Tag Archives: public finance initiative

Opinion: subtexts rule! (or, why the subtexts of the budget and new roadbuilding plans are more important than the headlines)

This last week has demonstrated that a sailing ship without a destination will… well… just drift with the wind.

During this last budget week the Tories, under pressure from their backbenchers, reduced the 50% rate of tax for higher earners. Under the principle of Collective Cabinet Responsibility, Lib Dem ministers defended the change, implying that this concession has been granted in return for broader anti-avoidance tax measures for the better off, and the next step in the reduction in the number of lower earners paying income tax. BIS Minister Vince Cable weighed in dutifully with facts and figures showing that the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 3 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Chris Caswill
    John Kelly makes two important points. Party Conference is clearly over managed, and membership democracy is the regrettable victim. Time for a change. Second...
  • sean worrell
    I completely agree. The issue isn’t simply whether every member technically has the same vote. It’s whether everyone has a realistic opportunity to particip...
  • Peter Davies
    "we might as well go all-in and rejoin the EU" Everyone who opposes this already believes this is our position. Let's give those who agree with us a clear m...
  • David Warren
    This and Roderick Lynch's recent article regarding federal conference are music to my ears. We pride ourselves on being a party where members decide policy b...
  • Nick Baird
    One of my issues with Ed's proposals is that contrary to what members seem to think, he is not proposing to join *the* Customs Union, but to negotiate a new bes...