Comment - Land Value Tax Campaign

New Catholic social teaching document

Written on 27 May 2009. Posted in Religion.

Later this year, the Bishops of England and Wales plan to produce a new social teaching document. Before the document is drafted they are holding an initial consultation.

Africa almost giving land away, says UN

Written on 25 May 2009. Posted in Welfare.

African countries are giving away vast tracts of farmland to other countries and investors almost for free, with the only benefits consisting of vague promises of jobs and infrastructure, according to a report published on Monday.

Quantitative Easing and Inflation

Written on 10 May 2009. Posted in Banking.

What is Quantitative Easing and will it lead to inflation? Tommas Graves presented these thoughts to a discussion group last week in an attempt to help understanding of the subject, but no firm conclusion was reached in this highly abstract topic… When Quantitative Easing was proposed it was an unknown idea, and many thought it would create inflation. Now that the dust has settled, what are...

Landscape of industrial decay emerges

Written on 5 May 2009. Posted in Economics.

Jonathan Guthrie writes in the FT today “Birmingham was a cradle of the industrial revolution. But neighbourhoods such as Washwood Heath now feel more like its grave. The last of Washwood Heath’s three big factories is on the brink of closure. Unless a buyer rescues LDV, which has 850 staff, the van maker expects to enter administration on Wednesday. “Economists once theorised...

German-Danish bridge bonanza for landowners

Written on 1 May 2009. Posted in Economics.

With the recent confirmation of construction of a 19km long bridge from Puttgarden in Germany to Rødby in Denmark, to be finished in 2018, one of the last train ferries will come to an end. A Danish IC3 train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is seen here on the car deck of the Scandlines ferry. Passengers who enjoy the 45 minute crossing and the comfortable ferry with on-board restaurant may not appreciate...

The Budget 2009 – a broader perspective

Written on 30 April 2009. Posted in Taxation.

Tommas Graves takes a step back from considerations of winners, losers and avoiders, and gives a view of the budget from a broader perspective “Dishonest” says the Economist. Taken together with the steps to deal with the banking crisis, what we can see is the attempt to get the economy back to normal. NORMAL? But what is normal?

Gerrard Winstanley and the Diggers

Written on 28 April 2009. Posted in History.

In April 1649 Winstanley, William Everard, a former soldier in the New Model Army and about thirty followers took over some common land on St George’s Hill in Surrey and “sowed the ground with parsnips, carrots and beans.” Digger groups also took over land in Kent (Cox Hill), Surrey (Cobham), Buckinghamshire (Iver) and Northamptonshire (Wellingborough). Local landowners were very...

“Abolish bridge tolls” says small business federation

Written on 27 April 2009. Posted in Taxation.

Temperatures are apparently rising among the small business community over tolls charged to use the major river crossings in England and Wales. Although not all businesses are affected, the Federation of Small Businesses wants road tolls abolished in England and Wales, following the lead of the Scottish Executive.

Popular misconceptions from Tax Justice Network

Written on 22 April 2009. Posted in Tax Justice Network.

The Tax Justice Network, as its name implies, aims to promote justice in taxation. As I have said previously, the organisation ought to be on-side with us but sadly it is not. It does little more than trade on public indignation, admittedly well-founded, and promote popular left-wing myths. This is an example of a recent exchange I had, which they declined to publish on their blog, as TJN seems...

Darling was told two-thirds ‘will dodge’ new 50p tax rate

Written on 20 April 2009. Posted in Taxation.

We keep on saying that people are mobile but land is fixed and cannot be hidden or destroyed. This means that a tax on the rental value of land cannot be avoided or evaded. But Britain’s politicians and civil servants can’t get the message. A pre-Budget “modelling” exercise conducted by the Treasury had forecast that 69 per cent of those hit by the new 50% top income tax...

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