni campus until they had gone

j4ckos mate

i think its time for a change of govt myself, anybody who is at the top too long becomes too comfy and not on top of their game, after all its human nature

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

The same way they work here, you need to put your EC card or driving licence into the machine beore it will accept your money.

They fitted these card reader to all *** machines in the country.

Personally I think it is a fantastic idea, anything that makes smoking harder gets a in my book.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

we do and have you seen our TV it is ****!!! I pay 148 euros a quarter for my tV licence and I don'teven watch german TV I have SKY, but the Germans said tough you have a TV, it doesn't matter that you have Ausland satallite, pay up or get prosecuted the choice is yours oh yeah and there is a 1000 euro fine aswell for not having a licence.

So I thing that works out at 592 euros a year which is what 400 odd quid, and how much is your TV licence a year???

boxst

What I can see is that this could be the start of exclusion from certain health benefits. In order to get a licence you have to sign and waive your right to healthcare related to smoking: Lung Cancer, Heart disease etc..

Steve

spireite

if so then they shouldn't have to pay ni

boxst

Playing Devil's advocate, why?

The NI covers 'normal' illnesses that one may encounter during life where-as smoking related illnesses are self-inflicted and you have proof in terms of a written contract (licence) that you accept that risk and will pay for the consequences.

Steve

Luan Pra bang

Smokers pay an amount of tax that is hundreds of millions more than they cost the NHS. Some studies have shown that even ignoring this extra tax they pay on cigarettes, becasue, they die younger they cost the tax payer less over a life time than non smokers. So does that mean smokers should get extra health benefits for all the extra tax they pay and all the money they save the tax payer ?

Leslie

The original reasoning over car "tax" was that it was not so much a tax but a levy for use in improving and maintaining the country's roads. It was called the road fund licence. Over the years since then it has of course been sidetracked as a tax to go into the government's coffers and precious little of it is now spent on the roads as we can all see. All governments have been guilty of that, only the degree has altered-for the worse of course.

When it comes to a "smoking licence" that is yet another piece of barefaced robbery to try to get this useless lot out of the "cactus" due to the dreadful way in which they have run the economy and the vast govermental overborrowing which has been going on. The country has been brought to its knees financially due to the enormous overspending by them and the chickens are coming home to roost!

Les

Prasius

iTrader: (1)

and military barracks - where regardless of how many TV's there are in the block; we all have to pay for a licence for each TV. Don't you just love how the rule is the same across the board. *ahem*

Still, even as someone who hates smoking, and is a massive supporter of the public smoking ban - even I think this is taking the P a little.. although I just laughed when I read it, rather than got angry.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

I was under the impression that any illness was covered through the payments of NI. Anyhow, the licence would only prove you smoked, it would then have to be proven without a doubt that the illness was caused by smoking. Although the likes of lung cancer/heart disease maybe more likely to be smoking related, it isn't always.

Then where do we stop. If we say this is ok to do towards smokers, then maybe we should say any 'self inflicted' illness/injury shouldn't be covered. I think alot of people would be going without treatment then, or paying for it.