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What the Tories won’t tell you in their ‘transparent’ tax statement What the Tories won’t tell you in their ‘transparent’ tax statement
(35 minutes later)
George Osborne is spending £5m of public money to tell us how your money is spent. Soon every household will get an “annual tax statement” showing what our taxes are spent on. This plan, announced a couple of years ago, now conveniently comes fruition as the Tories gear up for the election. George Osborne is spending £5m of public money to tell us how your money is spent. Soon every household will get an “ annual tax statement” showing what our taxes are spent on. This plan, announced a couple of years ago, now conveniently comes to fruition as the Tories gear up for the election.
In the pointlessly fabricated language that politicians speak, Osborne said these new visual illustrations “will show how hard-working taxpayers have to pay for what governments spend”.In the pointlessly fabricated language that politicians speak, Osborne said these new visual illustrations “will show how hard-working taxpayers have to pay for what governments spend”.
What about the begrudging, lazy taxpayer Gideon? Or your ultra-rich friends with more tax-dodging schemes than a comedian has nasty jokes? Still, this is a revolution. “A revolution in transparency.” Transparency is good. Knowledge is power and all that. But actually this is not what is happening. This is basically a giant mailshot to further justify more cuts. What the Treasury has shown us so far is that the statements will be divided up into welfare, health, education and so on. So if someone earns £30,000 a year they will be see that £1,663 goes to “welfare”, £892 to “education”. They will see that the biggest chunk of their tax goes not to the sick and pensioners or disabled, but to this amorphous blob of “welfare”. What about the begrudging, lazy taxpayer, Gideon? Or your ultra-rich friends with more tax-dodging schemes than a comedian has nasty jokes? Still, this is a revolution. “A revolution in transparency.” Transparency is good. Knowledge is power and all that. But actually, this is not what is happening. This is basically a giant mailshot to justify more cuts. What the Treasury has shown us so far is that the statements will be divided up into welfare, health, education and so on. So if someone earns £30,000 a year they will be see that £1,663 goes to “welfare”, and £892 to “education”. They will see that the biggest chunk of their tax goes not to the sick, to pensioners or disabled people, but to this amorphous blob of “welfare”.
If people bother to go to the government website, where the welfare budget is broken down, they can see that only 3% goes to the unemployed, while pensions comprise 46%. But this is not what we will see on our statements. It is designed so people think we spend more on bad things (welfare) than on good (health). If people bother to go to the government website, where the welfare budget is broken down, they can see that only 3% of welfare goes to the unemployed, while pensions account for 46%. But this is not what we will see on our statements. It is designed to make people think we spend more on bad things (welfare) than on good (health).
The word “welfare” itself is now a dog whistle indicating waste and worthlessness. The Tory narrative, largely accepted, is that they are the ones hard enough to stamp it out altogether. The word “welfare” itself is now a dog whistle indicating waste and worthlessness. The Tory narrative, largely accepted, is that they are the ones who are hard enough to stamp the waste out.
This absolutely cynical presentation of data, reinforces the myth that huge amounts of our budget goes to the able-bodied, working-age unemployed. This absolutely cynical presentation of data reinforces the myth that huge amounts of our budget goes to the able-bodied, working-age unemployed.
It props up the idea that we pay tax for other people, not for ourselves, for we are hard-working little atoms in a universe devoid of human connection. As Will Hutton pointed out, tax is a fundamental expression of social interdependence, funding the environment in which private businesses flourish, whether through research or railways. The Conservative credo only acknowledges public obligation as philanthropy, as belonging to the rich. It has stamped on even the notion of the good Samaritan, it is the party that will let migrants drown and food banks grow. It props up the idea that we pay tax for other people, not for ourselves, for we are hard-working atoms in a universe devoid of human connection. As Will Hutton pointed out, tax is a fundamental expression of social interdependence, funding the environment in which private businesses flourish, whether through research or railways. The Conservative credo only acknowledges public obligation as philanthropy, as belonging to the rich. It has even trampled on the notion of the good Samaritan: the party that will let migrants drown and food banks multiply.
A true revolution in transparency would mean talking about tax avoidance and tax cuts to billionaires. It would also mean that the decision to destroy all records relating to the MPs expenses claims before 2010 was never made. But this has gone ahead because Westminster continues to destroy information and evidence about the powerful. A true revolution in transparency would mean talking about tax avoidance and tax cuts to billionaires. It would also mean that the decision to destroy all records relating to MPs’ expenses claims before 2010 was never made. But this has gone ahead because Westminster continues to destroy information and evidence about the powerful.
What is transparent is that this election will be about unstitching the social fabric to such an extent that great holes will gape open. If people whose standard of living has already dropped are made to feel they are paying unnecessarily and unfairly for others “welfare”, politics is reduced to its lowest common denominator. What is transparent is that this election will be about unstitching the social fabric to such an extent that great holes will gape open. If people whose standard of living has already dropped are made to feel they are paying unnecessarily and unfairly for others’ “welfare”, politics is reduced to its lowest common denominator.
We just vote for more or less tax. We vote for ourselves and hope like hell we never need the safety net which is being deliberately torn up. These are statements about more than just tax. And an actual revolution in transparency would tell us how much of our hard-earned tax has gone into making what is basically electoral propaganda for the Tory party. We just vote for more or less tax. We vote for ourselves and hope like hell we never need the safety net that is being deliberately torn up. These are statements about more than just tax. And an actual revolution in transparency would tell us how much of our hard-earned tax has gone into making what is basically electoral propaganda for the Tory party.