22 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

I'd beg to differ. Highest taxes ever, and the least to show for it. I'd say it generally isn't. It's completely out of control.

Have you got the figures to support that statement(either half) or are your assertions just speculation or a repeat of something that some journalist claims, also without evidence.  Do you know how we compare with other countries with similar levels of public services?

 

As regards the first part of your assertion (for which these is some evidence, albeit only by a tiny margin and even that dependent on whether you believe the Office of National Statistics or the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development),  do you think by any chance that it might have anything to do with an ageing population and thus a reduction in the proportion working (state pensions count as benefits and are paid for out of current taxation not historical) .  What do you suggest we do about that (which, btw, is predicted to get worse), other than the obvious which is to encourage a higher level of immigration?

Edited June 9, 20251 yr by JamesPa

1 hour ago, JamesPa said:

other than the obvious

I was at a meeting, 20 years ago, about teenage pregnancies, I felt I was not contributing enough.

On 08/06/2025 at 19:58, MikeSharp01 said:

Yes but what about the households where there is neither a gas supply or a heatpump. EG here we are on LPG I doubt that is on a central dB.

That's fine: No Mains Gas supply => Get cheaper rate mains electricity.

What they do with the electricity is up to the home owner. They may choose to go all electric heating (heat pump or resistive), electric cooking, electric car. Or they may keep with non-grid  combustion for those things which already is more expensive and likely to get more expensive still over time.

 

 

Edited June 11, 20251 yr by joth

1 minute ago, joth said:

That's fine: No Mains Gas supply = Get cheaper rate mains electricity.

What you do with the electricity is up to the home owner. They may choose to go all electric heating (heat pump or resistive), electric cooking, electric car. Or they may keep with non-grid  combustion for those things which already is more expensive and likely to get more expensive still over time.

 

 

 

Yep, our governments (whatever party) so often tend to try an bullet-proof everything and it just ends up making for complex policy. Often keeping it simple and accepting some sub-optimal outcomes at the edges is the better policy.

 

Now, if only we could undo decades of this in building we could make building much easier. Governments keep adding layers on layers to try and control policy outcomes, when more detailled building control could produce similar outcomes with much less cost.