Wednesday 31 March 2010

People Like Us

I've posted this graph before, but this is the up-to-date version from the IFS. I assume it doesn't include the measures which come into effect at the start of the new financial year, i.e. the 50p higher band of income tax or the 1p rise in NI for those on more than £20,000. Political opponents are fond of focusing on the income inequality gap, i.e. that the gap between the richest and the poorest has grown under a Labour, but too often this gets twisted into "the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer". That's not true. The poorest are significantly better off under this Labour Government, as are many on modest and middle incomes too. And that's before you get onto public services, and the fact that those who can't afford to pay for health care or education have seen a massive improvement in the NHS and schools under Labour.

2 comments:

Alasdair said...

Dunno why, but I'm on a bit of a commenting spree today. Hungover at work, I guess...

Anyway, the thing I like most about this graph is that even the £100K+ aren't losing out more than the poorest are gaining. People say the Labour party isn't socialist any more, and they may be right, but this graph certainly perks me up on that front...

Glenn Vowles said...

Does not alter the fact that the richest 10% of the population are more than 100 times as wealthy as the poorest 10% of society...with all the health, social, economic and environmental consequences that flow from it. Why have the Labour Govt allowed this to happen?