At a recent meeting the Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said that the Tories would set up a new programme that would ensure the tax system is fairer and simpler for all. Proposals made last autumn by the Tax Reform Commission are being examined by the chairman of HM Revenue and Customs. This would alleviate any bad policymaking under a Tory government. The tax raid on trusts was given as an example, as it lacked consultation.
However, Mr Osborne refused to back the tax-cutting proposals that were put forward in the Tax Reform Commission’s report in October. He did put forward three tests- sound money tests, the ‘sharing the proceeds test’ and the ‘manifesto test’ – as public spending proposals only become party policy when they are on the manifesto.
Our view
It is all political spin whether your politics are red, blue, yellow or green. This country wastes a lot of money on public services that are inefficient such as central and local government services, the NHS is poorly managed and there are too many loopholes in the benefits system that allow people to claim who should not and misses those who desperately need it. We will all continue to pay high taxes either by stealth or directly.