Taxation

Taxation is the principle power of governments the world over, it is through the power of patronage that governments retain relevance. It is through patronage that governments gain or lose favour the electorate.

People vote with their pockets!

It is also because of taxation that people originally demanded a say in government through voting. It is spending that Parliaments were originally set up to scrutinise.

However governments now tend to be able to get away with tax increases through stealth, that is why I believe that Article IX of my new Bill of Rights 2005 is especially important. It would prevent governments from recklessly raising taxes.

If any electorate has to vote on whether they will pay more tax the vast majority of the time they will emphatically vote NO

So instead of ruining our incomes or pensions, they will have to cut wasteful spending, local councils would also be included, that would be wonderful, seeing referendum after referendum defeated in Camden, Hackney etc