Triple Lock On Pensions To Go !

[mikey4444]

There are distinct rumours that Mrs May is thinking of ditching the triple lock on pensions, as well as ditching the 2015 Tory manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT.

So, we could be looking at a future Tory government, where the value of your pension will go down, at the same time as taxes go up.

Vote Tory...get a double whammy !

[mikey4444]

David.....But why vote UKIP ?

They will never be a position to form a Government, and therefore never produce a UKIP Chancellor, so what is the point in voting for them ?

All that you will achieve is either a Labour Government, which you don't want, or a Tory one, that you don't want ether !

[Old_Geezer]

Well Corby, whilst on the face of it, it does sound an unjustifiable benefit, it is worth noting the reason it was brought in. When a pension was tied to average earnings then inflation was greater and the value of the pension income fell in real terms. When tied instead to inflation than earnings rose more rapidly but pension were tied to the lower figure increase and lost out again. Eventually it had dropped to such a low value this triple lock solution was introduced to prevent and correct the situation. The additional benefit per year isn't massive but the UK State pension is meager (thus the daft annual handouts like winter fuel etc. trying to push it up a bit) and so it helps.

[Old_Geezer]

And your suggestion on how to get a government that isn't Conservative, Labour, nor Liberal, none of which we want, is ?

[furrypusscat]

I believe the triple lock pension was only guaranteed until 2020 when next general election was supposed to be being held so the end was possibly on the cards then along with bus passes etc. She needs to be careful to be sure of the grey voters.

[Jackdaw33]

The only reason we gave any money to North Korea was so that Mr Fat Boy Kim would have a decent haircut. Alas it appears that like many third world dictators he has misappropriated the funds to his own ends. He won't be getting any more.

[mikey4444]

OG......my position hasn't changed, as I suspect you know !

I want a Labour regime in power. But I still puzzle why anybody would vote UKIP ? Look at out own straw Poll on here....more people say that will support UKIP, then the only other Party that can beat the Tories....why ?

[Jackdaw33]

I agree. Why should people be stupid enough to vote UKIP or Tory when they could be enjoying paradise earth under Kim Jong Corbyn (Cue wild applause and cheering).

[Old_Geezer]

It wasn't your preference I was exploring, it was how to get the undesirable parties out. Although I only listed three of them.

People vote UKIP partly in protest, partly because we are still in the EU and they hope one (or more) constituencies somewhere may elect a voice to represent those who want the referendum result applied, and not some watered down version that is a useless deficit rather than the massive benefit voted for.

[Peter Pedant]

// it's far more important to provide Aid to foreigners than it is to protect UK citizens' pensions. //

hmm bit of judicial bias there I think

it is a question of cost - foreign aid already pledged - peanuts
a penny on income tax - £5 bn

just do ve sumz...... as they say in Essex

[mikey4444]

OG....but we are leaving the EU !

What good would come if 1 or 2 UKIP MPs were elected ? They have had, until recently, 1 MP, and what did he achieve ? ........precisely nothing !

On this issue of the economy and Manifestos, what good would come if any UKIP MPs were to be elected ? They can't form a Government, and they can't influence our taxation system.

[Old_Geezer]

Only on paper if we get idiots agreeing to future arrangements that basically retain all the awful lack of sovereignty issues we voted to leave behind, in order to retain/get access to mutually beneficial trading contracts. The vital part is that some things are *mutually beneficial* and so one side of the table ought not be demanding that the other side pay to get agreement on them. If one side tries that con on then the better option is to call their bluff and concentrate on trading elsewhere instead. UKIP are the most likely to argue for that, the other are more at risk of either caving in, or worse, agreeing enthusiastically. Don't let us get on to the subject of so called exit fees.

[mikey4444]

OG....."UKIP are the most likely to argue for that"

But how will UKIP do that with 1 or 2 or, more probably, zero MPs !

[mikey4444]

UKIP's only, and slim chance of getting a seat in Parliament is Farage, and he has now said he isn't going to stand.

[Zacs-Master]

Talking of seats, here's a prediction for you Mikey:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/target-seats-ones-watch-general-election-2017how-theresa-may/

[Old_Geezer]

The hope is that one (or more) constituencies somewhere may elect a voice to represent those who want the referendum result applied. At worst they show they wanted this to occur. Voting for any other party just encourages them to claim they have a mandate for the nonsense they support already, or that which we suspect they would do. None have any appeal.

[Zacs-Master]

But the referendum result is being applied.

[mikey4444]

Exactly Zacs !.........so just what is the point of voting UKIP ?

I wish one of our 27 UKIP supporters on AB would tell me why they intend to waste their vote !

[Bertrum]

It’s possible they have thrown out these intimations “or lack of clarity” to see what the backlash is, before writing their manifesto. I will be waiting to see all the manifestos before forming an opinion and will take each one with a pinch of salt. I don’t view this election as a single issue I won’t be sacrificing my right arm to be ambidextrous

[Khandro]

mikey; Do you have a crystal ball, how do you know a vote is "wasted" ? and anyway, in a democracy a person votes for what they believe in, just as many people's Labour vote might be "wasted".

[Old_Geezer]

As explained a number of times, it isn't clear it's being applied until we know the results of negotiations yet to take place. Otherwise it would be just a paperwork sop to register the UK as officially out of the EU, but in practice still in the EU straightjacket. What's to be confused over ?