I’ll be speaking at the TUC rally against the ConDem cuts at Central Hall Westminster today.
Why?
Because, as I might say:
If we stopped the cuts in staffing at HM Revenue and Customs.
And if we spent another billion pounds each year on tax collection.
And if we had a general anti-avoidance principle in the UK.
And if we stopped the abuse that the domicile rule allows in this country.
And if we had a proper bank tax.
And if we spent the money that the government proposes to spend on tackling benefit fraud on beating tax cheats then I can tell you this with absolute confidence.
We wouldn't get back £1 billion a year. We would get back £20 billion a year.
And that's the annual investment that we need now if we want turn this economy round to create the jobs we so badly need — and which would create the wealth and generate the tax — all the tax — we need to clear the deficit.
Which is exactly why we don’t need cuts.
I saw your speech – thought it was very good, and well received by a packed house at Central Hall. Well done. I do hope the TUC’s attempts to bring public service workers and public service consumers together to resist the cuts agenda are successful.
I should add – that your point that tax justice, collecting a fair amount of tax from the rich, would preclude the need for the cuts is a central part of persuading the ordinary person on the street that the cuts aren’t common sense, and there is an alternative.