{"id":82267,"date":"2025-05-12T08:18:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T07:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=82267"},"modified":"2025-05-12T08:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T07:18:29","slug":"rarely-have-people-so-stupid-done-so-much-harm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2025\/05\/12\/rarely-have-people-so-stupid-done-so-much-harm\/","title":{"rendered":"Rarely have people so stupid done so much harm"},"content":{"rendered":"

As The Guardian<\/a> reports this morning:<\/p>\n

\n

UK employers laid off staff in April at a faster pace than the previous month as the combination of higher employment costs and shock waves from Donald Trump\u2019s tariff war sent boardroom confidence levels plummeting.<\/p>\n

The human resources association, CIPD, said employer confidence levels slumped<\/a> to an all-time low, prompting job cuts and a widespread hiring freeze.<\/p>\n

Higher national insurance contributions (NICs) and the rise in the national living wage, which both came into effect in April, and the uncertainty created by the US president\u2019s import duties were blamed by employers for ending signs of optimism earlier in the year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And as the FT has noted<\/a>:<\/p>\n

A slowdown in the UK jobs market is hitting hiring in education and healthcare as government spending cuts bite, according to surveys that point to headcount reductions across the public sector.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The economy and the quality of public services remain where elections are won and lost.<\/p>\n

The UK economy is out of control, partly because of Labour\u2019s failings, and partly because of Donald Trump\u2019s. Given that Labour has aligned with Trump, it makes very little difference who you blame.<\/p>\n

Labour\u2019s failures are due to Rachel Reeves\u2019s obsession with fiscal rules. They can only blame themselves for the absurd decisions that they have made. Every mistake they have made can be laid at her door, and Starmer\u2019s inability to comprehend the economy.<\/p>\n

And what is Labour doing about this? Precisely nothing.<\/p>\n

We have a government that said it was going to deliver growth that is going to deliver a recession, and all because it believed growth can only be generated in the private sector, and then only if the government balances its cash flow.<\/p>\n

Rarely have people so stupid done so much harm, and I spent fourteen years writing about the crass policies of Tory Chancellors in this blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As The Guardian reports this morning: UK employers laid off staff in April at a faster pace than the previous month as the combination of
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