Thursday 1 October 2015

Money Talks

Karl Marx put forward the notion that large corporations would grow so rich that they would not only dominate capitalist society economically but also dominate the political system and therefore satisfying their own interests to the detriment of everyone else. How far off was he?

The government said in December it was considering a new levy in tobacco manufacturers and importers to raise funds to increase NHS Staffing, cut smoking rates, improve productivity and reduce pressure on the National Health Service.
In Treasury documents released today, of the 58 organisations it consulted, 40 backed the proposals including the Royal College of Physicians, Public Heath England, Cancer Research UK, doctors, cancer charities and the Government’s public health experts.
Against the idea was 12 organisations, eight of them tobacco firms or tobacco lobby groups.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, sided with the 12 and rejected his own plan, stating that it would undermine the 'recovery of the UK corporate sector' and the levy 'would simply be passed onto smokers'.
Tax revenue from tobacco in 2012/13 amounted to £12.3 billion for the UK Governments coffers which obviously troubled the Governments mind more than increasing more NHS staff or reducing pressure on the NHS.
Seems Karl was spot on yet again, the people with the money get their way, funny that.

2 comments:

Liber - Latin for "The Free One" said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Falling on a bruise said...

I fear the UK Government, its awful.