Sorry was going to post, then i remebered i will be labled a right wing thug for using my right of free speech
Why? You're absolutely entitled to your opinion.
From my perspective, I'm far from left wing. Some of my views are unpopular - I fully accept that.
My point above though, is that I try and consider everything - which is why I think that the Tories focusing only on older people is really unfair.
We have an aging population. I'm probably one of the few over 50 that realise what that means. It means that we're going to get in the same state that Japan is finding itself in. 10% are over 80. 30% are over 65.
Consider that. In Japan 30% are retired. And then 22% are under 18.
If and when we get there (which isn't long - it's expected in our children's lifetimes), 48% of working people will need to pay for 52% not working. And that assumes that all 48% are working, which of course, they're not. 74.5% of working age people work. So now, we're down to 35%.
That's just over 1/3 of the ENTIRE country working. And yet the Tories are saying "That's OK, we'll keep paying pensioners more"
I keep hearing the "But we paid in". Of course you did. As have I. And continue to. I rarely use the NHS. But I don't begrudge those that do. I've never claimed unemployment benefit, but I also accept that there are some genuinely unable to work or can't find work.
But none of the Governments - right or left - have saved that money. They just expected the tax gravy train to continue.
And what will happen is that those working will end up paying more and more and more tax. As we do today. I pay considerably more tax than I did 14 years ago. Not because of major pay rises, but fiscal drag means my take-home is worth around 20% less.
14 years ago, £50k was seen as a lot of money and 40% tax seemed fair. With inflation, that £50k salary is now £75k (check the BoE inflation calculator!). In 2010, if you earned £33,000, you wouldn't have been anywhere near 40% tax. That's what the equivalent salary of £50k is now.