Paris is burning.

Anyone else looking at what is going on over there? High taxes (unless you are rich as Macron has reduced their taxes); high unemployment; nearly 25% fuel tax rise in the last year;  one of the countries that is a victim of the Euro being based on Germany but now having to pay more into the EU budget then they get back etc  Their reforms for work were always going to have to be brought in line with the rest of the Europe and away from the Greek model of short working hours, early retirement etc, but this seems to be about more than that.

High taxes (unless you are rich as Macron has reduced their taxes)

A Tory basically.

A Tory basically.

Rich British citizens do not live in the UK as the taxes are too high. These people reside where taxes are low e.g. Monte Carlo.

It's almost funny that Macron has gone to such lenghs to attract rich foeign nationals to Paris, and now the poor French beiing hit by three tax rises on fuel in the last year, are burning it. Those rich who were packing their bags to go to Paris, are likely not so keen now.

 

Yes, pretty much Tory.

It's a cheaper place for pensioners like met to live than the UK.
How high is the fuel cost there, anyway?

In fact the UK have gone to great lengths to stop tax breaks/abuse e.g. the changes for one person limited companies, landlords etc

Some of these are shameless and will claim low income based benefits too and these: and the other able bodied benefit abusers; are being stopped under the Welfare Reform laws.
e.g. no more phoning up to renew a low inome benefit claim once a year  by two able bodied parents with a teenage child as even working in a supermarket would bring them a joint income of over 40K pa; no more low income based benefits anymore for those that have over 16k in a house they own but don't live in; the reduction or ending of low income benefits for the self employed who claim year after year; etc

Tax reform means nothing if you can hide income offshore. Poor people can't do that.

"Deutsche Bank’s Frankfurt headquarters have been raided by 170 German police officers and officials as part of a Panama Papers-related money laundering investigation."

https://www.icij.org/blog/2018/11/panama-papers-german-police-raid-deutsche-bank-headquarters-over-alleged-money-laundering/

What has the UK done? Answer: not a damned thing.

Aside from the Guardian, you can't even get the papers to run a story on it.

Hmmm; Fuel prices. It's the Guardian, of course, but https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/are-the-french-hit-especially-hard-by-fuel-taxes-protests

"Despite a backdrop of riots against high fuel levies in France, European commission data shows that taxes on all petrol products have actually fallen in the last two years across the eurozone. The level has fallen from almost 70% of the cost for consumers at the pump to 60.9% at the end of November. In France, it is a similar story, with taxes on fuel (before the increased levy on diesel kicks in) accounting for a smaller proportion of total prices than they did at the start of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency."

So, which batch has infiltrated the crowds this time? 

Or are they protesting heating fuel?

Hmmm; Fuel prices. It's the Guardian, of course, but https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/are-the-french-hit-especially-hard-by-fuel-taxes-protests

"Despite a backdrop of riots against high fuel levies in France, European commission data shows that taxes on all petrol products have actually fallen in the last two years across the eurozone. The level has fallen from almost 70% of the cost for consumers at the pump to 60.9% at the end of November. In France, it is a similar story, with taxes on fuel (before the increased levy on diesel kicks in) accounting for a smaller proportion of total prices than they did at the start of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency."

So, which batch has infiltrated the crowds this time? 

Or are they protesting heating fuel?

The key words in that article are  "across the eurozone". The facts are that fuel will have risen by neraly 25% in France in 12 months, with 3 tax increases on fuel. France is a much larger country than the UK and has lots of rural areas with poor public transport.  Even taking their children to school or buying food, requires cars for some. Not the same problem for those that live in the cities and don't need a car/use a car much.

The French tend to drive diesal cars and the taxes have gone on to stop global warning. Macron has spoken about giving more benefits to offest the fuel rise, but he has also complained about France's high benefit bill. He will be aware of the tripple wammy of the UK's Welfare Reform laws, that will return to/bring to France's welfare bill.  He will know about other laws the UK has brought in that can be used in future and that the UK is not the only polular EEA country to make changes and bring in new laws that can be used in future.

What countries need to do to inject cash into their economy, is to cut taxes; cut benefits and make sure everyone pays their share of the services they/their family use. Global warming has to stop and that has to be balanced too, hence the tax rises on fuel.

The French government have now told the yellow jackets they will suspend the latest tax rise due on fuel ... for six months.

Totally ignoring the fact that the vast majority of benefits go to the elderly.

But don't let the facts ruin a good polemic.

What I find interesting is that the French seem to be protesting the fact that wages are low and taxes are high by demanding that the rich pay their share of taxes. 

In the UK, wages have been flat for 10 years and prices have gone up, but somehow the people have been convinced that   the real problem is foreigners.  The reason the police don't come  when your house is burgled is because the Tories have slashed the budget, not because of your Polish neighbours.   Meanwhile, we ignore the fact that Amazon is destroying the high street while not paying any taxes.

The French aren't rioting because they want to quit the EU, they are rioting because they want to live in a fair society.

What I find interesting is that the French seem to be protesting the fact that wages are low and taxes are high by demanding that the rich pay their share of taxes. 

In the UK, wages have been flat for 10 years and prices have gone up, but somehow the people have been convinced that   the real problem is foreigners.  The reason the police don't come  when your house is burgled is because the Tories have slashed the budget, not because of your Polish neighbours.   Meanwhile, we ignore the fact that Amazon is destroying the high street while not paying any taxes.

The French aren't rioting because they want to quit the EU, they are rioting because they want to live in a fair society.

What I find interesting is that the French seem to be protesting the fact that wages are low and taxes are high by demanding that the rich pay their share of taxes. 

The yellow jacket protest in France started over the nearly 25% rise in fuel tax in a year,, not becasue "wages are low" or  "demanding that the rich pay their share of taxes". That is why they wore the yellow jackets, because these are what every motorist in France must carry in their car.

The French aren't rioting because they want to quit the EU, they are rioting because they want to live in a fair society.

Others then  joined in to protest over what they don't want. Some are from the anti uncontrolled immigration, anti EU parties as they have a huge following in France. Macron has already said on the Andrew Marr show that if the French had a chance to vote on leaving the EU, they would probably vote to leave.  There are yellow jacket protesters in Brussels too.

...the Tories...

You do realise that those who don't want free movement vote Labour? Don't you? The Labour strongholds voted for Brexit
There was an interesting discussion the other week with politicians, where they agreed that the working class who don't want immigration vote Labour and the working class who want what was is best for the economy vote Conservative. The present Labour leader is anti EU.

That is a lie.

35% of labour voted leave.
61% of Tories.

The key is age. Old tories caused this.