[ritchiebaby]

0762 and hibeejim21 - you look at things from a different angle to me and will have different opinions. I agree with much of what you say, especially with regard to the failure of successive governments to stem the divide between rich and poor and also north and south. I generally have no faith in the ability or intent of politicians to make much difference.

Re taxation, the UK needs a drastic overhaul of our taxation system so that companies and individuals are taxed on their UK sales/income with no "creative accounting" to reduce their liabilities. And tax avoidance is not exclusive to the rich - only last week while loading my car in a city shopping car park, a white van driver parked beside me and offered to sell me a large screen TV. Many tradesmen gladly do cash jobs to avoid being taxed - not on the same scale as the rich perhaps, but still tax avoidance. "Mony a mickle maks a muckle".

I don't profess to have the answers, but always hope that enough money is found to sufficiently subsidise education, the NHS and law and order to benefit the general population. To me, leaving the EU (and there's still an "if" about that - I don't trust politicians to apply the will of the people) gives the UK a chance to change the existing system for the better. Only time will tell.