Sol Campbell Made To Look At Bit Silly By Shadow Welsh Secretary

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30212855

Sol Campbell appears to be a very wealthy man, so he can't expect much in the way of sympathy here.

[ummmm]

Why not?

Like he says, he's not earning the money anymore. He earnt shed loads in his hay day, bought an expensive house and is being taxed on it years later.

[mushroom25]

this proposed tax is a folly, has probably been given nil thought as to its consequences and is likely to alienate many "traditional" labour supporters. the house I lived in when young was bought by my parents in an outer London suburb in 1963 for around £1500. today, a neighbouring property is on the market for over a million. these are not "mansions", they are ordinary 1930s built family homes. labour appear to want to screw the life out of those who have the historical misfortune to live quite ordinary lives in what are now much sought after residential areas.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO such folk do not earn shedloads. They are paid shedloads. People who make fortunes tend to have found a way to get excessive income compared to other hard working folk.

Property taxes are wrong. It discriminates according to what one chooses to spend one's money on. Income tax is the best suggestion made as it asks one to contribute to the public kitty according to how well one's done out of society.

[ummmm]

I don't know how hard sports people work. I imagine it's much harder than people imagine.

[oldbillbuck]

Simple solution, Downsize a bit, still a very nice pad and more in the bank than the average person can ever dream of. No sympathy what so ever, from a Spurs fan with a long memory. LOL

[sandyRoe]

At the other end of the scale, if you can't pay your bedroom tax you're invited to downsize.
What's sauce for the goose...

[Svejk]

^not a tax.

[Cloverjo]

I'm not sure how this works. Does someone who lives in an expensive house have to pay this along with their income tax?
Would we rather he did a "Lewis Hamilton" and went to live in Switzerland and paid no tax at all?

[Deskdiary]

The Sol Campbell's of the world are very much in the minority in owning a £25m house.

Mushroom is spot-on - comparatively modest houses are now fetching a premium due to their location.

The Mansion Tax though is buffoonery of the first order; this will affect many people who are asset rich cash poor, such as the elderly who may own a modest 3 bed-semi in a sought after area which over the decades they have owned it has appreciated to beyond the £2m mark. People will say they can sell their house to release the equity.....but why should they?

Quite simply this is a tax on having the temerity to live in London.

[Old_Geezer]

Bedroom tax or not tax, it's still money out of your pocket so matters not what it's called.

Yes Clover, if that is what he wishes to do. I'm sure another wealthy person would buy the place, pay the tax, and live where they want to; rather than emigrate to avoid paying back to the society they made their money in.

[ummmm]

Is this wealth envy?

[mccfluff]

the is no such thing as a bedroom tax..... and if you are in a position where your accommodation is being paid for by the state then you should only have what you actually need

[sandyRoe]

Who was it said that the rich should be squeezed 'til the pips squeaked?

[Hopkirk]

Does Sol Campbell ever stop moaning?

[TWR]

Clov, can you blame Lewis? it has it right in my opinion I would do the same.

[sandyRoe]

I thought people went to Switzerland for the scenery and clear air.

[Peter Pedant]

Even the tax man recognises that their peak earning is very sharp and very young and allows spreading across a few years...

but then if he is asset rich and income poor he should be - - downsizing

[ummmm]

He's probably spent more in VAT than I've earnt.

[Peter Pedant]

// Who was it said that the rich should be squeezed 'til the pips squeaked? //

it was Dennis Healey - now Lord Healey and over 90

This was all part of the sixties - politics of envy - and social engineering

If someone had something the then govt didnt like they would tax it until they didnt have it- confiscatory taxation

Oh that set me on a trip down Memory Lane
Wilsons [ a cabinet of all the talents according to Boobs Castle] policies didnt work and bankrupted the govt within 3 y

You/one needs to pay attention to the "tax base" = no of taxpayers who will pay that particular tax, as well as the rate - 95% !!

the take from a wealth tax of houses over £2m despite the fact oh heavens the whole of London will pay it and no one else - would be small.

Ah the days of the £18 000 suit - that is if you are taxed at 98% then you need 18k to get the 360 knicker the suit costs

[sandyRoe]

Is Campbell entertaining ideas above his station? One should no more buy an expensive house that they can't afford to live in than try to run a Rolls Royce on a Mini budget.