So MANY of our UK public services are at risk! But FAIRER tax could save them!

It's not JUST the NHS! There are many more cuts coming, for example to:
• child care
• the police
• education
• public transport
• science research
• legal aid
• social services
• AND the many other local and national services

Of course governments should reduce waste and prevent tax evasion but we know there will be tax increases too! But they won't be fair ones where the rich pay most and the poor pay least. For example, a VAT increase is likely, despite the promises. (Remember before the last election? " We won't increase VAT". After the election: an increase!)

We DON'T have to choose between "More Cuts" OR "More Borrowing". Fair tax is the answer.

So.... we need a re-think of taxes. Reduce VAT (it hits the poorest hardest), increase wealth taxes, and change income tax so the poor pay a lot less at one end and the rich pay a lot more at the other end.

That's what they call Progressive Tax. That's fair!

And here are the arguments:

No, you don't like paying tax but nor do you want cuts in the public services that YOU value.  And once these services are lost, it'll be very hard to get them back.

Of course governments should reduce waste and prevent tax evasion but we know that won't be enough. Almost ALL public services are suffering and will suffer much more from now on.

Politicians of all parties talk about spending cuts but not about how they hurt individuals and communities. And for years, the only discussion has been whether there should be more cuts OR more borrowing.

Nobody's talking about the alternative - raising more money for services through fairer taxes (in other words, progressive tax**). The political parties haven't dared move that way apart from a few small increases on the wealthiest.

But when you think of all the services we're starting to lose, wouldn't you prefer that those who have a comfortable life should pay a little more tax until the economy improves?

We all disagree strongly with some government spending but for each of us to protect the services we support, we surely have to put up with the rest (at least for now!)  Or it ALL goes down the pan!

When you think about the huge range of services your tax pounds buy, it is a bit of a bargain!

So PLEASE SIGN NOW to say loud and clear that we value the services we have and we want a fairer way to protect them.

---------------------------------

** Footnotes:

1) When you think of all the services we're starting to lose, it would make better sense:
• that income and wealth taxes should rise significantly for the richest
• that most of us with a reasonably comfortable life should pay a bit more tax
• that more of the poorest should be lifted out of the income tax bracket altogether. (Should we really be taxing someone who earns only about £12k?)
• and that taxes like VAT, which hit the less well off hardest (because they're "regressive" not progressive), should be significantly reduced

2) In April 2015, two polls by Ipsos MORI found that 59% favour tax increases to fund the NHS, and that 96% believe that the tax system should be fairer and more progressive than it is.

So lots of people agree. We just need to make our voices heard louder!