So, as we always knew would happen, government permitted above-inflation price increases have fuelled inflation.
I get why council tax had to rise, although that was almost entirely because the government would not increase taxes on those with the greatest ability to pay in our communities, with the resulting funds being used to relieve pressure on councils.
Council tax is not in CPI…..
The main thing is, able-bodied men and women should be paid to lounge around all day – we must on all accounts not increase the tax take (nor reduce expenditure) by forcing lazy fuckers to fend for themselves.
“government permitted above-inflation price increases”: so, the classic thick-man-in-the-pub economics – the government controls the prices of everything.
I tell you, he’s not just evil, dim, and ignorant, he’s actually delusional, demented, doolally.
Dearieme, in Spud’s ideal Soviet world the government does control the price of everything. We now know how that ends, but apparently Spud doesn’t.
Council tax is not in CPI…..
Yes, but Spud would retort that it is in the RPI, and then he would proceed to denounce the – more accurate – CPI as neoliberal…rant, rave, gibber, etc.
Council tax is not in CPI…..
Why not?
It pays for the services one is supposed to receive from local authorities. Why are those services regarded as different from other services?
BiS: ‘cos it’s a tax, not a payment for services. You get council services regardless of whether you pay for them or not. And you pay for council services regardless of whether you use them or not.
About time we did something about that, then.
So the next paragraph shows where he thinks the blame lies:
it was, however, gas, electricity, phone, rail, water and other bills where price increases at well above inflation rates – indeed, where those price increases at above inflation rates are built into permissible price models by regulators – that drove this increase.
Let’s tackle this one at a time:
Gas – you support it being ended as a fuel source which I suppose is one way of reducing its price. Might have a side effect of killing millions but they’re probably Reform supporting fascists and neoliberals, right?
Electricity – driven entirely by Net Zero, which you uncritically support
Phone – is this for landline or mobiles? If it’s the former you might have a kernel of a point but if you’re genuinely advocating state run mobile phone services you’re a lunatic
Rail – as capping fares has worked so well in London
Water – where again environmentalist restrictions on building new reservoirs (I.e excessive government which you support) have caused this.
As has often been said, you are the primary cause of inflation.
– MMT
– Net Zero
– Unlimited immigration
– The Ukraine War
– Diversity policies and Red Tape
Are the main drivers of inflation. All are enthusiastically supported by you. It is you who needs to be held responsible and ideally facing criminal charges for your activities in these areas,
The spammers are back. They’ll keep coming until you hit them with something.
Averages seems to be one of those trivial but very difficult concepts for people to understand. (I guess together with the law of diminishing returns, the law of small numbers and “at the margin”).
An average intrinsically implies that some things are higher and some things are lower. Otherwise it would not be an average.
Council tax is not in CPI…..
There you go again, using facts when every fule kno that economic policy is about feelz.
“The main thing is, able-bodied men and women should be paid to lounge around all day . . . by forcing lazy fuckers to fend for themselves.”
You mischaracterize what commie dick Murphy wants. He wants poverty for all, except for himself and his fellow Commissars.
Meanwhile, TTK does a handbrake turn on Winter Fuel Payments:
https://archive.ph/8cV8I
Best quote: ‘Some in government want to increase the income threshold so that more people receive the payment. But that is more complicated than it seems because of antiquated computer systems in Whitehall.’
I nearly fell off my perch at that one.
@Norman
The Reform effect
A characteristic Spud policy is to be tried in Oz – a tax on unrealised capital gains. It’ll start with gains within “Superannuation” funds i.e. pension funds in our vocab.
https://www.skynews.com.au/business/financial-commentators-lash-labor-for-targeting-unrealised-capital-gains-in-super-warn-of-potential-extensions-to-other-assets/news-story/05ef5fc57f5c5f8e75ff405023693591
Happily, using the rules of the day, I withdrew my “Super” money when I left Australian employment. I still bear a grudge though: the Aussie Old Age Pension is means-tested so they won’t pay me mine.
“Meanwhile, TTK does a handbrake turn on Winter Fuel Payments”
Never mind what the f*cker says, what will he actually DO.
I smell an empty headline followed by a study, a “consultation” and then either business as usual (no U turn) or another mass of red-tape complicating who can apply (if they live long enough) justifying 10,000 more civil servants.
Next idea from Rachel: pensions to be paid 20 years in arrears and must be claimed in person.
OT: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/do-cyclists-know-how-hated-they-are/
Cyclists – whether Mamils on self-imposed speed trials, or mountain bikers, or locals – are loathed.
@Theo
Cyclists – whether Mamils on self-imposed speed trials, or mountain bikers, or locals – are loathed.
Until I recently tore my quadriceps tendon in half (nasty surgery, six-to-twelve months of rehab, don’t try this at home) I was a very keen cyclist (six days a week, up and down the hills of the Cotswolds, there’s not much better – particularly if you like pain), and I can say that plenty of drivers are giant cunts, too.
That said, I am also a driver (not the cuntish kind) and there is a certain breed of cyclict which would make a saint homicidal – three abreast, chatting, making slow progress etc etc.
I think 50% of the cyclist haters are fat twats with no get up and go, and 50% of the cyclists who hate drivers are skinny twats jealous of people in nice cars (especially on wet days).
But most people in and on both modes of transport are fine if you use common sense and courtesy.
It seems to me that RM is living rent free in your head Timmy.
I’ve had a very enjoyable 20 years and more taking the piss out of his pretensions. Why are you such a killjoy?
@Theo
Says the fat, ugly bird…… And you.
Admit it Theo, the loathing is because you admire our tanned, lithe bodies (that look good in Lycra), that we can drop thousands of pounds on our bikes and the fact that chicks really go for us.
@interested
“ But most people in and on both modes of transport are fine if you use common sense and courtesy.”
Well said that man
The compromise will be that winter fuel payments will be means tested, so Alan Sugar and Gary Lineker don’t get them. I’ve a shiny £50* here that says the cost of carrying out the means testing will exceed the £200 value of the payment itself – any takers?
* weirdly, I got £100 out of an ATM and it dispensed a £50, 2x£20 and a £10. I know there are ATMs in the City with £50s and a higher than normal cash limit, so the Loadsamoney kiddies can fill their wads of a Friday night, but I didn’t expect this in Gerrards Cross. It obviously needs three cassettes rather than the usual two (filled with £10s and £20s) – is this going to be the norm?
“I’ve had a very enjoyable 20 years and more taking the piss out of his pretensions. Why are you such a killjoy?”
And he’s had 20 years dangling the bait and you fall for it every time. Just ignore him. Your blood pressure will improve and your blogs will be less boring.
Interested
I was a cyclist until very recently. As a motorist, I have relatively few (but still too many!) problems with cyclists; but, as a pedestrian, I have very many problems with cyclists. Their arrogance and entitlement is extraordinary – demanding that pedestrians give way on pavements, reacting with fury when a pedestrian crosses a one-way street without noticing that said cyclist is travelling against the traffic flow, ignoring pedestrian crossings and weaving between those crossing, ignoring ‘No cycling’ signs, etc, etc.
Shiney
the loathing is because you admire our tanned, lithe bodies (that look good in Lycra),
Nah, Lycra is naff.
that we can drop thousands of pounds on our bikes
Er…?
and the fact that chicks really go for us.
Most “chicks” think you are barking mad obsessives. And some even think you don’t realise that there are easier ways to get a prostate massage.
@Theo
As a motorist, I have relatively few (but still too many!) problems with cyclists; but, as a pedestrian, I have very many problems with cyclists.
Clothesline the fuckers.