It's pretty embarrassing but I'd rather we focused on the policies, not the individuals.
It's OK. It's only £300,000 over 4 years. Bargain.I think we did, as this was kicked off with the usual question for Labour - how are we going to afford this?
It's pretty embarrassing but I'd rather we focused on the policies, not the individuals.
I think we did, as this was kicked off with the usual question for Labour - how are we going to afford this?
We're a pretty rich country, we can afford a lot more than we currently have. A great deal of money could be saved simply by investing in sustainable transport infrastructure, for instance. You could save the NHS billions each year with policies designed to reduce smoking, greed and alcoholism. You could treat drug addiction as a medical problem, not a criminal problem. You could push for an end to tax havens. Of course, things like this require politicians who are prepared to do the right thing at the cost of their careers.
A few thousand extra police officers is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall budget.
Sorry, but if you managed to eradicate smoking overnight, all your taxes would be going up to pay for the shortfall - even if you assume no more smoking related diseases to treat, that's still a £12 billion tax hole to fund.
It doesn't cost the NHS a lot of money though, it funds it! Last numbers I saw were £12 billion raised in taxes, versus £3 billion cost in treating us.
And sure, I could spend the money on other stuff, but other stuff that would bring in the same level of tax? Not a chance.
For me it's wanking.I come up with some of my greatest ideas while having a smoke. I am productive as fuck with a tab in my hand.
Lost productivity through illness and premature death means a weaker economy, which means less tax, which means less money to pay for stuff. Like the NHS.
Smoking doesn't pay for anything - it costs society dearly.
Jesus , the price of cigarettes, the wifes sister gave me a tenner to get twenty silk something..it wasn't enough.
10.20 for a pack of 20...thats 50p each.
On a similar note, I pulled into a minty newsagents near Goddison ground, very poor area, like 75% benefits...this pisshead, who was canned at 11am is trying to buy a scratchcard, she keeps asking for a number one and they guy says she hasn't got enough money.
I don't buy them..but holy fuck, the top card is a tenner!, followed by a fiver.
A fucking 10 quid scratchcard in a run down benefits area...what the living fuck, she pulls out another tenner to buy it and the half bottle of vodka....there's your tax dollars at work guys.
Another moan of mine, Goodison football ground, full of millionaires, surrounded by run down terraced side streets, people set up chairs in the roads, the entire street comes to watch if you pull up..you know the type.
They spend every penny they've got on season tickets, beer, betting and ciggies.
Getting poor people to buy expensive scratchcards is much more prevalent in the US, lots of state lotteries have $50 scratchcards. The UK is actually one of the more restricted markets (I think the UK is actually allowed to go up to £20).
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Please tell me it's a European gambling law.