Home workers who 'built up savings' must go on spending spree when pandemic ends

[JamesTC]

We should all spend our newfound wealth on gifts for Rishi to thank him for being so generous with the Eat Out to Help Out.

[frajer]

His new slogan is No Such Thing As A Discounted Lunch.

Big picture of his face on a wilting Ploughman's with a 75% mark-up.

[wooders1978]

The sentiment of it is correct, however it does rather assume there will be job security after the pandemic, which is not the case for the vast majority, however getting money flowing between businesses will inevitably lead to better job security for many, eeeeeeh it's complicated innit

[Zetetic]

The sentiment of it is fucking stupid, when the person saying it controls a practically infinite money-machine capable of generating far greater initial demand than any combination of us.

[wooders1978]

The sentiment of it is fucking stupid, when the person saying it controls a practically infinite money-machine capable of generating far greater initial demand than any combination of us.

So raise taxes instead then?

[Zetetic]

No?

I mean, I would also introduce progressive wealth taxation which would also encourage the richest to spend rather than hoard (rather than targetting people who've scraped together a few hundred or thousand quid for the first time in their lives), but it's not actually necessary.

Particularly when you've found that vast quantities of QE doesn't seem to produce any bump in inflation. There's clearly a huge potential for "debt"-funded government spending right now, rather than trying to push this on to households.

(Edit: I really don't think you need to be an MMT-Maniac or something to conclude this.)

[Endicott]

Indeed. Borrow money, because at the moment it costs govt almost nothing to do that, and spend it, not on contracts for your mates, but on infrastructure. On the sort of thing that creates jobs and pushes money downwards. From there it will then flow back round.  Build some NHS hospitals. Build some fucking affordable housing. I am not an economist.

[bgmnts]

So raise taxes instead then?

Making the richest pay their fair share is the basic start. So kind of yes.

In fact I've lined out radical proposals;

1) Make rich cunts actually give back.
2) Stop giving cushy jobs and millions of unearned income to corrupt mates. Create a meritocracy.
3) Fundamentally change everything for which the tories stand.

Get it done.

[spaghetamine]

Very bold of them to assume I built up any savings whatsoever

[wooders1978]

Making the richest pay their fair share is the basic start. So kind of yes.

In fact I've lined out radical proposals;

1) Make rich cunts actually give back.
2) Stop giving cushy jobs and millions of unearned income to corrupt mates. Create a meritocracy.
3) Fundamentally change everything for which the tories stand.

Get it done.

Unfortunately it will be clawed back via council tax, income tax and VAT that Johnny normal has to pay as we're the overwhelming majority - sadly the "make the rich pay for the poor" ideology isn't a realistic long term solution

[Fambo Number Mive]

Increasing VAT on luxury items and a land tax for large landowners (apart from farmers) would help. Could the UK could bring in a windfall tax on Amazon UK?

[Zetetic]

Unfortunately it will be clawed back via council tax, income tax and VAT

Why?

What's the reason why in 4 months time that government spending needs to be combined with any tax increases?

[Johnny Yesno]

Indeed. Borrow money, because at the moment it costs govt almost nothing to do that, and spend it, not on contracts for your mates, but on infrastructure. On the sort of thing that creates jobs and pushes money downwards. From there it will then flow back round.  Build some NHS hospitals. Build some fucking affordable housing. I am not an economist.

Yes, that's the important thing. Spend it on shit we need rather than let it float off to a tax haven.

[bgmnts]

Sadly the "make the rich pay for the poor" ideology isn't a realistic long term solution

That's not what I suggested to be fair.

[flotemysost]

It's more divide and rule, trying to make people think that it's all the fault of those working from home with all their money. People who work from home have to pay extra in heating, electricity and water. I know you can get a tax rebate but especially in the winter it's still going to cost many people more to work from home.

I wonder if Sunak is trying to soften opinion up for a work at home tax.

Given he's helped cause another lockdown with his Eat Out To Help Out, perhaps Sunak might like to use his billions to compensate business?

Exactly. Gas and electric at my current place are on a meter and I've been slapping bigger-than-necessary bucks on it because I'm terrified it'll suddenly go pfft during a meeting. (Also because I want to minimise the number of times I have to get coughed on in Asda topping it up before dicing with electrocution trying to reach inside the comically hazardous box it's in, but anyway).

I would completely understand if anyone whose industry or career prospects have taken a battering this year (which of course includes loads of people who work from home), was less than sympathetic to those who've been able to earn a consistent income remotely /is comfortable career-wise. But no, yet again this is coming from camps which could easily alleviate so much of that suffering with the merest crumb of lint from their pockets. The scrapings from under their horrible little foreskins.

Meanwhile the main thing most home workers have accumulated this year is probably premature lumbar problems and glaucoma.

[monkfromhavana]

Again, why should the little people bail out the economy? Why not the corporations and billionaires sitting on Scrooge McDuck levels of cash? Why not tax them? Easiest way to do it and least harmful to society. If you don't do it, it's an ideological decision. Basically, Fuck off, Sunak.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

OH IS IT BAD TO HOARD WEALTH NOW??? I M A G I N E   M Y   S H O C K

The sentiment of it is fucking stupid, when the person saying it controls a practically infinite money-machine capable of generating far greater initial demand than any combination of us.

https://brrr.money/