Powerful vested interests are blocking tax reform – help us stop them
The super rich and their army of accountants, lawyers and spin doctors are pushing back against tax changes that would hurt them – but benefit the rest of us.
These vested interests don’t want things to change.
They’ve grown powerful from fourteen years of Conservative government intransigence.
And now they’re intensely lobbying the new government to water down plans to tax them more.
With their allies in the press, they’re whipping up confusion, fear and anger in the public.
We saw this at the recent Budget. In his excellent summary of the situation, Nick Abbot quoted us on LBC last week. It’s well worth a listen.
What happened at the Budget
The financial industry intensely lobbied the government not to raise taxes on them at the Budget, specifically on private equity bosses.
These are the people who make their living from buying and selling companies. They take a cut of the profits from these deals.
They demanded the government not raise tax on these profits and they mostly succeeded.
Instead of raising the maximum rate from 28% to 45%, as was expected at the Budget, the government instead raised it to just 32% – a mere four percentage points increase.
These lobbyists celebrated their victory over the government. The Guardian reported that fund managers popped champagne corks and threw themselves lavish lunches after the Budget speech.
“We got them down to 32% and made them feel like they had to be grateful for it”, one told the newspaper.
What we’re up against
This is a rare, in-plain-sight example of the super rich lobbying the government. Mostly this happens behind the scenes – but it is constant.
This is what we’re up against: powerful vested interests consistently lobbying the government to protect the interests of the super rich.
Our vision for the UK is diametrically opposed to theirs.
We want to see a fairer tax system that takes more from the super rich and wealthy companies to fund better public services: high quality healthcare, education, transport and social care.
The vested interests want to see their power and wealth unchecked.
Our vision is supported by the public – years of in-house polling shows us this. Theirs is backed by bottomless financial resources, armies of professional advisors and allies in the press.
This is a battle to influence the government.
How we counter the super rich
We go on TV, radio and get in the newspapers to stand up to their spin doctors (Robert, our executive director, was on LBCNews on Monday, on BBC Radio 2 last Friday, on TalkTV last Thursday and quoted in The Guardian).
We go into Parliament to meet MPs to counter their lobbyists.
We counter the lobbying of the vested interests – we convince the government that there is an alternative to what the super rich are telling them.
And we are building a strong movement of allied groups who are doing the same.
A clear message for the government
Campaigning is about making your voice be heard above the din of everyone else’s.
The clarity of our message helps us do that.
Where the super rich have to tell elaborate and threatening stories to try to influence the government, we have a clearer, more truthful message: the public back higher taxes on the super-rich and will reward a government that implements them.
We are running a fundraiser to help us keep getting this message to the government, day-in day-out in the media and in Parliament.
Help us counter the lobbying of the super rich – please set up a regular monthly donation to keep us fighting the vested interests.