Wednesday 16 March 2016

Gateway Taxes and Psychic Powers ~ British Budget 2016


The sugar tax on fizzy drinks is designed under the guise of making our national poor diet seem more healthy. In reality all it will do is give the government more money, although they claim it will allow for an extra £20 million a year for dedicated funding for sports in Primary schools.

Personally I see it as little more than a gateway tax. This authorises the future of tax on chocolate, biscuits and cakes. Yes, I know there's a freeze on whiskey, beer, cider and spirits. However as a non drinker where else can I find my happy oblivion from the trials of work, childcare and running an overflowing household?

After all the recent Corporation tax avoidance in the news, the delightfully naive Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, announced a crackdown on tax avoidance by big firms. Something to show us peasants that he cared about trending topics which he promptly ruined by deciding to sneak in another relevant tax change. By April 2020 the rate of Corporate tax would be reduced to 17%. Not only is it down from the last Parliament of 28%, it also contradicts the statement that large conglomerates are paying fairly.

For example in 2014 year facebook paid £1000 less in tax than the average UK worker earning £26,500 and all because they didn't make the 'right' profits. Last year Facebook was paid a substantial amount by the government (funded by taxpayers!) for advertising. Almost 113 times more than they paid in taxes, and yet they still claimed massively selective financial losses.

Mr Osborne also announced a budget surplus for 2019-2020 of £10.4 billion, taking aside his deluded psychic powers of witchcraft, this is a very optimistic and rather sweeping statement. Especially when you take into consideration the fact that alongside his elitist friends he has managed to triple the national debt.

Perhaps he is hoping that his argument for staying a part of the EU will magically alter their privatisation of industries and decimation of lower classes and minorities including the recent victims of choice the disabled. However surely the quote that Britain will be "Safer, stronger and more secure" staying with their bankrupt buddies in the EU, will seem a familiar concept to those of Scottish descent. 

Ah the delight of referendums of misplaced hopes and lying legal contracts. Funny how in every media post or news story, the sugar tax seems to come down to the Scottish wonder drink, Irn Bru.

Fool me once...



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