I know we're skint, I get that.
What I don't understand is why, even when times are good, tax on consumables goes up.
Why, every year, do we see the Chancellor stood at the despatch box saying 'petrol and diesel are going up 2p per litre, I'm putting 10p on a packet of fags, 5p on a pint of beer and 3p on a bottle of wine.'
Why? In what other area would this be acceptable? These products cost the government nothing, they have absolutely no involvement in the production of these goods. This is akin to standing outside Sainsbury and rifling through people's shopping bags as they leave the store. 'Stick of celery madam? That'll be 11p please. Oh dear, multi-packs of Andrex just went up today, you're going to have to give me 8p a roll, cough up. Is that a rolling pin? That's being taxed now, 4p, please. That'll go up another tuppence next year.'
'What if I don't pay?'
'I'll stamp on your foot.'
The woman would call the police, and I be nicked for demanding money with menaces. Rightly so.
Why on Earth does everyone just grumble and accept it? We know it all goes on buying them BBQ's, porn movies and paying their stamp duty. Where is the end of it? Will we see the Chancellor in 20 years standing up and saying '. . . duty on petrol will rise a further 3p to £21.37 a litre, on wine duty will rise 6p to £8.21 a bottle, so much as look at a cigarette and we'll take your house and violate your wife and kids.'?
Can anyone explain it?
1 comment:
It's called the welfare state and someone has to pay for it. Those 42" plasma tv's aren't cheap you know. When I filled in my claim for a tax refund they wanted to know why I had left the UK. I wrote on the form. "Because I am sick to death of giving you over 40% of my wealth"
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