Stephen Pollard is at it again! I've not seen such idiocy since Thatcher appointed Keith Joseph as Education Secretary!
First he goes on about the voucher scheme that lost the Tories the last election, as though it will win them the votes they need to win the next election. It is a right wing ruse to fund the rich minority who can afford to send their children to private schools masquarading as 'empowerment' of the people. What crap! Then he hits the jackpot with this 'Adam Smith Institute' inspired crackpot idea.
"The tax system is also ripe for reform. A flat tax would benefit both entrepreneurship and the poor. The most advanced analysis so far, by Richard Teather for the Adam Smith Institute, has looked at the impact of a flat rate of 22% (equal to the current basic rate tax) and a personal allowance of £12,000 (between the minimum wage of roughly £8,750 and the average income of around £22,000). Although everyone would benefit from an increase in personal allowances, it would lift 10 million out of income tax altogether. The biggest gains (12% of their income) would be for those on an income just below average. And the poorest third all benefit proportionately more than the richest third."
Why not abolish tax altogether, Stephen? How stupid is this guy? It sounds great doesn't it, reduce income tax and raise allowances! What about all the cuts to public services this would entail or does he have a secret tax he's not telling us about, get real! This is probably the best way I have seen for increasing poverty, its even worse than Thatcherism, and this is supposed to persuade people to vote Tory, give me strength!
New Labour ditching 'clause 4' was all about persuading people we had ditched our left wing past. How are these right-wing ideas, one they have already tried out in an election, the 'Tories clause 4', as he claims? It doesn't even make sense, but then neither does anything this ex-Daily Express editor says!
Perhaps if you used arguments rather than sneers, you would come across as more reasonable?
ReplyDeleteI do mention why I think his arguments are ridiculous, i.e. the voucher scheme was their policy at the last election that they lost and the flat tax scheme will mean cuts in public services and more of the tax burden on the poor. How is this a 'clause 4' cause for the Tories? How is this supposed to make them appear less right wing? It is clearly ridiculous to argue this as Pollard does. If this is sneering, I'm sorry, but when an argument is as bad as Pollard's, it is hard not to sneer!
ReplyDelete