RichardJMurphy

RichardJMurphy, 7 months ago to random

Reeves is promising to fail https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/10/08/reeves-is-promising-to-fail/. Reeves is proving herself a cowardly politician: one who believes that whatever the issue is the market can deliver better than the state meaning she should do nothing.

RichardJMurphy, 12 days ago to random

The Greens were the biggest winners in the local elections, so why aren’t they getting fair air time? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/07/the-greens-were-the-biggest-winners-in-the-local-elections-so-why-arent-they-getting-fair-air-time/
Proportionately, the Greens won most seats at the recent local elections, but they are denied airtime, and we get Reform instead. Why?

RichardJMurphy, 8 months ago to random

The Tories are asset-strippers: no wonder nothing works anymore https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/05/the-tories-are-asset-strippers-no-wonder-nothing-works-anymore/. Tories say they love business. But they don't like the sort that meets customer need. They are asset strippers. That's why the country is now threadbare. No wonder nothing works anymore.

RichardJMurphy, 10 months ago to random

The Green Party’s policy on money, and so on the economy, is a work of economic fantasy https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/07/07/the-green-partys-policy-on-money-and-so-on-the-economy-is-a-work-of-econimic-fantasy/

RichardJMurphy, 8 months ago to random

Labour only needs one Brexit policy – which is to build the pathway to rejoining. And it won’t do it. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/18/labour-only-needs-one-brexit-policy-which-is-to-build-the-pathway-to-rejoining-and-it-wont-do-it/. Starmer is refusing to reconsider rejoining the EU, single market or customs union, or to recreate freedom of movement when these are the things that are so obviously needed. Anything else is tokenism.

The best thing that can be said about this is that the failure to deliver is being built in early and is even being pre-announced ahead of the election.

RichardJMurphy, 1 year ago to random

Did a Tory Vice-Chair mean to oppose democracy, or did he just make a mistake? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/05/08/did-a-tory-vice-chair-mean-to-oppose-democracy-or-did-he-just-make-a-mistake/.

RichardJMurphy, 1 month ago to random

Growth in the economy creates wealth that never trickles down, but is what Labour says it wants. What is it going to do for the 12 million people in absolute poverty in that case? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/03/22/growth-in-the-economy-creates-wealth-that-never-trickles-down-but-is-what-labour-says-it-wants-what-is-it-going-to-do-for-the-12-million-people-in-absolute-poverty-in-that-case/. Meeting everyone's needs within sustainable limits should be our priority now. Unless that change happens, 12 million people will continue to live in absolute poverty in the UK.

Is that what Labour wants?

RichardJMurphy, 8 months ago to random

Starmer’s won the battle with Labour but there’s no evidence he can win for the country https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/05/starmers-won-the-battle-with-labour-but-theres-no-evidence-he-can-win-for-the-country/. Starmer has won his battle with the left in Labour. But he's made a useless party of prospective government as a consequence. We will all pay a high price for that.

RichardJMurphy, 10 months ago to random

The opposition to Starmer has to begin now https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/07/17/the-opposition-to-starmer-has-to-begin-now/

RichardJMurphy, 1 month ago to random

The stories we tell each other about the economy in which we live are more important than the data we collect about it https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/03/28/the-stories-we-tell-each-other-about-the-economy-in-which-we-live-are-more-important-than-the-data-we-collect-about-it/. The world's economists now base almost all their claims on spurious mathematical modelling based on data that is rarely of sufficient quality to support any of their conclusions. What if we instead based economics on ideas like justice, equality, and the meeting of need? The world would be a better place.

RichardJMurphy, 5 months ago to random

We are in a political wasteland https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/12/15/we-are-in-a-political-wasteland/. The Tories are governing n the basis of fantasies, prejudices and lies. And despite the fact that the political right wing have so clearly left reality behind Labour refuses to consider electoral reforms that would prevent such utterly irresponsible people from ever governing again. We are in a political wasteland where hope no longer exists.

RichardJMurphy, 1 year ago to random

How government is funded https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/05/02/how-government-is-funded/

RichardJMurphy, 3 days ago to random

Starmer’s plan is for a government offering platitudes, minor admin reforms and a few more teachers in England alone. Ambition has rarely been as small as this. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/16/starmers-plan-is-for-a-government-offering-platitudes-minor-admin-reforms-and-a-few-more-teachers-in-england-alone-ambition-has-rarely-been-as-small-as-this/. Starmer’s six new pledges amount to almost nothing of any consequence that will have any real impact on most people’s lives. Has someone so lacking in vision, hope or expectation ever sought power in the UK before?

RichardJMurphy, 1 month ago to random

Gordon Brown’s answer to poverty in the UK is to appeal to charity. When Labour looks like it will have a massive majority soon that is pathetic. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/03/29/gordon-browns-answer-to-poverty-in-the-uk-is-to-appeal-to-charity-when-labour-looks-like-it-will-have-a-massive-majority-soon-that-is-pathetic/. I despair of the poverty of Labour's thinking on poverty, and just about everything else.

RichardJMurphy, 7 months ago to random

Inheritance tax has been serving the nation since 1694, and needs to do so for a lot longer https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/24/inheritance-tax-has-been-serving-the-nation-since-1694-and-needs-to-do-so-for-a-lot-longer/. Sunak wants to be rid of inheritance tax at the same time as he wants to deny pensioners their triple-locked pay rise. That says all you need to know about a man who would rather help the children of 40,000 very rich people than 12.5 million OAPs.

RichardJMurphy, 6 months ago to random

We don’t need a No 10 summit on shoplifting. We need one on why the government is creating desperate poverty. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/10/24/we-dont-need-a-no-10-summit-on-shoplifting-we-need-one-on-why-the-government-is-creating-desperate-poverty/. Shoplifting is a real issue in the UK. But isn't the bigger issue the question as to why people are shoplifting? If they are so desperate that they shoplift baby formula isn't the real crisis poverty and not criminality? And in that case isn't the solution economic reform? Hasn't the government got this all wrong?

RichardJMurphy, 1 month ago to random

People do not know what fiscal rules are, so why is Labour fixating on them? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/04/03/people-do-not-know-what-fiscal-rules-are-so-why-is-labour-fixating-on-them/. Labour claims it will govern the country within ‘ironclad fiscal rules‘ but the evidence that people have no idea what these are is strong. Why is it, in that case, that Labour is talking about things that it must know people do not understand?

RichardJMurphy, 4 months ago to random

How to manage the supply of public goods https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/01/15/how-to-manage-the-supply-of-public-goods/. Public goods are supplied universally without the intention to profit from doing so. In the neoliberal era we have, however, imposed a for-profit management model on their supply. No wonder they are failing so badly.

RichardJMurphy, 1 year ago to random

The paradox of intolerance https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/04/21/the-paradox-of-intolerance/

RichardJMurphy, 6 months ago to random

Taxing Wealth Report 2024: reforming the rates at which inheritance tax is charged https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/10/27/taxing-wealth-report-2024-reforming-the-rates-at-which-inheritance-tax-is-charged/. It is hard to raise much additional revenue from inheritance tax by playing with the rates at which the tax is charged. On the other hand, making it more progressive makes it very much fairer and that is reason enough to make the change.

RichardJMurphy, 7 months ago to random

We do need a shake up of sixth-form education https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/09/23/we-do-need-a-shake-up-of-sixth-form-education/. If people are to compulsorily study maths and English in the sixth form, make sure that what they're taught relates to the real world, not an academic objective. Then it might just be useful.

RichardJMurphy, 20 days ago to random

Nationalising Thames Water will not in any way threaten the stability of UK financial markets https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/04/29/nationalising-thames-water-will-not-in-any-way-threaten-the-stability-of-uk-financial-markets/. Treasury sourced rumours that financial markets that nationalising Thames Water might cause massive upset in UK financial markets are deliberate misinformation intended to reinforce the Bank of England's policy of excessive interest rates.

RichardJMurphy, 1 month ago to random

Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rule is the same as John McDonnell’s and Jeremy Hunt’s. All three offered austerity. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/03/21/rachel-reeves-fiscal-rule-is-the-same-as-john-mcdonnells-and-jeremy-hunts-all-three-offered-austerity/. The Labour left like to claim Reeves has abandoned them. The truth is that she is offering almost exactly the same fiscal rule as John McDonnell did in 2018. Both guaranteed austerity, which is now hard-wired into Labour’s thinking, which is why they aren’t the answer to any known question any more.

RichardJMurphy, 6 days ago to random

Interest rates should be as low as possible https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/13/interest-rates-should-be-as-low-as-possible/ The Bank of England is trying to force up interest rates so that they can keep them as high as possible. That’s deeply threatening to our wellbeing by redistributing wealth upwards, reducing the amount of investment in the country and demanding austerity of government. Interest rates need to be as low as possible.

RichardJMurphy, 5 days ago to random

Tory plans to deny access to foreign students wanting to study in the UK are already causing massive harm to UK universities and the economy of the country https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/14/tory-plans-to-deny-access-to-foreign-students-wanting-to-study-in-the-uk-are-already-causing-massive-harm-to-uk-universities-and-the-economy-of-the-country/ Overseas applications to UK universities are tumbling as a result of new visa rules that appear to be motivated by racism. The knock on effects are going to be considerable, for the country, for students and even the viability of many universities who have come to reply on this income.