An interesting article I wrote on the reality of the current system.

Interesting and whilst I agree that we do need to look at the way the NHS and social care operate, or how the disability benefit system functions I also think we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. For instance, we’ve been told for almost the last three decades that the NHS was on the brink of collapse unless it got a lot more funding, but it hasn’t collapsed, the problem is that it functions as a system designed to meet the needs of the past, not the present or the future, but being such as sacred cow everyone is scared of complete reform and restructuring of the NHS.

Agreements and disagreements aside on the actual policies one of the major problems is funding. Less than 30% of working age adults are net contributors to the state, with all but a handful of children (usually child actors) and only 2% of pensioners being net contributors you’re in a situation where roughly 20% of people in the UK are funding everyone else. If we want European style services then we have to pay for them, and they key is that we ALL have to pay for them.

To give an example someone working for minimum wage on a 40 hour week in the UK would pay £1,710 in income related taxes per year, someone on the same wage in Germany would pay £4,328 in income related taxes per year. Germany VAT 19% vs 20% in the UK for most goods, however they charge a 7% rate on food vs 0% in the UK and there are far fewer exemptions than in the UK. There’s also a municipal tax which is roughly similar to council tax. In Scandinavia, the taxation is even higher on almost everything but especially income taxes.

The difference is that in Germany or other European countries it’s seen as everybody’s job to contribute, however in the UK over the last decade an attitude of “the rich” should pay for everything. Until the majority of the population accept that they will have to pay more in tax, that it can’t just be paid for by someone else then the current situation will continue. 

Interesting and whilst I agree that we do need to look at the way the NHS and social care operate, or how the disability benefit system functions I also think we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. For instance, we’ve been told for almost the last three decades that the NHS was on the brink of collapse unless it got a lot more funding, but it hasn’t collapsed, the problem is that it functions as a system designed to meet the needs of the past, not the present or the future, but being such as sacred cow everyone is scared of complete reform and restructuring of the NHS.

Agreements and disagreements aside on the actual policies one of the major problems is funding. Less than 30% of working age adults are net contributors to the state, with all but a handful of children (usually child actors) and only 2% of pensioners being net contributors you’re in a situation where roughly 20% of people in the UK are funding everyone else. If we want European style services then we have to pay for them, and they key is that we ALL have to pay for them.

To give an example someone working for minimum wage on a 40 hour week in the UK would pay £1,710 in income related taxes per year, someone on the same wage in Germany would pay £4,328 in income related taxes per year. Germany VAT 19% vs 20% in the UK for most goods, however they charge a 7% rate on food vs 0% in the UK and there are far fewer exemptions than in the UK. There’s also a municipal tax which is roughly similar to council tax. In Scandinavia, the taxation is even higher on almost everything but especially income taxes.

The difference is that in Germany or other European countries it’s seen as everybody’s job to contribute, however in the UK over the last decade an attitude of “the rich” should pay for everything. Until the majority of the population accept that they will have to pay more in tax, that it can’t just be paid for by someone else then the current situation will continue.