Things that have made you happy today 2025

@CanadianLori, here state pensions count as welfare. Our fuel costs are high, and much of the housing stock is poorly insulated, so on an income of £12,000, you might easily be paying £2,000 on gas and electricity.

I'm not against removing the winter fuel payment from those with enough money, but making the cut-off so low was callous, IMV.

 

Apart from all things she did (who doesn't remember her cruel face when she announced the cut of the winter fuel payment for pensioners), please don't forget that Starmer/Reeves spent unfunded £1 billion daily! in the first 24 days in Office without any control. 24 days later, at the parliament session, she announced a £40 billion tax raid because of a £22 billion black hole, which was in fact created by Starmer/Reeves by spending billions and giving millions to unions and civil service (required finances will be even higher in the future).

I disagree @ViewAhead with the left position to tax the richer people even more. It's the rich who pay the money for the ones who are not rich.
The true costs are social costs and an 50% increase in people who don't work for all dubious reasons since Covid. Fraud is one aspect of it.

What ever reason she had to cry, you don't do this in a parliament session if you are in that position.

 

@simone_in_wiltshire the very rich pay almost nothing in taxes because they have fancy accountants and advisors who help them hide money offshore, find loopholes to avoid taxes on what they keep in the UK and still benefit from all the infrastructure, amenities and security they get from living in a stable country.

They don't need winter fuel allowances and can afford private health care and education but they still use roads and utilities and other services funded by local and national government taxes to which they are not contributing a fair percentage of income.

 

Amount UK's richest pay in income tax revealed
Sixty of the wealthiest people in the UK collectively contributed more than £3bn a year in income tax, the BBC has learned.

 

@simone_in_wiltshire, I do think the very rich need taxing more as the increase in their wealth since Cameron's austerity has grown at such an astonishing rate. At the very least all tax loopholes should be closed so they actually do pay at the 20% level on all income. I would be happy for there to be one rate of tax for all if there was zero wiggle room.

 

Oh dear ... this site is full of moaning minnies, even this thread which is supposed to be about things that have made you happy is full of moans
So now you can moan about that ! Go on, do it to your heart's content ... I won't be looking in again to see what you've all said ... oh sorry, I meant moaned about
even if someone quotes me or mentions me I'll ignore it, I can't be wasting time reading moans.

Here's what has made me HAPPY - deciding to ignore moany threads
Good-buy

 

@simone_in_wiltshire the Sunday Times rich list counted 156 billionaires in the UK.

It would make many people happy if they all paid their fair share towards services and helping the less fortunate.

 

Agree that this thread is supposed to be about what made you happy.
Open another thread to discuss politics.

 

Like any conversation, this thread has gone off the original happy topic but only after the sight of a politician crying was deemed a source of happiness.

It would make me happy, having relatives who will be adversely affected by the welfare changes, if all the politicians who have decided the cuts need to be so brutal were made to spend a month living the life of those needing welfare aid - in their home/room/environment/amenities/income and managing on the pittance they have with dwindling support from social services because of council cuts.

 

The tennis is making me happy!

Also, a library book I reserved weeks ago is finally available for me to collect. Perfect timing as I finished the one I was reading last night.

 

Sorry for writing here. I had two tabs open and thought I was in the moaning tab reading about Reeves. Mea culpa.

 

I often dont look at the heading and end up adding to a thread that has gone off topic without realising.
I'm not going to add anything here other than this, although I do find it interesting as often going off topic is.

 

Picked my first cucumber today, brie and cucumber sandwiches are on the menu

 

Another tennis related thing making me happy is seeing Naomi Osaka looking so smiley and relaxed on court. She went through a bad patch, mental health-wise, but took a break to have a baby and seems much more at ease with the world now.

 

Just found this photo that I took 05/05/2025 in Jersey, Channel Islands.
Procession to celebrate Liberation Day. Happy days.... we are going back there next week.