Most people in Scotland want higher spending on schools, hospitals and pensions and would pay more tax to finance it, a BBC Scotland poll says.Unsurprisingly, the BBC hasn't mentioned the key point: most people in Scotland don't pay tax. When we strip out welfare recipients and employees of state organisations (including the BBC itself), we are left with a minority of the electorate. Did the Beeb restrict its polling to actual, real taxpayers? I bet it didn't. And I bet that they didn't point out to those who "call for an equitable share of wealth" that such an outcome would necessitate the elimination of all redistributive forms of taxation.
I have doubts about this too:
three quarters of those questioned said they would have no qualms about the introduction of ID cards as a safety measureI wonder what the response would be if they were asked about the introduction of ID cards as a "state control of the citizenry measure".
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ReplyDeleteBill Hillston
This is what is required: Abolition of Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Dividends Tax. Flat rate of 13% for both Personal Income Tax and Corporation Tax. Country'll grow.
17 April 2005, 07:26:22 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
Andrew Duffin
Mr. Dodge you are correct. They think "only the rich" need pay more tax, and that always means someone else. What will happen, of course, is that everyone will pay more tax, and things will continue to get worse.
12 April 2005, 18:57:33 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
Andrew Ian Dodge
Every time they wheel out this kind of statistic I smell a rat. I am guessing people don't mind others paying more tax just not themselves!
12 April 2005, 18:33:40 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
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Title: Regretting 298 Years of Cringing
Excerpt: According to the latest ICM poll for BBC Scotland, 33% of the people of Scotland support their own independence:
Allowing Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and become an independent country: 33%
Keeping Scotland within the United K...
Blog name: Independence
12 April 2005, 01:13:24 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
David Farrer
Andrew Duffin has e-mailed me as follows:
Commenting doesn't seem to be working, so I'm mailing to suggest that "most people" DON'T want "higher spending", what they want is better outcomes. Sadly, too many of them still think that the one produces the other; after all these years of NuLab, you would think they would have noticed that it doesn't, but apparently not.
What a pity.
11 April 2005, 21:29:49 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
Neil Craig
"Brian Taylor said the poll was different from most as it deliberately set out to confront voters with the tough choices facing Scotland's new MPs after the general election"
That is clearly just what they didn't do. The tough choices demand asking exactly how much. For example asking "do you want improved services even if it meant increased tax", which is what they asked, is a relatively cuddly question. Make it "would you want to pay an extra 1p in income tax (app 40 million) to stop Glasgow losing a hospital" & I suspect the answer would be different.
Equally the "justice or growth" question is meaningless - hands up all those against justice. Now if they had phrased it "Would you want a biliion a year invested in cutting business costs if it would lead to a doubling of your income in 10 years (ie 7% growth) or would you rather have it spent on corporation social work depts" stand clear of the rush.
Perhaps the BBC didn't think of this when establishing their typically unbiased report.
11 April 2005, 19:08:15 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
Chris A
I'm being a pedant, nonetheless wouldn't people still pay indirect/regressive tax on goods and services?
11 April 2005, 14:56:10 GMT+01:00 – Like – Reply
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Title: BBC Scotland/MORI poll
Excerpt: Shell have a well-earned reputation for their scenario planning. Every five years or so they attempt to build a framework in which to plan their business over the coming decade. In their current scenario planning they identify three alternate world
Blog name: Arthur's Seat
11 April 2005, 13:42:25 GMT+01:00