tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post6077482621596084327..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: Why the LibDem tax threshold plan would increase inequalityTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-22944021423600497152010-03-15T09:54:20.429+00:002010-03-15T09:54:20.429+00:00I absolutely agree with raising the tax threshold ...I absolutely agree with raising the tax threshold to £10,000 but I also think that eligibility for this threshold needs to be considered. For example, does someone earning £150,000 need to be allowed not to pay tax on the first £10k that they earn? Obviously not.<br /><br />The whole point of raising the threshold is to help low earners, which is why eligibility should be withdrawn gradually for higher earners at the same time to make sure the policy is a targetted one.Letters From A Toryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14612766550608940053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-41649393654928419272010-03-13T17:48:39.599+00:002010-03-13T17:48:39.599+00:00There are now several more responses on the Left F...There are now several more responses on the Left Foot Forward thread.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Guido,<br /><br />re: "I'd like to see more of the calculations". <br /><br />I don't know if you've read the 30-page paper on Left Foot Forward, but I think we can say that we have somewhat raised the analytical level of policy discourse on the blogosphere today.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Anand,<br /><br />I think the main reason that the LibDems do not do that is that they want to offer tax cuts all the way up the income spectrum. This is electorally popular, but not distributionally progressive.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Stuart<br /><br />Will send to John Kampfner, and would also of course be happy to carry any response from him here on Next Left.<br /><br />*** <br /><br />Rational Thinker<br /><br />Exactly!Sunder Katwalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06671411534003530927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-45119624436414565182010-03-13T17:26:19.087+00:002010-03-13T17:26:19.087+00:00I'd like to see more of the calculations. It ...I'd like to see more of the calculations. It goes without saying that of course the middle classes need a tax cut as well.<br /><br />Just because a policy allegedly increases inequality does not disqualify it. If a hypothetical silver bullet policy raised the income of the bottom decile 100% and the income of the top decile 101%, I wouldn't say that policy failed.<br /><br />As for raising marginal tax rates on high earners any further it won't work. It is that simple. They will simply either find ways to avoid penal tax rates or leave.Guido Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15091277669318213298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-65107897632820357862010-03-13T15:08:06.145+00:002010-03-13T15:08:06.145+00:00Clegg's idea is only 50% of the solution. The ...Clegg's idea is only 50% of the solution. The other 50% would be to raise the taxation level for those earning from £10000 to £50000 so that these people are net no better or worse off, so you effectively ONLY benefit those earning less than £10000. Its not rocket science but the Fabian Society conveniently fail to do the tiniest bit of thinking as it has the potential to drive people off benefits and into work, something the Labour movement doesn't want as it likes to maintain a client state.<br /><br />This government wastes billions in administering their tax credit system, just abolishing it altogether could raise the personal allowance to close to the £10k mark.<br /><br />We need to incentivise working in this country and sorry, Labour have not done this in over a decade in power.<br /><br />Politicians are all too gutless to radically shake up the tx system to get what we the people need out of it.<br /><br />Incentivise working, incentivise ambition and you will improve peoples quality of life without expecting middle England to pay for all the feckless and lazy!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863619464421607421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-1206258732564238552010-03-13T14:05:05.972+00:002010-03-13T14:05:05.972+00:00The lib dems should read the solidarity society, a...The lib dems should read the solidarity society, and implement a universal flat rate benefit for all citizens in employment/self-employment._______https://www.blogger.com/profile/12750073111707564700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-80250817372094755932010-03-13T13:11:08.316+00:002010-03-13T13:11:08.316+00:00We know Browns tax regime, tax the poor more give ...We know Browns tax regime, tax the poor more give it to the beloved middle England voter.<br /><br />No wonder so many of us are leaving the partyRoberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05186557603493331701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-6003749687832347402010-03-13T12:51:33.873+00:002010-03-13T12:51:33.873+00:00This is a much-needed analysis of the tax threshol...This is a much-needed analysis of the tax threshold proposal. I do hope that you'll be sending a copy to John Kampfner. <br /><br />The Lib Dems do have areas of progressive advantage over Labour - notably on civil liberties. But on the basics of tax and spend, they have persistently made non-progressive choices - tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich; scrapping the Child Trust Fund; phasing out tuition fees.Stuart Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05090728365798166746noreply@blogger.com