Scotlands free care for the OAPs & tax rises on the way

[-:Undertaker:-]

Gordon Brown was engulfed in a new row over the parlous state of the country’s public finances last night amid fears he is planning a huge post-Election tax hike. The Government is looking at imposing a rise in National Insurance contributions after the next Election to help fund the cost of care for the elderly, it was claimed yesterday.

The controversial idea – to spare people from having to sell their homes to cover the cost of care bills in their old age – will be unveiled in a Government blueprint on long-term care for the elderly, reports said. The NI plan will fuel suspicions that Labour realises it will have no choice but to hike taxes after the next Election to combat soaring public debt.

But last night Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, condemned the NI plan as ‘an income tax rise by another name’.

He urged the Prime Minister to reduce unnecessary public spending instead by cancelling the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent and by reducing generous public-sector pensions.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham will publish a consultation paper called Care And Support later this month, detailing how to reform social care provision. Estimates suggest that 30per cent of people who have to go into a care home have to pay their own fees.

Amazing how left wingers rioted due to Thatchers poll tax yet poll tax was actually a tax which was fair, replacing an unfair tax. Yet under this Labour government taxes and stealth taxes have been introduced, expanded and raised to the point where not only is it hurting business, its also hurting families, especially the working class which Labour and the left boast the Labour party is supposed to help. In the end, the riots weren't about the poll tax they were about hatred of Thatcher and her idea of getting of your backside and working, rather than relying on the state.

Whats more sickening is that this man who ruined our economy will retire, along with the rest of the corrupt MPs with their nice pensions, while we are left to pay for the mess this clown created with his twelve or so years in office. At least Labour and Gordon Brown will be out of office by 2010 and hopefully when the Conservatives are in office, rather than raise taxes they will cut the stupid and unsustainable levels of public spending we have at the moment.

Scotland recieve free health care for their elderly, meaning their elderly do not need to sell their homes to afford health care, despite in England, Wales and Northern Ireland people having to sell their homes to afford health care.

Do you think its fair Scotlands elderly recieve free care whilst England, Wales and Northern Ireland do not?

[alexxxxx]

i don't think it's that unfair. some people need to go to the hospital, some people don't - it's not fair people should have to surrender their property to the government so they can afford a cancer operation and it should be the same for residential care. These people will have paid NI all their lives and now they are going to claim on that insurance.

If there was enough public shouting for an england parliament, I'm sure things like this would get passed.

A great dail fail post you've got there too. You can't get these things without paying for them. Like the torys, the taxpayers alliance and the daily mail seem to think is possible.

[-:Undertaker:-]

The point is, why are our taxes being raised when Scotland gets their care free already?

The Conservatives, Daily Mail, Taxpayers Alliance and the circus could run this countrys budget better than this government, because as the Bank of England governor has already warned, our debt is growing and growing and this government is refusing to cut back its expensive, unaffordable spending plans.

[alexxxxx]

because unfortunately the system, as I believe it, is that the scottish take more money out of the 'system' so to speak because we all pay into the same NI/tax funds. They can make changes to their education systems and health systems, whilst charging it to the UK account. Now as the Scottish population is significantly less than the english/welsh/n irish, this can be done without much of a difference (relatively), than if these measures were implemented thoughout the UK. Now, naturally, if the English/Welsh/N Irish wanted to do the same, national (pan-uk) taxes would need to rise, as the english population makes up over 90% of the whole of the UK. Naturally, to afford this, NI would have to increase. You can't blame central government for this, but the scottish themselves. You have to think whether the current system is fair if we are all paying the same amount into the main pot. I am personally in favour of either destroying the scottish/welsh/n irish assemblies OR giving england one. The way it is at the moment isn't fair.

i think i've made several spelling errors but i cba.

[-:Undertaker:-]

because unfortunately the system, as I believe it, is that the scottish take more money out of the 'system' so to speak because we all pay into the same NI/tax funds. They can make changes to their education systems and health systems, whilst charging it to the UK account. Now as the Scottish population is significantly less than the english/welsh/n irish, this can be done without much of a difference (relatively), than if these measures were implemented thoughout the UK. Now, naturally, if the English/Welsh/N Irish wanted to do the same, national (pan-uk) taxes would need to rise, as the english population makes up over 90% of the whole of the UK. Naturally, to afford this, NI would have to increase. You can't blame central government for this, but the scottish themselves. You have to think whether the current system is fair if we are all paying the same amount into the main pot. I am personally in favour of either destroying the scottish/welsh/n irish assemblies OR giving england one. The way it is at the moment isn't fair.

i think i've made several spelling errors but i cba.

I blame the government here for Devolution and what I see as the near break up of the union that could occur within a few years. I also think spending per head in Scotland isn't fair compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, especially considering that England has the least powers out of the union and that the English have to pay higher house prices, and probably higher taxes too.

You are correct though, its not fair the current system and personally i'd rather abolish all the parliaments & assemblies except the Westminister parliament and rule from there, as we have done for the past two hundred or so years.

[alexxxxx]

I think a break up of the union is quite unlikely as there are so many complex issues to do with oil (they might be near/in scotland, yet they were found with british tax payers money), the NHS, the armed forces, EU, passports that it would take many years to actually sort out. But it is a problem/possibility yeah.

[ifuseekamy]

Scotland also has free university, which Labour (ironically the party for the working class) made us have to pay for and is now cutting off maintenance loans and grants next year. It is unfair I guess.

[LuketheDuke]

the Scottish seem to think that if they seperate from the Union theyd create some sort of super economy.

The trouble is too much of their backing comes from Britain as a whole so they wouldnt be able to create so much additional secular policy for themselves if they didnt belong to GB in the first place.

I agree this is a numbers argument and what I hate the most if that politicians wouldnt give us St Georges day as a public holiday as they try to encourage being British over English yet Scottish/Welsh parliaments go at length to seperate themselves from the rest of the home countries so this attitude is hardly mirrored.

Edit - And I'm half Scottish!

[Sammeth.]

I think England should bomb Scotland, as it might be quite funny and also would solve all our problems. Somehow.

[RichardKnox]

the Scottish seem to think that if they seperate from the Union theyd create some sort of super economy.

The trouble is too much of their backing comes from Britain as a whole so they wouldnt be able to create so much additional secular policy for themselves if they didnt belong to GB in the first place.

I agree this is a numbers argument and what I hate the most if that politicians wouldnt give us St Georges day as a public holiday as they try to encourage being British over English yet Scottish/Welsh parliaments go at length to seperate themselves from the rest of the home countries so this attitude is hardly mirrored.

Edit - And I'm half Scottish!

In Scotland we're more than discouraged from being Scottish, flying the saltire on public buildings is seen as a massive incident by the councils etc and they make them remove them. The only reason Scotland seems that it tries to seperate itself from the rest of the UK is because we have a pro-independence party in power who are, this year certainly, encouraging all things Scottish, which completely contridicts what councils do regarding Scottish symbols.