Open letter to UK Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister

The Huffington Post reports you saying:

“Frankly I don’t like any taxes.”

So, let’s see now. What exactly do you mean by that? Could you please elaborate on the following:

• You don’t like any taxes – but which taxes do you prefer? In your government’s first budget you hiked the Value Added Tax rate – raising the tax charge on poorer households – but at the same time you gave large multinational corporations carte blanche to write Britain’s corporate tax laws, to eviscerate their effective tax rates.  Do you prefer taxing poor people to taxing rich people?

• You have said that lower taxes on corporations would make Britain more ‘competitive.’ What exactly does it mean for a country to be ‘competitive?’ Please tell us if you can understand this analysis about tax wars. And if so, which bit of it is wrong? Please elaborate, with details.

• You have said on several occasions that you would like taxes to be ‘lower.’ Let’s take corporation taxes. How far would you go? Down to zero? And if so, why stop there? Effective tax rates are becoming negative for some multinational corporations, and the trend is increasing.  Do you support welfare payments for powerful companies? If so, why?

• When there is a case of, let’s say, flooding in Chipping Norton, who will pay for that marvellous fire station up the road from your house?

Just asking.