Brexit: give me a positive effect... XIV

[sean99]

The tax in DK is eye-watering, at least to those who are used to US/UK rates. Not many loopholes either. The average tax rate is around 45% (top rate 56% though the tax bands may have changed since you lived there). Share of taxes related to income is very high. A lot of taxes go to caring for the elderly/pensions as well. And yes, cars are still expensive. I think at the time in the UK there were concerns about quality and government caps on enrollment which led to a series of reforms that created the university system we have today. There may have been other reasons.

Attending a state university in the US costs around $30k a year (tuition, room & board). Health insurance for a family is around $20k a year (partly paid by employer, partly by employee). Good job our taxes are low, or we'd never be able to afford to pay for it all .

The one positive about higher education in Massachusetts, at least, is that there's a lot of choice, and those who didn't get top grades in school, or are "late bloomers" can find their way to a useful degree, perhaps via part time community college, which is much less expensive, particularly if you live at home.

 

[davidsrsb]

But they have the taxation system to support that. I have been out of the Danish tax system for more than 25 years now, so a lot may have changed, but the top rate was 68% and on average, I paid 50% of my salary in tax.

Factor in NI, council tax and other "not income taxes" and the UK is not that far behind

 

[eternumviti]

I've lost track of the thread somewhere. What have university/college fees in Britain & Europe (less still Massachusetts), got to do with brexit/the EU?

 

[Space is the Place]

I've lost track of the thread somewhere. What have university/college fees in Britain & Europe (less still Massachusetts), got to do with brexit/the EU?

I think everyone realised that there were no upsides to Brexit, only downsides and there was nothing left to discuss.

That's why the thread has drifted towards other topics.

 

[eternumviti]

Ah, right. I guess it's only a matter of time before we are discussing how Brexit makes one kind of cable audibly inferior to another.

 

[TheDecameron]

I've lost track of the thread somewhere. What have university/college fees in Britain & Europe (less still Massachusetts), got to do with brexit/the EU?

Quite right, time to pause for a disbenefits of Brexit summary:

Devaluation of the pound.
Reduction in GDP
Increased inflation/ increased prices
Offshoring to the EU by U.K. companies-both jobs and financial assets
Shortage of manpower causing reduced economic activity
Fuel shortages
Food shortages
Loss of exports to EU, described as ‘disastrous’ by the food and drink sector.
Mobile phone roaming charges in Europe
Threat of the collapse of power sharing and civil disorder in Northern Ireland


….but keep calm and carry on.

 

[Heckyman]

And longer queues at foreign passport control, Brits are now shepherded to the "other" line by smirking border staff ;-)

 

[Kirk]

Attending a state university in the US costs around $30k a year (tuition, room & board). Health insurance for a family is around $20k a year (partly paid by employer, partly by employee). Good job our taxes are low, or we'd never be able to afford to pay for it all .

The one positive about higher education in Massachusetts, at least, is that there's a lot of choice, and those who didn't get top grades in school, or are "late bloomers" can find their way to a useful degree, perhaps via part time community college, which is much less expensive, particularly if you live at home.

A friend's daughter went to Holy Cross and graduated with something like 175K USD in loans at the age of 21. Another's son is currently at Johns Hopkins (not in MA obviously) and pays around $50K a year. Big fan of the US university system but the costs are extreme (even taking into account all the keg parties), and those costs are partly down to the loan system itself. And medical costs are as painful, though MA seems to have a decent/fairer (?) medical system compared to some of the other States.

 

[Kirk]

I do not think they teach any language in Croydon. Even English

.

 

[kenniGT]

A friend's daughter went to Holy Cross and graduated with something like 175K USD in loans at the age of 21. Another's son is currently at Johns Hopkins (not in MA obviously) and pays around $50K a year. Big fan of the US university system but the costs are extreme (even taking into account all the keg parties), and those costs are partly down to the loan system itself. And medical costs are as painful, though MA seems to have a decent/fairer (?) medical system compared to some of the other States.

And there are many poorer countries were universities are for free. US and UK pay billions on firearms, but can not pay to educate society. Shameful to be honest.

 

[Kirk]

The hotel and restaurant industries now want some magic visas. We seem to be running out of industries that do not require them. Maybe Olaf is right when he suggests that FoM is the solution.

 

[kenniGT]

The hotel and restaurant industries now want some magic visas. We seem to be running out of industries that do not require them. Maybe Olaf is right when he suggests that FoM is the solution.

It is not going to work. Issue is for EU people, they can not plan future in UK anymore.
So those industries will only be able to get temporary employees. As brexiters wanted... local people will need to pick up those jobs or many companies will cease to exist.
For drivers is there other issue. Border waiting time, often they loose a day, so there is no apatite to drive to UK from Europe.

From 2 months ago report:

 

[Kirk]

And longer queues at foreign passport control, Brits are now shepherded to the "other" line by smirking border staff ;-)

And red tape, Boris et al and GB News. Still, the fish continue to enjoy FoM.

 

[TheDecameron]

The hotel and restaurant industries now want some magic visas. We seem to be running out of industries that do not require them. Maybe Olaf is right when he suggests that FoM is the solution.

In Edinburgh at the tourist season peak during the Festival, just about every restaurant had “chef/ waiting/ kitchen staff wanted”
posters in the window and many were unable to open full normal hours.

Less staff, lower economic activity, smaller tax take. Brexit is a systemic poison.

 

[Kirk]

And there are many poorer countries were universities are for free. US and UK pay billions on firearms, but can not pay to educate society. Shameful to be honest.

Hopefully Biden will get some tax increases passed this year that will help address some of the imbalances in how the Federal Government redistributes the money. Free community colleges I think is still part of his package but I'd be surprised if it gets through.

 

[Kirk]

It is not going to work. Issue is for EU people, they can not plan future in UK anymore.
So those industries will only be able to get temporary employees. As brexiters wanted... local people will need to pick up those jobs or many companies will cease to exist.
For drivers is there other issue. Waiting time on the border, often they loose a day, so there is no apatite to drive to UK from Europe.

From 2 months ago report:

Thanks. Someone was on TV last night talking about practicalities of coming to the UK for 3 months - places to live, family issues, setting up bank accounts, hostile environments, etc. Not sure that's what the government had in mind when it said Global Britain is open for business. You can't help but think about what Boris said about business at this time.

There are reports in the papers of local businesses struggling with the lack of drivers (not to mention purist Brexit). Business owners are quite blunt in saying that if the situation doesn't change soon their businesses will go under.

 

[Kirk]

In Edinburgh at the tourist season peak during the Festival, just about every restaurant had “chef/ waiting/ kitchen staff wanted”
posters in the window and many were unable to open full normal hours.

Less staff, lower economic activity, smaller tax take. Brexit is a systemic poison.

Hermit Kingdom sovereignty and Little England in one. Less is more.

And the thing is...the labour is there, willing to come and work in welcoming places like Scotland but it is being barred from doing so by ideology and purists.

 

[Brian]

Quite right, time to pause for a disbenefits of Brexit summary:

Devaluation of the pound.
Reduction in GDP
Increased inflation/ increased prices
Offshoring to the EU by U.K. companies-both jobs and financial assets
Shortage of manpower causing reduced economic activity
Fuel shortages
Food shortages
Loss of exports to EU, described as ‘disastrous’ by the food and drink sector.
Mobile phone roaming charges in Europe
Threat of the collapse of power sharing and civil disorder in Northern Ireland


….but keep calm and carry on.

Probably the same sort of list will be possible when Scotland leaves its biggest trading partner, though I doubt you’ll be worried about the pound given Scotland will have its own currency (tbd).

 

[Colin L]

In Edinburgh at the tourist season peak during the Festival, just about every restaurant had “chef/ waiting/ kitchen staff wanted”
posters in the window and many were unable to open full normal hours.

Less staff, lower economic activity, smaller tax take. Brexit is a systemic poison.

Project fear again Dec. Grow a spine man. There are fabulous opportunities out there, hauking tatties, picking veg and gutting turkeys.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Project fear again Dec. Grow a spine man. There are fabulous opportunities out there, hauking tatties, picking veg and gutting turkeys.

Might cabinet ministers count as turkeys?