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Sustainable Economy > Published by Will Straw, December 16th 2010 at 8:54 am

Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise

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The right-wing press are surprisingly alone today in reporting remarks yesterday by George Osborne to The Spectator. The Chancellor said:

“The VAT rise is not temporary. It can’t be. We are talking about a totally different scale of revenue and the VAT rise is a structural change to the tax system to deal with a structural deficit.”

Left Foot Forward sets out some facts about the tax rise.

 

1. The VAT rise is avoidable

According to the Budget red book, The increase in VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent raises £13.5 billion by 2014-15. But cuts to income tax, national insurance, corporation tax, and council tax cost £12.4bn. Net of Tory tax cuts, the VAT rise brings in just £1.1bn. New OBR boss, Robert Chote, said in May:

“When Mr Osborne said that “the years of debt and spending” made the £13 billion increase in VAT unavoidable you might just as well say it was his desire to cut other taxes that made it so”

 

2. VAT is a regressive tax

Using data from the ONS, the Fabian Society’s Tim Horton has said, “The richest 10% pay one in every 25 pounds of their income in VAT; the poorest 10% pay one in every seven pounds as VAT”. There is a debate about whether VAT remains regressive when measured against households’ spending rather than income. But on Tax Research UK, Richard Murphy has explained why this is only true if the poor have savings, access to borrowing, and the same consumption patterns as the rich. As The Guardian‘s Aditya Chakrabortty has concluded, “since VAT takes no account of one’s ability to pay, it cannot be called progressive.” Even the TaxPayers’ Alliance accept that “VAT hits the poor twice as hard as the rich“.

 

3. VAT hits the north harder than the south

Research published last week by the marketing firm, Acxiom, shows that there is a north-south divide in the impact of the VAT rise. The study showed that London and the South East were more resilient to the tax rise than other regions. Among the ten places least affected by the VAT rise were the Tory heartlands of West Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Wokingham, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Oxfordshire where David Cameron’s Witney seat is situated. Meanwhile Hull, Blaenau Gwent, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Orkney, Eilean Siar, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, and Gwynedd will be worst affected.

 

4. The increase is the fourth rise in VAT by a Tory government

As Duncan Weldon has shown:

“When VAT was introduced, by a Conservative government in 1973, it was set at 10 per cent. Geoffrey Howe, despite promising not to “double VAT” in the 1979 election campaign, raised it to 15 per cent. It was then increased to 17.5 per cent by Norman Lamont.

“In the 37 years since its introduction, VAT has risen from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Meanwhile the basic rate of income tax has fallen from 30 per cent to 20 per cent.”

 

5. The VAT rise is a broken promise

On April 1st, David Cameron told Sky News, “our plans don’t involve an increase in VAT” while after the election in mid-May, the new Prime Minister told Andrew Marr that a VAT rise was “not something we plan to do“. Next Left saw it coming and raised the spectre of the “Geoffrey Howe dodge” in April in honour of a previous Tory broken promise on VAT.

As with tuition fees, the Liberal Democrats campaigned heavily on the issue of VAT publishing posters declaring “Tory VAT bombshell: You’d pay £389 more a year in VAT under the Conservatives“. An example, perhaps, of sticking a bit too closely to their pledge of “no more broken promises“.

  • http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/15329046959235072 Max

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/crimsoncrip/status/15329262017970176 Crimson Crip

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/neilheavens/status/15329394209849344 Neil Heavens

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/clnfrqhr/status/15329445162262528 Colin Farquhar

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/lynnhancock/status/15329567652716544 Lynn Hancock

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/casi_insurgente/status/15329582664130561 jack saunders

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/clarebellla/status/15330010059513856 Clarebella

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/15331216555245568 Shamik Das

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB reports @wdjstraw http://myloc.me/flaB4

  • http://twitter.com/unitelondon/status/15332110436929537 Don’t Break Britain

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/jennykemp/status/15332918306017280 Jenny Kemp

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/madgeismad/status/15333175689482240 Amanda Hall

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/markjappleby/status/15333669841408001 Mark Appleby

    @markhive 'Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise' http://bit.ly/gVgfH7

  • http://twitter.com/conorco/status/15334665145548801 Conor Costello

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/bangorunilabour/status/15334938605785088 Bangor Uni Labour

    The VAT rise: a regressive new year in sight http://fb.me/DBqSfy2n

  • http://www.MarkPack.org.uk Mark Pack

    Will: what’s your definition of ‘progressive’ in fiscal terms – for example, would a flat tax of £10,000 on the purchase of any car costing more than £100,000 count as regressive because it isn’t related to someone’s ability to pay? (Which is the implication of the quote in your #2.)

  • http://twitter.com/iextract/status/15338381806403584 MD-G

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/othertpa/status/15338827073724416 Other TaxPayers Alli

    Good piece by @wdjstraw RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/onlinebayrle/status/15339016991805440 Ulrike Singer-Bayrle

    RT @OtherTPA: Good piece by @wdjstraw RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/chrisplol/status/15339182822006784 Chris Paul

    RT @OtherTPA: Good piece by @wdjstraw RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/krupesh4brent/status/15339715595079680 Cllr Krupesh Hirani

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/papanomicron/status/15342087276855296 papanomicron

    Is VAT the Tories favourite and most stealthy tax? RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/boredlondongurl/status/15347344572686336 Bored London Gurl

    RT @leftfootfwd Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    I wrote a piece on VAT some time back. The thing that struck me about VAT after some exploring, are the things that are Children’s food but are taxed at the full rate. Children’s fruit drinks will now be taxed at 20%. What would they have us put it our children’s lunch boxes? Children’s Cereal Bars[you know, the rice crispie ones] are also taxed at the full 20%. The basic treats for a childen, fudges milky bars etc are all taxed…. Takeaway food is also taxed… that is the Dominio’s Pizza on a Saturday, or the Chinese Takeaway ofn a Friday… the regular fizzy drinks are taxed at 20% also.. Children’s toys and games are taxed at 20%.. and shoes over the size of 6 are taxed at the full 20%… I don’t know what generation our ministers where born but children’s feet are size 6 long before they are adults.

    In short, the next time you are rebuffed by a Tory counterpart proclaiming that Children are exempt, give him what for.

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    VAT is regressive in the sense that 20% of the child’s pocket money is taxed. Pensions are taxed, the aged, the frail the infirm all pay 20% VAT. Tories have long held that the poor consume more than they should, VAT is a punitive tax to warn the under classes off living life too loosely. Nat Rothcild and an OAP both pay the % of VAT on their footware…

  • http://twitter.com/nanayasleeps/status/15366981360291841 Gods & Monsters

    RT @OtherTPA: Good piece by @wdjstraw RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/gAdkGB

  • http://twitter.com/nickcleggsfair/status/15372427265572864 Nick Clegg’s Fair

    Before the election we campaigned hard against a VAT rise, but sadly it's now "unavoidable" http://bit.ly/hSb1KK #cleggtruth

  • http://twitter.com/nobleaccounting/status/15375479750000640 Russ Noble

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/i4mrng

  • http://oeufling.blogspot.com Christine

    Surely a tax that only applied to people who could afford to buy a £100,000 car quite clearly would be intrinsically related to their ability to pay? The fact that it’s a flat tax doesn’t change that – it’s already limited in its application. As opposed to VAT, which applies to everyone who ever wants to buy anything and therefore clearly isn’t related to ability to pay.

    Also, you could avoid paying the hypothetical car tax by choosing not to buy a hideously expensive car: it’s hard to argue that anyone living in this country, on whatever wage, could realistically avoid paying any VAT.

  • http://etonmess.blogspot.com/ mike hartley

    Cameron is lucky. Whereas SadFace AKA Nick Clegg gets hammered for his litany of broken pledges, Camerson just lets them bounce off him.

    EMAs anyone?

  • http://twitter.com/batlab80/status/15412993634340864 BatLab

    Great piece by @wdjstraw on why regressive VAT rise will #fail us all http://bit.ly/ffi85g #labour #ukuncut

  • http://twitter.com/dannyadilypour/status/15417394944020480 Danny Adilypour

    The 20% VAT bombshell is unfair, regressive & targets the poorest, as well as being another Tory/Lib Dem broken promise http://tiny.cc/24lj3

  • Paul Ellard

    Academic research, including a recent OECD publication on tax and growth, shows that sales taxes are far less damaging to growth than corporate or personal income taxes. So what would you rather, Will: a lower VAT rate in a stagnating economy, or a marginal increase to help fund growth-stimulating cuts in other taxes?

    Bigger picture, Will.

  • http://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/15434529602805760 sunny hundal

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/taobhcle/status/15435682289819648 Taobh Clé

    RT @sunny_hundal: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/sasastro/status/15435922539552768 sasastro

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  • http://twitter.com/sallymumbycroft/status/15436632131903488 sally

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  • http://twitter.com/__ira__/status/15437810999758848 Ira

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  • http://twitter.com/richdavidson/status/15437822857052160 richdavidson

    RT @sunny_hundal: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/latequartet/status/15445919973507073 Jeremy Clines

    Poorest pay £1 in £7 of income in VAT, richest £1 in £25. RT @leftfootfwd 5 facts about 20% VAT http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://blogging-master.info/politics-live-blog-%e2%80%93-wednesday-16-december Politics live blog – Wednesday 16 December | Blogging Master

    [...] Will Straw at Left Foot Forward provides five facts about the VAT increase, which now seems to be [...]

  • http://twitter.com/gertiepink/status/15457042084921344 Rachel

    RT @sunny_hundal: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/reneefleming2/status/15465697165447168 Eva Miranda

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise: (Which is the implication of the quote in your #2.) I wrote a pie… http://bit.ly/fhAdW4

  • Joe

    Fact 6 – The VAT increase to 20% brings Britain in line with most other EU countries. The only two countries in the EU that pay equal or less than 17.5% are Luxembourg and Cyprus. http://www.tmf-vat.com/vat/eu-vat-rates.html

  • http://twitter.com/joelheason/status/15471925513945088 Joel Heason

    RT @sunny_hundal: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's [Regressive] permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/spsot/status/15474103418888193 Spir.Sotiropoulou

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/circulator38/status/15478965812600832 Circulator38

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise: New OBR boss, Robert Chote, said in May: Using… http://goo.gl/fb/dy5Y0

  • Simon

    As it stands VAT isn’t a progressive tax, but surely that’s in part because of how it’s spent. If it was part of a system where the less well off received more VAT back than they paid it would be progressive. I understand this happens in some EU countries. The fact that here it seems to be being used to pay for tax breals for the better off is disgraceful.

    I think one of the blindspots on the Left is Corporation Tax. This has been shown to be a tax on wages more than anything else, so I think we should look at how reducing Corporation Tax might work. Tax on dividends would hit where we want to much more effectively. Reduced tax rates for the many SMEs that are the basis for much of our industry is more likely be spent on wages and to remain in the local economy.

  • http://twitter.com/mswigsy/status/15500349024501760 Wendy Maddox

    Did you know the VAT rise was going to be permanent? : RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • william

    If you want a fairer tax system,try raising VAT to 25 percent ,and removing households with a gross income of less than £20,000 from income tax and NI, altogether.A top rate taxpayer will from 4 January pay 68p in the pound of gross earnings spent, at the margin.

  • http://www.markpack.org.uk/ Mark Pack

    Christine: for similar reasons to the ones you give, I’d call such a tax a progressive one – but that’s why I asked the question of Will, as on the definition that he quotes (and looks to agree with), it wouldn’t count as progressive.

  • http://twitter.com/nobleaccounting/status/15590139568848896 Russ Noble

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/h8ZJFz

  • http://twitter.com/cllrkrichards/status/15597852453502977 Kevin Richards

    Very interesting reading about Tories & the link to VAT- RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • Mr. Sensible

    Will I fully agree.

    If we need to do things like this to cut the deficit, why c ut other taxes?

    The banks are among those benefiting from the Corporation Tax cut, which makes it clear that we are not all in this together.

  • http://www.timworstall.com Tim Worstall

    VAT in Denmark is 25%.

    The national income tax in Denmark is 3.76%.

    And there I was thinking that all of you lefties thought we should be more like the social democracies of the Nordics?

  • http://twitter.com/jruddy99/status/15805299566845952 John Ruddy

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt <VAT rise pays for Tory tax cuts

  • http://twitter.com/circulator38/status/17663617008668672 Circulator38

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://ping.fm/gzb3D

  • http://twitter.com/peterpannier/status/18319882344988672 Peter Pannier
  • http://twitter.com/anubeon/status/18321710407221248 Lee Hyde

    RT @PeterPannier: @ukuncut makes sense to make jan 4th a day of action? http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/12/five-facts-about-osbornes …

  • cb

    Tim, I wonder where you got that figure from? since Denmark actually has HIGHER income tax rates than Britain,
    from 42% to 63%. Denmark has one of the largest tax burdens in the world.

  • http://twitter.com/imstillred/status/21956172554698752 Keith White

    Five must read facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt – Tories switching the pain to the poorest again…

  • http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/22204414752198656 Will Straw

    Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/amishaghadiali/status/22205003728953344 Amisha Ghadiali

    RT @wdjstraw: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/dominiccampbell/status/22205272772583425 Dominic Campbell

    Interesting read RT @wdjstraw: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

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  • http://twitter.com/paul_trembath/status/22205986013970432 Paul Trembath

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  • http://twitter.com/cromulentjosh/status/22206209142562816 Josh Kitto

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  • http://twitter.com/michael__ellis/status/22206227006103552 Michael Ellis

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  • http://twitter.com/averyps/status/22206940729839616 Phil BC

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  • http://twitter.com/jake0204/status/22207105243025408 Jacob Lister

    RT @wdjstraw: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/gareth_snell/status/22207192883007488 Gareth Snell

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  • http://twitter.com/suw/status/22207505987796992 Suw

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  • http://twitter.com/boredlondongurl/status/22207881411563520 Bored London Gurl

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  • http://twitter.com/mason_ste/status/22207931080507392 Ste Mason

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  • http://twitter.com/shortymcstompy/status/22208087070871552 Little Emma

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  • http://twitter.com/jkblacker/status/22208108273078272 Josh Blacker

    VAT rise: +£13.5bn. Tory tax cuts for their friends: -£12.4bn. How does that help pay off the deficit? http://bit.ly/i3WoWG

  • http://twitter.com/seanics/status/22208406827827200 Sean Morton

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  • http://twitter.com/wantonmess/status/22208465044766721 Wanton

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  • http://twitter.com/shrewmaus/status/22208540806479872 Shrewmaus

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  • http://twitter.com/qofe/status/22209052813561856 QOFE

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  • http://twitter.com/alexsmith67/status/22209889581408256 Alex Smith

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  • http://twitter.com/wheatear9/status/22210342125838336 Phil Whittaker

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  • http://twitter.com/satkins88/status/22210386988109824 Sarah Atkins

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  • http://twitter.com/nigep/status/22210859803611136 Nigel

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  • http://twitter.com/paullomax/status/22210916133117952 Paul Lomax

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  • http://twitter.com/purplehayes2/status/22211569794416640 Matt Hayes

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  • http://twitter.com/marclungley/status/22212448966680576 Marc Lungley

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  • http://twitter.com/ennor1/status/22212893328019456 Barry Hodges

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  • http://twitter.com/fenra/status/22212925594800128 Dan Andrews

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  • http://twitter.com/kevinmsg/status/22212983119683584 kevinmsg

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  • http://twitter.com/pjakma/status/22213499954401280 Paul Jakma

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  • http://twitter.com/lipsticklori/status/22213702778359808 Lori Smith

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  • http://twitter.com/belindawebb/status/22213857040662528 Belinda Webb

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  • http://twitter.com/ckdsanjaypatel/status/22214761689124864 Sanjay Patel

    Trying to remain 'Neutral' with Twitter, but…Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/olliedearn/status/22214959295369216 Ollie Dearn

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  • http://twitter.com/jeevanjones/status/22215191332655104 Jeevan Jones

    Five facts about the VAT rise from 17.5% to 20% http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/draburton/status/22217178027663360 Angela Burton

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://notesbrokensociety.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/osbornes-dishonest-and-ideological-vat-hike/ Osborne’s dishonest and ideological VAT hike « Notes from a Broken Society

    [...] do this because of the mess in which Labour left the public finances. But it’s not true. As Left Foot Forward pointed out, the increased revenue from the VAT rise is almost entirely offset by tax cuts elsewhere: According [...]

  • http://twitter.com/jonathand/status/22219636749631488 Jonathan Davis

    @b_utton You seen this on Left Foot Forward? http://bit.ly/et7atr

  • http://twitter.com/b_utton/status/22220454223675392 Bethan Hamilton

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  • http://twitter.com/maryjobhunting/status/22222167731085312 Mary Hill

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  • http://twitter.com/noukcuts/status/22223212343463937 No UK Shock Doctrine

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  • http://twitter.com/alexrichman/status/22226487209885697 Alex Richman

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  • http://twitter.com/kissmedeadlier/status/22229885174943744 Catherine Deadly

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  • http://twitter.com/01etd/status/22236219207327744 Eric T Dickinson

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/greenellenjess/status/22238097534091264 Jess Green

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/jammasound/status/22238829444333568 JAMES ILES

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/alexrichman/status/22239597429788672 Alex Richman

    @HenryJFoy @Petercampbell1 "Even the TaxPayers’ Alliance accept that VAT hits the poor twice as hard as the rich" http://bit.ly/hdJncQ

  • http://twitter.com/krisht/status/22242533744574464 Chris Patmore

    RT @noUKcuts: RT @davidwearing: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/ecopaintstore/status/22244245066752001 Jonathan Walker

    RT @wdjstraw: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/merialc/status/22245952102334464 Clair

    RT @lipsticklori: RT via lots of people: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/geedee86/status/22248982264676352 Gareth Douce

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://twitter.com/angelapateman/status/22249327221014528 Angela Pateman

    RT @michael__ellis: Interesting read RT @wdjstraw: Five facts about the VAT rise (from the @leftfootfwd archive) http://bit.ly/hSb1KK (v …

  • http://twitter.com/tweetminster/status/22262917063770112 Tweetminster

    "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/lukepollard/status/22263240864038912 Luke Pollard

    Another brillaint post – RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/22263775902044160 Max

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/lipscombe1/status/22263822651760640 James Lipscombe

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/paddyhussey/status/22264644986994689 Patches

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/davidkhardman/status/22264945672454144 David Hardman

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/timothyjmoore/status/22265764673228800 Tim Moore

    RT @LukePollard: Another brillaint post – RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left …

  • http://twitter.com/jordannewell/status/22265813511704576 Jordan Newell

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr

  • http://twitter.com/jimboeth/status/22265969267179520 James Anthony

    This makes for grim reading. RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/lex_bear/status/22266028159410176 Lex_Bear

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/jasonkitcat/status/22267043994669056 Jason Kitcat

    No.1 – the rise is avoidable RT @tweetminster "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/jondennis/status/22270003067756544 Jon Dennis

    RT @jimboeth: This makes for grim reading. RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Lef …

  • http://twitter.com/darkixion/status/22271086062206976 Thom Brown

    RT @jasonkitcat: No.1 – the rise is avoidable RT @tweetminster "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Le …

  • http://twitter.com/gaipajama/status/22271168727744513 Carlos

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/dhartery/status/22272036126588928 David Hartery

    @conorjh http://bit.ly/fltzHr Dunno if you remember our chat about VAT, but this is interesting.

  • http://twitter.com/andrewburnie/status/22273875769303040 Andrew Burnie

    RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left Foot Forward

  • http://twitter.com/geedee86/status/22274223858782208 Gareth Douce

    RT @jordannewell: RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr

  • http://twitter.com/ukcuts/status/22290710233350144 cutsandgrazes dotcom

    RT @davidwearing: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/ukcuts/status/22290710233350144 cutsandgrazes dotcom

    RT @davidwearing: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/01/04/vat-rise/ How Cameron and Clegg were against VAT rise before they were for it | Liberal Conspiracy

    [...] broken promises? You betcha. As Left Foot Forward pointed out earlier, there are alternatives. [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/01/vat-rises-to-20-per-cent/ Osborne’s financial pain begins as VAT hike hits | Left Foot Forward

    [...] to know where Labour would have found the £13bn that he claims the VAT rise will deliver. As Left Foot Forward and numerous eminent economists have argued, instead of opting for a 77:23 split of spending cuts [...]

  • http://twitter.com/bermondseylab/status/22296064518262784 Bermondsey Labour

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/vickylheywood/status/22302588581978112 Vicky Heywood

    Great article on Left Foot Forward? – 'VAT Five facts' http://bit.ly/et7atr (via @jonathand)

  • http://twitter.com/vickylheywood/status/22302679036338177 Vicky Heywood

    Great article on Left Foot Forward 16th Dec – 'VAT Five facts' http://bit.ly/et7atr (via @jonathand)

  • http://twitter.com/double_karma/status/22318444850446336 Double.Karma

    RT @davidwearing: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/faithforchange/status/22318517088952320 Steve

    RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/elainesk/status/22319365835718657 Elaine S

    RT @LukePollard: Another brillaint post – RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left …

  • http://twitter.com/emilypeabody42/status/22319875531743232 Emily Peabody

    RT @davidwearing: RT @leftfootfwd: Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/pattisoapbox/status/22344162351259649 Patricia Walker

    RT @LukePollard: Another brillaint post – RT @tweetminster: "Five facts about Osborne’s permanent VAT rise" http://bit.ly/fltzHr – Left …

  • Richard

    “a marginal increase…”? So a 14.3% increase in VAT is marginal, is it Paul?

  • http://twitter.com/defencecutscost/status/22411634706223104 PCS MOD Group

    Five facts about Osborne's permanent VAT rise http://bit.ly/eQOHTt

  • http://twitter.com/john4106/status/22609200244854784 john smith

    RT @johnprescott: Five facts about the VAT rise via @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/hSb1KK

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/01/look-left-07-01-11/ Look Left – Former Labour MP sent down for expenses fraud | Left Foot Forward

    [...] only raises expectations for calamitous policies like the rapid cuts to public services or the ideological rise in VAT which was only necessary to pay for tax cuts to corporation tax, council tax, national [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/nine-economists-tell-george-osborne-how-to-fix-the-country/ Nine economists tell George Osborne how to fix the country | Left Foot Forward

    [...] Pissarides, the 2010 Nobel prize winner, argues that Osborne should cut VAT back to 17.5 per cent. He tells Osborne that: Deficit reduction is best done with spending cuts when the [...]