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The Nordic model
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"What would you think of the Nordic model of government/social/economic policies etc being more of a standard for the UK? What do you like about it? " that it works really well  | |||
"What would you think of the Nordic model of government/social/economic policies etc being more of a standard for the UK? What do you like about it? that it works really well "It seems to and is popular. | |||
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"The Green Party. . This is your best bet. They're the ones who consistently advocate for: . -Scandinavian-style public services. . -Significantly higher taxation for the wealthy. . -A strong, publicly funded NHS. . -Universal basic services, like transport, housing, and education. . The Greens basically look at Denmark and go: “Yes, please, but with compost bins.” . Downside? They don’t have much power. They're like the kid in school with all the right answers who gets ignored because he wore sandals to class and corrected the teacher's grammar. (Side-eye meme appropriate here)" Doubtful. The reason Norway is so affluent is via exploitation of its natural resources (oil and gas) and through prudent fiscal management (alongside other things like social cohesion, and an educated, flexible, and productive workforce, all of which Britain lacks). None of these things are likely if the Greens ever get into central government (they won’t). The Greens also seem to have attracted an unsavoury Islamist element into their ranks, and are engaged in bitter infighting. Whenever the Greens get near power they rapidly make a hash of things and soon get kicked out. We reached peak Green probably a couple of years ago. Miliband’s loony policies will finish off any hope that the Greens ever had of getting into central government. | |||
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"The Green Party. . This is your best bet. They're the ones who consistently advocate for: . -Scandinavian-style public services. . -Significantly higher taxation for the wealthy. . -A strong, publicly funded NHS. . -Universal basic services, like transport, housing, and education. . The Greens basically look at Denmark and go: “Yes, please, but with compost bins.” . Downside? They don’t have much power. They're like the kid in school with all the right answers who gets ignored because he wore sandals to class and corrected the teacher's grammar. (Side-eye meme appropriate here)" You can't get Scandinavian style public services by just taxing the wealthy. You need to have high taxes for everyone. I quoted Sweden's tax rates above. If a party promises Scandinavian style public services by just taxing the wealthy, it's safe to brush them aside as frauds. | |||
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"The Green Party. . This is your best bet. They're the ones who consistently advocate for: . -Scandinavian-style public services. . -Significantly higher taxation for the wealthy. . -A strong, publicly funded NHS. . -Universal basic services, like transport, housing, and education. . The Greens basically look at Denmark and go: “Yes, please, but with compost bins.” . Downside? They don’t have much power. They're like the kid in school with all the right answers who gets ignored because he wore sandals to class and corrected the teacher's grammar. (Side-eye meme appropriate here) Doubtful. The reason Norway is so affluent is via exploitation of its natural resources (oil and gas) and through prudent fiscal management (alongside other things like social cohesion, and an educated, flexible, and productive workforce, all of which Britain lacks). None of these things are likely if the Greens ever get into central government (they won’t). The Greens also seem to have attracted an unsavoury Islamist element into their ranks, and are engaged in bitter infighting. Whenever the Greens get near power they rapidly make a hash of things and soon get kicked out. We reached peak Green probably a couple of years ago. Miliband’s loony policies will finish off any hope that the Greens ever had of getting into central government." A quick look at the last "traffic light" German government tells you everything you need to know about the Greens in power. | |||
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"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. " Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. | |||
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"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. " I think the British PEOPLE would, I don't the any of the politicians would for fear of the usual accusations from the left. Reform might be a different animal? | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. I think the British PEOPLE would, I don't the any of the politicians would for fear of the usual accusations from the left. Reform might be a different animal?" Yes too true, but we all know how this would work. Government gets tough on immigration and starts mass turn backs and deportations. Socialist Worker and Copycat Antifa Rent A Scum turn up and start smashing things up until they get their way. Infiltrated and brainwashed civil service and police refuse to do their job. Gutless government immediately caves in and it’s back to square one. I mean this government is so weak they aren’t even going to start down that route. Nothing will change until we get a government with the guts to stand up to the Leftist Brownshirt mob. | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. I think the British PEOPLE would, I don't the any of the politicians would for fear of the usual accusations from the left. Reform might be a different animal? Yes too true, but we all know how this would work. Government gets tough on immigration and starts mass turn backs and deportations. Socialist Worker and Copycat Antifa Rent A Scum turn up and start smashing things up until they get their way. Infiltrated and brainwashed civil service and police refuse to do their job. Gutless government immediately caves in and it’s back to square one. I mean this government is so weak they aren’t even going to start down that route. Nothing will change until we get a government with the guts to stand up to the Leftist Brownshirt mob." | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe." They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation  | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation "Perhaps they just think for themselves and arrive at a different point of view to you? It happens | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation
Perhaps they just think for themselves and arrive at a different point of view to you? It happens "Pretty sure Leroy was being sarcastic | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation " | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation
Perhaps they just think for themselves and arrive at a different point of view to you? It happens
Pretty sure Leroy was being sarcastic "Who me | |||
"Denmark has some interesting immigration policies of course, with “asylum” granted to fewer than 1,000 people in 2024 and active repatriation policies where the home country becomes safe again. Also the “ghetto law” which allows the authorities to enforce relocations when the non-Western population in an area exceeds 30%. I’m doubtful that British people would have the stomach for this kind of “Nordic model”. Denmark's left wing party is probably the only left wing party in Europe that understood that social welfare system needs social trust and opening doors to asylum seekers would break down the social welfare system. It's not a coincidence that they are the most successful left wing party in Europe. They and their voters must have been influenced by their version of the daily express / mail or been watching GB news to much. There can be no other explanation
Perhaps they just think for themselves and arrive at a different point of view to you? It happens
Pretty sure Leroy was being sarcastic
Who me "On this site, how would I know? | |||
"Norway has massive natural gas deposits that they don’t actually use themselves, they sell most of it which enables them to have lower taxes than say Denmark. The question as to if if could work here is simple…. Hands up anyone earning less than £30 a hour who wants to pay 10% higher income tax? Hands up anyone earning more than £30 a hour who wants to hand over more than half of their wages in income tax? I see very few hands. " If it's hands that you want to see... Hands up anyone earning less than £30 per hour, who wants to see those who earn more than £30 a hour hand over more than half of their wages in income tax? Hands up anyone earning more than £30 per hour, who want to see those earning less than £30 a hour pay 10% higher income tax? | |||
"Norway has massive natural gas deposits that they don’t actually use themselves, they sell most of it which enables them to have lower taxes than say Denmark. The question as to if if could work here is simple…. Hands up anyone earning less than £30 a hour who wants to pay 10% higher income tax? Hands up anyone earning more than £30 a hour who wants to hand over more than half of their wages in income tax? I see very few hands. If it's hands that you want to see... Hands up anyone earning less than £30 per hour, who wants to see those who earn more than £30 a hour hand over more than half of their wages in income tax? Hands up anyone earning more than £30 per hour, who want to see those earning less than £30 a hour pay 10% higher income tax?" I agree totally, that’s how this country thinks. I can’t speak for anyone else but I still wouldn’t put my hand up. I think the tax burden is too high. I think there’s far too many “hidden” taxes that take bites out of money that’s already been taxed. Stamp duty as an example. The sugar tax is another. Income tax, VAT, corporation tax and capital gains tax, along with some taxes on individual items such as booze, tobacco, cannabis, petrol and “road tax” should be the only taxes. The current system costs a fortune, some taxes generate such little revenue it costs almost as much to collect the money as what it raises. I also think the sole trader type business never pay their true tax liability, but I’m not sure how that can be remedied. | |||
"I worked in Denmark. Company management structures are usually flat with not so much salary difference top to bottom. The work ethic is laudable as is workplace discipline (time keeping, deadlines met etc). Long overtime days are frowned on - there's enough hours in the day to get things done. Work 'avoidance' is considered socially unacceptable. I loved the experience, but not sure the work/social model would transfer to the UK." Why not? Who wouldn't want it? | |||
"I worked in Denmark. Company management structures are usually flat with not so much salary difference top to bottom. The work ethic is laudable as is workplace discipline (time keeping, deadlines met etc). Long overtime days are frowned on - there's enough hours in the day to get things done. Work 'avoidance' is considered socially unacceptable. I loved the experience, but not sure the work/social model would transfer to the UK." "Why not? Who wouldn't want it?" Looking around the office that I'm in at the moment, there are lots of people that I would classify as 'work avoiders'. The idea that they should be held accountable for their failure to meet deadlines wouldn't go down well with them at all. I've worked in other European countries where the work ethic is strong, and they've all been a pleasure to work in. My experience of UK companies is that there are plenty of slackers that feel entitled to do as they please. | |||
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"Gen z whine that they won't work Fridays, they want 2 hour lunches, deserve the vote at 16 yet can't be identified for serious crimes at 17 because of their human rights...I despair for the future of this country because, quite frankly, they have no chance of withstanding any sort of the difficulties in life that they seem to think they can handle. " How much do those alleged claims influence the UK not engendering a Nordic model? | |||
"Looking around the office that I'm in at the moment, there are lots of people that I would classify as 'work avoiders'." ROFL | |||
"Gen z whine that they won't work Fridays, they want 2 hour lunches, deserve the vote at 16 yet can't be identified for serious crimes at 17 because of their human rights...I despair for the future of this country because, quite frankly, they have no chance of withstanding any sort of the difficulties in life that they seem to think they can handle. How much do those alleged claims influence the UK not engendering a Nordic model? " Most of them think that you can build the Nordic model by just taxing the rich. They don't know that's not how it works. Nordic model works only if people have the work ethic. If Gen Z doesn't have that, Nordic model would be a disaster. | |||
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"No one likes paying taxes. They're not dancing to the tax office. But here’s the kicker: The Danes see it as a fair deal. They pay a lot —top rates can go over 55%, with VAT at 25% on most goods— but in return: . Their healthcare is free at the point of use. . University is free and students get paid to attend (yes, read that again). . Childcare is heavily subsidised. . Infrastructure actually works. . And they trust that money isn’t being funnelled into someone's moat refurbishment fund. . It’s less “taxation is theft” and more “taxation is a group project where nobody slacks off.” . What do Danes as a rule think about their government ? . Surprisingly... positive things. . Denmark routinely ranks in the top 3 globally for trust in government. . Corruption is low. Like, "we-would-make-a-scandal-out-of-a-free-coffee" low. . They believe the state will use their money responsibly. What a concept. . They don’t love every politician, obviously, but the general idea that the government exists to help people? That still flies. It's like an alternate universe where social contracts weren’t written on toilet paper and lit on fire. . Basically, Danes know they pay a lot, but the system delivers. The outcomes make the input feel worthwhile." That's the kind of reason that I have a lot of respect for it and the citizens. The model and the people are mutually reinforcing of each other. I wish that the UK had taken a different course in the past. | |||
"No one likes paying taxes. They're not dancing to the tax office. But here’s the kicker: The Danes see it as a fair deal. They pay a lot —top rates can go over 55%, with VAT at 25% on most goods— but in return: . Their healthcare is free at the point of use. . University is free and students get paid to attend (yes, read that again). . Childcare is heavily subsidised. . Infrastructure actually works. . And they trust that money isn’t being funnelled into someone's moat refurbishment fund. . It’s less “taxation is theft” and more “taxation is a group project where nobody slacks off.” . What do Danes as a rule think about their government ? . Surprisingly... positive things. . Denmark routinely ranks in the top 3 globally for trust in government. . Corruption is low. Like, "we-would-make-a-scandal-out-of-a-free-coffee" low. . They believe the state will use their money responsibly. What a concept. . They don’t love every politician, obviously, but the general idea that the government exists to help people? That still flies. It's like an alternate universe where social contracts weren’t written on toilet paper and lit on fire. . Basically, Danes know they pay a lot, but the system delivers. The outcomes make the input feel worthwhile. That's the kind of reason that I have a lot of respect for it and the citizens. The model and the people are mutually reinforcing of each other. I wish that the UK had taken a different course in the past. " It is interesting read how Denmark leaned in to a universal welfare model after WW2. They did not want a "safety net" for the poor like the UK aimed for. The Danes wanted basic rights for everyone. -Healthcare -Education -Pensions -Childcare . Essentially, make everyone feel *included* and not just *rescued*. . In the UK, services were designed as a lifeline for the poor, which made it easier for successive governments to stigmatize and dismantle them. . In the US, they skipped the lifeline and went straight to “bootstraps and bankruptcy. Of course, there is lot more underpinning their cultural model (for example, Janteloven (“The Law of Jante”), which loosely translates to: . “Don’t think you’re better than anyone else.” . Thus egalitarianism is at the root of their psyche. . Politics - Danish Politics is dominated by coalition governments. This forces parties to work together, compromising like grown-ups. . his means: Policies are stable. Public institutions aren’t yanked in wild directions every time the ruling party changes. Long-term planning actually happens. In other words: Denmark is run like a cooperative. The UK is run like a boarding school. The US is run like a reality show. | |||
"No one likes paying taxes. They're not dancing to the tax office. But here’s the kicker: The Danes see it as a fair deal. They pay a lot —top rates can go over 55%, with VAT at 25% on most goods— but in return: . Their healthcare is free at the point of use. . University is free and students get paid to attend (yes, read that again). . Childcare is heavily subsidised. . Infrastructure actually works. . And they trust that money isn’t being funnelled into someone's moat refurbishment fund. . It’s less “taxation is theft” and more “taxation is a group project where nobody slacks off.” . What do Danes as a rule think about their government ? . Surprisingly... positive things. . Denmark routinely ranks in the top 3 globally for trust in government. . Corruption is low. Like, "we-would-make-a-scandal-out-of-a-free-coffee" low. . They believe the state will use their money responsibly. What a concept. . They don’t love every politician, obviously, but the general idea that the government exists to help people? That still flies. It's like an alternate universe where social contracts weren’t written on toilet paper and lit on fire. . Basically, Danes know they pay a lot, but the system delivers. The outcomes make the input feel worthwhile. That's the kind of reason that I have a lot of respect for it and the citizens. The model and the people are mutually reinforcing of each other. I wish that the UK had taken a different course in the past. It is interesting read how Denmark leaned in to a universal welfare model after WW2. They did not want a "safety net" for the poor like the UK aimed for. The Danes wanted basic rights for everyone. -Healthcare -Education -Pensions -Childcare . Essentially, make everyone feel *included* and not just *rescued*. . In the UK, services were designed as a lifeline for the poor, which made it easier for successive governments to stigmatize and dismantle them. . In the US, they skipped the lifeline and went straight to “bootstraps and bankruptcy. Of course, there is lot more underpinning their cultural model (for example, Janteloven (“The Law of Jante”), which loosely translates to: . “Don’t think you’re better than anyone else.” . Thus egalitarianism is at the root of their psyche. . Politics - Danish Politics is dominated by coalition governments. This forces parties to work together, compromising like grown-ups. . his means: Policies are stable. Public institutions aren’t yanked in wild directions every time the ruling party changes. Long-term planning actually happens. In other words: Denmark is run like a cooperative. The UK is run like a boarding school. The US is run like a reality show." This cooperative, collaborative approach would be great here
I think we've had too much ingrained inequality here, so we've ended up with stand-in aristocrats lording it over thosw who were at best, born to serve their betters.
Inequality and the majority not truly getting their dues, has been baked into the system for centuries, you can still see the foundations remaining in the English property rights, such as leaseholders. | |||
"No one likes paying taxes. They're not dancing to the tax office. But here’s the kicker: The Danes see it as a fair deal. They pay a lot —top rates can go over 55%, with VAT at 25% on most goods— but in return: . Their healthcare is free at the point of use. . University is free and students get paid to attend (yes, read that again). . Childcare is heavily subsidised. . Infrastructure actually works. . And they trust that money isn’t being funnelled into someone's moat refurbishment fund. . It’s less “taxation is theft” and more “taxation is a group project where nobody slacks off.” . What do Danes as a rule think about their government ? . Surprisingly... positive things. . Denmark routinely ranks in the top 3 globally for trust in government. . Corruption is low. Like, "we-would-make-a-scandal-out-of-a-free-coffee" low. . They believe the state will use their money responsibly. What a concept. . They don’t love every politician, obviously, but the general idea that the government exists to help people? That still flies. It's like an alternate universe where social contracts weren’t written on toilet paper and lit on fire. . Basically, Danes know they pay a lot, but the system delivers. The outcomes make the input feel worthwhile. That's the kind of reason that I have a lot of respect for it and the citizens. The model and the people are mutually reinforcing of each other. I wish that the UK had taken a different course in the past. It is interesting read how Denmark leaned in to a universal welfare model after WW2. They did not want a "safety net" for the poor like the UK aimed for. The Danes wanted basic rights for everyone. -Healthcare -Education -Pensions -Childcare . Essentially, make everyone feel *included* and not just *rescued*. . In the UK, services were designed as a lifeline for the poor, which made it easier for successive governments to stigmatize and dismantle them. . In the US, they skipped the lifeline and went straight to “bootstraps and bankruptcy. Of course, there is lot more underpinning their cultural model (for example, Janteloven (“The Law of Jante”), which loosely translates to: . “Don’t think you’re better than anyone else.” . Thus egalitarianism is at the root of their psyche. . Politics - Danish Politics is dominated by coalition governments. This forces parties to work together, compromising like grown-ups. . his means: Policies are stable. Public institutions aren’t yanked in wild directions every time the ruling party changes. Long-term planning actually happens. In other words: Denmark is run like a cooperative. The UK is run like a boarding school. The US is run like a reality show. This cooperative, collaborative approach would be great here
I think we've had too much ingrained inequality here, so we've ended up with stand-in aristocrats lording it over thosw who were at best, born to serve their betters.
Inequality and the majority not truly getting their dues, has been baked into the system for centuries, you can still see the foundations remaining in the English property rights, such as leaseholders.""Baked in" inequality is a good description. I'd go so far as to say "Overbaked, caramelised, served cold on a silver tray by someone named Giles who calls you "mate" but is secretly judging your trainers. . The UK doesn’t just have class inequality—it’s organised around it. It’s the structural wallpaper. You can try painting over it with free school meals and awkward royal charity events, but the pattern always bleeds through. The first "sorting hat" is Education. This is the UK's real caste system. Your school. . Private schools educate 7% of the population, but dominate leadership in law, politics, media, and finance. . Example: 71% of senior judges, 54% of top journalists, 39% of the Cabinet. All privately educated. . These schools don’t just give better teaching—they give networks, accent-polishing, and a direct pipeline to power. . Meanwhile, state schools are stuck fighting over crumbling buildings and outdated textbooks like it’s Mad Max for Maths. Accents and postcodes are our "Class GPS" n Denmark, you can walk into a room and not immediately know someone’s socioeconomic status. In the UK? You just need to hear someone say the word "bath." . A working-class accent can still disqualify someone from certain jobs, especially in law, politics, and media. . People literally change their accents to “sound more professional,” which is code for: “make rich people comfortable.” . Wealth Hoarding & Inheritance In Denmark, wealth is taxed fairly aggressively. In the UK? The rich are very good at staying rich. Property portfolios. Offshore accounts. Trusts. . As much as I'd like to see the UK become more like Denmark, it would be a gargantuan struggle. . 1-The UK is culturally attached to hierarchy. People are trained to know their place. 2.Redistributive policies are seen as envy, not justice. 3.Public trust in government is low. You can’t build a Danish model on suspicion and tabloid-fuelled class warfare. 4.Elites won’t give up power voluntarily. The people who benefit from inequality also run the system. . That said, it would not be impossible. All we would need is : A cultural lobotomy, Dismantling of elitist institutions, And several generations of therapy. | |||
"What would you think of the Nordic model of government/social/economic policies etc being more of a standard for the UK? What do you like about it? " It seems to be working, they consistently rank near the top in the World Happiness Reports. | |||
" In Denmark, wealth is taxed fairly aggressively. In the UK? " In Denmark, everyone is taxed aggressively, not just the rich. They don't have wealth taxes. But no matter how much you earn, you have to pay a municipal tax rate of about 25% and a labour tax of 8%. If you earn over an equivalent of about £55,000, you pay additional 15% UK doesn't even tax or has much lower taxes for low income earners. Should we increase their taxes also like Denmark? | |||
" In Denmark, wealth is taxed fairly aggressively. In the UK? In Denmark, everyone is taxed aggressively, not just the rich. They don't have wealth taxes. But no matter how much you earn, you have to pay a municipal tax rate of about 25% and a labour tax of 8%. If you earn over an equivalent of about £55,000, you pay additional 15% UK doesn't even tax or has much lower taxes for low income earners. Should we increase their taxes also like Denmark? " You are right. In Denmark *everyone* pays high taxes. The difference is what the Danes get for it and that is where the UK would hit a brick wall. It works in Denmark because : . In Denmark, everyone gets the same core services: healthcare, childcare, pensions, unemployment support, education. . This means poor people don’t feel like they’re paying into a system they barely touch — they use it constantly, and it’s good. . In the UK, the poor are used to means-tested scraps and services designed to be punitive, so they assume higher taxes = “more money to a system that treats me badly.” . Quality matters in Denmark. Danish services are high quality and accessible — no 18-month NHS queues, no crumbling school roofs. . If the UK raised taxes but delivered the same patchy, underfunded services? Yeah, the poor (and everyone else) would riot. . Trust in government is very high Danes generally believe their tax money isn’t being wasted or spaffed up the wall. . In the UK, people assume taxes are misused — partly because… they are. Corruption scandals, dodgy contracts, and £250k for a consultancy to “decide what the bins should look like” erode any willingness to pay more. . Social solidarity In Denmark, the rich accept they’ll never be too far ahead, and the poor believe they’re not trapped forever. In the UK, decades of inequality and class division mean people see society as a competition, not a shared project. . If you simply copied Danish tax rates into Britain tomorrow: . The poor would feel it instantly in their take-home pay. . They’d be told by tabloids that their money was funding “benefits for migrants” or “lazy scroungers.” . And they wouldn’t see enough immediate, visible improvement to believe the sacrifice was worth it. . That last bit is key — in Denmark, people are happy to pay because the payoff is obvious and daily. | |||
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" You are right. In Denmark *everyone* pays high taxes. The difference is what the Danes get for it and that is where the UK would hit a brick wall. It works in Denmark because : . In Denmark, everyone gets the same core services: healthcare, childcare, pensions, unemployment support, education. . This means poor people don’t feel like they’re paying into a system they barely touch — they use it constantly, and it’s good. . " You have got the cause and effect completely mixed up. Denmark's social welfare system works because everyone is taxed highly. Everyone paying tax means more funding. Everyone paying tax means everyone is in it together and hence everyone feels responsible for it. Unfortunately, the UK leftists mistakenly believe that taxing "those rich people" would solve their problems. It won't. If you want a better welfare system, you need to tax everyone. " If you simply copied Danish tax rates into Britain tomorrow: . The poor would feel it instantly in their take-home pay. " And here we go. More mental gymnastics to justify why you won't pay more taxes and only "those rich people" must. | |||
" And here we go. More mental gymnastics to justify why you won't pay more taxes and only "those rich people" must. " I'm not sure where you have the idea I don't want to pay more taxes. I'd be more than happy to pay more to achieve the same benefits the Danish do. That's not a left ideal or even a right ideal. It's a collective investment for everyone, hence egalitarian. . It is easy to fall in to the "Left want the rich to pay more" and the "Right want to pay little". That creates division. . Everyone pays more. And it works. (For the Danes at least). | |||
" And here we go. More mental gymnastics to justify why you won't pay more taxes and only "those rich people" must. I'm not sure where you have the idea I don't want to pay more taxes. I'd be more than happy to pay more to achieve the same benefits the Danish do. That's not a left ideal or even a right ideal. It's a collective investment for everyone, hence egalitarian. . It is easy to fall in to the "Left want the rich to pay more" and the "Right want to pay little". That creates division. . Everyone pays more. And it works. (For the Danes at least). " Nothing is stopping you from paying more right now. Register as self employed if you’re not already and HMRC will give you bank details to pay money into them. | |||
" Nothing is stopping you from paying more right now. Register as self employed if you’re not already and HMRC will give you bank details to pay money into them. " It only works if we all, as a social contract, do the same. Like the Danes do. I've already explained it would need countrywide adoption. Doable in 30 years but a lot of effort is needed to achieve it. It would be easier to learn Danish and emigrate ! Realistically though, my plane's on final approach to the airport, so it's a bit too late for me now. | |||
" Nothing is stopping you from paying more right now. Register as self employed if you’re not already and HMRC will give you bank details to pay money into them. It only works if we all, as a social contract, do the same. Like the Danes do. I've already explained it would need countrywide adoption. Doable in 30 years but a lot of effort is needed to achieve it. It would be easier to learn Danish and emigrate ! Realistically though, my plane's on final approach to the airport, so it's a bit too late for me now." But not everyone agrees. Some people think that we should pay less tax and spend our money how we want to spend it, not how a government want to spend it on our behalf. I’m one of those people by the way. So again it comes back to what someone said earlier, some people want others to pay more tax. | |||
" But not everyone agrees. Some people think that we should pay less tax and spend our money how we want to spend it, not how a government want to spend it on our behalf. I’m one of those people by the way. So again it comes back to what someone said earlier, some people want others to pay more tax. " Indeed. You would not thrive in the Danish Model. Others would. Their cultural mentality is quite different to ours. | |||
" And here we go. More mental gymnastics to justify why you won't pay more taxes and only "those rich people" must. I'm not sure where you have the idea I don't want to pay more taxes. I'd be more than happy to pay more to achieve the same benefits the Danish do. That's not a left ideal or even a right ideal. It's a collective investment for everyone, hence egalitarian. . It is easy to fall in to the "Left want the rich to pay more" and the "Right want to pay little". That creates division. . Everyone pays more. And it works. (For the Danes at least). " But in the above post, you mentioned why it would be a bad idea to increase the tax for the poor now. So what should be the income level that should be taxed to begin with? | |||
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"It's an interesting model but for the UK to adopt it I feel that first the government need to prove that they can spend our money wisely, get value for money and run the things they control efficiently. Once that is achieved then they can go to the people for more tax saying look how well they do things and with more money they can expand that further. If asking for more tax from the low paid to the highest paid they need to show it's not just a money pit" Agreed. I did look at a model of how the UK could in theory achieve this in a 30-year timespan. It's a cross between Yes Minister and Game of Thrones, with a bit of Mad Max thrown in as well. | |||
