Armed Forces and police to face further spending cuts, Danny Alexander warns...

[Willard Whyte]

Armed Forces and police to face further spending cuts, Danny Alexander warns - Telegraph

There may well be some political posturing involved, but a ~5% cut is going to mean the cancellation of (yet another) complete program one would think, whether land, sea or air.

I almost feel sorry for those who decide not to pvr.

[Ken Scott]

This is probably necessary given the dire financial situation but would be considerably more palatable but for the stated desire to maintain the welfare budget. The projected increase in Housing Allowance for example will dwarf any cuts in defence or the Police.

We either get to grips with welfare spending or sink as a nation in my opinion.

[Courtney Mil]

Sad madness, but I can't say I'm at all surprised. They've made cuts to the Armed Forces and they are still doing the job. So, they feel there is still fat on the carcass and can, therefore, make further cuts. I look forward to the day when Dave asks the brave guys and galls to go on his next mission to promote his standing on the international stage only to find they can't. Then it will be too late.

Which programmes do we cut now?

[NutLoose]

3 years benefits and they would then reduce until in year 5 they cease if had my way, rent would be covered for 1 more year, but the rest would cease until they have got a job and contributed back into the system.

I notice no cuts to the 4 independent parliaments etc. give them all a referendum for independence, if they vote against it, shut the Scottish / Welsh ones etc and move it back to parliament, that would cut multiple civil service positions, multiple building up keeps etc.

[VinRouge]

Cut the state pension, cut the NHS and the deficit would be one step closer to solving. Likelihood? Zero.

[tucumseh]

And yet it remains a disciplinary offence in MoD to refuse to knowingly waste money.



Most recent sources, 3 DE&S letters dated 28.11.12, 8.1.13 and 13.2.13, plus one from the Head of the Civil Service dated 18.1.13.

[high spirits]

It's pretty self defeating if you sack a proportion of those on PAYE every 5 years or so. As well as foreign aid, welfare and the NHS, they should be looking more closely at tax skivers. A great many of whom work on military bases in ex mil jobs who set themselves up as their own company, and then subcontract to 'lowest bidder mil contracts.com'.

[smujsmith]

Whilst we can all "dick dance" around reasons for these cuts, it's very hard to deny that the projected influx of several thousands of benefit tourists from Romania etc are the reason that the "welfare" bill is going up. I have a service pension, 30 years of service and a further 12 years of work and paying my dues. I feel that people are trying to single me out as some sort of "drain" on the establishment. I see however that we have people in this country who have never paid a penny in tax or NI, who get a damn sight more than I do per month in this, that and the other benefit. I doubt my neighbour, after the way the Osborne/Cameron/Duncan-Smith show sets it out, considers me anything other than a Skiver, I can only say that I've done my bit and when some of the incomers can equal my contribution then they deserve their dues.

Smudge (the Skiver)

[VinRouge]

We can all gripe and moan about benefits cheats, but I'd doesn't detract from the fact that these sorts of benefits form a tiny proportion of the dwp budget. Pensions for example, are forecast to grow by 40 billion alone in the next decade. We have some seriously difficult choices ahead, and ring fencing particular budgets for political expedience is quite frankly disgraceful.

I don't see why they allowed grandfather rights to the changes to state pension age which should have been introduced in this parliament, if they change, they should change for everyone. I know this will not be popular, but some form of means testing for state pension will come, it has to. Complete moral hazard, but we cannot afford to pay the reasonably well off (significant private sector pensions or substantial savings) the state pension, nor can we continue to afford to provide the full range of healthcare we have benefitted from to everyone either.

Difficult choices. Unfortunately, I don't see any politicians on the horizon with the cahones to enact such policies.

Emigration unfortunately, seems to be the only forward option for strivers in this country.

[vernon99]

There are loads of ways to save money, but no political will power to do so.

For example all government departments should be given a budget, any surplus at year end is deducted from next years budget. Carry out random audits to check that money has not been wasted, if it has, then the department head should be prosecuted (using a new law regarding waste of taxpayers money) with prison an almost certainty if found guilty, this should focus minds to the right attitude for cost saving.

The NHS should start being less generous with healthcare for foreign visitors. I am sure if I go abroad, I am told I will not get treatment without insurance, use the new law above to prosecute hospitals where they are not getting payment from patients for treatment.

Ditto local councils, they would definitely fall foul of a new law regarding waste of taxpayers money, stop producing documents in a dozen languages, if you cannot read and write in English then pay for your own translation. There are loads of "non jobs" that do not support core services, these should go. Likewise the waste of funds fighting in court over trivial things, like whistle blowers.

We could simplify the tax system, do away with tax credits etc. Give everyone a decent/living tax allowance. If your wife stays at home to look after the children, you can have her tax allowance.

There are dozens of ways to save money without affecting core services.

How about no benefits without 5 years paying into the system, should stop those that think they can go from school to benefits without working. Moving to the uk from abroad, no problem, just need to prove you can support yourself for 5 years rent food etc.(£100k?) Coming to study here - ditto.
If the sort of cuts listed above are not enough, then yes it's time to start on the long term benefit recipients. As above 5 years and tapering to nothing, unless exceptional circumstances, eg genuine disability.

Just no political willpower to actually do something.

[Onceapilot]

I refer back to previous posts.., means testing will defo come to state pensions and NHS provision in the next 10 years.

OAP

[vascodegama]

Details then tuc??

[BEagle]

...some form of means testing for state pension will come...

Except that most people have been paying contributions to their state pension ever since they first started working....

So why should such contributions now be ignored and some form of fatuous, administrivial-heavy 'means testing' be introduced to factor the pension for such long-serving tax / NI payers?

Certainly end the nonsense of 'NHS tourism'. A couple who lived near me (for 4 years) were both Polish. She cr@pped a couple of brats courtesy of the free NHS, now they've buggered off back to Poland. There must be thousands of similar such cases....

nuLabor f*cked up immigration and swamped the nation with such scroungers, now it seems we're paying for such stupidity.

[Easy Street]

all government departments should be given a budget, any surplus at year end is deducted from next years budget.

That's effectively what we have got already. It's why there is always a mad rush to spend end-of-year surpluses on complete rubbish like flatscreen TVs and other flim-flam.

It would be much better if end-of-year surpluses could be carried over. This would discourage end-of-year waste and would allow departments to benefit from frugality.

[Corporal Clott]

I wonder how they'll pay for this...

DEFENCE: UKIP POLICY

Tuesday, 14th June 2011

Over the years, successive governments have starved the British armed forces of money. This has meant insufficient equipment, overstretched resources and excessive tours of duty, which can badly damage the fabric of family life. UKIP has huge regard for our Armed Forces and the work they do. We are prepared to provide proper defence resources and bring an end to devastating cuts. UKIP will:

· Spend an extra 40% on defence annually, another 1% of GDP

· Restore the Royal Navy to its 2001 strength with three new aircraft carriers and nearly 70 other ships, at the same time guaranteeing the future of the Plymouth, Portsmouth and Rosyth bases

· Increase RAF capability by buying more essential helicopters, transport aircraft and 50 extra JSF Lightning aircraft

· Restore historic regiments, such as the Highland regiments, which are being subsumed into planned European battle groups

· Strengthen our commitment to NATO, while withdrawing from all EU operations

· Reappraise our operations in Afghanistan to create a single, clear and achievable mission or seek to negotiate a withdrawal with our NATO partners

· Maintain Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent with existing Trident submarines and then replace them with four British-built submarines armed with US missiles

· Cut MOD bureaucracy, which has one civil servant for every two military personnel

· Introduce better pay, conditions and medical care for the British Armed Forces personnel and their families

· Introduce a ‘National Defence Medal’ respecting the service of all armed forces personnel and not just those who saw combat

·* UKIP believes that British forces should not have been involved in the Libyan situation.

[Deepest Norfolk]

I'm with smujsmith on that one. I fell singled out as a drain on society.
I have been employed in government service, one way or another, for most of my working life. I was "in" when pay was p1ss poor and the fact that I would get a pension at the end of it was seen as a compensation. I was a Civil Servant and then a Local Government Officer and poorly paid with the excuse that I would have a reasonable pension at the end. My wife is still in local government. She hasn't had a pay rise for over three years (the Tory controlled Local Government Association saw to that before their big brothers got in) and is unlikely to get one in the near future. There are two of them doing the work that kept three fully occupied before a post was cut due to budget cuts. Now Osborne has decided she gets less pension, pays more in if she wants one at all and is now putting the fangs into progression pay. Essentially, she will be taking a pay cut as well as inflation taking its toll.

I don't remember any government saying that the poor public servants were getting a raw deal when the private sector was doing so well and people were making money hand over fist and putting megga pension pots away. I don't recall anyone saying it had to stop and they were a drain on society. First time the Tory paymasters start feeling the sqeeze and pointing the finger "please Sir, they're getting something instead of us now, please take it off them" thay dance to the tune and start on public service pay and pensions.

I'm not surprised, given their behaviour in the house at PMQs et al.

[NutLoose]

Here is one hole they can close, in case you are unaware if you come from abroad you are still entitled to still claim Child Benefit for those children not even living in this Country.

£1m a week in child benefit paid to children living overseas - Telegraph

Put car tax on petrol, you then pay for what you use, you wipe out car tax avoidance at a stroke, you have a whole dept you no longer need at the DVLA, if you need a disc make it a requirement to display an insurance disc in the windscreen.

It would be much better if end-of-year surpluses could be carried over. This would discourage end-of-year waste and would allow departments to benefit from frugality.

I believe the defence budget surplus is getting carried over for a couple of years?

[sycamore]

It should be easy to `bill` each country for the money spent on giving benefits to immigrants .Furthermore, they should not be entitled to any benefit here which is of greater value than that which they receive in their own country.
Same applies to those from UK living in other countries.

[BOAC]

Originally Posted by Cpl Clott

I wonder how they'll pay for this...

- heard UKIP today suggest no benfits/NHS for immigrants for 5 years. That would help.

[racedo]

For example all government departments should be given a budget, any surplus at year end is deducted from next years budget.

Biggest buying time for equipment suppliers is the months up to year end as all departments work like crazy to spend the budget so they won't get hit next year.

A much better idea is at end of September .............half way through the year is to then freeze all spending and watch the surplus go up.