Election Poll: Round 2

[Kemper_Boyd]

Shouldn't we lock this and have a final poll before election day?

[TFO]

Yeah, assuming we're not all bored with it by then.
Was listening to Radio 5 this morning, and frankly didn't care less about the 3 main parties basically having a go at each other.

[Jedburgh]

Shouldn't we lock this and have a final poll before election day?

My plan is to run a poll on Thursday and close it when the ballot boxes close.

[Kemper_Boyd]

Shouldn't we lock this and have a final poll before election day?

My plan is to run a poll on Thursday and close it when the ballot boxes close.

Great.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

The other way to leverage it is via the equity that people have held in their homes to support a pension, but that's not exactly a vote-winner .

Mm, there's the rub. The ironic thing is that people claim the pensions timebomb is caused by not enough children being born to support us all in our dotage. In fact, the reverse is true. There's plenty of money around, but it's all tied up in children.

There was a show on the BBC recently examining not pensions but council tax and the alternatives. They wheeled out a bunch of old people who couldn't afford council tax on their pensions by way of example. Thing was, nearly all of them owned their own home, and most had bought them decades ago for about 20p. They were all sitting on whopping great six-figure assets, yet wouldn't make use of that vast resource. And why don't people want to do that? Because they want to leave their house to their fucking kids.

No matter that, as we all get healthier, most of us will have the good fortune to be pensioners ourselves by the time our parents die. Still, people cling desperately to these massive assets, determined to pass them down through the generations where they'll do fuck-all good for anyone, tying up huge chunks of the country's wealth uselessly.

Defuse the pensions timebombs, folks - let your stupid kids buy their OWN damn house and live like a lord on the fruits of your life's work.

[aureole]

'cept the hoarding instinct kicks in big stylee at that age as well. Good luck trying to convince my Grandparents to enjoy their wealth rather than eating out-of-date value packs of kit-kats and keeping a grand in their sock drawer...

Pensions are a Ponzi scheme, anyway, and now we've a mid-sized bulge working up the age pyramid, and the FTSE crumbling whilst pension fund managers start piling into long-shot funds. I dunno, but I'm making my own arrangements. And that may well include selling the house so I can afford a blast of a retirement. But I'll probably change my mind when I have kids...

[ChinaFigurine]

Postal vote is signed, crossed and sealed.

[Arthur Ringworn]

Can't vote Labour due to erosion of civil liberties, dismantling of democratic system and warmongering against the express will of the population.

Can't vote LibDem as they want to get rid of Council Tax which is the only fucking reprieve that poor bastards like me who have to live in cramped shared accomodation and have our blood leeched by the landed fucking buy-to-let gentry.

Can't vote Tory due to their wanting to give NHS money to private patients, ditto for schools, and general evilness.

Hmm, Green it is I suppose. No one can argue against liking the environment, surely?

[Stone]

Can't vote Tory due to their wanting to give NHS money to private patients

Could someone please explain to me why this is bad? I must be thick, because I don't get it.

Stone

[Dio]

Can't vote Tory due to their wanting to give NHS money to private patients

Could someone please explain to me why this is bad? I must be thick, because I don't get it.

Pros: It will increase the number of people who can afford medical insurance.

Cons: It will reduce the medical insurance that people who pay it pay - i.e. the richest in society get a benefit - and it will reduce the money available to provide for the people who are incapable of affording medical insurance - i.e. the poorest in society lose out.

It's therefore a regressive move in taxation.

[teamonkey]

Can't vote LibDem as they want to get rid of Council Tax which is the only fucking reprieve that poor bastards like me who have to live in cramped shared accomodation and have our blood leeched by the landed fucking buy-to-let gentry.

...

Hmm, Green it is I suppose. No one can argue against liking the environment, surely?

Sorry, but the Greens are getting rid of Council Tax too. But surely you're in exactly the sort of situation that would benefit from a Local Income Tax anyway?