Tag Archives: nick hollinmghurst

The VAT rise: a refresher course for Labour

Today’s increase in VAT from 17.5% to 20% — announced in the Coalition’s emergency budget last year — has triggered a fresh burst of opportunism criticism from Labour. The “wrong tax at the wrong time” claims their leader Ed Miliband.

How Labour’s last Chancellor backed a VAT rise

I suspect there’s a Labour MP we won’t be hearing from today, though: Alistair Darling*, Chancellor until the party’s defeat in May. As Mark Pack noted here last July, Mr Darling was a strong advocate of increasing the rate of VAT in order to tackle the UK’s massive deficit, with The …

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  • Thelma Davies
    Thankfully, and not before time, the government has ordered a public inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. Those in authority within the children's and socia...
  • Simon R
    It seems rather loaded language to say we are taking from the poorest people in the world when what we're actually doing is not giving as much. If I spent £70...
  • Suzanne Fletcher
    Interesting and relevant article from Bradley Hillier Smith: this is the beginning, I don't have the article weblink so just copy an pasting 1st page. message...
  • Cassie
    An eye-opening, and brave, article. Changing the recording system seems a very simple change to make, and it seems crazy no government has ever done it....
  • Nonconformistradical
    @Ben C "Difficulties valuing the few remaining properties that aren’t on the land register...." Do you know how many there are? If you don't why have you ...