Rafael Behr (Labour wants tax rises to fall on the ‘broadest shoulders’. The farmers furore shows why that’s so hard to achieve, 20 November) makes many good points – but I think a key issue he missed is the perception of fairness. Junior doctors were incensed by the fact that their pay relative to others had stagnated. They work as hard as anyone and this erosion of their pay was generally felt to be unfair, so their industrial action attracted widespread public support. Farmers equally feel unfairly singled out over inheritance tax, especially when, in the same week, Rachel Reeves eased the rules on bankers’ bonuses.
Nobody likes paying tax, but most reasonable people can see that it is necessary to fund public services. The way to sell taxes to the public is by developing a fairer tax system and being honest about the implications of any changes. If sliding scales were used (ie gradual increases) instead of tax bands, I think it would help. This should apply to income tax, inheritance tax and council tax.
John Harradence
Colwall Green, Herefordshire
