Gordon Brown is to thank for the wonderful expansion of welfare into the homes of "the rich". What a fantastic Prime Minister he is going to make.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Cheery thoughts for a dismal day
The lucky British have a 'welfare nation' that is bigger than ours! With spending of 79 billion pounds, on a per head of population basis that equates to 1,316 pounds or $3,777. Ours is only $3,601.
Gordon Brown is to thank for the wonderful expansion of welfare into the homes of "the rich". What a fantastic Prime Minister he is going to make.
Gordon Brown is to thank for the wonderful expansion of welfare into the homes of "the rich". What a fantastic Prime Minister he is going to make.
That would be fine if NZers earnt as much as Poms. And everything in the UK cost the same as NZ.
ReplyDeleteBut as NZers earn less, and goods cost less I venture to say we spend relatively more than the UK.
Oh good.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I think you are right.
Apparently they are spending less on welfare than they are on the NHS so there's a clue.
There is also variation in our super/old-aged pension systems.
Haven't been able to access the Reform site to have a good look.
michael stole my thunder. was about to say the same thing.
ReplyDeleteUse the "Big Mac index" spending power test to get comparitive spending power of NZD vs GBP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_index
They do have a greater proportion of their working age population on a benefit - 14 percent to our 11 - 12 (unless they are using the wider definition of 15-64 year-olds)
ReplyDelete