The four main parties (on the basis of their likely share of the UK vote) have all now published their manifestos for the general election on 4th July. The boldness of the commitments appears to be inversely related to the number of seats that each party is predicted to win. But every party has a … Continue reading Does any UK party have a credible plan on tax and spending?
Tag: tax
Should civil servants be involved in costing opposition policies?
This issue has flared up again following the row about the Conservatives’ document that claimed Labour will “increase your taxes by £2,094” (a figure still being cited on X today). There’s a lot to unpick here, so be prepared for a relatively nuanced answer! In case you’ve been lucky enough to miss all this, the … Continue reading Should civil servants be involved in costing opposition policies?
Rachel Reeves’ tax pledges are a hostage to fortune
“Read my lips: no new taxes.” Older readers may remember US Presidential nominee George H W Bush saying those words at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Of course, this pledge was then broken, playing a large part in Bush’s defeat by Bill Clinton four years later. Labour’s Rachel Reeves may just have made the same … Continue reading Rachel Reeves’ tax pledges are a hostage to fortune
The OECD’s minimum tax plan is dangerous showboating
On Wednesday, Liz Truss will use the Margaret Thatcher memorial lecture in Washington to call the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) a “global cartel of complacency” whose high tax policies are holding back growth. I fear she is right. In particular, Ms Truss will warn against the OECD’s plan for a minimum 15 … Continue reading The OECD’s minimum tax plan is dangerous showboating
Plain-speaking Economics 