One of the Tories’ biggest missteps in 2017 was their decision to include the ‘dementia tax’ on the homes of pensioners in care. The move – clung to in spite of the uproar that it caused, until Labour’s surging popularity forced them to drop it – showed the absolute cynicism of the Conservatives’ attitude toward even their traditional supporters.
Pensioners vote – and a lot of them vote Tory – so the conventional wisdom went. But as soon as the Tories thought, foolishly, that they were so far ahead in the polls that they didn’t need to rely on the pensioner vote, the knives came out for our older folk, too.
Do they never learn?
The ‘MSM’ are now reporting that a think-tank headed by a Tory peer is proposing a tax on all pensioners in order to fund a £10,000 lump sum to young people when they turn twenty-five, to “ensur[e] there’s a fair deal across the generations“.
Even the fact that the idea could occur to them shows the detached and simplistic nature of Tory thinking: “let’s tax old folk and give a lumper to the kids – that’ll fix things!”
Way to miss the point by a country league, let alone a country mile.
If you want ‘fairness across the generations’, give the young what their parents and grandchildren had:
- free education as an investment in their – and our – future
- housing that costs no more than two or three times the average wage
- ample social housing for those who need it (which will help costs for those who want to buy, too, by increasing supply)
- secure employment at decent wages
- decent pension provisions from their employers, linked to earnings at retirement not some fraction of a depleted pension pot
- a properly – centrally – funded and organised NHS, providing care free at the point of need, when needed, not hours, weeks or months later if they’re lucky
In other words, change society – it’s not impossible if those in charge have the political will and the economic, monetary nous – so people can build a life, rather than being forced to work till they drop and pay exorbitant rents to live in houses they could never afford to buy and exorbitant interest rates on education loans that hang round their necks until they’re grandparent-age themselves.
Do that instead of conducting a smash-and-grab raid on the elderly.
Oh right. For that you need a Labour government.
Tories can’t change their spots – as this latest debacle shows all too clearly.
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The pensioners have already paid their whack. They are due some respite in their old age that’s why they’ve worked and saved all those years.Anyway I thought Labour were the party of raising taxes. It seems the Tories have overtaken them even though they no longer call taxes that
Why not remove the Upper Earnings Limit on NI contributions for high earners?
Why not just have a single rate of tax relief on pension contributions, it is inequitable that the majority are in effect subsidizing the pensions of the better off.
Wasn’t really gonna be that long before they entertained another similar idea to one that was allegedly ‘anathema’ to them (After public outcry).
Completely devoid of fresh or innovative ideas; it’s all about clobbering anyone but the rich and the corporates with these clowns. No thinking about any ‘happy medium’, oh no.
It’s always pitting one against the other and trying to: A/ Make it appear they had no choice (clue)
OR
B/ Make themselves appear ‘tough’ to a sector of society they don’t appeal to by hitting the people they’ve already previously spread the bullsh*t about….Unless it’s the NHS, the disabled & unemployed, who cop for it whatever cretinous project they contrive.
Next week it’ll be force pensioners to work in creches for their state pensions to alleviate childcare costs for the low paid…Or they’ll decide to cap energy bills…until they don’t (again)
Same (tired old rehashed) sh*te, different shovel hurling it.
I was very surprised when R4 introduced David Willetts as leading a left leaning think tank… but the ex-Tory minister has long sought to blame the older generation for the plight of the young. Divide and rule again!
As you say, society and political priorities have to change but also the nonsense of mainstream economics. Govt can spend as much as it likes provided that what is bought is denominated in pounds sterling, and bearing in mind that that spending must relate to the available ‘stuff’ in the economy ie whilst there are still unemployed or underemployed workers such spending will not be inflationary.
Taxes are not like an income…. they are a means of countering too much ‘money’ in the economy which would cause inflation. The gov’t can choose to pay for the NHS, student fees, social care education etc. There is no need to tax the elderly to provide services for the young.
Austerity was a ideological and political decision to create a low welfare, low-waged society with increased precariousness of the workforce.
Let’s not forget that pensioners are also stripped of their life earnings and assets if they need care in later years. The forced house sales of many who have spent years working and saving to afford the stability of their own home is sad. But it is especially sad for those for whom home ownership came at too high a price, when they would have been better enjoying their lives a little more.
The government want you to think about intergenerational unfairness today, but they make no mention of £77bn they have robbed from 1950s women increasing their state pension age by upto 6 years without notice to prepare or protest. What have they done with this money and the extra taxes they are coining in as those over 60s still fit enough to work continue to pay into the system? Its win, win, win for someone but not for the young or the old. Let’s call it what it really is, Tory unfairness, cruel Tory policies, failed austerity and daylight robbery.
A cynical ploy by the Tories to get the ‘youth’ vote away from Labour – sod tuition fees and get ten grand!
bugger iv got dementia they would when the time comes take me into care thus robbing my children of my house Robin Hood government we paid our share they want they want they want they not only robbing the peasants tax pot but now they come for old jeff3