Social responsibility, higher education, the NHS and democracy

1. Implement a new ‘social responsibility levy’ on bonuses for those salaried over £200k annually, using the proceeds to create a PAYE Reward Fund to give a little back to the vast majority of the working population who pay their fair share of taxes upfront through PAYE.

2. Remove the anomalous £10 automatic Master’s degree awarded to Oxbridge graduates when the rest of the academic population have to work and study for at least a year for their MA.

3. Free higher education tuition for UK armed forces veterans, paid for by ending charitable status for private fee-paying schools.

4. Democratise NHS Primary Care Trust non-executive appointments by transferring responsibility for appointment from Secretary of State to the elected local authority.

5. Introduce a public right to table propositions before the Commons which must be debated and voted on if 5% public petition threshold is achieved.

Chris Leslie

http://promiseofavalon.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/left-wing-politics-is-vile/ Left wing politics is vile « The Promise of Avalon

[...] This is politics in action; dirty, mendacious politics usually found on the Left. Left Foot Forward, the new blog that hopes to become a little like Conservative Home – and is likely to do [...]
Tim White

Social responsibility is not restricted to just the few. Neither is it only for certain socio-economic classes. Social responsibility must be the banner that all of us carry regardless. That is if we want this country and our communiities to continue to thrive and be what we desire them to be.
http://onlinestudies@wikispaces.com Les Turner

Tim, you and I are Americans. I am conservative and lived in Whitley Bay in 1984. Before that I marched to stop the Common Market in London. But I don’t like labels, especially the way they are used in UK and USA to divide. Gary Allen’s NONE DARE CALL IT CONSPIRACY was right. The people are nice, not govts – right or left. The Republicans lead by McCain are doing HORRIBLE THINGS to Pres. Obama, for example. I sure hate it when veteran are given free education at my taxpayer expense. I am a pacifist! I never want to do anything to help people kill or reward them for joining a murderous gang. My daughters feel the same way and would never marry a veteran. Wake up!
Chris

1 – agree with above – social responsibility is for all not few. What would levy be – there cannot be many over £200,000 – what will everyone else get back 1p a year!!!!

2 – Sounding a little jealous

3 – If they are not a charity then they should not have the status, if they are they should

4 – agree

5 – what even if it is supporting Jeremy Clarkson for Prime Minister? We would be a laughing stock
http://meanderingmammal.wordpress.com/ Meandering Mammal

So the implication is that anyone earning that level of salary isn’t ”socially responsible”? What’s the basis for a tax increment at that level, as it stands this looks like the politics of envy, particularly as these earners are potentially contributing through PAYE anyway. If the implication is that this level of earnings leads to tax avoidance then deal with the taxation mechanisms to close dwn the opportunities rather than increase complexity in the system.

And fwiw people know that MA(Cantab) isn’t the same as a real Masters…
http://www.timworstall.com Tim Worstall

“Implement a new ‘social responsibility levy’ on bonuses for those salaried over £200k annually”

Higher taxes on high earners. Gosh, now that’s a surprise, innit?
Ian Bennett

The notion that high earners should “give a little back” to others presupposes that they have already taken from them. This is nonsense.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/03/introduce-a-living-wage-say-left-foot-forward-readers/ Introduce a living wage, say Left Foot Forward readers | Left Foot Forward

[...] ownership; free school meals for all as piloted by Islington Council and promoted by Labour List; a social responsibility levy on top bonuses; replacing university “top up” fees with a graduate tax; and unilateral nuclear [...]