The Thatcherite notion of tax as wicked must be challenged in the upcoming budget. Target unearned wealth; explain that tax creates a decent society
I
t’s late already: only six weeks to prepare the way for what’s to come. Everyone knows taxes will rise on 26 November, budget day. Speculation runs wild, often malevolently designed to frighten. Will she, won’t she break her pledge not to raise the three big taxes? Even if the chancellor keeps her promise, people already think she’s broken it. She (unwisely) promised tax rises were one-and-done at the last budget, so best to raise a hefty sum now as she’ll be damned anyway.
In the old saw, taxes are certain: what’s uncertain is whether they threaten the death of this government. She is some £40bn short, but she’s not short of super-abundant advice. But though everyone knows tax rises are coming, neither she nor the prime minister are rolling the political pitch to explain why this must happen and expound the choices.
Above all, now is the time to illuminate first political principles – the civic and moral virtues of taxation itself, which is not a burden but the price of civilisation. Since there’s no avoiding it, make a political virtue of necessity. Remind people what their taxes buy, retell what cuts and austerity did to the public realm and tell voters truths they don’t know: Britain is a lower-taxed nation than its neighbours, and it shows. Ask not what tax cuts will do for your pocket, but what taxes will do for everything that matters most in life.
