Sir Edward Troup, a former HMRC boss, announced last week as a member of Labour's panel of money-raising experts, is on record as saying that those of us born between 1945 and 1964 are an 'under-taxed' generation.
He claims we have 'had it ridiculously good' and should be paying even more income tax, national insurance and VAT. And he wants free TV licences stripped from pensioners over 75 and given to young families instead. When Troup was asked how the Government can increase revenue, he replied: 'We should be looking at the codgers.'
He admits: 'I'm a baby boomer, I was born in 1955, and we have had it ridiculously good. We've benefited from low interest rates, high inflation when we bought our houses, we've enjoyed good returns on whatever we've managed to put into our pension funds. We're not paying national insurance if we're still working after the age of 60, and it's a complete disgrace.'
Troup, public school and Oxford-educated son of a Vice Admiral, who enjoyed a glittering, well-remunerated career as a tax lawyer and was head of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs before becoming a Treasury adviser and Knight of the Realm, may well think that he has had it 'ridiculously good'.
Baby Boomers would beg to differ. Somehow the myth has developed that those of us born in the 20 years after World War II grew up on Easy Street.
Digger said
Apr 19 10:10 AM, 2024
This clown has declared that free TV licences should go to Gen Z'ers not pensioners. And that pensioners should pay higher taxes. And that it's all the fault of Boomers that Gen Z are struggling to get on the housing ladder. Rich coming from a man who's never known a day's poverty or what it's like to struggle. So what if Gen Z can't afford homes. Who's fault is that? Not ours. Our generation saved up if we need something, and most of us worked like dogs. I know I did. I left school at 15 and, apart from a year stint at college when I was 16, worked from thereon, even after I had a kid. One job I had in my early twenties was a 13 hour day. I've known terrible poverty. And if I have a reasonable comfortable life now it's because I worked hard to fucking earn it.
Official figures released in March showed that nearly three million under-25s are economically inactive — not working and not looking for a job either.
Employers complain that half the time applicants don't even bother turning up for an interview.
I know Gen Z'ers that prefer to live in the here and now and spend all their money on going out at weekends and splurging on clothes than save up for a deposit for a mortgage. They get everything on credit. Getting into debt is just the norm for them.
Greed is one of the world's evils. Greedy banks. Greedy landlords. Blame them for not being able to afford a mortgage or rent.
Magica said
Apr 19 10:59 AM, 2024
What rubbish. We earned very small wages. Saved for anything we wanted. Worked hard, no sickies or benefits for us. That would have been shameful.
Life was not easy street, you got out what you put into life.
No housing now because the immigrants get them first. We never had these dinghy spongers back then. Saved for a deposit on a house, took ages but we did it.
We have earned everything we got and worked for, and should be allowed free tv licence after 75. Why young people, they work, or on benefits ffs.
I'm sick to death of us getting the blame for everything.
jackb said
Apr 19 1:54 PM, 2024
So beware if anyone finds themselves living in a period of good times you'll be punished for it later.
Magica said
Apr 19 2:44 PM, 2024
jackb wrote:
So beware if anyone finds themselves living in a period of good times you'll be punished for it later.
So bloody true Jack.
Maddog said
Apr 19 4:52 PM, 2024
jackb wrote:
So beware if anyone finds themselves living in a period of good times you'll be punished for it later.
That can be expanded to beware of anyone doing well financially, emotionally or physically..
They must be "there" at the expense of others.
There should be a militia of sorts of old guys that walk around and give swift kicks in the ass to all of these incessantly whiney bastards every time they utter nonsense like this..
Sir Edward Troup, a former HMRC boss, announced last week as a member of Labour's panel of money-raising experts, is on record as saying that those of us born between 1945 and 1964 are an 'under-taxed' generation.
He claims we have 'had it ridiculously good' and should be paying even more income tax, national insurance and VAT. And he wants free TV licences stripped from pensioners over 75 and given to young families instead. When Troup was asked how the Government can increase revenue, he replied: 'We should be looking at the codgers.'
He admits: 'I'm a baby boomer, I was born in 1955, and we have had it ridiculously good. We've benefited from low interest rates, high inflation when we bought our houses, we've enjoyed good returns on whatever we've managed to put into our pension funds. We're not paying national insurance if we're still working after the age of 60, and it's a complete disgrace.'
Troup, public school and Oxford-educated son of a Vice Admiral, who enjoyed a glittering, well-remunerated career as a tax lawyer and was head of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs before becoming a Treasury adviser and Knight of the Realm, may well think that he has had it 'ridiculously good'.
Baby Boomers would beg to differ. Somehow the myth has developed that those of us born in the 20 years after World War II grew up on Easy Street.
This clown has declared that free TV licences should go to Gen Z'ers not pensioners. And that pensioners should pay higher taxes. And that it's all the fault of Boomers that Gen Z are struggling to get on the housing ladder. Rich coming from a man who's never known a day's poverty or what it's like to struggle. So what if Gen Z can't afford homes. Who's fault is that? Not ours. Our generation saved up if we need something, and most of us worked like dogs. I know I did. I left school at 15 and, apart from a year stint at college when I was 16, worked from thereon, even after I had a kid. One job I had in my early twenties was a 13 hour day. I've known terrible poverty. And if I have a reasonable comfortable life now it's because I worked hard to fucking earn it.
Official figures released in March showed that nearly three million under-25s are economically inactive — not working and not looking for a job either.
Employers complain that half the time applicants don't even bother turning up for an interview.
I know Gen Z'ers that prefer to live in the here and now and spend all their money on going out at weekends and splurging on clothes than save up for a deposit for a mortgage. They get everything on credit. Getting into debt is just the norm for them.
Greed is one of the world's evils. Greedy banks. Greedy landlords. Blame them for not being able to afford a mortgage or rent.
Life was not easy street, you got out what you put into life.
No housing now because the immigrants get them first. We never had these dinghy spongers back then. Saved for a deposit on a house, took ages but we did it.
We have earned everything we got and worked for, and should be allowed free tv licence after 75. Why young people, they work, or on benefits ffs.
I'm sick to death of us getting the blame for everything.
So bloody true Jack.
That can be expanded to beware of anyone doing well financially, emotionally or physically..
They must be "there" at the expense of others.
There should be a militia of sorts of old guys that walk around and give swift kicks in the ass to all of these incessantly whiney bastards every time they utter nonsense like this..