One of the phrases which do little to help public discussion of economic and social policy is “the tax burden”. Often when I come across it I am reminded of a master at my grammar school who used to delight in annoying his pupils by informing us that we were “the taxpayer’s burden”.
Now, some taxes are no doubt wasted, and people have a right to approve or disapprove of the projects to which their taxes are put. But taxation is necessary for a civilised society and, as the population ages and the demands on the public purse grow, taxes are increasing as a proportion of the national income.
