Dream budget

[Andy Hamilton]

With the budget coming up tomorrow (in the UK) I thought it might be an idea to talk about what a dream budget would be like. for me....

Tax taken off train fuel and put on plane fuel. Making it well over £100 for any internal flight and no more than £20 to travel anywhere in the country by train. Along with this Bus fares slashed.

Tax breaks for companies who put frieght on trains and who use renwable energy.

To help competition all shops are not allowed to have more than 10 branches. Brought in slowly over the next 5 years in order for some of the bigger shops to close down and be sold off to local business folk.

Tax taken off lager and the net book agreement reintroduced.

Total cut in any cash spent on arms/military and the same amount put into schools and hospitals.

300% increase on tax for tobacco, just so I can stay quit

Hmm, that will do for now probally starting to sound like a green fascist.

[Annpan]

75% grant to anyone installing basic green energy systems in their home - that is solar water heating, and wood burners.
25 % grants for any other 'eco-friendly'energy systems (they are not as proven IMO)

Full recycling collection frm every house in the country and charges for black bin bag collection.

Re-nationalisation of Railways, Post Office, and BT

Ban 4x4s unless you can prove that you need it for work, or to get to your house.

Abolish council tax and replace it with a local income tax.

Overhaul of food services in hospitals and schools.


John has just added....
Offer everyone on Job seekers benefits a job in a field picking fruit/ veg... if they refuse to do the job the benefits are stopped.... I think he's been talking at work about somat on't telly.

[snapdragon]

remove tax from all natural fuel/heat/generating source equipment

proper investment in railways canals trams and other mass/low carbon transport
re-instate 'lost' railway lines wherever possible
more tax on lager
more tax on silly cars
no tax on bicycles, motorcycles or the essential cycle/motorcycle safety clothing

[red]

special tax to go alongside VAT, known as AYS (are you stupid) tax. this to be applied to patio heaters and plug in air freshners.

[ina]

Tax taken off lager

[Thurston Garden]

Purely selfish this one, and bound to raise a few eyebrows, but move the free car tax age threshold from 1973 to a rolling 25 years as was first proposed.

[porkchop]

i would agree with the ays (are you stupid) tax but before you know it it would be the yas tax and be on everything.

[the.fee.fairy]

Tax breaks for single people with no children.

I might be able to afford to rent somewhere then.

Ooh...Extra heapings of tax for landlords! That they personally must pay, not charge their tenants for.

Reform the tenancy laws!

More done to encourage people to go back to work, rather than live on benefits.

[Karen_D]

HUGE tax on second homes.

Huge tax on 4 x 4 that you don't need for work.

Huge tax on sports cars.

Agree with Fee about a big overhaul on Tenancy laws (some private landlords take the **** and some Councils aren't much better).

Plastic bag tax.

Tax on packaging that isn't recyclable or biodegradable (and force councils to provide decent recycling facilities and actually recycle).

Tax on factory farmed animal products. Huge tax on meat products imported from outside the EU.

Tax on any toy related to a TV programme or Film. HUGE tax on "character" foods e.g. Barbie Spaghetti shapes and slap VAT on "character" kids clothing.

Oh, big tax on any clothing with a sports or "designer" brand logo bigger than a thumbnail or lettering you can read more than six feet away.

[newbiemum05]

special tax to go alongside VAT, known as AYS (are you stupid) tax. this to be applied to patio heaters and plug in air freshners.

ROFL - Love this idea, used to nearly choke to death as my asthma hit me everytime we went to our friends house with one of those automated spray you with deadly chemical stinking air freshners (it went off every 10-15 mins and stunk to high heaven)

There are several other reasons people could be made to pay this tax too LOL

[the.fee.fairy]

My mum has one of these, its supposed to be set for every 36 minutes, but it doesn't matter whenj i go past it, it always aims at me!!

It must have 9mns...18 mins...36 mins...and 'get fee!'

[Helsbells]

Just while we are on the automatic spray air freshners topic, let me put my word in because there is little that I hate more.
The advert with the rabbits drives me mad, and gets me thinking, "oh super, now we dont even need to know if something is dirty or unhygenic cos we can just cover it up with another smell. there could be a dead mouse rotting under the washing machine but I wont know about it woopie!"