British Attitudes Survey: More Britons 'back higher taxes'

 

Nearly half of Britons think the government should raise taxes and increase spending, an annual poll of public opinion suggests.

 

At 48%, it is the highest proportion to support such measures since 2004, according to the British Social Attitudes survey.

 

The survey also found the public were becoming more sceptical of the EU. And social liberalism was rising on issues such as same-sex relationships, pre-marital sex and abortion.

 

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40408576

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2017-06-28

Give'em what they want, then.

tax and spend, the old labour way ! It just does not work.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40408576

 

The parts on national security and brexit are of far more interest methinks and very telling of the change in public attitude that the msm and some politicians will have to start acknowledging.

8 minutes ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40408576

 

The parts on national security and brexit are of far more interest methinks and very telling of the change in public attitude that the msm and some politicians will have to start acknowledging.

Except of course that the poll was taken from july to november.  Which means that some of the results are nearly a year old and the freshest are a 7 months old.  There is more up to date information about Brexit attitudes at least.

And it's interest that you think that the attitude about taxes is not of as much interest. Is that because that result isn't to you liking. Given the leftward drift of opinion since then, I suspect that the attitude about taxes is even more strongly in favor of raising them.

Were they all drunk when asked? 

Just now, ilostmypassword said:

Except of course that the poll was taken from july to november.  Which means that some of the results are nearly a year old and the freshest are a 7 months old.  There is more up to date information about Brexit attitudes at least.

I didn't realise that. ? But that does make it even more telling on the national security points seeing recent events have not been taken into account. 

Just now, goldenbrwn1 said:

I didn't realise that. ? But that does make it even more telling on the national security points seeing recent events have not been taken into account. 

And also more telling on taxes.

In my experience most people in favour of raising taxes don't pay any.

26 minutes ago, gamini said:

tax and spend, the old labour way ! It just does not work.

What we have now clearly doesn't work - time for a radical change. 

I bet the majority of people they are asking are the freeloader that don't earn any money, and hence, don't pay any taxes anyway.

 

Who in their right mind, that is smart enough to earn more than a million or two a year, is going to say they are for higher taxation?

11 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

And also more telling on taxes.

I'm fine with taxes going up. ?. More money for NHS; social care ; and even home security. Nothing wrong with that. And austerity doesn't seem to be working.

 

And I thought I better edit....yes I pay taxes in the UK ? Paying a bit more to help society as a whole and keeping our country safe is a no brainer.

4 minutes ago, halloween said:

In my experience most people in favour of raising taxes don't pay any.

Similarly, it would appear that those with all the cash like to keep it to themselves.

4 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Similarly, it would appear that those with all the cash like to keep it to themselves.

 

And do you find something wrong with that?

 

In a capitalist system, that is the whole idea. Mixing Socialism with Capitalism, just can not work.

 

 

 

 

 

10 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

I bet the majority of people they are asking are the freeloader that don't earn any money, and hence, don't pay any taxes anyway.

 

Who in their right mind, that is smart enough to earn more than a million or two a year, is going to say they are for higher taxation?

And I guess to your way of thinking those who earn more than a million or two a year are a significant fraction of the population? And anyone who earns less is a freeloader?

13 minutes ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

I'm fine with taxes going up. ?. More money for NHS; social care ; and even home security. Nothing wrong with that. And austerity doesn't seem to be working.

 

And I thought I better edit....yes I pay taxes in the UK ? Paying a bit more to help society as a whole and keeping our country safe is a no brainer.

 

I'm always amazed at how naive brits are on how their tax £ are spent or should I say wasted.

 

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

 

And do you find something wrong with that?

 

In a capitalist system, that is the whole idea. Mixing Socialism with Capitalism, just can not work.

 

 

Yes, I find something wrong with the concept of wealth concentration in the hands of a few. I also find your understanding of economic fundamentals a bit shonky. Capitalism is not about channelling scarce resources to the few owners of the means of production in any way, shape or form - kind of ever decreasing circles if you think about it.  

3 minutes ago, sgracer said:

 

I'm always amazed at how naive brits are on how their tax £ are spent or should I say wasted.

 

 

 

 

Do please share your amazement of our naivety....

4 minutes ago, sgracer said:

 

I'm always amazed at how naive brits are on how their tax £ are spent or should I say wasted.

 

 

 

 

What amazes me is that countless middle and working class people put in power the party that has crippled them financially, and invented QE as a means of funnelling the cash of the workers into the Panama bank accounts of the government and their friends. 

18 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

 

And do you find something wrong with that?

 

In a capitalist system, that is the whole idea. Mixing Socialism with Capitalism, just can not work.

 

 

 

 

 

It was The Affluent Society, however, published in 1958, which became Galbraith's most famous book. Its basic thesis - though still vigorously contested - became so much a part of the framework of later thinking that it is difficult to recall what a bombshell it was at the time. Galbraith drew attention to the paradox of private affluence amid public squalor, citing the family that takes its mauve and cerise, air-conditioned, power-steered and power-braked car out for a drive, passes through cities that are badly paved and made hideous by litter and blighted buildings, and then picnics on exquisitely packaged food by a polluted stream.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/may/01/guardianobituaries.usa

24 minutes ago, sgracer said:

 

I'm always amazed at how naive brits are on how their tax £ are spent or should I say wasted.

 

 

 

 

Look at the disaster that America has become in their small government low tax zeal.

 

As Galbraith tirelessly pointed out during the 1980s, President Reagan's policy of cutting taxation at the top end of the scale, and welfare benefits at the bottom, was based on the curious assumption that the rich were not working properly because they had too little money, the poor because they had too much. He was fond, too, of characterising the trickle-down economics of the Reagan-Bush era as advocating feeding the horse more oats because some would pass through to the road for the sparrows.

27 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

 

And do you find something wrong with that?

 

In a capitalist system, that is the whole idea. Mixing Socialism with Capitalism, just can not work.

 

 

 

 

 

Just look at the failed northern European states. Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands...

2 hours ago, losworld said:

Were they all drunk when asked? 

No, they were the ones that do not pay tax

1 hour ago, GreasyFingers said:

No, they were the ones that do not pay tax

I pay plenty of tax and would happily pay more for an egalitarian, happy society 

 

Locomotive Breath was great BTW!

4 hours ago, gamini said:

tax and spend, the old labour way ! It just does not work.

The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money- Baroness Thatcher

10 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money- Baroness Thatcher

You are clearly a Thatcher neophyte

 

Read around the subject a little more.

5 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

What we have now clearly doesn't work - time for a radical change. 

 

True - but not doing old alternatives that also don't work.

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

True - but not doing old alternatives that also don't work.

You mean crazy ideas like making higher education affordable for the poor and middle class? I'm not sure if that began to unwind under Blair but it sure accelerated under the Conservatives.

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money- Baroness Thatcher

Better to run out of other peoples money funding schools, hospitals and infrastructure than bailing out Wall Street.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, NoBrainer said:

I bet the majority of people they are asking are the freeloader that don't earn any money, and hence, don't pay any taxes anyway.

 

Who in their right mind, that is smart enough to earn more than a million or two a year, is going to say they are for higher taxation?

Common sense there.