Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2012 | Page 12

ANDREW TURNER MP We should leave as much money as possible in the hands of those who worked long hours to earn it. A case for smaller Government I have long believed that our country suffers from far too much Government – both national and local. The more Government interferes in people’s lives, the more things there are to go wrong. In my weekly advice surgery I see many examples – and nowhere is it more evident than in the complex calculations and chaotic administration of ‘tax credits’. For a start tax credits are misnamed; they bear no relationship to tax (you don’t have to have paid any tax, ever, to qualify, and some claimants don’t even live in the UK); and it is not a credit of any kind – simply money paid out by the Government. But more importantly – there are so many mistakes made, and many cause untold misery when they come to light. And there is often little understanding by civil servants in Whitehall about hardships caused when cack-handed attempts are made to recover money which is overpaid. And invariably when putting errors right, it is the poorest families who suffer most – those who already find it hard to put food on the table or heat their homes. My other concern is about the levels at which these benefits are paid – currently to families with an income of up to £41,300 a year. The logic of that defies understanding; it seems to be simply a system designed to build reliance on the state, rather than payments based on real need. This year the amount people can earn before losing entitlement to tax credits will fall – and not before time. Of course putting this mess right will not be easy. I do understand that even people who earn relatively high salaries come to regard these payments as a part of their income. But it seems very wrong for the Government to take money from people on the minimum wage of just over £6 an hour to pass on to people who earn a great deal more. I do have a simple answer to the problem. The Government must take far less money from taxpayers in the first place. And we must start with those who earn the least; I fully support increasing tax thresholds to lift the poorest working people out of taxation altogether. We should leave as much money as possible in the hands of those who worked long hours to earn it. I may not agree with how they spend it – but it is their money – and they have the right to decide what to do with it – not me and 649 other MPs! I know there will be difficulties in the transition and do not underestimate them – but until somebody can explain to me why people who live on the bread-line should be forced to contribute to the household incomes of those who are (or who should be) financially comfortable, I will continue to support lower taxes. Andrew Turner MP The Riverside Centre, The Town Quay, Newport IW TEL: [phone] EMAIL: [email protected] www.islandmp.org 12 www.visitislandlife.com