Member

Everybody knew when we fought the general election that whichever party won was going to have to raise taxation because of the appalling fiscal state of the nation. I trust that both party leaderships gave some thought to which particular taxes they would have to raise in the first, inevitably unpopular Budget that it would be the duty of the new Government to introduce. Of course, the choice would have been difficult, but I think the tax chosen was one of the very worst possible, in view of the state of the economy as a whole and, as these amendments illustrate, in view of the particular crisis we face in providing for the lack of social care, and the desperate dependence that so many families have on charitable support, hospices and so on. These amendments illustrate some of the worst effects of the choice that was made.