Fairness

And so it continues. Sense and decency prevail, the 45% tax rate is re-introduced, but this only gives small returns compared to some of the other tax cuts. But it’s more than just money.

How can anyone justify giving those who have a lot, more than those who have little. And now there’s disagreement about those who have even less, relying on benefits to live, getting enough. Will their money be, in real terms, cut, depending on which rate is used to calculate what they get.

This discussion will, inevitably, bring in comments about benefit cheats. Remember not everyone is a cheat. I suspect there are just as many, if not more, ‘cheats’ getting more money. These include tax cheats and dodgers, those who move their money from country or account to another, in order to avoid various payments, businesses finding loopholes in all of the systems. And then there are the expenses cheats. But the public tend to hear less about these and more about the benefit cheats.

Cheats there may be, as there are in everything involving money, but there are a lot more instances of people and families needing some kind of assistance to help survive from day to day. Obviously there are those suffering from one of the many disabilities which stop them from working or earning an income. There are also people who are trying, and have tried many times, to find work. At present the figures show the number of vacancies is rising, but are these vacancies appropriate? Are they within travelling distance ( a bike ride!)? Will families have to face the upheaval of moving, leaving family, friends and support networks behind? Is the wage fair?

Governments should be looking at how to get people into appropriate jobs where they feel they are worth something, with a wage that they and their families can live on without having to visit food banks, and are close enough so families can stay together in places they know.

Governments, of any political persuasion, theory or doctrine, should not be playing games with people’s lives.