Richard Exell

I was rather surprised that last week’s fuss about employers’ National Insurance Contributions didn’t lead on to a debate about the taxes most voters pay. That has been such a big issue in previous elections I kept on expecting it to start up, but it didn’t happen.

It’s even more surprising because it is a story that leads in unexpected directions. Workers face three main taxes: Income Tax, National Insurance Contributions and Value Added Tax. In this tax year, they will account for a bit over 63% of all taxes and Contributions.

As we all know, the Thatcher revolution saw a big cut in the rates of income tax. Famously, the rates paid by the richest were cut, but so too was the basic rate that most workers pay.

What is less often remembered is that the other two elements of the tax trinity were increased to compensate. The standard rate of VAT was almost doubled overnight and the rate at which National Insurance Contributions are levied on most workers was raised in stages till it was 53% higher than it had been when Mrs Thatcher was elected.

Continue Reading →

Philip Pearson

“We will have to keep on working at national level to ensure Governments commit to an ambitious climate change treaty that includes the principles of just transition & decent work”.  This is the message from the ITUC’s representatives in Bonn as the UN ends the first of the 2010 round of negotiations on a global climate treaty.

The Copenhagen Accord, remember, was silent on labour and human rights. So we need to meet UK officials again, to ensure that our case for just transition is made afresh. And as climate change impacts increasingly affect life and livelihood in developing countries (see Oxfam’s report), so the ITUC will want to join forces with human rights campaigners to unify our demands. 

Continue Reading →

Nigel Stanley

The CBI’s latest report on public sector pensions was released last week (whilst I was away). Naomi has already responded on Left Foot Forward, but I know our friends in the CBI would be disappointed if there was not a TUC critique too . So here is the first of a number of posts.

Continue Reading →

Philip Pearson

Whoever wins the election will build a greener economy. The crunch issue is delivering the just transition.

For guidance on testing manifesto commitments on climate change, we’d return to the Stern review. The three pillars of Stern’s strategy were: a carbon price, low carbon technology policy, and removing barriers to behavior change through regulatory and voluntary means.

Both main parties support carbon pricing. But investing the flow of carbon revenues is a key issue. Frankly, while cross-party support for a Green Investment Bank is welcome, up to £200 million of new energy investment is needed between now and 2020. Dieter Helm put the overall green infrastructure challenge – including high speed rail, low carbon vehicles, etc – at over £450 billion. Neither party has yet scaled up the bank’s funding to meet this challenge.

Continue Reading →

Owen Tudor

That’s what you call man bites dog! But it’s not the unacceptable face of banking, the risky bankers who caused the financial crisis. No, it’s the European Savings Banks Group (ESBG), which represents banks that provide retail banking and take deposits from ordinary savers, small firms and public authorities. But it’s still a revelation, and perfectly timed to greet the launch of the Party of European Socialists’ (PES) Vandal Banker video which argues that banks must be made to pay for the crisis.

Continue Reading →

• An Invisible Crisis?
  Oxfam and the European Women's Lobby have published new research providing a snapshot of the current position of women in poverty, reinforcing what is already known about the persistent social exclusion experienced by many women. The study also provides some evidence that the impact of recession is making the inequality faced by many women even worse.

Continue Reading →

Today’s film comes from the Party of European Socialists (PES), who are trying to spread the campaign for a financial transaction tax throughout Europe with a day of action on 24 April. Check out their site now, to see if there’s an action near you on the day.

Continue Reading →

• RENEWAL: The journal of Labour politics – Vol 18 No 1
  The lastest edition of Renewal is out now and you can check out some of the articles online. It contains more than a few interesting pieces, including one from our own Nicola Smith, who’s reviewed two new books on the labour market, asking, recession aside, have recent years seen a long term trendtowards greater job insecurityacross developed economies? Recent ToUChstone correspondent Howard Reed has a piece on Osbornomics – what George Osborne’s time as Shadow Chancellor might tell us about his economic policy if he gets the Chancellor job next month. AndRuth Lister and Fran Bennett look into the evidence behind the Conservatives’ rebranding as champions of progressive thinking on poverty, family policy and welfare reform.

Continue Reading →

Philip Pearson

No going back on the 15% renewable energy target. New powers for councils as energy providers as well as savers. The EU to back a new Kyoto Protocol after 2012. If the TUC welcomes these national and international highlights in Labour’s manifesto, there’s also no doubt that it’ll all mean scaling up the active role of Government.

These are collective demands on us all, but especially on Government to show leadership. The 15% renewables target alone is a huge challenge. Installing a Green Investment Bank with much greater funding than currently envisaged becomes even more urgent. And bringing in new players, like local authorities as low carbon energy suppliers and loft insulators.

Continue Reading →

• Ready for some serious mischief? The Robin Hood Day of Action
  A choice of campaign activities for Londoners this weekend. From noon at Speakers' Corner, masked merry (wo)men will be gathering to spread the word and make a massed Robin Hood record attempt, so don your best Lincoln green and join the gang. There'll also be activities all around the UK in support of the Robin Hood Tax campaign for a financial transaction tax. If you can't make it to any of them, use the Robin Hood Tax site to upload your face to the virtual day of action.
• 10.04.10 Welfare State Demo
  Or if tights aren't your thing, head along to Embankment around noon for a march and rally, supporting decent public services for all, in the face of potentially severe cuts to many of the services ordinary people rely on. The march is backed by the National Pensioners' Convention, and a number of unions and other organisations. It'll end up at a rally in Trafalgar square, with music and speakers.

Continue Reading →