What
efforts will they make to cut spending? Shadow
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie MP was on the Daily Politics earlier
today, outlining Labour’s economic plans to tackle the deficit. His plans were
twofold: raise income tax and increasing the price of gun licences. Obviously!
Why hadn’t anyone thought about raking in the cash from gun licences earlier?
The present cost is £50.
There are currently just over 700,000 firearm and shotgun licences on issue in England and Wales. 700,000 x 50 makes £34 million at present. Is singling out gun owners really the most constructive way of cutting the deficit that Labour can come up with?He would not say what figure he had in mind - as clearly this measure will barely make a dent. But some commentators are now saying this has to go up
to £140,000?
As Andrew
Neil on the BBC pointed out to Leslie, anything they’d raise from licences would be
‘tuppence’. And anyway, Labour have already promised that any money raised from
gun licence changes will go towards the police budget; so that won’t do the
deficit much good.
Like the
bankers bonus spent 9 times over, or the Mansion Tax for Scottish nurses, it is
pretty clear that Balls and co cannot add and certainly can’t run an economy. Full
story and quotes here: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/01/labours-latest-plan-tackling-the-deficit-through-gun-licence-fees/
