Newsfight!
So, after twenty-five years of tax increases being burdened with the same popular appeal that accompanies indiscretions in Clapham Common, Labour has actually embarked upon this uncharted governmental policy. It seems possible that public services, including universities and police, services that affect all strata of society, might be prioritised for the first time in a while.
But I am not going to get ahead of myself. Firstly, we are as far away from the Labour of 1983 as ever we were. No real change has been implemented as of yet and those which do occur are often hidden measures like stealth taxes; the paranoia of a public backlash still lingers within Number 10 like a bad smell. The direction for this, or any government, should be a 97.5% income tax rate, neatly balancing the responsibility between individual and state. The fact is, that far too much of the populace's income is spent on luxury items. Who really needs soap? This new approach to taxation would eliminate virtually all need for the 'consumer' and replace this ideology with a state acting as father figure for the lost children of the nation.
Vitally, the approach towards using this money must be altered. True, the trains are in disarray; yet this is only because of their superfluous use. Trains should take people to gulags or areas of political isolation, like Cambridge. Anything more is just fancy. Public morale can be boosted in other ways: a statue of John Prescott in every city, town and village would be like pat on the back for every citizen. State-owned television would have endless possibilities: BBC Parliament and BBC Knowledge could become terrestrial; Channel 5 executives could be made to compete in their own game shows. Food, drink, drugs and pornography could be rationed. A balanced lifestyle, healthier for all, would be an inevitable consequence.
Tax - One small word can do a lot for society and a game of hangman.
(Jonathan Barnow killed Chris Morrison in a commie duel)
So Mr. Blair and his parsimonious sidekick Mr. Brown are thinking about putting taxes up in order to fund the National Health Service. According to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, however, this would not include "rises in the rates of basic or upper bands of income tax", or VAT on essentials - food, children's clothes and books. It's an interesting concept: exactly where does the government think they will be obtaining this extra money from? Given the trouble they have had with fuel taxes, one is inclined to believe that this statement is thrown out as a sop to those Old Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters who still believe that somehow public services can spend their way out of trouble.
It may surprise you to know that Conservatives are not inherently against the notion of taxation. The government of the kingdom requires a constant source of revenue in order to maintain its infrastructure. Now, while I would like to see much less of this infrastructure existing and thus needing public funds, nevertheless I acknowledge that most people want a nationally controlled education and health service, and that this requires money. Therefore taxation is necessary, and we are perfectly well in favour of indirect taxation as a method of raising revenue. Income tax, however, while also having its place, is abused as a tool of redistribution and is thus much less unacceptable. William Pitt the Younger, a far better man and Prime Minister than Blair could ever hope to be, introduced it in 1799, but would be horrified at its misuses now.
In any case, the population is still unwilling to pay more income tax. This is not to say that they desire tax cuts, as the last election indicated. Rather, we have reached one of those rare points in history where the people feel content with its level. In a bizarre example of confusing economic with social policy, the government is reverting to nineteenth century ideas. Instead of exporting criminals to Australia, however, we are now sending invalids to France. The Tories probably support this as an aspect of a third policy: extreme Euro-scepticism. Sending the sick and diseased over there might just help bring it down from the inside ...
(Anatole also supports VAT as it generally hits the poor hardest)
31st Jan 2002