Digging our country out of a big hole

First of all let’s put to bed this myth that Theresa May is “unelected”. We do not, and have never, elected a Prime Minister. Theresa May was elected as an MP, then elected as leader of her party. The Queen “invites” the leader of the largest party to form a Government. Using her logic neither James Callaghan nor Gordon Brown would have been PM.

Secondly, let’s also understand tax. The Government has NO money other than that collected in taxes from either businesses or individuals. Other than around £30 billion it raises in other ways, the whole of the Governments income, £720 billion, comes from taxes of one sort or another.

Sheffield Council spends around £1.4 billion a year, of which just over 50 per cent comes from central government (via “the taxpayer”) – the remainder comes from rents, rates, council tax and other charges – but all of it is paid by the “taxpayer”.

So, if Win wants extra spending (from Government OR Council), then it eventually comes from the “taxpayer”.

We can argue about what we spend it on, but never forget WHO pays for it. Incoherently, she wants extra spending, but doesn’t want the burden to be placed on the taxpayer? Who should shoulder the burden Win?

I’ll not go into the NHS – it is a black hole that will continue to get blacker and deeper regardless of what is spent on it, and at some stage will become unsustainable in its present form. (It’s so good that it is copied by no-one).

I’ll agree that there are some issues in education that need attending to, but throwing money at it will not help in the long term.

As for Social care? 50 years ago there wasn’t any at all – it was done by families, at no cost to the state. Although many families still take responsibility, many just walk away and leave the provision and cost to the state (and therefore the taxpayer).

Sure, under Win’s wonderful Labour Government, all would be fine. Dream on Win – Labour is increasingly yesterday’s party, and looks like it’s dragging itself into terminal decline, as are many socialist factions in the west.

Oh, and by the way, the national debt is so large it is unlikely ever to be paid off (it’s in the trillions). Austerity is aimed at reducing budget deficits and has nothing to do with the national debt.

Mike Wilson

High Green