Birth and taxes
The birth rate in the UK is in serious decline and is now at its lowest level in 2 decades, at just over 600,000 pa it is down from a peak of 730,00 in 2012.
It is no coincidence that this news comes at the same time that the Brexit flag waver The Daily Telegraph is now advising everyone under 50 to leave the country, because the long term consequences are dire.
The young already face soaring rents, student debts, huge house prices, lousy pension schemes and stagnant pay. Now the ageing population which will need higher and higher taxes to support it is going to have even fewer young workers to pay those taxes.
The answers are either; higher and higher tax levels on the young but with cuts to the benefits they will eventually get, or a huge drive to increase the birth rate, or much higher immigration.
This government which claims it cannot even afford child benefit for every child does not seem likely to be the one that will provide much cheaper child care, more maternity and paternity leave and even tax breaks for larger families; as happens in say France.
This is also the government so desperate to pander to its racist gammon supporters that it will treat asylum seekers like dirt and tries desperately to limit immigration by all means within its power. Ignoring the fact that it is damaging the economy in the process.
So ever higher taxes for the young it is; oh and cuts to their benefits.
Already the right wing campaigners are pushing the agenda that the state pension (about the worst in Europe) is “too expensive” and that horrific baby murders are yet another reason for abandoning the NHS. That is on top of fighting tooth and nail to stop the greening of the economy, abolish inheritance tax and pretty much every other tax as well.
Cakeism is colliding with reality and the young will pay the price.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media