Far from a U-turn, Alistair Darling’s manoeuvre on the 10p tax rate was more akin to reversing into a lamppost. Lampposts are big and bright and shouldn’t be difficult to miss; so whilst now doubt an illuminating experience for the Chancellor, he should have seen this object in the rear view mirror.
Ironically, it was Gordon’s last stand as Chancellor that actually pulled the rate last year, but if a week is a long time in politics, then a year is ancient history.
Meanwhile, as the lower paid rightfully squeal with indignation at something ‘Old’ Labour clearly would never have contemplated and the strangely self-righteous middle-England tax-winners writhe in guilty discomfort, maybe the concern for all taxpayers should be how much the doing, undoing and subsequent doing of all this has cost the public purse.
Admitting mistakes can be strength or weakness depending on where you sit but announcements that inquiries will be made into who and how people are affected by the reforms set alarm bells ringing.
Would it be too much to assume inquiries had been made prior to the design of the tax structures?
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