lichtgilphead

Just another consequence of the FPTP system so beloved of both Labour and the Tories - small variations in support can cause wild swings in number of seats won.

You obviously know nothing about the LGPS either! The employers regularly took payment holidays up to the early 2000's. During that period, the employees funded their own pensions in full.. Even now, the contributions are roughly 33% employee, 66% employer. Compared with the compulsory employer contributions in the private sector, it probably works out around the same overall percentage over my working life (employers contributions average around 6% of salary) Incidentaly, local government is nominally funded via Council tax, which I pay at the same rate as everyone else.

More pathetic abuse! I pay income tax on my taxable income, and am happy to do so. Edited to add: Do you work for the Daily Mail and believe that I don't pay pension contributions?

Yes. My main pension will be a defined benefit pension. The additional AVC's are not linked to any defined benefit, and will depend on the performance of the Pru. What relevance has this to the discussion?

It is with regard to the largest Local Government Pension Scheme in Scotland

AVC's are not usually part of a defined benefit pension.

Under the current UK tax sysyem, I'm entitled to defer my salary. I'll pay taxes at the relevant rates every year of my working life, and will continue to pay tax at whatever rate is in force when I retire. You seem to have some sort of problem with these facts, I note that you've not taken up my invitation to explain why you think that the facts I've posted are incorrect, but have instead again resorted to abuse. Is that all you have? 1) The tax will be paid when I receive the income. That's how income tax works. 2) Do Labour plan to change this? Do you consider Keir Starmer to be a Tory because he has special additional tax privileges in addition to those available to the public? See the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 3) No. I started the conversation by showing that I paid a similat amount of tax to someone based in England on the same salary with the same AVC payments, thus showing the assertion that Scottish taxpayers on £50,000 paid £1500 more than their Englash equivalents to be incorrect

Not having a crystal ball, I don't know what the tax rate will be on my pension. At today's rates, however, I would expect the tax rates to be based on the following figures after taking into account any allowances I'm entitled to. I would expect to pay a top rate of 21% Taxable income Band Tax rate Over £14,733 to £25,688 Scottish basic rate 20% Over £25,689 to £43,662 Intermediate rate 21% Over £43,663 to £125,140 Higher rate 42% Above £125,140 Top rate 47% Please explain what you consider to be incorrect in my previous postings. You were wrong about me being a Tory, so your success rate isn't really that great.

Are you suggesting that the additional pension I receive from my AVC payments will be tax free? You're deluded. I'll pay tax on my whole pension at whatever rate (and allowances) are in force at the time. Can I borrow your crystal ball to find out what that rate will be?

Assuming that you work, you'll be paying into your employer's pension scheme? You won't be taxed on these payments at this time. Accordingly, you avoid tax in exactly the same way that I do - by contributing to your retiral pension. The only difference is that I pay more than the statutory minimum. You also seem to be forgetting that I will pay tax on the higher pension that I will receive when I retire. Effectively, all I am doing is postponing the tax on that money. Finally, you should educate yourself regarding the difference between avoidance & evasion.

Resorting to insults now, are we? You never answered my question - do you claim your tax allowances to minimise your tax exposure? If you do, does that make you "Very Tory" too?

As long as it's legal, what's the problem? I'll pay tax on my pension when I start to receive it Do you refuse to take your personal allowance and pay tax on every penny you earn?

You should blame Westminster for allowing tax breaks then. It's got f*ck all to do with the SNP. Btw, my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I suggested that we get better tax breaks in Scotland. Perhaps you shouldn't take things so seriously.

I thought that he killed himself then threw the gun away?

Legally minimising your tax exposure is not the same as being unhappy about paying additional tax. Some of my income is taxed at 42%. That's why I said "much the same" as someone in England, rather than "exactly the same". Additionally, if I lived in England, I would put the same amount away in AVC's, as I would still want to boost my pension. Effectively, I would be getting a worse tax break down South as more of my rax relief would be at a lower rate..

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but I believe that the £1500 extra tax figure relates to a total salary of around £50,000 per year. Not having a company car myself, I'm not sure what notional value is placed on that perk nowadays, but I'm happy to accept your claim that it's worth £10,000 per year. However, the median average salary in the UK is currently around £35,000. An additional £15,000 on top of that is hardly "a kick in the arse" away from that figure. In addition, anyone earning £50.000+ per year can easily & legally avoid most or all of the 42% tax rate (and NI) by making Additional Voluntary Contributions to their pension fund. Having just recieved my 2023 pay rise, I'll be reviewing my AVC's before the end of the tax year. Effectively, I'm paying much the same tax as someone on a similar wage & paying similar AVC's south of the border.

So, it's only Westminster that's preventing Wales from having a proper Labour utopia then? That seems counterintuitive to me.

That's just not true, is it. Did you forget about the UK Internal Market Act 2020? Effectively, the Scottish (and Welsh) governments are now forbidden from departing from standards set at Westminster in many areas that have nothing to do with "foreign policy/defence, immigration and some parts of employment law" As an example, Westminster has recently passed legislation in England to allow “precision breeding” (broadly gene editing) of plants and animals, including for human consumption, Under the Internal Market Act, these products will have to be allowed into the Scottish market, even if they would otherwise be illegal under Scottish rules. Anyway, you still seem to be dodging my original point. Why is Wales so crap under a "socialist" Labour Government?

Who else do you suggest that we compare Scotland against? If things were better in England, Socialist Wales or NI, you would be quick to tell us. Unfortunately, they are all pretty shit. What's the common denominator? Would it be Westminster>

But in Wales, where Labour is in power, there's no poverty, hospitality is booming, council services are well-funded & highly regarded, drugs are not a problem & Ivor the Engine is working overtime to provide the bestest train service sunce Mussolini, It's a socialist paradise!

I'm just pointing out that it's not uncommon for the travelling support to get the worst bits at away grounds. At Aberdeen, the away support get the uncovered seats. At Montrose, we've been given no seats at all, and the flat bit of uncovered terrace opposite the stand Even at Inverness, away fans that prefer to watch from the side have to go behind the goals. That's life.

Have you ever been to Celtic Park? Even with the ground half empty, the away support get the worst seats in the house.

Are you suggesting that you were dangerously crowded into the area you were given? It didn't look anywhere near full!

On the stream, it looked like it hit the bar, hit Hammy & went in. No replay though, so I may be wrong.

According to the football ground guide, Gayfield is 115 x 71, Starks is 113 x 70 Enjoy your night