Keeping promises

[NotAllThere]

You might be right, but by the twenty-second wave, it could be squeaky bum time.

First covid came for the pensioners...

Being Russian isn't a "race".

No it isn't. But anti racism laws have been extended to include nationality and ethnic group. On that basis, take a day off.

Pulling up our commie subversive friend on his hatred of the country that has provided succour in his flight from conscription does not mean "I love the government".

It's not hatred to point out a country's failings. It's certainly not hatred to point out a government's failings.

[AtW]

Once Labour is in, he'll be slagging them off and not joining him would be high treason ...

[OwlHoot]

You might be right, but by the twenty-second wave, it could be squeaky bum time.

But let's not forget that every day one dodges the virus is a day closer to there being a reliable preventative, palliative, or cure, or all three.

[AtW]

But let's not forget that every day one dodges the virus is a day closer to there being a reliable preventative, palliative, or cure, or all three.

Would suck real bad to die just a day before it's available...

[Excursion UK]

All taxes should go down, at the moment the % is ridiculous.

Plus they should drop any red tape when it comes to employment. Ironically this is what IR35 is going to do, but at demotivating tax.

...and don't forget that VAT went up from 17.5% to 20% (via a period on 15%) to bail us out of the last crisis.

Hang on a minute, isn't austerity over?

Apparently, yes, but it's another thing that underlines that old maxim that states something along the lines of the drastic measures taken by governments during a crisis are never rolled back 100% to restore the previous status quo.

[Old Greg]

...and don't forget that VAT went up from 17.5% to 20% (via a period on 15%) to bail us out of the last crisis.

Hang on a minute, isn't austerity over?

Apparently, yes, but it's another thing that underlines that old maxim that states something along the lines of the drastic measures taken by governments during a crisis are never rolled back 100% to restore the previous status quo.

Income Tax

Income Tax was the first tax in British history to be levied directly on people's earnings. It was introduced in 1799 by the then Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, as a temporary measure to cover the cost of the Napoleonic Wars.

Today, it remains a temporary tax, which expires on April 5 each year, and has to be renewed as a provision in the annual Finance Bill. The Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1913 permits the Government to continue to collect Income Tax for up to four months after the expiry of the measure, until the Finance Bill becomes law.


Deduction at source was introduced in 1803 by Henry Addington. At this time, the amount charged was reduced from the original rate of 10 per cent on incomes in excess of £60 per annum, but the earnings threshold was widened to double the size of the liable population.


Income Tax was formally repealed in 1816, a year after the Battle of Waterloo, but it was reintroduced in 1842 by Sir Robert Peel to deal with a massive public deficit. At this time, it was levied only on the very rich, and it remained so for many years. In 1874, it contributed only £6 million of Government revenues of £77 million.

[DoctorStrangelove]

It's like a dream from the other side of time that VAT was once 8%.

[malvolio]

It's like a dream from the other side of time that VAT was once 8%.

It was 5% wen it was introduced...

[DoctorStrangelove]

<cough>

On 1 January 1973 the UK joined the European Economic Community and as a consequence Purchase Tax was replaced by Value Added Tax on 1 April 1973.[5][9][10]

The Conservative Chancellor Lord Barber set a single VAT rate (10%) on most goods and services.[5][9][10]

In July 1974, Labour Chancellor Denis Healey reduced the standard rate of VAT from 10% to 8% but introduced a new higher rate of 12.5% for petrol and some luxury goods.[5][9][11]

In November 1974, Healey doubled the higher rate of VAT to 25%.[9] Healey reduced the higher rate back to 12.5% in April 1976.[9][11][12

It still seems like a looooong time since it was 8%, mostly because it's over 40 years.