Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Richard Hakluyt]

No, it is a cap on what the average bill will be...so there is an associated price of a Kwh of gas and electricity that they do not publicise, possible because of slight variations in that price according to supllier.

So the price cap is on the unit price (per kwh) and if I use an average amount of electricity and gas, I would be at roughly 2.500 GBP, but if I use more or less that fixed price per kwh still applies?

Yes, that's right.

[Zanza]

I often think about that article during covid that we're in the age of the database state, pointing out that the most successful bits of the covid response (furlough, support to business, vaccine rollouts) were all able to leverage existing databases while bits that utterly failed (test and trace) had to start from scratch. I suspect that a lot of this is going to be similar - policies will be shaped by whether we have an existing database we can leverage quickly.

Germans are paranoid about data protection and what you describe causes all kinds of problems here. 

I recently had to apply for a ki d of social payment and due to not following the standard model it was a horrible paper war with the state institution that manages the program. And it would all have been easy if they could just have accessed my payroll tax data...

[Sheilbh]

Germans are paranoid about data protection and what you describe causes all kinds of problems. 

I recently had to apply for a ki d of social payment and due to not following the standard model it was a horrible paper war with the state institution that manages the program. And it would all have been easy if they could just have accessed my payroll tax data...

Yeah within Europe (and working with data protection lawyers from across Europe) Germany has a reputation

In a way it's arguably counter-productive because, from my understanding and as you say, it often means more paper-based systems which are in many ways less secure and less amenable to other data protection rights (like access, accuracy etc). But it's ultimately the same thing that keeps British people from wanting an ID card - an abstract civil liberties based paranoia and maybe that's not a bad thing.

There are huge data protection and civil liberties implications and reasons to keep state databases separate and make it difficult for them to talk to each other. But I think it does have an impact on what modern states can do - especially when you look at countries, like the Baltics I think, that have fully embraced a digital ID linked to all your data with all the different state agencies. And the reality is that while it causes difficult I'd still be incredibly reluctant to trust the state with a full and easily usable digital panopticon of everyone.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The higher rate of income tax kicks in at too low a level to be a useful way of discriminating between the poor and the well-off (about £51k).

That "well-off" person on £51k could have a non-earning partner small children and be living in London mortgage hell whilst paying off their student loan....ie totally broke. Meanwhile the single pensioner in their cosy mortgage-free flat on £40k would get the subsidy.

[Valmy]

Surely having children and other dependents gives tax breaks though...right?

And over here having a mortgage would also get you some relief as well.

[Richard Hakluyt]

No tax breaks for children or mortgages. You get a small child allowance (only for the first two children) but that also stops when you start paying higher rate tax.

Being in a family that earns "only" £50-70k is surprisingly shitty here in the UK.

[Valmy]

Huh. And I always here how Euros take care of working parents better than we do. Sure you might not get any paid maternity or paternity leave and sure you had to pay out of pocket for your hospital stay to have the baby delivered safely, and sure you are going to pay a ton for child care until your baby is 5 and can start public school...but at least you get some tax relief.

[Sheilbh]

Someone on a work call just said they were relieved Johnson was gone because he'd make it all about him one way or another - and it seems hard to disagree.

[Zanza]

Huh. And I always here how Euros take care of working parents better than we do. Sure you might not get any paid maternity or paternity leave and sure you had to pay out of pocket for your hospital stay to have the baby delivered safely, and sure you are going to pay a ton for child care until your baby is 5 and can start public school...but at least you get some tax relief.

Every European country will have different policies in place. E.g. Germany makes you pick between a direct allowance per child (247 Euro per month) or a deduction from your tax base (up to 8k for a married couple).

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is early days, but so far Truss is far preferable to Johnson.


That is a very low bar of course...very very low 

[PJL]

Get the impression from the news that this could be terminal and we may only be weeks or even days left to go before the end.

[Valmy]

Someone on a work call just said they were relieved Johnson was gone because he'd make it all about him one way or another - and it seems hard to disagree.

What are you talking about? Make what about him?

[celedhring]

Get the impression from the news that this could be terminal and we may only be weeks or even days left to go before the end.

Liz Truss' premiership? Yeah, I agree.

[Tamas]

Get the impression from the news that this could be terminal and we may only be weeks or even days left to go before the end.

Liz Truss' premiership? Yeah, I agree.

 

[Tamas]

Someone on a work call just said they were relieved Johnson was gone because he'd make it all about him one way or another - and it seems hard to disagree.

What are you talking about? Make what about him?

The Queen's imminent death.