Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Sounds like socialist thinking...

Some days I feel the left, or socialists come from a different planet to the rest of us, a bit like teenagers I suppose. Other days I'm quite sure and unlike teenagers, they never seem to grow up or gain the wisdom that only age can bring (growing old disgracefully doesn't count, at least we know better) So it came as no surprise that Labours favourite think tank came up with this...
Mail.
Labour’s favourite think-tank (the Institute for Public Policy Research) has declared a new war on the motorist with draconian Big Brother pay-as-you-drive tax plans to force middle class drivers to pay more per mile to drive their cars than poorer ones.
Spy-in-the-cab black box technology would be used to track each car’s mileage by GPS satellite and to calculate the tax charge every time the driver fills up at the garage to encourage ‘behaviour change.’
It says the Government’s Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) should be linked to HM Revenue and Customs records so that drivers could be charged automatically according to their income level – with wealthier motorists paying more.
Where the hell do you start? Talk about a target rich environment...
First they assume that a spy in the cab will actually be popular, which it only would be if it reduced the cost of motoring (anyone want to take a bet on that?) rather than keep the revenue stream to the Inland revenue going.
Secondly the assumption that anyone on a higher income actually has spare cash floating around, some do, some don't yet they'd trust the taxman's data to presume that  some people should pay extra.
'Encourage behaviour change' has echoes of the old Soviet tactic of sticking you in a gulag for twenty or so years in order to encourage you to respect the state a little more. Essentially I suspect that means they want to force you out of your car (whether you need it or not) and onto public transport whether it goes to your destination or not.
Truly this stems from the politics of envy where those who have worked hard to get a good job are being penalised to provide for everyone else simply because they are doing well. Oddly enough it was Labour who introduced a graduated road tax which oddly enough penalised the less well off who drive older less efficient cars, now they are going after the better off and somehow believe they'll take the rest of us with them...
Oh the Tories took the lead for the first time in an opinion poll yesterday... can't think why.

4 annotations:

Anonymous said...

"...... this stems from the politics of envy where those who have worked hard to get a good job are being penalised ...." How do you define a 'good job' ? Politician ? CEO of a local council ? Policeman ? Accountant ? Banker ? Newspaper Proprietor ? -- or Editor ? Premier League footballer ? Pop Diva ? Estate Agent, Judge, ? Barrister ? Solicitor ? Fund Manager ? -- Just wondering.

Anonymous said...

"...... this stems from the politics of envy where those who have worked hard to get a good job are being penalised ...." How do you define a 'good job' ? Politician ? CEO of a local council ? Policeman ? Accountant ? Banker ? Newspaper Proprietor ? -- or Editor ? Premier League footballer ? Pop Diva ? Estate Agent ? Judge, ? Barrister ? Solicitor ? Fund Manager ? -- Just wondering.

Quiet_Man said...

A good job is one that provides you with a decent income. Those jobs you mention are paid at the market rate, which in the end sorts everything. Putting yourself through an education, training, time and experience only for some leftard numpty to decide your hard work in getting yourself where you are means you pay extra cash is manifestly unfair. But that's socialism for you.

Anonymous said...

Forget the tax angle - the Black Box will enable the authorities to trace every journey made by every UK-registered car in the country! Have they really thought this through?