Paying tax is not an aspiration

George Osborne is alleged to have told some backbench Conservative MPs:

“Let’s not forget there are advantages in more people paying tax at 40p.

“It means they feel they are a success and joining the aspirational classes. That means they are more likely to think like Conservatives and vote Conservative.

“If they are paying 40p tax they have a greater interest in cutting Government spending because they are paying for it. All the polling evidence suggests that I am right.”

Whilst I would prefer to earn more money, I see paying more tax as a bug, not a feature – and I certainly don’t aspire to pay more of it which is why I take measures (subject to the limitations of PAYE) to reduce the amount stolen from me each month.

However I can see that there is, in a perverse and twisted way, some logic to what Gideon is saying – especially in the last line of quoted above. The problem is that whilst those who are paying more for government certainly have a greater interest in cutting government spending, the reality is that government isn’t cutting spending, has deliberately squeezed the basic tax rate band in order to catch more people in the 40% band and shows no indication of stopping doing either.

And George wonders why the ‘aspirational classes’ are disillusioned with him and his party.

3 Comments

  1. ageing man says:

    George is a delusional arsehole. One of the goods things about becoming middle aged is I now have a pot to piss in. However, George can find his own pot to piss in if he thinks I am happy to help himself to more of my piss.

    Tax is, I fully accept, a necessity but an incentive to vote Conservatilablib ? then he is clearly delusional.

    I would never consider my self aspirational, let alone a member of the aspirational class, but when it comes to paying my taxes, I am a realist. a) Tax is inevitable b) I as an individual will never be able to change government policy c) I am more than happy to piss in my own pot, and share some of that piss for those in need d) george osbourne is not in need to get your hands off my piss !

  2. Judd says:

    Never have i hated paying tax more than now.

    You expect NuLabour or the Limp Dumps to piss money up the wall like it grows on trees so you resign yourself to the country going to the dogs whilst they do their worst.

    You would however have expected a Con govt to have some bloody financial housekeeping in mind, (even expected a bit of honour to show, silly me) but this shower of bastards can piss it even quicker than Snotty and his cronies could (quicker than bliar could trouser it if that were possible), if they can’t shovel enough of it round the U bend in this country, they increasingly chuck it at bloody foreign dictators or continued aggression on foreign soil.

    Its always been easy to spend some other buggers money, that will never change.

  3. DP says:

    Dear Miss Anthrope

    There is more to life than paying taxes.

    DP