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
• Rafael Behr’s column is a reminder that good government depends on aligning three elements: policy, communications and reality. It’s a knack we seem to have lost.
Brexit was an example of a skilful communications campaign that hasn’t delivered in reality because the policy wasn’t thought through. The hard reality of Covid broke all three legs of the stool. And now with the winter allowance and farm inheritance tax, the government is struggling to get the right balance. Both have legitimate goals, but neither appears fully thought through, particularly on thresholds. As Behr underlines, both suffer from a wider issue – people aren’t convinced of the link between means (higher taxes) and ends (making infrastructure fit for purpose). Establishing that link can’t come soon enough.
Tom Kelly
Prime minister’s official spokesperson, 2001-07
• Rafael Behr says it is “hard to sell taxes to people”, and it is made even more difficult when the rightwing press and politicians use words like “grab” and “raid” to describe taxation, as though there were something nefarious about it. How else do they expect healthcare, pensions, schools and other public services are to be paid for?
Ian Arnott
Peterborough
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