WITHIN my serious concerns regarding many of the political issues of the moment, such as the unclear terms of our exit from the EU; pessimistic forecasts regarding the future of the NHS; worries about mental health and social care; failure to creatively address the so-called wealth gap; poverty in our society which imposes the need for food banks and shelter for the homeless, to name but a few lies the latest perplexing and selfish notion, unfortunately shared by many, that we should abandon foreign aid and use these funds to support our own services. This attitude and its promotion is as inappropriate, baseless, hypocritical and propagandist as were the lies imbued by the “sign on the bus” during the infamous EU Leave campaign.
This wealthy nation, be it the UK or an independent Scotland, can easily afford to eradicate, or at the very least handle, all of our supposed problems and still give aid to our starving and homeless fellow beings around the world. This can be achieved by simply paying up as required, by means of slightly increased taxes and properly pursued tax collections. This of course applies equally to corporate bodies, wealthy tax haven evaders and to ordinary individuals. Only greed and avarice stand in the way of this simple solution, allied of course to governments who do not have the courage, or the apparent desire, to sell this concept to the nation. One of their defences is that some bodies may leave our country thereby negating any benefits gained, in which case I say “hell mend them”, because the cost of relocating, either personally or corporately, is likely to outstrip their tax avoidance and in any event, life elsewhere is not guaranteed to be as comfortable or beneficial as it is here.
I would submit that the majority of the tax-paying public would willingly subscribe to a moderate tax increase, so that these necessary objectives may be achieved and a caring culture may be preserved. Political parties may wish to include this proposal in their next manifesto ... if they have the courage.
Iain Cooper,
Flat 3/31 Jackson Place, Bearsden.
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