"The Beatles began recording "Taxman" in April 1966, a month after Wilson's landslide win in the 1966 general election. Coinciding with the song's creation, Harrison learned that the band members' tax obligations were likely to lead to their bankruptcy, and he was outspoken in his opposition to the government using their income to help fund the manufacture of military weapons.
"Drawing on 1960s soul/R&B musical influences, the song portrays the taxman as relentless in his pursuit of revenue and name-checks Wilson and Edward Heath, the leader of the Conservative Party. The recording includes an Indian-influenced guitar solo performed by Paul McCartney."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxman
The song includes the lyrics -
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet!
The first of those ideas is now a reality with road pricing now common in big cities and in other parts of the country. It is curious to see how artists or pop stars have the clarity of vision (also known as common sense) that is lacking in politicians: remember how Screaming Lord Sutch stood for Parliament advocating votes for teenagers, abolition of the 11 plus, passports for pets, all day opening for pubs, shops to be open on sundays. He also (in 1983) called for votes for 16 year olds which Starmer was also trying to 'sell' prior to the election.
And now with the spiteful abolition of the Winter Fuel Allowance for allegedly affluent pensioners, I find myself with the prospect of choosing between eating and heating!
Just out of interest, the Labour government is once more advocating the taxation of what they call unearned income. Does that include the Government's own income? Their income is very definitely unearned, it all comes from the people in the form of taxation!
Do not forget that income tax is theft as is inheritance tax. In fact it is demanding money with menaces, if you resist you will go to jail!
1 comment:
Me and Mrs DiscoveredJoys are in the (worked for) position of not needing the Winter Fuel Allowance. But since we make little claim on the state (other than old age pensions and bus passes) it did not seem out of place to accept the allowance.
But like most things 'giving something up' is a lot harder than never having it in the first place. All the other rumoured tax increases appear to be taxes on savings or 'our estate' at death which we have already paid tax on. And in the mean time what we pay our taxes for is poorer services and greater grift and wastage.
Not happy. At least I didn't vote for Labour.
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