Government’s new extremism definition won’t even begin to crack down on anti-Semitic thugs who spread hate and fear
And why Labour is wrong to mislead voters on Government plans for National Insurance
Hate goes on
IT means well, but the Government’s new extremism definition won’t even begin to crack down on the anti-Semitic Islamist thugs who spread hate and fear.
Its narrow description of extremists as those who attack other people’s basic freedoms, or seek to undermine or overthrow democracy, is fine as far as it goes.
It will allow Communities Secretary Michael Gove to name certain hatemongering groups who fall foul of it.
But it only applies to the workings of the Government, ensuring that politicians and officials do not engage with extremists and exclude them from state-funded jobs or, God forbid, honours.
It creates no new powers . . . and does not apply to quangos, universities, the police or the CPS.
If it stops Whitehall giving legitimacy to vile groups posing as the voice of their communities, then great.
It will do nothing to end the pro-Hamas marches which inflame division and are often repugnant displays of open racism.
Tax deceits
NO wannabe Government should deliberately mislead voters, as Labour is trying to do on National Insurance.
It is a contemptible deceit to say the Tories have an “unfunded commitment” to scrap it.
It is merely what they aspire to do in years to come if they stay in power and the budget allows.
But Labour has plumbed yet murkier depths.
National Insurance payments are NOT put aside to fund health and social care, as they suggest.
They are tipped into the Treasury coffers with general taxation.
So ending NI would have no specific effect on NHS spending (which would undoubtedly continue to rise).
It would simply stop us paying two taxes on part of our pay, as we do now.
Labour knows this. It also knows what a REAL unfunded commitment looks like.
It’s when you pledge “clean power by 2030” — as Labour has — with no idea how to find the £28billion a year it once said that would need.
Its fibs over National Insurance are a depressing preview of a dirty and demeaning election campaign where truth will be the first casualty.
Tickety boo
ONLINE ticket touts are greedy parasites preventing real fans from seeing gigs or shows unless they pay monstrous prices.
Years ago we called for the Government to wipe out these blood-sucking profiteers by ensuring tickets can only be resold at face value or below, plus a small admin fee. It hasn’t happened.
Credit, then, to Labour for promising to cap profits at ten per cent, maybe less.
Not quite what we wanted, but enough to allow the legitimate resale of unwanted tickets while finally preventing millions being ripped off.
Years overdue, and we can all applaud it.