Society v. the state
Fraser Nelson 12:23pmIt’s always a pleasure to hear Will Hutton on the radio, the perfect antidote to the idea that the battle in politics is over. He justified inheritance tax on the basis that “society” deserves a slice of other people’s savings: of course, he meant the government. To me, the dividing line is between society and the government. On the one hand, communities – people doing the best for their families and neighbours: on the other, the looters – mistrustful of the public and hungry for the fruits of their labour.
David Cameron stood up for society last week and it shook Labour to the core. As he says, there is such a thing as society – it’s just not the same thing as the state. The public is well up for this debate. And as we all know by now, Gordon Brown isn’t.
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Michael St George
October 8th, 2007 12:57pm Report this commentIf DC has the acumen to pick this argument up and run with it effectively, he is potentially on to a winner. All elections in which the incumbent government is booted out need one easily articulated big idea: the "society vs. the state" label could, if handled correctly, become a powerful shorthand to encapsulate all those arguments why McBroon's philosophy, that only the confiscatory, prescriptive, forcibly redistributive state can guarantee so-called fairness, can be demolished. Socialism, however centrist, has no case and no alternative option once that idea takes sufficient root.
Oscar Miller
October 8th, 2007 1:01pm Report this commentI had a rather different reaction to Will Hutton's interview. Sounded to me that he was just clearing the ideological path for Labour to steal the Conservative's IHT policy (with a little tweaking of course). And he contradicted himself - first saying the principle of paying tax on property passed through the generations was right - then saying the threshold should be raised to £500-750,000. It didn't really make sense (except as a stealthy smash and grab on tory policy).
Mike Bennett
October 8th, 2007 1:48pm Report this commenta new collection of essays from leading local government Conservatives addresses the issue of government and society. it can be accessed here: http://www.sfi.uk.com/publications.htm Eric Pickles called it "an important document ….it marks the start of the process of stating the arguments for the central right in local government”
Tim Worstall
October 8th, 2007 2:02pm Report this commentIn Hutton's Observer column he equated inheritance tax to seignorage: where the incoming landholder pays the King after the death of the previous one. Err, except that such feudal payments were acknowledgements that the land belonged to hte King and were let out on lifetime leases, for which a payment was made. So the equation that Hutton is making is that everything blongs to the State and we only get to have it for our lifetimes.
Kate
October 8th, 2007 4:01pm Report this commentHutton sounded really weak on the radio this morning - contradicting himself, rambling, not really seeming sure what the issue was. A dreadful performance I thought.
Oscar Miller
October 8th, 2007 4:18pm Report this commentAnd it now looks (as CH has just posted) that Darling will be parading Labour's ill gotten policy gains on IHT as early as tomorrow. Hutton was clearly a stooge - trying to prepare the ground for this theft. It will of course backfire if he does try it.
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