Blair On Tax And Growth
Of course, it was not a total surprise that after exiting brilliantly after 10 years at the top in 2007, after 10 years at the helm just before the financial crisis, Tony Blair is back. He has been forwarded as a player in delivering peace in the Middle East, which after his record on Iraq is like bringing in Dracula to run a blood bank. The usually completely wrong on everything Ash Sarkar, delivered the perfect reaction to Blair’s new putative role, “Satan was unavailable.” In fact, he is and is ready for action…
But perhaps even worse has been the alleged, very alleged only, accusation that our Tony is in favour of the Britcard because he / his son will get the contract for implementing it. As it will never happen (probably), we can breathe a sigh of relief that this spying technology will not benefit the former PM. Perhaps we could ask the Chinese to help us, as one would guess they already know more about this country than we do?
As if to assuage all his slimy skills, and perceived WEF backing / membership, Sir Tony has come up with something that hardly anyone would disagree with: a Conservative / right wing policy. He has now suggested that income tax should be brought below 40%. Given that we are at record peacetime tax rates, even 40% would be a party for many in the population, who are already paying an effective 50%, especially when you add in fixed hits such as car tax, council tax, TV license et al. But what is Blair playing at, just a few weeks before the last of our pips are going to be squeaked in the next budget. The line from the Chancellor remains that those with the broadest shoulders (the rich) should pay more. The reality is that those with the broadest shoulders are actually those on benefits, a near 10% of the population, who are “allright Jack.” In order for the middle classes to feel comfortable again, taxes all in would have to be far less than 40%, especially given the way that wages in real terms have sunk like a stone since the start of the century.
But at least it would appear that Blair is cognizant of the Churchill quote that a government attempting to tax its way to growth is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. It beggars belief that economist Rachel Reeves has not heard of this. It also beggars belief that she has not heard of Baroness Thatcher’s: In the end socialists run out of other people’s money. This could be updated to them running out not only of the money of others, but those who have money running out of the country. But the point was made well 40 years ago.
Presumably, while big state policies such as the national identity card are warmly received by Starmer, Reeves and others, a call to lowering tax is not such a winner, even if it comes from a Labour party grandee. Incentivising people to work is disastrous for Labour, as those who work and become prosperous will not vote Labour – apart from the odd thespian. Alas, we are already beyond the point of no return in terms of a 1976 style bust for the UK, something which Blair with his sharp antennae must have cottoned onto.
(Prince) Andrew
On the face of it King Charles has finally laid to rest the two decades long debacle of his brother’s various transgressions. This was and is a state of affairs made all the more difficult by various factors, such as the character of his brother and the horrors of the counterparties involved. Unfortunately, the apparent initial catharsis of having titles stripped is rather undone by the best of them, being a Prince, still standing. We have the example of King Edward VIII being downgraded to the Duke of Windsor and sent into exile some 90 years ago, and perhaps that was the route to be taken. We have heard that the son of a monarch cannot be stripped of being a Prince, but with the possibility of the police getting involved in the fallout from the Guiffre smear claims, a Prince and in turn the Royal family being associated with such a matter seems unacceptable.
With the benefit of hindsight, Prince Andrew should have stepped out of the public eye years ago, and not had a staged retreat, lasting years. Indeed, the fact that he has remained a prince could be said to have been a reason that he made himself an ongoing target for accusers. This is over and above whatever he may or may not have done historically. We can only guess how much of a cover up there has been over Jeffrey Epstein Virgina Guiffre over the years due to how many of the “great and the good” were involved. This may ultimately save the Prince going through yet further tribulations. However, as things stand it may ironically be the case that stripping him of all his titles barring his most important one is not the closure that the royal family may be hoping for.
