Yanis Varoufakis makes a compelling argument for a more ambitious economic offer from Labour (Why is Labour still using the self-defeating, discredited ‘maxed out credit card’ analogy?, 15 February). What makes economic sense to those of us on the left is, in an election year, unlikely to cut through to an electorate of small-c conservatives, backed by a big-c Conservative press.
Since Margaret Thatcher erroneously equated a national economy with a household budget, borrowing to invest comes up against the mythical creature of national debt. There is a not unjustified sense in the country that whatever economic policy is enacted, the less well-off will pay for it. I suggest that it is inequality that makes cowards of us all.
Felicity McGowan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
• When I read Yanis Varoufakis’s article asking why senior Labour politicians are trotting out the line about the Tories maxing out the country’s credit card, I thanked him out loud. A couple of days before, I had listened to Keir Starmer using that phrase during a TV interview and realised that there were only two reasons why anyone would use that analogy: they’re either stupid, or they think the listeners are.
Nicky Coates
Bristol
• Polly Toynbee clings steadfastly to the idea that Labour will do an about-turn as soon as it wins a majority (We’ve heard lots about what Labour won’t do, but here’s something they should: close the Tories’ tax loopholes, 13 February). It is touching to see such undying faith in politicians such as Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, whose role in recent times seems to be walking back, one by one, on any policies that might threaten to change anything.
What will it take for people to wake up to the fact that the Labour party’s economic policy is indistinguishable from that of the mainstream centre-right? By voting for Labour, one is voting for fiscal conservatism with a red rosette.
Tom King
London
• Polly Toynbee might find more support for the equalisation of capital gains tax and income tax rates if she acknowledged the importance of reintroducing relief for inflation (abolished in the simplifications introduced by Alastair Darling in 2008), alongside any increase in the CGT rates. The current arrangements are perverse in taxing nominal capital gains made over 24 hours at the same rate as those made over 30 years, with no recognition that much of the gain in the latter may be due to inflation, and no real gain at all.
Jeremy Fairbrother
Trinity College, Cambridge University
• George Monbiot (If disillusionment is all Keir Starmer delivers as prime minister, I fear Labour will shrivel and die, 11 February) is always worth listening to with regard to the state of the nation. But Britain is a place where voters have largely chosen conservatism as a governing principle. We need radicalism, an attitude that seeks out the roots of the issues, rather than a focus on self-interest and short-termism. Rather than trying to persuade politicians to be radical, our campaigns need to be focused on persuading our fellow electors. It’s a longer campaign, but perhaps the only one that will save democracy.
Fr Christopher Swift
Coreglia Antelminelli, Tuscany, Italy
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