“An act of social devastation masquerading as fairness”: Adrian Ramsay

20 October 2010

In a damning criticism of the Comprehensive Spending Review, Green Party deputy leader and Norwich City Councillor Adrian Ramsay has called the budget “an act of social devastation masquerading as fairness”.

Adrian Ramsay said this afternoon:

“The chancellor mentioned fairness numerous times, but in fact we’re looking at a society that’s already unequal getting a lot tougher on poorer people.

“This budget will hit the poorest ten per cent the hardest. People who are already struggling to make ends meet will suffer from losing financial support, crucial public services and jobs.

"If the government restored the top tax rate to the 60 per cent level that we had even under Margaret Thatcher, rather than the 40 per cent it is now, this alone would raise £19 billion a year.

"Instead of devastating cuts we need a fair tax regime.”

 

“Tackle the tax cheats, save jobs”

Adrian Ramsay continued:

“The chancellor singled out benefit cheats for attack – but why has he done nothing about tax cheats? The official figures from the National Fraud Authority show that benefit fraud is around £1 billion a year, whereas tax evasion costs the country £15 billion every year.

"Some estimates are a lot higher, but clearly we could raise billions, and save crucial public services, if we got tough on the tax avoiders who can afford to pay more. But the ConDem government hasn’t the courage to do that.” (2)

He concluded:

“These spending cuts will make life harder for people on low incomes and threaten public services and jobs. Even the government says slashing public spending will cost 490,000 jobs, and some people estimate up to a million.

“I’m sure a lot of Conservative voters will find this budget unfair and harmful to the public interest, and I expect many Lib Dem supporters will be ashamed of what their party has become in coalition."

Earlier in the day, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP had expressed fears about the fate awaiting the unemployed. Dr Lucas said:

“This is a budget to destroy half a million jobs in the public sector, and the knock-on effects will be at least as many jobs lost in the private sector.

“When those public sector workers find themselves out of work they will, along with disabled people, feel the full force of the additional £7 billion worth of cuts in welfare spending, on top of the £11 billion of cuts announced in June. The housing benefit regime will become much more harsh, risking a rise in homelessness.

“They will also find that the loss of public services that this budget represents will massively disadvantage them, and all the most vulnerable people in society who rely on those services.”

 

Notes

1. This and subsequent figures come from Right To Work’s pamphlet Defending the WELFARE STATE: The case for public services for all.

2. See “Tax evasion costs Treasury 15 times more than benefit fraud”, CityWire, http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/tax-evasion-costs-treasury-15-times-more-than-benefit-fraud/a378274.

 

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