Letter – The political class just don’t get it, do
they?
Dear Editor,
The political class just don’t get it, do
they?
Ed Balls has declared that a hedge trim or car wash
should be treated the same way as a more formal purchase. He declares that
people doing odd jobs “are not going to be VAT-registered” – all the while
admitting that he himself hasn’t always treated purchases this
way.
He is seeking to tax every drop he can from hard
working people, not only seeking to grab yet more of their hard-earned money but
also bury them under yet more red tape and paperwork.
But the fault doesn’t lie with the people, it lies
with the politicians. They should simplify the tax system, deal with the VAT
mess, ensure big corporations pay their share and create a system where the rich
can’t evade tax and expect to avoid prosecution.
Unlike Ed Balls and his Labour Cabinet colleagues, not
all are millionaires: many people need these odd jobs to make ends meet and feed
their families. Of course they should pay their taxes. But asking the local ice
cream van for a receipt so we feel like ‘we’re all in it together’ isn’t going
to solve the problem, and it might just be a tad patronising to the working
people Labour used to care about, Mr. Balls.
Jonathan Arnott MEP
UKIP, North East.
