Forum Topic

Vindiictive

Will this government be known as “The Vindictive Government ” ?

John Southey ● 8d88 Comments

“ When Labour was thrown out in 2010 they left a financial black hole of £158 billion which the Tories spent 15 years wrestling with, trying to bring government spending under control. This £22billion black hole which Labour are using as an excuse to hike up your taxes and cut pensioners payments is the remnants of a financial crisis that they themselves created. They are criticising the Tories for being unable to fully clean up the mess that they themselves made in the first place. It’s hypocrisy of the highest order and they’re fooling nobody! ”

Steve Taylor ● 18m

My, Jayne, how virtuous you are! All that hard work, all those taxes paid, and all to subsidise a feckless underclass.Labour are not increasing the size of the state. They are merely trying to repair the depradations of the past 14 years, which have left us with a broken public realm. Sadly, in my view, they are going about it far too timidly - probably so as not to provoke the hostility of the right. They will incur that anyway - there are far too many people like you who simply cannot accept the fact of a Labour government. So Rachel Reeves may as well be bold. This will probably give you conniptions, but to get us out of the hole that the Tories dug, the solution is massive investment, financed by borrowing.

Robert Fish ● 2h

Please Philippa, of course taxes change but Labour are screwing everyone there has to be a balance between the size of the state and private business. Right now under Labour the size of the state is growing too many people claiming benefits when they are capable of working. The private sector is being screwed to waste billions on people who are lazy and happy to sit at home while the rest of us work hard. Screwing companies will mean less people employed which is crazy, tax take will be less borrowing goes up interest payments go up this is utter madness it’s basic economics. Taxes go so so less consumer spending already we hear retail, leisure and hospitality are seriously struggling. This is madness economics. The NHS needs a major reform and this government are just spending more and more on a failed system.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2h

"NHS needs radicle reform for the benefit of everyone including people who work in it". Yes, and the managers who do just 'manage' need to be given their respective P45s.

Brian Coyle ● 3h

You don't think taxes should ever change?  Was that because you were given tax breaks and then they disappeared?  Times change and so do priorities.  You seem so jealous of those who need benefits but poor systems can create those needing benefits instead of helping and inspiring them to never get into and if in get out of a benefit lifestyle.  People need something to actually work for - something worth working for - and that doesn't necessarily mean money.  Life in your community can be far more enriching than just money.

Philippa Bond ● 3h

Janice you are so right it is about balance, we need wealth creators I think the reason is obvious, there are too many people claiming benefits who are more than capable of working, or the various tax payer funded scheme with no checks and balances. Too much money is completely wasted. High taxes does not incentivise people to thrive and stealing money from people and not controlling the waste is poor management. It’s one thing to cap pensions but to then change the rules yet again and include in IHT is vindictive. The NHS needs radicle reform for the benefit of everyone including people who work in it.

Jayne Thorburn ● 5h

There will always be a wealth gap, and Governments giving opportunities to those they know and trust is usual, we all go through rough times when we have to struggle and often the good times.  I don't see suppressing people to gain control is a good thing, look what's happening to Russia,just a fair society would be a good balance instead of trying to choose who has wealth or not.

Janice Evans ● 6h

You can take a whole day off for a small op and find that the surgeon has disappeared before the theatre list has been completed.  That's a whole day with no work done and no pay earned.  That's not good for the nation's productivity particularly when the time will need taking off all over again.

Philippa Bond ● 16h

"Those on minimum wage contribute but will never grow business and are not the entrepreneurs which is what the country needs to grow."Really? How elitist and condescending!  Many people have to struggle and train at the same time as earning a minimum wage - or are faced with working in the gig economy which is not at all good.  Practical hands-on experience can beat the theoretical any day.Entrepreneurs will follow their dreams through thick and thin.To have allowed all infrastructure to crumble whilst ensuring more millionaires are created with such huge divisions between rich and poor as there now is shows a lack of competence in government.

Philippa Bond ● 17h

So when the Tories reduce the Standard Lifetime Allowance, so as to make any excess of pension funds over that level subject to a Lifetime allowance charge, that's legitimate taxation, but if Labour bring pensions into the cope of IHT, that's "stealing". Double standards! Pure hypocrisy!

Robert Fish ● 19h

Totally agree Steve RR is clueless beside it’s been proven that the black hole is no where near the figure she quotes so she is a liar as well. As for people wanting to pass something on when they die that should be their choice and not the government to steal our money. Fortunately I move in the right circles.

Jayne Thorburn ● 19h

Agreed - pensions are about looking after yourself in retirement. But for many  people who have personal pensions it's more than that. It's a way of being able to pass on any remaining fund without liability to IHT. It's not just retirement planning, it's also tax planning.If you "don't know one person who agrees with it", you're obviously not moving in the right circles!

Robert Fish ● 23h

And Rachel Thieves was an utter embarrassment on the Laura K show this morning, refusing to answer any question coherently and repeating the ridiculously boring and stupid mantra about the alleged black hole and 14 years of Tory rule. Quite pathetic!  Still no coherent plan after 7 months. Effectively she is saying that her government is off the hook for the entirety of this parliament because she has brainwashed herself that her lies about the black hole are true. Only a moron would believe anything she says.

Steve Taylor ● 1d

A pension is not a tax dodge…..it’s about looking after oneself in retirement that not a tax dodge and it was actively encourage. Labour should be ashamed of themselves you are in the minority I don’t know one person who agrees with it. Then to tax a pension re IHT is disgraceful. How many times does the same pound get taxed?

Jayne Thorburn ● 1d

Hysterical exaggeration! I don't feel in the least "punished" by having my SIPP included in my estate. It's a natural government reaction to a tax dodge. But you obviously resent any penny you have to pay to the government.

Robert Fish ● 1d

There are many people that when you  add their property and pension will breach the £1M. For decades the government has been pushing people to save for the retirement in the form of a pension as the state pension will be none existent in a decade or so. So Labour are punishing people who did just that saved into a pension now that is immoral, just plain wrong. Big corps offered final salary pensions but the majority of people work in SME’s so never had that luxury. It is simply outrageous to take away the incentive to build businesses which creates employment and increases the tax take. Labour should be ashamed of themselves destroying our country so we become mediocre….

Jayne Thorburn ● 1d

“ they could have taken a yearly bonus but never did,”Yes most sensible directors forfeited bonuses when they were 5 or 6 years from retirement and elected instead to draw inflated salaries for the last 3 years of their employment so that trey could enjoy much bigger final salary pensions. They were the cause of the collapse of Final Salary Pension schemes running into huge deficits or being frozen and the lack of any action taken by the Labour  Governments of Blair and Brown.

Steve Taylor ● 1d

Oh,the moral high ground is in the house

Julian Pavey ● 1d

Ah the moral virtue of the rich! What a stupid, uninformed and insultingly condescending post that is likely to convince no-one! Of course there are still loopholes. Its not long since you were complaining about the proposal to close one of them, by making drawdown pensions subject to IHT. This loophole was used for tax avoidance, not for retirement planning.

Robert Fish ● 1d

“The majority of wealthy people are being ripped off”Which European countries rip off the “wealthy people” the most, and which rip the “wealthy people” the least Jayne?

Andrew Jones ● 1d

I worked for a small Company years ago and the owners had a wage comparable with their employees, they could have taken a yearly bonus but never did, a lot went back into the business, I'm sure if they had to payhigher taxes than they did they would never have been able to invest andupdate the premises and safety standards.

Janice Evans ● 1d

Not sure any of you know what you are talking about, so let’s talk tax. Wealthy people most of which have achieved it on their own, build businesses employ people so the company they started pay, comporation tax at 25% of profits, employ people people and pay employers tax, have purchased a property stamp duty, buy a second home stamp duty plus 3%, may have buy to lets more tax, have investments pay capital gain tax forget they spend more than others pay VAT, cars etc. Philippa is on cloud nine there are no loopholes they are all gone. Now if you are talking mega wealthy and big corp then yes agree they have options to life off shore so no tax, global corps can play. Let’s be realistic the majority of ‘wealthy people’ are being ripped off. So what happens they leave then there is zero tax here. This is not a clever way to run the country. Those on minimum wage contribute but will never grow business and are not the entrepreneurs which is what the country needs to grow. Take away aspirations due to high unemployment taxes you are left with mediocre. That will not pay for public services, it’s called third world!

Jayne Thorburn ● 1d

Most of these discussions about tax only refer to income tax. It’s True that higher earners pay a greater proportion of income tax but the proportion of their income taken in other taxes will be lower  Many people on lower incomes will be paying a  much larger proportion of their salaries in say council tax relative to those on higher incomes. When all taxes are taken into account most people pay around 40% of their income in tax.

David Turner ● 1d

Yes their basic rate of corporation tax was 25% I cannot work out the extra but approx 30%

Janice Evans ● 1d

I have always thought that everyone should pay a flat rate of tax at 15 or 20% and close all the tax liipholes. This would discourage the wealthy from buggering off (15% of something is better than 15% of nothing) and would encourage people to achieve more without being penalised for being successful.Paying more tax the more one earns only encourages mediocrity.

Chris Blackwell ● 1d

We still have ‘philanthropists’ like Blavatnik, Sackler and Coates spreading largesse from their questionable operations and getting their names carved on our public buildings, just like the ‘robber barons’ of old! All tax deductible, no doubt!

Peter Evans ● 1d

They are paying 130m extra for the last decade, I may have got sums wrong.

Janice Evans ● 1d

I can’t find anything to support Google paying 30% tax.  Nearer 20% or less, with suggestions that much ‘UK’ income is passed to other jurisdictions.  Tory chancellor Osborne even introduced a ‘Google tax’ to try and counter this kind of thing, but to no avail.

Peter Evans ● 2d

Google states they pay more income tax now than at any other time at 30%if that is correct.

Janice Evans ● 2d

But you'd think that tax would increase the more you earn - and go on increasing the more you earn but it doesn't.Those earning the most tend to have the time and the money to spend on minimising the tax that they have to pay.  That isn't the same for those on minimum wage trying to make ends meet.I was also told there are advisers who move backwards and forwards between HMRC and the private sector who have knowledge of loopholes...  or create loopholes...  It is nearly always the people with the least who play by the rules (often because they are on PAYE) while those with more money take a lot more effort and time to chase after - something that is more difficult if you have cut the numbers working in the department. That's patently not fair!

Philippa Bond ● 2d

Philippa is referring to the early 1900sGREAT

Julian Pavey ● 2d

At all levels that should read.

Janice Evans ● 2d

Also a lot of working people send their earnings to family abroad, it goes on all all levels.

Janice Evans ● 2d

Not that I'm qualified to know what the correct way is but people seem to be losing the optimism they started off with.

Janice Evans ● 2d

Things change it may have been easier to invest in those things years agoand of course people change with a lot of new wealth and they have different ideas, I do agree with a fair society but it needs to be done in the correct way, however I also think things should be given time to see how it all pans out.

Janice Evans ● 2d

But the wealthy don't invest in the country in the way that many did in the past.  They just take their money out of the country anyway.  So they may as well take themselves off too if they are not going to invest here in the country.Just look at all the libraries, schools, hospitals, that used to be endowed by the wealthy living here in the past.  They were proud to see their names on hospital wings, art galleries etc and to invest in their communities.  It is now  very much a me-me-me society.

Philippa Bond ● 2d

Although it would be good to see that happening it doesn't appear to be so far and the wealthy won't hang around it may have worked well years ago.

Janice Evans ● 2d

‘Growth’, even if achievable by the actions of any government, is a questionable concept anyway, bearing in mind our finite resources.  It’s doubly questionable without the redistribution of any gains across society. The simplest and quickest way to do that and to sustain spending on public services is to increase taxes at the top end - and that can be done right away. Labour should be proud to be a ‘tax and spend’ government, and not ashamed of making things better for people, in contrast to the years of the opposite austerity we’ve suffered for so long.

Peter Evans ● 2d

It’s terrifying, given we are already highly taxed where are they going to steal more money from tax payers? according to the press companies close to insolvency are at an all time high which means thousands made redundant particularly In hospitality, retail and service industries so how are these hard working workers going to get employment? Labour appear to have learnt absolutely nothing from all the years in the wilderness. Increased borrowing = in creased interest payments = higher unemployment = increased benefits = recession = higher cost of living where is the positive, growth economy?

Jayne Thorburn ● 2d

As they discover that the lack of growth will leave a shortfall in revenue,they will have to either increase borrowing or taxes or both, and then it will be a race to the bottom of the pile.

Keith Iddon ● 3d

Totally agree she was dreadful, the increase costs makes no sense and as we all know it does the opposite of growth. When something doesn’t make sense it’s because it isn’t and no one Labour representative has explained how increasing staff costs = pro business and growth. Labour will end up increasing the benefits bill due to higher employment, plus interest on borrowing so there is no money left from increased taxes that sounds like the worst of all positions Labour need to review and change quickly otherwise they will be gone at the first possible opportunity.

Jayne Thorburn ● 3d

I watched Newsnight last night and the singularly unimpressive Lucy Powell just parroted the party line and did not explain how increasing the cost of employing people will equate to growth,particularly for small businesses,even when directly asked by an member of the audience.She was an absolute fountain of platitudes about most of the topics discussed.Matthew Parris made the most sense out of all of the panellists in my opinion.

Keith Iddon ● 3d

John, think Philippa is mis informed but would be interesting to understand what tax breaks she thinks millionaires get…..let’s see what she responds silence will say everything

Jayne Thorburn ● 3d

So much for looking after workers over 3,000 job cuts across just 2 supermarkets and there will be more to come so yes vindictive politics that looks after no one but themselves!

Jayne Thorburn ● 3d

Got any particular tax breaks in mind ?

John Southey ● 3d

And so it came to pass

John Southey ● 3d

Why is it your money ?

John Southey ● 3d

Yes Trump will grasp at this one he is already encouraging them to set up businesses there.

Janice Evans ● 3d

You are so right Janice, millionaires pay huge taxes across their portfolio and most of the schemes Philippa seems to think exist have been closed. So not only do the millionaires employ thousands who also pay tax, the millionaires who have taken risks to build businesses pay every tax not just income tax, VAT. Most workers pay very little in comparison and will not fund all the public services we need and want. So get rid of the wonderful people who are the back bone of society and you are left with very little.

Jayne Thorburn ● 3d

But the wealthy provide jobs for people who also pay tax, you don't take away the golden egg, looks like Trump might harvest all our billionaires.

Janice Evans ● 3d

Unfair taxes with too many tax breaks for rich people who can afford to pay for accountants and wealth consultants have created far too many millionaires under the Tories creating an even greater split between the rich and the poor.Here's how unrepresentative of the country Parliament was in 2017:https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/these-figures-show-how-out-of-touch-uk-politicians-are-from-everyone-else/

Philippa Bond ● 3d

Anyone who understands basic economics know that high taxes = collect less ££££££. RR is clearly totally out of her depth and so is the Labour government.

Jayne Thorburn ● 3d

Many did warn it would happen, and the knock on effect of it.

Janice Evans ● 4d

It’s really terrifying RR has only just woken up to the fact that so many millionaires have left the country reducing the tax intake so her deficit is growing unreal what planet does she live on? some fantasy one. Absolutely terrifying she is so out of touch of the real world and people are fed up of her crazy high taxes and they are voting to leave.

Jayne Thorburn ● 4d

Agree Steve.

Janice Evans ● 5d

The point I try to make is that many doctors and surgeons need and want the lucrative income from private practice and work only the minimum hours for the NHS. If they can’t work privately as well as do minimal hours with the NHS they seek employment in other countries.

Steve Taylor ● 5d

"Queue jumping is a zero-sum game."Kier doesn't find it so, jumping queue in Madeira recently.  Saving 3 hour wait for him and his family.

James Roy ● 5d

Apologies for the repetition, Peter. I didn't read your comment before I replied to Steve Taylor's post.

Robert Fish ● 5d

But it also reduces the resources available to NHS patients. Most private consultants also do NHS work. When they're treating your family, they're not available to the NHS. Queue jumping is a zero-sum game.

Robert Fish ● 5d

‘Surely the more people going private takes pressure of the NHS?’Not necessarily, for the private sector employs doctors and other medical staff who could more usefully be working for the NHS and helping to relieve the pressure that way.

Peter Evans ● 5d

There are people who are very wary of AI, but this particular genie is already out of the bottle. The UK has no real choice but to get on the bandwagon or risk getting left behind.I take what you say about the danger and threat to creative people like you, though creativity is something that AI isn't renowned for, but some AI implementations are probably close to passing the Turing test, if that hasn't already been done already.

Andrew Jones ● 5d

Julian Pavey ● 5d

Ha, that reminds me of that day in the ad agency when someone turns up with a unit called an Apple Mcintosh.Suddenly Letraset went out the window followed by typesetters and years later started to replace paste-up artists and then the rest was history.

Julian Pavey ● 5d

Starmer's fascination with AI is, in my opinion, very dangerous. As a musician / composer the threat of AI is very real in the same way it is to script writers, graphic designers, editors, film makers, voice over artists, TV companies, actors ... the list is very long. This needs to be monitored very closely and in his rush to appear 'cutting edge' I don't think Starmer has researched this very well.On the other hand I genuinely don't trust ANYBODY when it comes to AI. I have seen Terminator and it's only a matter of time before someone starts asking for the exact whereabouts of John Connor.

Chris Blackwell ● 5d

Oh forgotOur rachel got £600 million over 5 years from china? Atleast we think so.So we are all ok,everything is just going to be fine.Sounds more like it all starts happening after labour are ousted in 2029😁

Julian Pavey ● 5d

Yesterday while all was on trumpNew HospitalsStreeting said: "The programme we inherited was unfunded and undeliverable."Not a single new hospital was built in the past five years, and there was no credible funding plan to build forty in the next five years."Today we are setting out an honest, funded, and deliverable programme to rebuild our NHS."He said £15 billion would be made available over the next five years to help pay for the work.The new timetable set out by the government promises construction to start from 2032 on:Leeds General InfirmarySutton Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (London)Whipps Cross Hospital (London)Princess Alexandra Hospital (London)Watford General HospitalLeicester General HospitalKettering General Hospital (Northants)Musgrove Park Hospital (Somerset)Torbay Hospital (Devon)Then from 2035 on:Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals (London)North Devon District HospitalRoyal Lancaster InfirmarySt Mary's Hospital (London)Royal Preston HospitalNottingham City HospitalRoyal Berkshire HospitalHampshire HospitalsEastbourne District General Hospital............................................................Meanwhile weeks agoWes Streeting has defended the timescale for reforming adult social care in England, with proposals on its long-term funding unlikely to be delivered before 2028.The health and social care secretary is promising "to finally grasp the nettle on social care reform", but said on Friday the process "would take time".The independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, will begin work in April but is not due to publish its final report until 2028............................................................Meanwhile starmer said we are going to be a global force in AI.Except we are about 5 years behind the USA on AI who are the dominant force in AIAnd in the next 30 mins going to announce live from whitehouse a $500 billion investmant into AI along withJoining Trump for the announcement fresh off his inauguration will be Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. Son, a billionaire based in Japan, already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. The head of SoftBank previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trump’s first term

Julian Pavey ● 5d

“It’s highly debatable whether private health care "reduces pressure on the NHS".”Not sure how anyone can think that. We have had private health care forever and have used it for just about every ailment. Surely every time my family ‘goes private’ we are freeing up space in NHS queues for others? Surely the more people going private takes pressure of the NHS?

Steve Taylor ● 5d

The majority of wealth is achieved through hard work, choosing the right profession, studying hard etc, we need wealth it is a positive not a negative. Any government should encourage aspiration not destroy it. More millionaires ( we don’t have many billionaires) have left the UK since Labour came into office that’s not good and goes banks goes the tax with it. This Labour government came to office talking the country down at least Trump creates a positive environment. So RR having completely lost all confidence in the business environment talks about a growth strategy coming this spring. Wait for it folks spending our taxes on government projects that’s not a growth strategy!

Jayne Thorburn ● 5d

A Labour government rarely sheds its politics of envy.It always wants to hammer the rich, to bring down the so called privileged, never to encourage aspiration.Regardless of the consequences.

Denis I. Fox ● 6d

Cannot see what is wrong with billionaires, I can see that their exodus is going to reduce the tax take. I do not think that is a very good “idea” I do not think the extra taxes on school fees is justified, I do think it is a vindictive policy with nothing good about it. It remains to be seen if many children will be returned to a state system that is bursting at the seams now. Nobody really believes that the VAT raised will provide extra teachers in the state system.

John Southey ● 6d

Totally agree and it’s the kids that suffer appalling decision. What about the complete waste of our taxes RR has caused by her disastrous tax rises in interest rates alone. She has no idea how to create a balance so our hard earned taxes go where they are most needed.

Jayne Thorburn ● 6d

I disagree NHS and private have kit, I know people who were suffering and needed knee and hip replacements why suffer for 2/3 years if you don’t need too. They choose to go private and it transformed their life, Democracy is supposed to give people a choice. If those that can afford private go private, reduces waiting list, less for the NHS to have to deal with other than emergency. Our NHS is a real lottery I have also heard some amazing stories through NHS care.

Jayne Thorburn ● 6d

"So yes if one believes in a democracy, their share of actual votes was very low."Did you vote in favour of changing the way we elect members of the house of commons when there the Alternative Vote referendum in 2011?Have you been in opposition to the way MPs are elected after any of the the previous UK elections?Not really relevant to today, but perhaps some will find it interesting, in 1951 Labour won the popular vote with a highest number of votes ever received by a political party in a UK general election, however they lost the election.

Andrew Jones ● 6d

20% VAT on school fees is vindictive.

Chris Blackwell ● 7d

It's highly debatable whether private health care "reduces pressure on the NHS". More private spending means more competition for the time of consultants and for outsourced services such as imaging, and potentially makes it harder to expand care paid for by the health service. Queue jumping doesn't help overall capacity restraints.

Robert Fish ● 7d

1. We need wealth creators, they build business, employ people and pay loads of tax2. Private health is essential as it gives people a choice and reduces the pressure on the NHS which is a disaster for minor ailments3. Millionaires leaving is bad for business and tax as money they contribute is far in excess of the ordinary worker4. What about aspiration that’s healthy this government have taken it away5. Targeting pensioners is just plain wrong6. Private schools closing so more pressure on the state so more money needed7. Zero inroads to reducing the state handouts which is outrageous no policies 8. Zero inroads to reducing immigration no policies So yes if one believes in a democracy, their share of actual votes was very low

Jayne Thorburn ● 7d

No, it isn't vindictive (see OED definition), although some (not I) may regard it as spiteful. As for private medicine, there could even be valid arguments for taxing it. It draws resources from the NHS and creates a two-tier health system.

Robert Fish ● 7d

I reckon taxing private education is not just vindictive, it is spiteful. Next thing they will be looking to tax private medicine.

Richard Greenhough ● 7d

Interesting how this post separates the wheat from the chaff!

V Killick ● 7d

As long as they don't take your job and a few 100 thousand others with them,eh?

Keith Iddon ● 7d

So much for the promised ‘sovereignty’, loyalty and honour and as a tearful Mrs May said as her own party turfed her out ‘..the country I love.”The billionaires are bailing out of the country and the people that made them rich in the first place.  Good riddance to them, parasites on our culture.There should be a new pathology - billionaire, the hoarding of money at any cost whilst doing nothing with it except competing with other billionaire to get more.

Martin Weaver ● 7d

Rachel from accounts is proving every day how out of her depth and inept she has become.The latest set of figures to embarrass her is the fact that by taxing Non-Doms and the super rich (remember, their fiscal input was going to pay for the NHS shortcomings plus a host of other expenses) so heavily the rate at which millionaires have left the UK has increased by 157% in the year Never Here Keir came to power.This vindictive party is somehow going to have to pull a few rabbits out of the hat to avoid further ridicule.

Denis I. Fox ● 7d

It was predicted 100% that under Starmer and Reeves many billionaires would desert the sinking ship. It was obvious.

Steve Taylor ● 7d

Yes, it's terrible.  A Labour administration with policies for redistribution of wealth - who would have thought it!!!Increase the minimum wage Stop paying benefits to those who don't need it - I thought Tories preferred Means Testing but not for rich OAPs it seems.Make business pay tax on its profits - which have rocketed over the past 14 years or so.So yes, there is a purpose and the people have VOTED they DECIDED so just like Brexit - GET BEHIND IT!

Martin Weaver ● 7d

Vindictive, in what way? The word implies a desire for revenge. Are you suggesting that the government has deliberately penalised pensioners, because as a class they tend to vote Tory? The withdrawal of WFP was a crass and insensitive error, but it stretches the imagination to call it vindictive. But then gross exaggeration of the errors of the current government and its motives seems to have become common currency on the forum.

Robert Fish ● 7d

At least the telephone sanitisers and hairdressers onthe Golgafrincham B ark had a purpose unlike the current administration.

N V Brooks ● 7d

Hmm This reminds me of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and who you'd put on the first flight out.

Philippa Bond ● 7d

Well, the previous Tory Govt should be named the Asset Strippers seeing as how all the billionaires have taken our money and are now fleeing the country.Cameron said 'We are all in this together' except clearly not when businesses and the billionaires are now asked to pay their share."It's a funny old world" - as someone once said!!

Martin Weaver ● 8d