A WEALTHY Scots industrialist promised yesterday to invest millions of pounds in a new political party in an attempt to break the main parties’ grip on British politics.Some of the party's policies are OK-ish:Robert Durward, who bankrolls the New Party, said he intended to stand candidates at the next Holyrood election in 2007 and his aim was to put up a "full fleet" of candidates for the next general election.
such as a flat rate of tax at 22 per cent (Why not 10%?) on all earnings over £12,000; restructuring the entire welfare state; ending state benefitsSadly, it turns that "state benefits" are merely to be rebranded:
... giving everyone a share of the country’s wealth which they would then use to fund health, education and pensions throughout their lives."The country's wealth." Oh dear.
I really can't see this party achieving any kind of breakthrough. No doubt Stuart will tell me again that I should be standing for election as a libertarian (especially since his recent discovery!), but as Ayn Rand said: "It's earlier than you think." The intellectual change has to occur before we'll see any meaningful libertarian political advance. I'd guess that this sort of thing is more significant than the rebirth of the New Party.
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Rob Read
If they mean auctioning mineral rights, then that could be classed as the countries wealth. However I think this will be another variant of the state owning people...
28 April 2005, 16:10:03 GMT+01:00
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dearieme
Sad, but I've reached the age where I have to clue up on pensions. And I learn that under the new arrangements from April'06, the old "Tax Free Lump Sum" will be replaced by the "Pension Commencement Lump Sum", as clear a signal as you'll get that THEY plan to stop it being tax-free. THEY think that your money is theirs to play with. "The country's wealth" indeed.
28 April 2005, 12:07:38 GMT+01:00
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