Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 September 2006 08:41:05
***Politics warning***
First off a reassurance, just because I happen to be a member I am not planning to turn this into a Lib Dem blog just to try and get on next years short list for the Lib Dem blogger of the year award.
However over the next week I will be monitoring what's happening at conference to see if there is a real New Labour clone type party emerging from the Lib Dems. By that I mean I will be watching to see if that part of the party which is as virolently anti-socialism as Blair wins in the ideological battleground which will be this weeks conference. (Think about it, the key debate that the media is focusing on relates to taxation and redistribution of wealth).
Now I know that there has always been contradiction within the party and I represent one particular line of thought amongst many strands but it is an important strand that has to a certain extent enabled the Lib Dems to be the last home within party politics for those of us who would dare / wish to describe ourselves as Socialists.
In relation to the tax debate: yes I understand the need to encourage entreprenurs rather than penalise them & agree with this concept. I also understand how in an increasingly globalised world a particularly high rate of tax is likely to just drive talented and successful people elsewhere; and yes I do feel that green policies should be encouraged. However I also believe that there is a level of inequality in our society that is unacceptable and that questions of tax, redistribution of wealth, provision of public services such as health and education and questions relating to the environment all relate to the concept of stewardship.
I believe that the 50p rate should be set for exceptionally high earners only and that rates should be spread out at regular levels. I also believe that tax breaks should continue to be given to those in the middle and higher income brackets particularly as it is often they who can afford to make the appropriate choices, but choose not to. I believe it is possible that the alternative of setting green taxes could penalise those low and middle income families who cannot afford to invest in the environmentally friendly technology and equipment. As Douglas Coupland says in JPod "People who advocate simplicity have money in the bank; the money came first".