Sunday 4 April 2010

Singleton Tax



So one of the policies Cameron has been keen to implement is his tax on single people.

Now of course, Cameron doesn't phrase it that way, he says it's a tax cut for married couples (of course the Tories don't recognise same sex marriage).
On the surface it may look like the Tories are trying to hold together traditional family values, a nuclear family, but scratch beneath the surface and yet again we see what the effects of such a tax cut would be; giving money to those already better off.

A married couple is already better off, they have two household incomes.
Married couples account for less than 50 percent of the UK population
Most of those getting married are middle and upper classes, as even ex-Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith pointed out.

And what about those who are single through no fault of their own? 
The 3.3 million widowers
The divorcees from violent marriages
What about those people?

The Tories are yet again favouring the already well off.

And do they really think that offering a tax cut will suddenly solve the constant drops in those getting married? All this would encourage is rash and ill thought out marriages for financial benefit - and the end result of that? Divorce.
Another question - what gives any government the right to say that married people are somehow more deserving of tax cuts and single people not? I wonder how many key people, local heroes and community leaders are single. I really can't see the angle they are coming from.

You'll probably be saying ''Well it's a better environment for children, so it's fair to endorse it''. Well then...
Children born and raised within wedlock are NOT guaranteed to have some amazing upbringing. It's a myth.
Children can be brought up within a nuclear style family, but then prove to be unruly, violent and worse.
Having two parents bringing up a child does not mean that child will be ''good''.

The fact that less and less people are deciding to get married at all (falling by between 100,000 and 150,000 each year in recent years since its peak in 1972 ) the Tories show just how outdated they are. Couple this with the flourishing civil partnerships (that's the gay 'equivalent' of the marriage they're not allowed) the Toy party really needs to look at what's right in front of them.

Overly-favour married couples - Marriage swiftly declining
They oppose gay marriage - Partnerships flourishing

When will the Tories make an accurate and up-to-date call?

2 comments:

  1. Whilst I entirely agree with you about the 'singleton tax' it is important to recognise that a married couple will not necessarily have two incomes, they may in fact have the extra financial burden of an unemployed adult to finance from a single wage. These things are not this simple. If you have children someone has to care for them, whether they are in childcare or a parent chooses to stay at home. This places an extra financial burden on most families who face a choice between losing a wage or paying for cheap or quality childcare. I think it is important that a future government recognises the importance and contribution of parents of all demographics - gay, straight, married, single, co-habiting e.t.c. rather than the difference between married and single as this has really no financial implications of it's own. Raising children is very important and it is my personal belief that all parents should be able to and financially supported to (if they can't afford it) provide one stay at home parent until their youngest child is 3 if that is how they choose to raise their children. If you are going to start talking about giving children the best start in life then it is no good 'improving childcare standards' you need to support parents to be able to raise their children themselves as this is the optimum choice for most people, it is normally just financial worries that prevent them. Until we do this our children will suffer and our country will continue to have social problems such as high teenage pregnancy rates e.t.c. We've all heard the response "I just wanted something to love" so many times, has no-one made the connection between this feeling in our children and the Labour Government's push to send both parents out to work.

    (not a Tory voter)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, that's fair - and good of you to point out!
    I agree that anyone who needs to support should receive it, but I suppose my point is that Cameron is clearly favouring a minority of more stable families, yet again.

    I should also point out that it's him electioneering, yet again.
    Did you know the allowance works out at just under £2.50 a week. So to the those families where there is only a single income, and they are struggling - Cameron is delivering false hope.
    On top of this, you mentioned that many times one parent will stay at home to raise the children. Labour has supported and supplemented this with SureStart which gives young children opportunity and equality. But obviously the Conservatives deem this a waste of time and money and have pledged to cut it.

    Cameron and his haggle of followers have nothing of substance to offer.

    ReplyDelete

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November 2nd
Yup, still going, and hopefully November will be a return to regular blogging as I settle back into things.
As always, feel free to comment, I WILL respond.
________

Thanks, Tom.