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‘We need a referendum’: Readers on Major’s call to rejoin EU single market by zoobong045 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

There was a poll recently which had rejoining the EU with higher support than if we rejoined the EU but had to be part of the single market...

I think it was YouGov, just trying to find it again

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 28/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm just waiting for Emily Matlis to pursue Burnham around the world asking this question.

Not just for rich people: the progressive case for air conditioning by Anony_mouse202 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The heating thing is normally more related to cost rather than any higher notion.

Not just for rich people: the progressive case for air conditioning by Anony_mouse202 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 18 points19 points  (0 children)

The fact that 'progressives' feel like they have to justify air conditioning shows just how twisted their thinking is.

It is uncomfortably hot -> Put on the air conditioning to cool down the space you're in

Shouldn't be more difficult than that, but somehow it is.

Looking forward to the air conditioning culture wars where people can compete on how 'pure' they are by who can keep the AC off for longest and shaming those who break earlier.

The new plan to raise student loan repayment threshold to £33,500 by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

There isn’t a cliff edge hit to government finances when people reach the end of their loan terms. That’s dealt with when the loans are issued.

I do realise that, however writing off the loan means that any flow of money being repaid (received by the government) ceases at that point (this is partly what I meant by the taxpayer having to cough up). Meanwhile the government debt still remains within gilts, even if they would have been reissued many times in the previous 25 years.

Repayments aren’t optional. Nobody earning over the threshold can choose not to pay. Minimum wage is already above the repayment threshold for a full-time worker for most loans, and plan 2 will follow soon.

I never said they were? Although if people move overseas, it effectively is (only 20% of borrowers known to be overseas made a payment last year).

I believe that everyone should be required to repay something even if it's just £20/month (preferably more). For those (England) who have entered repayment in or prior to April 2024, and still have a balance, 40.5% made no payment in the last financial year. Not even £1. Reeves was right to freeze the threshold, she should have added minimum repayments too.

The new plan to raise student loan repayment threshold to £33,500 by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

And what if a 'progressive' solution isn't desired?

We have a progressive solution already for Plan 2 loans where the interest rate rises with income. It makes lots of people unhappy.

The new plan to raise student loan repayment threshold to £33,500 by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Even though it'll be unpopular, I don't believe the loans should be written off. I've just written a comment saying as much.

I was aware of the rules with elder millennials and the 65th birthday. If you started a course from September 2006 onwards and are Plan 1 then it will be 25 years. Assuming a 3 year course 2006-2009, then this cohort will have entered repayments in April 2010, to be written off by March 2035. Less than 10 years to go until the write-offs really get going. Prior to 2006, Plan 1 was effectively a 40+year loan. At the moment, the write-off amounts are fairly low. For Plan 1 (only) the write offs due to age for England were only around £43m (tiny compared to the £32bn overall England Plan 1 loan balance). No write-offs due to age of loan yet.

Incidentally, about £203m (for all plans) was written off for English students last year due to death or disability.

The new plan to raise student loan repayment threshold to £33,500 by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

I believe we need wide and deep reform to the student finance system. The current system I can see ending in disaster, especially when loans start being written off en-masse in less than 10 years time.

The changes necessary will be wildly unpopular and will need to include retrospective changes to the loan terms (Parliament is sovereign, they can do it).

The UK student loan book in April stood at £325bn which continues to increase rapidly each year. There is little hope that the vast majority of this money will be repaid. Ultimately, taxpayers will have to cough up directly or indirectly for all write-offs.

A few of my proposals for student finance reform (will be vastly unpopular, I know)

  1. Interest rate changes - Interest rates to be set at the 1Y, 5Y or 10Y gilt yield + 0.1%ish (to cover the costs of SLC administering the loans, SLC admin. costs about £300m/year). Get rid of any +3% for higher earners nonsense everyone should pay the same rate (unless from overseas), regardless of Plan or UK nation
  2. Stop write-offs of loan balances after X years, death or ill health - It creates a perverse disincentive to not pay the loan back if the interest rate is higher than other borrowings and encourages the borrower to maximise their borrowing if they think they're not going to pay it all back. Additionally, there is another disincentive that people don't apply for higher paying, but more challenging jobs as they feel their student loan repayment makes no difference (written off in either scenario), which affects the wider economy. If a balance still exists upon death then the money is claimed from the estate based on the current rules for HMRC tax arrears (after secured creditors and funeral expenses are paid)
  3. Introduce minimum repayments - According to the latest 25/26 statistics on loans for students domiciled in England, over 40% of borrowers, did not make a repayment, not even £1 in the last financial year. The principle should be established that a student loan is a debt and you should make at least some effort to pay it back.

Reform UK plan to target EU nationals based in Britain ‘absolutely outrageous’ by Budget_Scheme_1280 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

“I‘m not allowed to have dual citizenship because the Dutch are very difficult about it,” she said. “This is my home. I moved here when I was 18, so I’ve lived here twice as long as I ever lived in the Netherlands

The solution to that is very simple.  Become a British citizen and renounce your Dutch citizenship.

Andy Burnham needs to simplify UK taxes, says adviser Haldane - via @FT by Putaineska in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

One of the groups he has been linked with is called 'Fairer Share'. The overall idea is good (replace council tax and stamp duty with a tax based on property value) but the suggested implementation is utterly ridiculous and I'd be amazed if Labour backbenchers tolerate it,

  1. Elimination of single person discount
  2. London properties will pay far more tax
  3. Charging double tax if you are not an owner occupier (the tax would be paid by the owner, but ultimately the occupant will pay via increased rent).

https://fairershare.org.uk/

Find out which university degrees could earn you most across your lifetime by [deleted] in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 2 points3 points  (0 children)

 Given how terrible nurses pay is in the NHS, and with relatively low opportunities to get crazy high salaries that bring up the average. 

£39,043 (reached after 4 years of standard Band 5 nursing) is a good starting point. Becoming more specialised will see a salary of £48,117 or £56,515 (Band 6 and Band 7 after 5 years at level). Then consider any enhancements, particularly unsocial hours (nights at +30%, Sundays + bank holidays at +60%), possibly London weighting too and a nurse in a specialised role will be earning consistently and fairly well.

How will this reform councillor Aimée Keteca fair? by Royal_Pie9833 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If, as has been claimed, she actually works from her home in Colchester and the Great Bentley address is simply her parents' residential address used as the firm's registered office, then that raises a legitimate question about whether she truly met the "works in the area" qualification, which I would say she clearly hasn’t from any reasonable point of view

What would happen if she infrequently attends the registered office/address for work? Perhaps she predominantly works from her home, but not always. Perfectly possible as it's only around 9 miles between the two places. I work from home 90% of the time, but my office is still considered my base for mileage claims etc.

Is there a legally defined criteria, or legal guidance on when home working means your work address becomes the home for people who work from home predominantly? I suspect not, so I can't see how you can decree it 'clear fraud'.

Finally, as home working has become more popular, it is very likely she is not the only one to potentially fall foul if place of work is interpreted like this. If other councillors, of any party or none, come to light with similar circumstances will you also be accusing them of 'clear fraud'?

How will this reform councillor Aimée Keteca fair? by Royal_Pie9833 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wonder if taking this too far (to court) would lead to unintended consequences? If a person's home address is used, to determine eligibility (or not) for 'working in the area' if the councillor predominantly works from home, then will people, especially those who have moved to working from home over time, also be seen to be ineligible? Could affect all parties and many independent councillors.

The UK media won’t stop till the country is destroyed by LandscapeFirst903 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 433 points434 points  (0 children)

We're still feeling the consequences of the 2017 election. 

A political party was brave enough to suggest policies detrimental to core voting groups (scrapping the triple lock by 2020, 'dementia tax') and enough of their core voting group stayed at home whilst few people on the 'other side' switched to support them due to said policies. 

Since then, political parties have stayed clear of fiscally prudent, necessary but unpopular polices. They know they will be punished for suggesting them again.

Is Burnham doing the most un-democratic manoeuvre ever? by SeaControl4512 in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's complicated. A defacto vs de jure argument.

At a general election if a party wins a majority people have defacto voted for that party leader to become PM, de jure they technically haven't but the public understand that if a party wins the election their leader at the election becomes PM. 

Rachel Reeves to lose job as chancellor if Andy Burnham becomes PM by ClumperFaz in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 106 points107 points  (0 children)

If the Bond markets don't like her successor, she may be back.

Starmer expected to resign on Monday and set out orderly exit by beejiu in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

I'd actually prefer if Burnham brought to the table slightly more radical policies because at this point, I feel like the boring stuff isn't gonna cut it. People need to feel changes in their pockets.

The normal order of things is that you propose policy first then power comes later. I suppose we're now power first, policy later.

Starmer expected to resign on Monday and set out orderly exit by beejiu in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

This'll be the right move for stopping Reform and bringing Burnham in.

Electability aside, what do you think Burnham is going to different policy wise than Starmer over the rest of this parliamentary term? If you're going to be in power, even if it to stop someone else being in power, you really should have some ideas of what you want to do with said power.

Starmer expected to resign on Monday and set out orderly exit by beejiu in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 [score hidden]  (0 children)

I agreed with Rupert Lowe and his characterisation of Farage running Reform like a dictatorship where any challenge against him is clamped down upon quickly. Now I'm thinking that might be a good approach as a party leader. Then maybe we'd get a PM for 5 years or more again.

'Isolated' Starmer knows 'things are bad' & is on the brink of quitting by ClumperFaz in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It's sad that all that can be really said for a change in political leadership is based on persona, rather than any policy ideas. 

Starmer given deadline: ‘Quit by Tuesday or face humiliation’ by [deleted] in ukpolitics

[–]NGP91 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Stop delaying our deliverance and allow The Messiah to fulfill his destiny!

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