General Politics Thread

[The Master]

Budget day at Holyrood and the first that will involve changes to income tax in Scotland.

It looks likely that while the 20p rate will be frozen, a new band will be introduced at around £31k. There might also be tweaks to the upper and higher rates, but nothing too excessive because it could have an overall negative effect.

 

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, The Master said:

Budget day at Holyrood and the first that will involve changes to income tax in Scotland.

It looks likely that while the 20p rate will be frozen, a new band will be introduced at around £31k. There might also be tweaks to the upper and higher rates, but nothing too excessive because it could have an overall negative effect.

 

It may be the right thing to do but the SNP will get it in the neck from all sides for this.

 

[renton]

1 hour ago, Granny Danger said:

It may be the right thing to do but the SNP will get it in the neck from all sides for this.

 

Hard to see how Labour and certainly the Greens can give the SNP flak for a progressive income tax change.

[Granny Danger]

4 minutes ago, renton said:

Hard to see how Labour and certainly the Greens can give the SNP flak for a progressive income tax change.

The Greens won’t, other than maybe saying it doesn’t go far enough.  Labour will find a way.

[renton]

1 minute ago, Granny Danger said:

The Greens won’t, other than maybe saying it doesn’t go far enough.  Labour will find a way.

Not Comrade Leonard's Democratic Progressive People's Socialist International Labour Group, surely?

[renton]

Fairly deft work there....

 

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by renton

[Kyle]

I think the SNP have nailed this based on the information we have so far.  Need to have a proper look at the details, but the headlines all look very positive to me.

[mizfit]

My tax stayed the same, which I’m happy at. And I doubt I’ll hit the next bracket anytime soon.

My girlfriends tax has dropped as well.

[Dunning1874]

Everyone on or below the average wage gets at least a freeze, with some getting a cut, while those above average have 1p added rather than the 5p for the highest earners proposed by Greens and Labour.

That's deftly done. Obviously the Tories will howl about it anyway but giving a cut or freeze to lower earners allows them to deflect Tory attacks about the rise on higher earners easily by portraying them as not caring about ordinary people, and it puts them firmly in the progressive ballpark although they're not as far into it as the Greens or Labour.

It's obviously not going to pass as it is because neither the Greens nor Labour are going to back a budget with a real terms cut in local government funding and the Lib Dems are probably going to find one pretext or another to vote against regardless of how much they pledge for mental health or education, but it sets the stall for negotiations with the SNP able to argue they've taken a progressive position with tax reform and the public sector increase contributing to the most left-wing budget they've put forward in government. Wouldn't be surprised to see the Greens backing it based on a trade-off around increasing local government funding, possibly with the extra funding coming from another 1p on the highest rate or another band between the highest two, say for earnings from £75K to £150K.

[Crossbill]

Cutting the tories off at the knees 

If he's abolished charitable status for private schools as seemed to be implied so much the better.

[mizfit]

Only angry people funnily enough online describe themselves as Tory’s.

[doulikefish]

Murdo and Leonard being minters reading there pre written speeches

[doulikefish]

Thats an extra 40p a week if you earn over 35k i think but im working it out on the fly.

[RiG]

A lot of folk moaning about the way that this is being reported as people earning more than £24,000 face a tax hike saying that that isn't true and it's only if you earn more than £33,000 (example below). I'm probably being really thick here but it looks pretty clear to me that if you earn more than £24,000 then you move into this new 21p bracket so you are paying more tax no?

 

[Kyle]

4 minutes ago, RiG said:

A lot of folk moaning about the way that this is being reported as people earning more than £24,000 face a tax hike saying that that isn't true and it's only if you earn more than £33,000 (example below). I'm probably being really thick here but it looks pretty clear to me that if you earn more than £24,000 then you move into this new 21p bracket so you are paying more tax no?

 

It's only the amount over the 20% threshold that you pay 21% on. You'll get 19% on the first couple of grand, 20% up to that threshold and then 21% on the rest, which is what makes it cheaper.

 

Unless I'm being a tadger (which is a distinct possibility).

 

Edit:

 

Link to table;

 

https://twitter.com/BBCPhilipSim/status/941325214000078853

Edited December 14, 2017 by Kyle

[cal234ey]

A lot of folk moaning about the way that this is being reported as people earning more than £24,000 face a tax hike saying that that isn't true and it's only if you earn more than £33,000 (example below). I'm probably being really thick here but it looks pretty clear to me that if you earn more than £24,000 then you move into this new 21p bracket so you are paying more tax no?
 

There’s a 19p bracket from £11,850-£13,850. So people will pay less tax on that part. I assume the £33,000 figure includes the increase in personal allowance to £11,850 but I haven’t checked.

[doulikefish]

It's only the amount over the 20% threshold that you pay 21% on. You'll get 19% on the first couple of grand, 20% up to that threshold and then 21% on the rest, which is what makes it cheaper.
 
Unless I'm being a tadger (which is a distinct possibility).

Thats my back of fag packet working out aswell

[RiG]

Just now, Kyle said:

It's only the amount over the 20% threshold that you pay 21% on. You'll get 19% on the first couple of grand, 20% up to that threshold and then 21% on the rest, which is what makes it cheaper.

 

Unless I'm being a tadger (which is a distinct possibility).

Ah right I think I see what you are getting at. So if you earn £38,000 you pay 19% tax on the first £13,850, 20% on the rest up to £24,000 then 21p on anything up to £38,000?

[Kyle]

Just now, RiG said:

Ah right I think I see what you are getting at. So if you earn £38,000 you pay 19% tax on the first £13,850, 20% on the rest up to £24,000 then 21p on anything up to £38,000?

Give that man a coconut.... that's certainly my interpretation and the suggestion from people with a lot more knowledge than me on twitter. Judging by the speeches of Murdo and Leonard, the tax announcement certainly caught them on the hop.

[ICTChris]

Looking forward to moving to Switzerland.