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  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    Cheers for the Kindle advice all.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Mine is too clever by half TBH.

    I use the FreeSat app to convert my phone into a TV remote and can prog my TVR to record what I want remotely/browse upcoming TV shows. It's all very clever.

    Oh and I've a phonecall recorder which is really handy to remind me what I've said I'd do and then wondered about the details of a catch-up meeting!

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    HTC One M8, it is fine if you get the font size and background brightness right.

    I went to a (non-work) meeting the other day, read the minutes on my phone and used the document viewer to highlight things I had to do and overwrite my actions (must get a stylus).

    Later this afternoon it will track my run, give me speed and distance stats, and play music, maybe even streaming Planet Rock if I think I am bored with the music on my phone. It gives me weather forecasts and tells me when the sun will set (so I don't end up running in the rain or off road in the dark).

    This morning I was using it for PB and to read my emails. I looked up train times for a journey I will make next weekend, and used Google maps for a route and time estimate from the station to my destination.

    The one thing I can't yet use it for is to edit Wikipedia, you can do it but anything complicated is too difficult and I don't know of any apps that are really designed for editing.

    They really are getting quite useful. Use them to talk to people? What's that?

  • kjohnwkjohnw Posts: 1,456
    can anyone recommend any good political thriller novels to fill the hours of boredom on this bank holiday monday??
  • DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,498

    Mr. Llama, the Kindle's great. I also use it for latter stage redrafting (and proofreading). I've probably saved more money on ink/paper than I have on lower price books.

    Mr Dancer, this is getting off-topic, but how do you go about getting drafts of stories onto a Kindle for reading?
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    It took me a while to convert to Spotify - but with the Premium sub £9.99 you can play everything and download/play offline up to 3000 tunes on your phone.

    I bought a nano memory card for my phone and have uploaded another 2.5k tunes to the hard-drive from my PC. There's oodles of space left for everything else.

    I love the linked Accuweather/calendar app - knowing what to expect on days out of office is just so handy.

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    @UKElect - On your model you have Inverclyde being held even if Coatbridge is not - that would surprise me somewhat.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    edited April 2015
    Mr. Jessop, you have an e-mail address associated with your Kindle. If you send an e-mail from your Amazon-related account to that e-mail address [I forget precisely where I found it, but it was with the initial literature I got with the Kindle] with your Word or OpenOffice document attached then you'll get a reply with the format changed to .azw, which is Kindle-friendly. [You can do this for multiple files at once].

    You can then, by plugging in your Kindle to your device [desktop for me], transfer the files over.

    Sounds like a little faff, but it's free, and very useful, as you can make highlights and notes very easily. Saves a lot of paper/ink, and trying to proofread normal on-screen text is awful on the eyes.

    There may be other ways [I am a luddite, as mentioned previously], such as converting files to PDFs, although they're a little clunkier than .azw format files.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,498
    kle4 said:

    I've been thinking about getting a Kindle, but am just not certain - I'm told it's better for reading than using an e-book app on a Tablet, but I do currently have a tablet in any case, so is the reading so much better on a Kindle that it is worth getting as well?

    It's probably an unusual use-case, but my Kindle was brilliant when I was out and about backpacking. For the weight of a hardback, I could have any number of books to read whilst in my tent. The battery life was the main thing: I could read it forever without having to recharge it.

    Although it's not advisable to read a Tom Knox whilst in a storm on a mountain. :-)

    It's also good to keep in the rucksack I walk in and around town with, so I can pull it out whilst on the bus or generally waiting.

    Not that I get to do much of wither nowadays...
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,313

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    Tx, I'll try it, although I quite like the mix of new & old on Planet Rock.

  • ukelectukelect Posts: 140
    Pulpstar said:

    ukelect said:

    Pulpstar said:

    The Sun figures in their article don't add up

    YouGov Sun Scottish poll would translate into the following seats

    Con 3 (+2) LD 1 (-10) SNP 47 (+41) Lab 10 (-31)

    SLab currently have 40, Falkirk may have buggered their figures up.
    That's what I thought, but the predicted figures were all given by the Sun, and they add up to 63 seats.
    No chance the Conservatives get 3 seats if those are the figures, Labour or the SNP would get Dumfries & Galloway.

    Con 18 and it might be in play.
    I would predict those figures as SNP 50, Lab 7, Con 1, LD 1 (UK-Elect v9.4 method)
    I'm running through your model, it's an utter horror story for Labour. You haven't even assumed an increase in turnout which would presumably help the Nats.
    The uk-elect 9.4 model is based on uniform (regional) swing but adjusted by lots of other factors by default, including - importantly - the Ashcroft constituency polls. Take them out the equation and it's actually a few seats more favourable to Labour - more like 46 SNP, Lab 11.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    ukelect said:

    Pulpstar said:

    ukelect said:

    Pulpstar said:

    The Sun figures in their article don't add up

    YouGov Sun Scottish poll would translate into the following seats

    Con 3 (+2) LD 1 (-10) SNP 47 (+41) Lab 10 (-31)

    SLab currently have 40, Falkirk may have buggered their figures up.
    That's what I thought, but the predicted figures were all given by the Sun, and they add up to 63 seats.
    No chance the Conservatives get 3 seats if those are the figures, Labour or the SNP would get Dumfries & Galloway.

    Con 18 and it might be in play.
    I would predict those figures as SNP 50, Lab 7, Con 1, LD 1 (UK-Elect v9.4 method)
    I'm running through your model, it's an utter horror story for Labour. You haven't even assumed an increase in turnout which would presumably help the Nats.
    The uk-elect 9.4 model is based on uniform (regional) swing but adjusted by lots of other factors by default, including - importantly - the Ashcroft constituency polls. Take them out the equation and it's actually a few seats more favourable to Labour - more like 46 SNP, Lab 11.
    OK I'm reasonably confident Inverclyde goes before Coatbridge still though :)
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,313
    Plato said:

    It took me a while to convert to Spotify - but with the Premium sub £9.99 you can play everything and download/play offline up to 3000 tunes on your phone.

    I bought a nano memory card for my phone and have uploaded another 2.5k tunes to the hard-drive from my PC. There's oodles of space left for everything else.

    I love the linked Accuweather/calendar app - knowing what to expect on days out of office is just so handy.

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    I use the Met Office, it does hourly/three hourly predictions which is quite good if you are working out which evening to go for a run. The Android time/date function uses Accuweather which I don't find as good (although it is useful as a back up if the Met Office just seems to be plain wrong today).

  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,498

    Mr. Jessop, you have an e-mail address associated with your Kindle. If you send an e-mail from your Amazon-related account to that e-mail address [I forget precisely where I found it, but it was with the initial literature I got with the Kindle] with your Word or OpenOffice document attached then you'll get a reply with the format changed to .azw, which is Kindle-friendly. [You can do this for multiple files at once].

    You can then, by plugging in your Kindle to your device [desktop for me], transfer the files over.

    Sounds like a little faff, but it's free, and very useful, as you can make highlights and notes very easily. Saves a lot of paper/ink, and trying to proofread normal on-screen text is awful on the eyes.

    There may be other ways [I am a luddite, as mentioned previously], such as converting files to PDFs, although they're a little clunkier than .azw format files.

    That's brilliant, thanks.

    "[I forget precisely where I found it, but it was with the initial literature I got with the Kindle]"

    That's where I went wrong. Being a techie, I never RTFM. ;-)
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,415
    @ukelect if your model is right I won't be unhappy mind. Would be a nice result for me.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    kle4 said:

    I've been thinking about getting a Kindle, but am just not certain - I'm told it's better for reading than using an e-book app on a Tablet, but I do currently have a tablet in any case, so is the reading so much better on a Kindle that it is worth getting as well?

    An e-reader with an e-ink screen, like the kindle or Nook or Kobo is amazing as a reading experience. They aren't even comparable to a regular tablet in terms of reading experience - you can only compare them to paper.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. Jessop, np.

    Manuals: I really dislike the way some modern games have no manual. Not a Witcher fanboy [if I get 3 it'll be my first], but I really like the way the standard edition includes a manual. And a map. And the soundtrack.

    It'll be fun trying to format my first OpenOffice-created document for Smashwords/Amazon. I've done it thrice before, but that was always with Word.

    Oh, and on the Kindle thing: sometimes the response will be near instant, occasionally it takes a little while.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I've used Accuweather for a few yrs and it's all about getting the right station. When I lived in Hailsham, I got better results linking to Herstmonceux than Polegate [my postcode town].

    Try a fiddle around and see what works. I can't be bothered with the MetOffice.

    Plato said:

    It took me a while to convert to Spotify - but with the Premium sub £9.99 you can play everything and download/play offline up to 3000 tunes on your phone.

    I bought a nano memory card for my phone and have uploaded another 2.5k tunes to the hard-drive from my PC. There's oodles of space left for everything else.

    I love the linked Accuweather/calendar app - knowing what to expect on days out of office is just so handy.

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    I use the Met Office, it does hourly/three hourly predictions which is quite good if you are working out which evening to go for a run. The Android time/date function uses Accuweather which I don't find as good (although it is useful as a back up if the Met Office just seems to be plain wrong today).

  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    The email address access thingy page is really tricky to find.

    I found it here > amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/email

    Mr. Jessop, you have an e-mail address associated with your Kindle. If you send an e-mail from your Amazon-related account to that e-mail address [I forget precisely where I found it, but it was with the initial literature I got with the Kindle] with your Word or OpenOffice document attached then you'll get a reply with the format changed to .azw, which is Kindle-friendly. [You can do this for multiple files at once].

    You can then, by plugging in your Kindle to your device [desktop for me], transfer the files over.

    Sounds like a little faff, but it's free, and very useful, as you can make highlights and notes very easily. Saves a lot of paper/ink, and trying to proofread normal on-screen text is awful on the eyes.

    There may be other ways [I am a luddite, as mentioned previously], such as converting files to PDFs, although they're a little clunkier than .azw format files.

    That's brilliant, thanks.

    "[I forget precisely where I found it, but it was with the initial literature I got with the Kindle]"

    That's where I went wrong. Being a techie, I never RTFM. ;-)
  • DadgeDadge Posts: 2,052
    Just found out about the feud in Bradford West. I think this seat will be taking up a lot of TV time in the next 4 weeks. Not sure who my money'd be on to win, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Labour candidate steps down.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    ukelect said:

    Pulpstar said:

    ukelect said:

    Pulpstar said:

    The Sun figures in their article don't add up

    YouGov Sun Scottish poll would translate into the following seats

    Con 3 (+2) LD 1 (-10) SNP 47 (+41) Lab 10 (-31)

    SLab currently have 40, Falkirk may have buggered their figures up.
    That's what I thought, but the predicted figures were all given by the Sun, and they add up to 63 seats.
    No chance the Conservatives get 3 seats if those are the figures, Labour or the SNP would get Dumfries & Galloway.

    Con 18 and it might be in play.
    I would predict those figures as SNP 50, Lab 7, Con 1, LD 1 (UK-Elect v9.4 method)
    I'm running through your model, it's an utter horror story for Labour. You haven't even assumed an increase in turnout which would presumably help the Nats.
    The uk-elect 9.4 model is based on uniform (regional) swing but adjusted by lots of other factors by default, including - importantly - the Ashcroft constituency polls. Take them out the equation and it's actually a few seats more favourable to Labour - more like 46 SNP, Lab 11.
    The Ashcroft polls show proportional/goldilocks swing - without them you'd be looking at applying UNS and Labour do much better under UNS due to the stonking majorities.
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759
    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759
    I see the Lib Dems have started firing on the Tories.

    Nick Clegg calls Osborne a most dangerous man and Cameron a shire Tory.

    And Danny Alexander claims that Tories are the party of bosses.
  • Having just been to the family in the north of Scotland over the last six days and driving over 1000 miles its as if the election is not happening. Spotted one Tim Farron poster in Cumbria and only two SNP posters from the border and back to the border. No labour, conservative or lib dems (other than Tim Farron) posters. Is the election happening only in the Westminster Village and with journalists and no one is listening. I cannot remember an election with so little perceived interest other than Scotland which seems lost to labour.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Just got this from CCHQ
    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
  • DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    Plato said:

    It took me a while to convert to Spotify - but with the Premium sub £9.99 you can play everything and download/play offline up to 3000 tunes on your phone.

    I bought a nano memory card for my phone and have uploaded another 2.5k tunes to the hard-drive from my PC. There's oodles of space left for everything else.

    I love the linked Accuweather/calendar app - knowing what to expect on days out of office is just so handy.

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy
    as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    Tx, I'll try it, although I quite like the mix of new & old on Planet Rock.

    The DJs on Team Rock are great too... one thing I would miss if I moved to spotify.
    (Moose, formerly of Planet Rock IIRC is the Head of Radio...)
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759
    Guardian projection has the two parties tied on seats.But perhaps a touch generous to the SNP giving them 51 seats.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Have you tried following some of the TV show music editors? If there are any progs you particularly like for their use of music - it's almost certain to have a named editor/twitter account linked to them. Some super recommendations from them.

    I fell in love with The White Buffalo who appears a few times on Sons Of Anarchy and found that via Spotify/Twitter.

    Plato said:



    snip

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy
    as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    Tx, I'll try it, although I quite like the mix of new & old on Planet Rock.

    The DJs on Team Rock are great too... one thing I would miss if I moved to spotify.
    (Moose, formerly of Planet Rock IIRC is the Head of Radio...)
  • calumcalum Posts: 3,046
    Pulpstar said:

    Going through UK Elect's model and the Lab-SNP seats gives the following:

    Labour 35.9%
    SNP 41.4%

    Rounded that would be 36%
    SNP 41%

    Compared to 37/43 as published (Comres)

    I'm coming to the conclusion that Labour could very well be utterly fucked. To hold 13 seats as implied by SPIN would be a miracle at this point.

    As well as SLAB the LibDems are looking in dire straits, particularly if Frenchgate damages Carmichael.

    My prediction is that on the 7th May, SNP will hit 50%, the Tories 16%, leaving SLAB et al fighting for the remaining 34%. If SNP hit 50%, I guess we're in whitewash territory.
  • murali_smurali_s Posts: 3,067
    edited April 2015
    Plato said:

    I've used Accuweather for a few yrs and it's all about getting the right station. When I lived in Hailsham, I got better results linking to Herstmonceux than Polegate [my postcode town].

    Try a fiddle around and see what works. I can't be bothered with the MetOffice.

    Plato said:

    It took me a while to convert to Spotify - but with the Premium sub £9.99 you can play everything and download/play offline up to 3000 tunes on your phone.

    I bought a nano memory card for my phone and have uploaded another 2.5k tunes to the hard-drive from my PC. There's oodles of space left for everything else.

    I love the linked Accuweather/calendar app - knowing what to expect on days out of office is just so handy.

    Plato said:

    My Sony Z3c screen is a bit too small to browse/read for much. Ace for music though.

    Plato said:

    @kle4 I've a PaperWhite one and it's great to be able to turn the brightness right down -otherwise I squint in the dark if it's too bright. My laptop screen is too bright even when turned right down.

    Mr. kle4, can't compare the two, but an e-reader (Kindle) is very easy on the eyes, just about as easy as paper. Far nicer than reading from a [normal] screen.

    I just use Kindle on my mobile phone, I find the backlit text is fine even at a small size. But then I am not a heavy e-book reader. It's great for those occasions where you didn't think you might have to wait around (eg train delays) and haven't thought to bring anything with you to read. Or when you want to go out without a bag.


    maybe even streaming Planet Rock
    Team Rock Radio if you like it slightly heavier, and advert free...
    I use the Met Office, it does hourly/three hourly predictions which is quite good if you are working out which evening to go for a run. The Android time/date function uses Accuweather which I don't find as good (although it is useful as a back up if the Met Office just seems to be plain wrong today).

    As an organisation, the MetOffice is miles ahead of Accuweather.

    We don't have many stand-out organisation in the UK, but the MetOffice is one of them...

    99% of output from these apps are computer generated anyway - no quality control, no human input etc.
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098

    Having just been to the family in the north of Scotland over the last six days and driving over 1000 miles its as if the election is not happening. Spotted one Tim Farron poster in Cumbria and only two SNP posters from the border and back to the border. No labour, conservative or lib dems (other than Tim Farron) posters. Is the election happening only in the Westminster Village and with journalists and no one is listening. I cannot remember an election with so little perceived interest other than Scotland which seems lost to labour.

    It is the same around here. There are no posters, no leaflets, no signs, not even any conversation in the pub. This is probably the lowest key election in my lifetime. I wonder if the turnout will reflect this apparent lack of interest.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    Mr Llama - I'm still chuckling over your fillet beef serving suggestion!

    Having just been to the family in the north of Scotland over the last six days and driving over 1000 miles its as if the election is not happening. Spotted one Tim Farron poster in Cumbria and only two SNP posters from the border and back to the border. No labour, conservative or lib dems (other than Tim Farron) posters. Is the election happening only in the Westminster Village and with journalists and no one is listening. I cannot remember an election with so little perceived interest other than Scotland which seems lost to labour.

    It is the same around here. There are no posters, no leaflets, no signs, not even any conversation in the pub. This is probably the lowest key election in my lifetime. I wonder if the turnout will reflect this apparent lack of interest.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,032
    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    I saw on Twitter that this represents 94% of taxpayers - why this key fact is missing from the emailer is beyond me.
    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.

  • jayfdeejayfdee Posts: 618

    Having just been to the family in the north of Scotland over the last six days and driving over 1000 miles its as if the election is not happening. Spotted one Tim Farron poster in Cumbria and only two SNP posters from the border and back to the border. No labour, conservative or lib dems (other than Tim Farron) posters. Is the election happening only in the Westminster Village and with journalists and no one is listening. I cannot remember an election with so little perceived interest other than Scotland which seems lost to labour.

    The Farron supporters are out in force here,there are a large number of flags and posters out,all along the A6 and on all the main routes into the Lake district,seem to have appeared in the last few days to catch the bank holiday queues.
    No Con and no Lab in sight yet.

  • weejonnieweejonnie Posts: 3,820
    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    SMukesh said:

    Guardian projection has the two parties tied on seats.But perhaps a touch generous to the SNP giving them 51 seats.

    What makes you think 51 is generous?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,975
    edited April 2015
    weejonnie said:

    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
    I'm surprised Labour are going on about VAT after the elephant sized trap Ed Miliband fell into at PMQs.

    Labour are displaying all the brilliance of Crassus at Carrhae
  • DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    jayfdee said:

    Having just been to the family in the north of Scotland over the last six days and driving over 1000 miles its as if the election is not happening. Spotted one Tim Farron poster in Cumbria and only two SNP posters from the border and back to the border. No labour, conservative or lib dems (other than Tim Farron) posters. Is the election happening only in the Westminster Village and with journalists and no one is listening. I cannot remember an election with so little perceived interest other than Scotland which seems lost to labour.

    The Farron supporters are out in force here,there are a large number of flags and posters out,all along the A6 and on all the main routes into the Lake district,seem to have appeared in the last few days to catch the bank holiday queues.
    No Con and no Lab in sight yet.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,032
    I was leafleting in Blairgowrie on Saturday. There were several houses (maybe 5) decked out with flags and posters for Pete Wishart. I didn't see a poster for anybody else.

    Those I was out with said it was the referendum all over again. People would whisper that they were with the Tories but didn't want to put their head over the parapet and didn't want a poster for the window. As I repeatedly said during the referendum this apprehension is well over done and has very little substance but it is very widespread.

    Labour have yet to select their candidate in the seat (north Perthshire). They got over 6K votes in the constituency last time. I wonder if they will get half that this time. It seems yet another example of SLAB almost disintegrating.
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,313
    murali_s said:


    As an organisation, the MetOffice is miles ahead of Accuweather.

    We don't have many stand-out organisation in the UK, but the MetOffice is one of them...

    99% of output from these apps are computer generated anyway - no quality control, no human input etc.

    The Met Office app is quite good IMO, you can save different places as different tabs, it always defaults to where you are at the moment but you still have your usual tabs to check what it's doing back home or the forecast where you are going at the weekend. It even does international weather (it used to default to somewhere at the arse end of Kent when you were abroad, presumably it was the closest place to Europe for which they had data). The worst one I tried was Weather Underground, as it didn't seemed to do any of the funky things you can do on the website, like look up historical data (like, just how cold was it last night?), or use amateur stations. Of course what WUnderground is very useful for is working out what the weather is likely to be where you are going on holiday, by looking up historical data for the last few years.

  • PlatoPlato Posts: 15,724
    And the intv in the Sun from Ozzie/Cameron saying they wouldn't.

    One can assume all voters think politicians lie - but going for VAT is bible paper thin as a line of attack.

    weejonnie said:

    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
    I'm surprised Labour are going on about VAT after the elephant sized trap Ed Miliband fell into at PMQs.

    Labour are displaying all the brilliance of Crassus at Carrhae
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,505
    kle4 said:

    I've been thinking about getting a Kindle, but am just not certain - I'm told it's better for reading than using an e-book app on a Tablet, but I do currently have a tablet in any case, so is the reading so much better on a Kindle that it is worth getting as well?

    I would definitely say yes and given the prices now they are a bargain. I have the original kindle with 3G so can download anywhere.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    Plato said:

    And the intv in the Sun from Ozzie/Cameron saying they wouldn't.

    One can assume all voters think politicians lie - but going for VAT is bible paper thin as a line of attack.

    weejonnie said:

    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
    I'm surprised Labour are going on about VAT after the elephant sized trap Ed Miliband fell into at PMQs.

    Labour are displaying all the brilliance of Crassus at Carrhae
    Tories will increase VAT because they always do !
  • JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.

    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,505
    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.

    Where does the cut come in , I thought it was over £100K before you started paying 60%+ tax
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,032
    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.

    The marginal rate is 62% because over a certain point you lose your personal allowance so the marginal rate is 40% + 2% +20% on the next £10,600 as your PA is taken away.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    edited April 2015
    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.

    You are revealing your ignorance.

    Anyone earning more than £100k, for every £2000 of earnings, £1000 of allowance is lost.

    This makes the effective rate of tax 60% on income between £100,000 and £121,200 for 2015/16. After that, ALL personal allowance is lost.
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759
    weejonnie said:

    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
    Polls.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,505
    surbiton said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    You are revealing your ignorance. For every £2000 of earnings, £1000 of allowance is lost. By the time you come to about £105k earnings, ALL personal allowance is lost.

    So, the marginal rate is your 47% plus the taxed percentage of the allowance lost.

    Still a complete rip off
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    DavidL said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    The marginal rate is 62% because over a certain point you lose your personal allowance so the marginal rate is 40% + 2% +20% on the next £10,600 as your PA is taken away.

    After £100K for every 2 pounds you earn you lose 1 pound of personal allowance.
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759
    kle4 said:

    While out walking and thinking about politics (as one does), I cannot help but think that the opposition debate, while having potential to mess things up for Miliband, seems like it could really work out well for him, even leaving aside that he should perform well given his recent performances.

    He gets to play the more reasonable statesman like Cameron attempted last time.

    The person most likely to trouble him is Sturgeon, and the terrible results in Scotland have already been factored in. As it is, if he did manage to gain a few points back in Scotland, that makes his overall task significantly easier.

    He can try to equate Farage with Cameron in peoples' minds, painting Farage as a right wing extremist that Cameron will either be working with or trying to act like. Might cost him a few points with some blue Kippers, but could make Cameron look less appealing to centrish voters.

    All in all, he doesn't have to be that lucky to have it go his way, and the Tories are relying on him being very unlucky.

    The really explosive thing he could say is quite simply:

    `I am here,why is Cameron not here?`
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,032
    Alistair said:

    DavidL said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    The marginal rate is 62% because over a certain point you lose your personal allowance so the marginal rate is 40% + 2% +20% on the next £10,600 as your PA is taken away.
    After £100K for every 2 pounds you earn you lose 1 pound of personal allowance.


    That is my understanding as well. It makes the debate about the 45/50p rate truly surreal. As I say, I do not understand why the Tories let Labour away with this nonsense.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,505
    Alistair said:

    DavidL said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    The marginal rate is 62% because over a certain point you lose your personal allowance so the marginal rate is 40% + 2% +20% on the next £10,600 as your PA is taken away.
    After £100K for every 2 pounds you earn you lose 1 pound of personal allowance.


    So it is £100K before it kicks in.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. DeClare, you're not the Earl of Gloucester, are you?

    Regardless, welcome to pb.com.
  • New thread.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    edited April 2015
    surbiton said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.



    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    You are revealing your ignorance.

    Anyone earning more than £100k, for every £2000 of earnings, £1000 of allowance is lost.

    This makes the effective rate of tax 60% on income between £100,000 and £121,200 for 2015/16. After that, ALL personal allowance is lost.


    The Tories have indeed hit people earning between about £40k [ where HRT starts ] to £120k very hard.

    Many in this bracket also lost CB. The "squeezed middle" as Edward Miliband said so succinctly.

    Once your earnings go above £150k, the Tories are indeed your friend. 50% tax becomes 45%. So if you earn £1m, you have been given £50k back by Osborne !
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,032
    malcolmg said:

    Alistair said:

    DavidL said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    The marginal rate is 62% because over a certain point you lose your personal allowance so the marginal rate is 40% + 2% +20% on the next £10,600 as your PA is taken away.
    After £100K for every 2 pounds you earn you lose 1 pound of personal allowance.
    So it is £100K before it kicks in.

    Slightly over actually because it applies to your adjusted net income which is inevitably complicated like all of our tax code. Those earning over £120K pay tax on all of their earnings.
  • rural_voterrural_voter Posts: 2,038
    Plato said:

    And the intv in the Sun from Ozzie/Cameron saying they wouldn't.

    One can assume all voters think politicians lie - but going for VAT is bible paper thin as a line of attack.

    weejonnie said:

    SMukesh said:

    Ed Balls in fighting mood today.This is where he`s good taking the fight to the opposition camp compared to the useless Darling.

    This is the Ed Balls talking about the top secret Tory plan to increase VAT - a plan so secret that George Osborne hasn't heard of it either.

    In 2010 there was a desperate need to raise revenue - quickly. In 2015 with a growing economy and increasing revenues there is no such need.
    I'm surprised Labour are going on about VAT after the elephant sized trap Ed Miliband fell into at PMQs.

    Labour are displaying all the brilliance of Crassus at Carrhae
    Government can just lie back and raise VAT revenue by stealth as newer goods and services with full rate VAT displace things on which the VAT rate was 0%. Examples:

    Books - 0%.
    E-books - 20%

    Snail mail - 0%.
    E-mail 20%.

    Newspapers - 0%
    Internet - 20%.

    Strangely, the Treasury never seems to decide that newer goods and service should have 0% VAT.
  • JEOJEO Posts: 3,656
    surbiton said:

    JEO said:

    DavidL said:

    Plato said:

    Just got this from CCHQ

    Today is a big day for hardworking taxpayers - because from today, you will keep more of your hard-earned money.

    When we came to office, you could only earn £6,475 tax-free. But from today, you can now earn £10,600 before you pay any income tax.

    That's a tax cut for over 26 million people - and it means we've taken over 3 million people out of income tax altogether.

    To find out how much you'll save, use our tax cut calculator today.

    Lower taxes are making our country a better and fairer place to live - where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and where people are trusted with their own money.

    And if we win the next election, we will raise the personal tax-free allowance to £12,500 - cutting tax for 30 million people and taking another million out of tax - and make sure no-one earning below £50,000 pays the 40p rate of tax.

    The gulf between us and Labour on this couldn't be any wider. They opposed all our tax cuts in this Parliament - and will raise taxes by £3,028 for every working family if they win the next election.
    I note the tab only goes up to £80K, no doubt because those that earn more than that get no benefit from the increase in the PA at all since it is taken off them increasing their marginal rate of tax to 62% (including NI).

    The reality is that this government has absolutely hammered the better paid at the same time as taking 3m out of tax. It is one of the most redistributive governments we have ever had. To achieve this in the face of the deficit they inherited is a frankly astonishing achievement that both the Tories and the Lib Dems should be screaming about from the roof tops.

    Instead the Tories allow themselves to be consistently abused by Labour about the cut in the 50p rate and financial illiterates who can't tell the difference between having £1m and earning £1m. It is genuinely bewildering.
    Where do you get the 62% number from? The upper rate income tax is 45%, and at that level you only pay 2% national insurance, so 47% is the marginal rate.
    You are revealing your ignorance.

    Anyone earning more than £100k, for every £2000 of earnings, £1000 of allowance is lost.

    This makes the effective rate of tax 60% on income between £100,000 and £121,200 for 2015/16. After that, ALL personal allowance is lost.


    Thank you for explaining it to me, but there is no need to be rude about it.
  • Moses_Moses_ Posts: 4,865
    edited April 2015

    Labour are displaying all the brilliance of Crassus at Carrhae

    </@surb

    Tories will increase VAT because they always do !</p>

    Like Labour have never left office with unemployment lower than when they came into office.
This discussion has been closed.