A TAXING INSIGHT.

Did you happen to catch Evan Davies interview Douglas Alexander on the Today programme just after 8am? Alexander was selling the government line that last weeks’ electoral disaster was all to do with world economic crisis, mid-term blues, etc, etc. However the interesting bit was when Evan Davies suggested that what Labour really needed to do to restore fortunes was to bite the bullet and raise taxes on “the rich and middle classes.” Even the mediocre Alexander knew that whilst this is of course Labour policy he can’t actually come right out and SAY it but I found Evan Davies evident enthusiasm for raising taxes as a way to end “end child poverty” to be revealing. This is the big problem for the Cameron Conservatives in coming years because the BBC is institutionally against tax decreases and prefers the idea of punishing those who work hard to raise their incomes. Above all it cannot countenance the idea of the size of the State sector being shrunken because like a big fat parasite, it leeches off the British public, and seeks more and more off our cash. So raising taxes, “in the name of social justice”, is a strategy that the BBC favours and this is reflected in just about every political interview it carries. That’s why Alexander the grate was given such a soft ride by Davies.