Burden of tax rise is falling mostly on poor

ONCE again, in his desire to be popular, Boris may be deceiving us, claiming to reform social care. It’s good that he is willing to raise tax, but it is not being done fairly – and it is unlikely to be well spent.

The extra National Insurance falls too much on workers on low incomes and has no effect on the wealthy, raising serious moral and ethical questions about Government policy.

Is this not the usual Conservative attitude that makes them reluctant to tax the wealthy? It will raise about £12bn a year, though Boris has said much will first be spent on helping the NHS and it will be three years before it has proper effect.

An income tax rise would be fairer. The TUC has called for an increase in capital gains tax, i.e. income that is not earned and they have worked out this alone would bring in £17bn a year – £5bn more.

As to the spending, there are no details. With underpaid staff, poor working conditions, a fragmented service, mostly run by private companies, some of whom overcharge or struggle to survive, the system is broken and needs proper reform.

The Health Foundation says we need a 28 per cent rise in local authority-funded adult social care jobs to improve the system. The Liberal Democrats while in government, supported the Dilnot proposals of 2011 and called for an all-party group to work out something sensible based on that. Subsequent Conservative governments refused to implement this. What a shame that six years have been wasted when something better could have been worked out. These proposals are so bad, neither Lib Dems nor Labour could rightly vote in favour.

Nigel Jones, by email