I ended my last column with some hope for good news from the budget at the end of October. Alas, my prayers went unanswered.
Budgets, if they’re going to unravel, normally do so over a couple of days. But we’ve been watching this one unravel over weeks. Labour defaulted immediately to their usual high-tax, high-spend position, while throwing billions of pounds to their mates in the unions with no productivity reforms in return.
Despite promises to the contrary, this government wasted no time in throwing our farmers to the wolves with their Family Farm Tax. We’ve seen the anger in our rural communities as tens of thousands descended on Westminster. Even members of Labour’s own National Executive Committee are now saying it’s gone too far, with one – a tax advisor – backing up the NFU’s claims that most family farms will be affected. Best they rip off the plaster and reverse this policy quickly. MPs particularly here in Cumbria should be pushing for this ASAP.
And then the National Insurance increase. Businesses warning of job losses and inflationary price increases; Hospices warning of the loss of services; GPs warning of the impact on healthcare; And our council, already on the verge of bankruptcy, about to see a multi-million pound increase not just in their own wage bill, but also in the increased costs of outsourced services such as social care, which will fall on the local council tax bill – already set to increase by the maximum 4.99% again.
As this column goes to press, our MPs will be deciding how to vote on the Assisted Dying Bill on Friday. Despite being a free vote, the Prime Minister and the Chief Whip have made their position clear – so, barring a miracle, we can sadly expect our MPs to meekly follow suit. Many of us have harrowing stories of watching the loss of loved ones, but legislating for feelings over facts makes for bad legislation.
If I was still in Parliament I’d be raising issues around a lack of safeguards, coercion, and the slippery slope of a state ‘death service’. We’re told that the legislation is based on that in Oregon. But in Oregon, without any legislative amendments, health officials have reinterpreted the terminal illness requirement to include those who forego treatment for otherwise non-terminal conditions. The annual list now includes arthritis and diabetes. Every year, there are cases reported where assisted suicide cases have outlived their six-month prognosis by 3 years or more.
Our MPs should think very carefully before opening this particular Pandoras box.
