It is time to make the rich pay

I WOULD hope that we are all humbled as we witness the sacrifice of the people of Ukraine on behalf of their democratic and free lifestyle. I would also hope that the generations since the Second World War are humble, and honest, enough to recognise that the way by which we decide on what is important has been manifestly selfish.

I am not a regular churchgoer. But I do believe that the core teachings of all the major religions provide guidelines by which fair societies should operate. The vast split between the incomes at the top and bottom of society – and I mean incomes – result from a failure, by the state, to support the teaching of morality and the failure of the Christian churches to act politically.

If one is sufficiently lucky to own one’s own home, or rent with total security, it is perfectly possible to have an acceptably comfortable lifestyle, and much contentment on a quite modest income. One cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, have much contentment on the minimum wage or if lacking accommodation.

Events in Ukraine now determine that our nation will have to pay a significant price to create the certainty that our democracy will survive. This price must not fall on those who daily worry about how to make ends meet.

Since the Second World War, policy on personal tax has pandered to the notion that raising higher taxes on high-end incomes will scare the taxpayer abroad. Now is the time to test this. Having survived on less than average income since the collapse in interest rates, and paying council tax out of capital because I have savings, I have no sympathy for that argument.

Most of the public services, which contribute to a society at peace with itself – care of the elderly, care of those who cannot work, the NHS and police – are understaffed. The result is NHS waiting lists, 999 calls unattended, and schools unable to deliver the best education, not to mention unreasonable stress for the employee and discontent among the public. Year after year the situation gets worse.

The uber wealthy, unless they created their wealth from scratch and use it to provide well-paid jobs, or put their excess incomes to cure the ills of the under-funded caring services, deserve little respect. It is now their turn to contribute in true proportion.

Ian HC Stein,

Dunblane.