The controversy over the Prime Minister’s tax details continued this week with a story
in the Times .New analysis from by the Economic Change Unit found that up to a quarter of all taxpayers pay a higher rate than the Rishi Sunak. This is despite the Prime Minister being a multi-millionaire.
Another piece in the Times sets out the unfairness of a system that taxes income from work more than income from wealth. This controversy looks set to run and run.
Should the state do more?
Most people get that without tax we wouldn’t have the NHS. But do people believe there should be a stronger social contract between the state and its citizens?
It’s a question that seems particularly urgent in the week that the government announced drastically less funding than was expected for social care .
In a series of opinion polls by our the Fairness Foundation people’s attitude to the state and the social contract were tested. Far from wanting a small state, Brits favour the state playing a key role in supporting people.
The largest majorities (above 80%) agreed that there is an important role for the state in delivering social care, early years and public transport.
If the reaction to the social care funding announced this week is any guide, we seem to have a government that is out of step with where the country is .
Hard times for billionaires?
It was a tough year for billionaires according to the latest Forbes Billionaires list published this week. In total the world’s richest people lost $200 billion, equivalent to the entire income of a country like Ukraine.