Sunday, June 11, 2006
Ming the Mindless
Here is the latest mindless idea from Ming Campbell: a 2p cut in the basic rate of income tax - creating a cut cost of £20 billion - which apparently will be met by £7 billion of new "green taxes" and an extra £13 billion to come from the "very wealthy" via capital gains tax changes on second homes and shares.
Where to start? First is the way this stinks of the usual 'back-of-the-envelope' style plan we are accustomed to getting from the "Liberal Democrats". How in the world can one predict how much tax will be raised from green taxes, which depend almost entirely on how much they affect the way people behave? Thats not to mention the horrible way these taxes are designed to discourage activities of which INGSOC disapproves. People should be worried about the way their personal choice and liberty is being eroded by our benevolent Big Brother - whether in the name of aiding the environment in this case, or stopping terrorism in Blair's case, or whatever the latest fad happens to be.
However, what offends me most has to be these proposed taxes on the "very wealthy". Of course no one wants to define who this includes, but I'm reasonably confident the people who would fall into this horribily vague category will not be people who are all that worthy of a humongous tax increase. Ask yourself: are you "very wealthy"? Like almost all of us you probably think you aren't, but I fear you may be deluding yourselves.
I had great hopes for the "Liberal Democrats" not so long ago. Hopeless alcoholic Charles Kennedy was booted out, and they had a great opportunity to build upon the good performance of the 2005 election. They could have chosen a new philosophical direction by returning to the classical liberal roots of half the party, but alas with this seem to be sticking with the neo-socialist tendancy of the other half. They also had the chance of choosing a new leader, someone perhaps to challenge the fresh face and youth of David Cameron? Nope, a bumbling old fool way past his prime is elected (part by default as he seemed to be the only candidate not involved in a sex scandal).
Indeed, this policy and this leader display the dire condition the party still finds itself in. One senses we'll be getting a lot more pleasure from this pathetic party for a long time to come.
