A PROBLEM WITH CURRENT UK LABOUR PARTY POLICY

When Sir Keir Starmer became Leader of the UK Labour party, the pandemic had not yet
happened, Russia had not yet invaded Ukraine, Liz Truss had not yet crashed the UK’s
economy, the cost of living crisis had not yet become severe and the Labour Party
was not yet en route to its possible first general election victory since 2005.

As Labour MP Richard Burgon has been quoted as suggesting very reasonably,
the whole labour movement should advocate higher taxes on relatively wealthy people
whose wealth has grown greatly in recent years. Much of this growth in wealth has occurred because
Conservative governments will not even consider taxing any increases in the
value of a person’s principal residence. The value of many large houses owned by
relatively wealthy people have increased very rapidly in the last several years. At
the same time, the great majority of workers’ wages and salaries have stagnated
and are all subject to income taxation.

Sir Keir Starmer wants to stay in what he regards as the centre of UK politics.
This includes continuing to support traditional Conservative government policies of
taxing people who derive the majority of their resources from receiving wages and
salaries for the work they do much more heavily than they tax generally wealthier
people who derive most of their resources from the ownership of property of various
types including the ownership of the expensive house such as the one we bought in 1977,
were lucky to have been able to afford to buy very cheaply by today’s standards
and now own free of mortgage.