How does someone get to be able to earn over £80k a year and not be smart enough to understand percentages? Or is it simply a case of ivory towers? For those who aren’t aware; a guy got very angry on QT at Labours tax plans because he claims that earning over £80k not only doesn’t put him in the top 5% but it doesn’t even put him in the top 50% of earners. For mathematical context; the top 5% earn more than £75k and to be in the top 50% it’s just £27k.
I actually thought he was taking the p155 to start with and even the panel were silent as they were so thrown by the rubbish he was spouting. As a side note he turns out to be an IT consultant and motor bike racer/team part owner.
I don't think it was about his grasp of percentages. He just didn't like the idea of his tax bill going up and he seemed to be arguing that he didn't earn enough to be targeted in that way, even though he admitted earning more than £80k p.a. That's his prerogative, I suppose, but he didn't get much sympathy in this house.
There was someone on one of the news programs today, think it was Sky ,who thought £80k was an average wage !!!
I appreciate he was just angry about having to pay more tax. But he said he thought the statistic was a lie as he didn’t think he was even in the top 50% of earners. How out of touch do you have to be?
a) He’s from Lancashire, so he’s genetically thick. It’s not really very charitable to take the piss out of people less fortunate than us. b) The Mirror reckons he’s only 36 - so to be fair he’s earned whatever his salary is, as he’s clearly had the world’s hardest paper round.
Corbyn doing a great job here on Question Time. Declared himself neutral with regards to his campaigning for Brexit. Edit - didn't want to start another thread. Sorry for hijacking.
Someone’s done the maths for him - Labour’s tax plans would cost him an absolutely MASSIVE £48 per annum in extra tax. £48 for a better NHS, better schools, free broadband, cheaper & better trains, less poverty, help for the homeless and those needing social care. I could go on.
If you’re mopping floors for minimum wage, or scratching around for extra shifts on a zero hours contract, then £80k sounds like a lot of money. Once upon a time it would get you a nice house, flash car, a couple of holidays a year, and kids in private school. Not any more. Those things are increasingly the preserve of the super-rich. Labour shouldn’t be targeting those on £80k a year, they should be targeting those on £80k PER WEEK.
Every penny they make on taxing them at £80k a year ought to be spent on combating the proper tax dodgers and closing tax loop holes.
If he is an IT contractor, then extending IR35 to cover most contracts will cost him far more than the Labour tax increases.
agreed it’s not super duper rich but come on! If you can’t get decent things and afford £20 a month extra tax on 80k you are doing something wrong in the bookies!
Factually he was wrong and made himself look like a bit of a Joey but his point, however badly articulated, was relevant. At least the point I thought he was making, or trying to make. He is in the top 5% statistically but the statistics are very misleading. Earning £80k is a good salary but even at that level you're a long way from the millionaires and there is a yawning chasm between you and billionaires. As somebody earning £80k per annum you are significantly closer to somebody on minimum wage than the super rich. I think that was his point.
your points are true. I saw his point though as “why should I pay more” I’m only on 80k. He wasn’t worried about the billionaires, it was all about himself, I’m alright jack, stuff the rest. a typical Tory attitude.
I'm on far less than that but would be more than happy to pay more in taxes to fund better NHS, education, local services etc. But then I'm not a complete c_u_n_t either.
To be frank, if you earn 80k per year and aren’t a multimillionaire (or well on your way to becoming one) then I’m not sure what you’re doing. That’s a substantial amount of capital to have at your disposal for investment etc. Maybe he’s not a cash millionaire, but I’d put a lot of money on the line that he’s an asset millionaire at the very least. Yes there is a yawning chasm between millionaires like that bloke and billionaires, but that does not mean that these people cannot afford to pay a few more quid a year to help those with nothing.
Perhaps, only he knows for sure. One point he made though was that those of us on PAYE are easy targets and he is right in that respect. More has to be done to target people not on PAYE. I'm not sure about it being a typical Tory attitude - nobody likes paying tax but most of us don't have a choice. The biggest tax dodgers that I know are self employed lads in the building trade (both Labour voters).