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Some things to think about for next week

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    Some things to think about for next week

    1. Iraq. Hundreds of British soldiers killed in conflict over non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Total absense of pre-planning for aftermath leads to state of civil war. Trust in political process totally collapses after truth about WMD and dodgy intelligence finally emerges. Minister primarily responsible: Tony Blair.

    2. Foot and mouth. Millions of healthy animals needlessly slaughtered after Government fails to send in Army soon enough for fear of panicking the country ahead of 2001 general election. Minister responsible: Nick Brown took the rap, but this was Blair's call too.

    3 Pension fund raid. PM-elect Brown has valiantly defended this move as a means of targeting resources where they were needed most, but some other way should have been found to do this without entirely wrecking the country's private pensions industry. Minister responsible: Gordon Brown.

    4. Jo Moore burying bad news. Besides the death of Dr Kelly (which is covered by the generic cock-up heading of Iraq) this did more than anything else to destroy public trust in New Labour. Minister responsible: Stephen Byers for employing Moore, Blair for initially refusing to allow Byers to sack her.

    5. Deportation of foreign prisoners. Proof that the Home Office was indeed "not fit for purpose," it was amazing that such a media-obsessed government didn't spot this disaster waiting to happen. Minister responsible: Charles Clarke, with input from Jack Straw and David Blunkett.

    6. Railtrack. The creation of Failtrack will go down as possibly the greatest cock-up of the Major Government. Stephen Byers attempted to put things right, but went about it in totally the wrong way and then tried to evade the truth about it when challenged. Minister responsible: Byers.

    7. Health overspends. A government that comes into office pledging to "save the NHS" and pumps more than £20bn of additional spending into the service ends up closing hospitals. Minister responsible: Pat Hewitt has got the blame, but most say the rot set in under John Reid.

    8. Millennium Dome. I have been criticised for including this folly in a previous list of New Labour policy failures but seriously, this should have been a celebration of British endeavour on a par with the Festival of Britain or the Great Exhibition. Minister responsible: Peter Mandelson, abetted by Blair.

    9. North East regional assembly referendum. You could list any number of devolution-related cock-ups from opposing Ken Livingstone to making Alun Michael Welsh First Minister. But holding a referendum you were bound to lose goes down as the silliest. Minister responsible: John Prescott.

    10. The 2003 Reshuffle. This was the one that was supposed to create a Ministry of Justice and abolish the Lord Chancellorship together with the Scottish and Welsh Offices. It was all reversed within hours of being announced. Minister responsible: Tony Blair.

    #2
    Tax and spend

    July 1997
    01 • Mortgage Interest Tax Relief At Source (MIRAS) reduced from 15% to 10%
    02 • Dividend Tax Credits for pension schemes abolished
    03 • Income tax relief on health insurance abolished
    04 • Insurance Premium Tax extended to some health insurance
    05 • Road Fuel Tax escalator increased to 6%
    06 • Vehicle Excise Duty increased
    07 • Tobacco duty escalator increased to 5%
    08 • Stamp Duty raised to 2%
    09 • Carry back of Corporation Tax losses limited to 1 year
    10 • Windfall tax on utilities


    March 1998
    11 • Tax relief for the married couple's allowance (MCA) cut to 10%
    12 • Top rate of Insurance Premium Tax extended to travel insurance
    13 • Exceptional increase in tobacco and alcohol duties
    14 • Duties on casinos and gaming machines raised
    15 • Road Fuel Tax escalator increase brought forward
    16 • Tax on company cars increased
    17 • Tax relief on foreign earnings abolished
    18 • Tax concessions for certain professions abolished
    19 • Capital gains tax imposed on certain non-residents
    20 • Restriction of Capital Gains Tax relief on reinvestment
    21 • Corporation tax payments on account brought forward
    22 • Stamp duty increased again
    23 • Certain hydrocarbon duties increased
    24 • Additional diesel duties introduced
    25 • Landfill Tax increased
    26 • Double tax credits on certain dividends restricted

    March 1999
    27 • National Insurance Contributions earning limit raised
    28 • NI Contributions for self-employed increased
    29 • Tax relief of Married Couple's Allowance abolished
    30 • MIRAS abolished
    31 • Self-employed contractors to pay NI and income tax as if employees
    32 • Company car business mileage discount limited
    33 • Double escalator on tobacco duties
    34 • Insurance Premium Tax increased to 5%
    35 • Vocational training relief abolished
    36 • Employer NI Contribution base broadened to include all benefits in kind
    37 • VAT on some banking services increased
    38 • Tax on reverse premiums paid to tenants by landlords introduced
    39 • Duty on domestic fuel oils up
    40 • Vehicle Excise Duty for lorries increased
    41 • Landfill tax escalator introduced
    42 • Stamp Duty rates raised again to 2.5/3.5%

    March 2000
    43 • Tobacco duties increased above inflation
    44 • Stamp duty raised for 4th time, scope of duty extended
    45 • Extra taxation of life assurance companies
    46 • Rules on tax havens tightened up
    47 • Company car taxes raised

    2001
    The Chancellor gives the exhausted nation a year off – no new stealth taxes!

    April 2002
    48 • Personal tax allowances frozen
    49 • National Insurance threshold frozen
    50 • NI Contributions for employers raised
    51 • NI Contributions for employees raised [Class 1 up 1%]
    52 • NI Contributions for self-employed raised
    53 • North Sea taxation increased
    54 • Duty on some alcoholic drinks raised
    55 • Stamp duty thresholds frozen
    56 • Tax relief on investment in film industy restricted
    57 • Rules on corporate debt tightened
    58 • Nil-rate threshold for inheritance tax raised by less than the rate of inflation

    April 2003
    59 • VAT imposed on electronically supplied services
    60 • Domestic staff on £89/week to pay NI & income tax, employers to pay NI
    61 • Betting duty increases
    62 • Tax on red diesel and fuel oil increased
    63 • Anti-tax haven rules tightened to cover more UK firms with Irish subsidiaries
    64 • Vehicle excise duty raised
    65 • Personal tax allowances frozen again

    July, 2003
    66 • £35 added to all fines and £3 added to the cost of a home insurance policy

    September, 2003
    67 • Price of petrol raised 7p per gallon (with the VAT)

    October, 2003
    68 • Up to 8 times increase in the stamp duty on leases for retail premises
    69 • Airport Tax doubled

    December, 2003
    70 • 40% extra Council Tax on second homes was sneaked in while the Westminster Wonders were breaking up for their hols a whole week before Xmas.
    Additional info : It has been pointed out that a number of councils gave an even bigger discount for second homes and the increase for some people can be 80%. Plus the usual 6-18% annual rise, depending on how bloated the council's operations have become.
    Exemptions may be granted if the second home owner (1) has to live somewhere because of his/her employment, (2) the dwelling comes with the job, or (3) there are special threat/security reasons involved. All of which excuses apply to 10, Downing Street, the home of a certain Mr. Anthony B. Liar. (Thanks to M.K.)

    January, 2004
    71 • £60 per day fine for late submission of self-assessment income tax forms
    72 • Traffic wardens to receive powers to impose fines for a whole bunch of offences to keep poor people off the roads. The offences will include parking more than 19 inches from the kerb (£100) and dithering by people who are lost over, and who do

    Comment


      #3
      I'm glad you mentioned Blair. It's easy to forget that despite Brown's failings, it is not completely fair to crucify him alone for the last 13 years, Blair jumped ship when he thought things would get bad and people need to remember that.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by DimPrawn View Post
        stealthy taxes
        Have you got a source for that? I'l post it on my anti-broon twatter account.
        ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

        Comment


          #5
          Civil Liberties

          Protest and assembly

          - Protests are banned within one kilometre of Parliament Square without police permission (penalty: 51 weeks in jail and/or a £2,500 fine).

          - Groups may be dispersed under antisocial-behaviour laws.

          - Groups may be dispersed within designated areas under the terror laws.

          - The new offence under SOCPA of trespass within a designated site (no justification for designation is required).


          Communications

          - Under the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act, government agencies may intercept email, internet connections and standard mail without seeking a court's permission (the latest figure is 500,000 secret interceptions a year).

          - Since summer 2007, the government and some 700 agencies have had access to all landline and mobile-phone records. There was no primary legislation and no debate in parliament.


          Databases

          - Without primary legislation, police introduced a national network of all ANPR cameras. The travel data may be stored for two years.

          - The National Identity Register will store details of every verification made by an ID-card holder and give access to government agencies without the knowledge or consent of the private citizen.

          - ID-card enrolment requires every citizen to offer up 49 piece of personal information to the national database, with heavy and repeated fines for non-compliance.

          - All children details are to be stored on a central database, with access granted to a wide range of public bodies.

          - The Children's Common Assessment Framework database stores all details of children with problems, indefinitely.

          - The Home Office has announced that it wishes to take 19 pieces of information, including mobile-phone and credit-card numbers, from everyone travelling abroad.


          Free Expression

          - Public-order laws have been used to curtail free expression. A man wearing the slogan "Bollocks to Blair" on his T-shirt was told to remove it by police.

          - The Race and Religious Hatred Act (2006) bans incitement of hatred on religious grounds.

          - Justice Minister Jack Straw proposes new laws which would ban the incitement of hatred towards the disabled and on the grounds of a person's sexual orientation

          - Terror laws are used to ban freedom of expression in designated areas. Walter Wolfgang was removed from the Labour party conference for heckling Jack Straw. People have been searched simply for wearing slogans on their T-shirts or for carrying banners. A man was detained while collecting signatures against the ID card

          - The Protection from Harassment Act (1997) bans the repetition of an act. People prosecuted for repeated protest by email.

          - Terror laws ban the glorification of terrorism, which has resulted in the prosecution of a young woman for writing poetry.


          The Courts

          - ASBO legislation introduces hearsay evidence, which may result in a person being sent to jail.

          - The Criminal Justice Act (2003) allows the prosecution to make an application to be heard without a jury where there is a danger of jury tampering. This will include fraud trials.

          - The admissibility of evidence concerning a person's bad character, previous convictions and acquittals.

          - The Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) gives the state powers to confiscate assets in circumstances where it does not have enough evidence for prosecution.

          -Special Immigration Appeals Court hearings are held in secret. Those terror suspects whose cases come before the court are not allowed to know the evidence against them or to be represented by a lawyer of their own choice.

          - The Courts and Tribunals Enforcement Act abandons the tradition of an Englishman's home being his castle, which since 1604 has made breaking into a home by bailiffs illegal.


          Terror Laws

          - Terror laws have been used to stop and search ordinary citizens. The current rate is 50,000 per annum.

          - A maximum of 28 days without charge is allowed under terror legislation. The government has announced plans to increase this to 42 days.

          - Control orders, effectively indefinite house arrest, were introduced after the Belmarsh decision.

          Comment


            #6
            The first act by Cameron if he gets to be PM must be to detain every former cabinet minister.

            The second act should be to announce when the public executions should be.
            How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

            Follow me on Twitter - LinkedIn Profile - The HAB blog - New Blog: Mad Cameron
            Xeno points: +5 - Asperger rating: 36 - Paranoid Schizophrenic rating: 44%

            "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office" - Aesop

            Comment


              #7
              IR35 - New Labour's weapon against the freelancer and small company

              1999 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              IR35 measures announced. Mar 1999 Initial HMRC IR35 press release announcing the measures to counter tax avoidance in the area of personal service provision with the intention of them taking effect from April 2000.
              PCG formed. May 1999 PCG formed to combat the IR35 proposals.
              Modified IR35 measures accounced. Sep 1999 Second press release detailing a modified approach based on consultations:

              * onus on the service companies to follow rules;
              * service companies to collect the tax rather than the clients.
              * Existing tests for self employment to be used.
              * Flat rat of 5% allowed for non Schedule E expenses.

              Passed in Commons.


              Nov 1999
              After peers backed down, the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill (which contained IR35) passed in the house of Lords.
              2000 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Revenue publishes IR35 guidance. Feb 2000 HMRC publishes FAQs for IR35.
              IR35 becomes law. Apr 2000 Finance Act published – schedule 12 being specific to IR35.
              2001 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Judicial Review Mar - Apr 2001 PCG took HMRC to a Judicial Review.

              High Court dismissed the PCG and IR35 remained law.
              First IR35 case loses. Aug 2001 Battersby versus Campbell.

              First case to go before Special Commissioners is lost.
              Second IR35 case loses. Dec 2001 F S Consulting Limited vs McCaul.

              Second case to go before Special Commissioners is lost.
              Judicial Review - Appeal Dec 2001 Judges dismiss appeal by PCG.
              2002 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              PCG focuses on case law Jan 2002 PCG drops legal fight with HMRC to focus on case law.
              First IR35 case won. Oct 2002 Lime IT vs Justin

              First case to be won at the Special Commissioners.
              2003 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              IR35 case lost at High Court Mar 2003 Synaptek vs Young.
              2004 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              IR35 case lost Jan 2004 Usetech vs Young.
              2005 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Tories Propose Abolishment. Jan 2005 Tories Propose Abolishment of IR35.
              Freelancer Loses Case. Jan 2005 Freelancer Loses IR35 Case..

              Netherlane Limited loses at the Special Commissioners.
              PCG wins freelancer case as special commissioners. May 2005 PCG wins case for Mike Ansell
              2006 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Court of Appeal status ruling on employment status. Mar 2006 Cable and Wireless v Muscat

              Concerns that contractors could start to claim employment rights.

              PCG Analysis of Cable and Wireless v Muscat Judgement

              Fears over Muscat bite
              2007 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Island Consultants Ltd lose IR35 case to Revenue. Jul 2007 Island Consultants lose IR35 Case

              Island Consultants Ltd V Revenue & Customs

              No IR35 Precedent Set, Experts Say

              Conservative John Redwood says Tories will "Turn back the clock on IR35 and MSC's" Aug 2007 Redwood: "We will Turn Back the Clock Entirely on IR35 and MSC"

              2008 - IR35 History
              Event Date Detail
              Datagate Services Ltd wins case. Jan 2008 Lawspeed IR35 Win Shows Contractors Can Prove Status

              MKM Computing Ltd loses case at special commissioners. Jan 2008 See this article - last paragraph

              MKM Computing Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

              Dragonfly Consulting Ltd loses £99,000 in IR35 case.



              Dragonfly subsequently loses appeal. Jan 2008




              Sep 2008 Contractor Loses £99,000 in IR35 Case for Being 'Part and Parcel'

              Dragonfly Consulting Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

              Crucial Dragonfly Consulting IR35 appeal has been lost

              Dragonfly verdict - “no massive additional exposure to IR35 risk”

              First Word Software Ltd wins IR35 Case at Special Commissioners Jan 2008 Accountax Win IR35 Case For Contractor - First Word Software Ltd

              First Word Software Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

              Contractor beats HMRC in IR35 case - Larkstar Data Feb 2008

              Feb 2009 Contractor beats HMRC in IR35 case - Larkstar Data

              HMRC wins narrow victory over Larkstar Data IR35 case in the High Court

              Contractor loses IR35 appeal - Alternative Book Company Ltd Jun 2008 Contractor loses IR35 appeal - substitution clause viewed as “window dressing”

              2009 - IR35 History
              Official figures showing that IR35 only brings in about £1.5 million each year May 2009 PCG’s revelation of IR35’s £1.5m per year tax take is (sadly) not the full story

              Tilson ruling: Contractors inside IR35 and employment rights July 2009 Contractors inside IR35 may be able to claim employment rights after landmark ruling

              Stringer v HMRC: Clients should now be more supportive on contractors IR35 status Aug 2009 Contractors holiday pay ruling should make clients more supportive on IR35 status

              Comment


                #8
                Crikey, DimPrawn, you have been busy.

                Kudos for assembling all that, which will be sobering reading for the Labour shills here, like Tarquer the Utter (although of course they won't bother reading any of it).
                Work in the public sector? Read the IR35 FAQ here

                Comment


                  #9
                  Other things to remember next week

                  The Tories made flip all fuss about any of the above, agreed with much of it and gave Bl*ir a standing ovation when he scarpered.
                  Last edited by TimberWolf; 30 April 2010, 08:22.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hey you've had a bunch of coonts in power for a few years, how are you going to affect what colour rosette the next bunch of coonts will be wearing.
                    Insanity: repeating the same actions, but expecting different results.
                    threadeds website, and here's my blog.

                    Comment

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