Forwardish to Basics
David Willetts, who used to be something during the interregnum between the fall of Thatcher and the rise of Tony, and has now descended so far as to be Minister for Family Values in Daveybloke's Cuddly Cabinet, has been clarifying the Conservatives' policy on tax penalties for the unmarried. The Independent's political editor has made a valiant attempt at presenting Willetts' flounderings as some sort of rebellion; but, whatever his present degree of insignificance, it does not appear that Willetts is about to emulate Edward McMillan-Scott, the man expelled from the Conservative party for opposing Daveybloke's glamorous fling with the right-wing lunatic fringe in Europe.
On the one hand, according to Willetts, it is important to avoid "the ghost of back to basics" which, for those who do not remember it, was what used to pass in the Currie-spicer for a moral vision. On the other hand, commitment between two adults is intrinsically a "good thing". On the other hand, "we all know the real world", even Daveybloke's Cuddly Conservatives, "and how not every relationship stays together", and David Willetts completely understands that. On the other hand, "the last thing people want is politicians setting themselves up as somehow morally superior or telling people how to run their lives"; which is why the Conservative party intends to charge married couples less tax than other people. Daveybloke has said that the policy is more about the message than the money (the message being, apparently, that married couples are not better than other people, but that they deserve to pay less tax anyway); but on the other hand David Willetts has clarified this as being "not some kind of pompous attempt to tell people how to live their lives". As always, consumer choice is to the fore: you can either get married, or on the other hand you can pay more tax. After all, what sort of malcontent would claim that being made to pay more tax is a coercive measure, especially as Daveybloke drags us all along on his wonderful journey into austerity?
On the one hand, according to Willetts, it is important to avoid "the ghost of back to basics" which, for those who do not remember it, was what used to pass in the Currie-spicer for a moral vision. On the other hand, commitment between two adults is intrinsically a "good thing". On the other hand, "we all know the real world", even Daveybloke's Cuddly Conservatives, "and how not every relationship stays together", and David Willetts completely understands that. On the other hand, "the last thing people want is politicians setting themselves up as somehow morally superior or telling people how to run their lives"; which is why the Conservative party intends to charge married couples less tax than other people. Daveybloke has said that the policy is more about the message than the money (the message being, apparently, that married couples are not better than other people, but that they deserve to pay less tax anyway); but on the other hand David Willetts has clarified this as being "not some kind of pompous attempt to tell people how to live their lives". As always, consumer choice is to the fore: you can either get married, or on the other hand you can pay more tax. After all, what sort of malcontent would claim that being made to pay more tax is a coercive measure, especially as Daveybloke drags us all along on his wonderful journey into austerity?
1 Comments:
At 7:18 am ,
Consider Everything said...
Will there also be some tax cutting for the rich? Wait, that must have been implicit. Never mind the party in the end one always will get screwed
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home