There is the content for a hard hitting Labour Party Political Broadcast in this piece, In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit of the Law!
Why is Labour’s leadership, especially Seamus Milne, incapable of putting the point over in the manner of a Jess Phillips?
Too middle class?
Too fond of calling tax fraud, tax evasion?
Too out of touch with the concerns and prejudices of average voters?
Too distracted by thoughts of Ikea kitchens when planning a Party Political Broadcast?
Tax being the price we pay to live in a civilised society is a nice homily, but most of us, most of the time, want to live in one at the cheapest possible price. We are only human, after all.
However, we also resent people benefiting at our expense. Tell us that, if others, like Cameron, paid more tax then we could pay less then you will get our attention!
Tell us that the smartly dressed guy in the expensive suit, next to us in the queue at A&E, pays next to no tax and that we are paying for his treatment then you will get our attention!
Appealing to people’s self interest, to get their attention, may be distasteful to some now in the Labour Party, but it is a way of starting conversations that will result in winning votes. It is, in part, why the Tory Party has been in power for much of the last 300 years or so.
Incidentally, I do say, could pay less …
Get the voters’ attention and we might persuade them to forego the temptations of a tax cut in favour of an increase in public spending.
Update from Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley
The ramblings of a former DWP Civil Servant ... 