The cartoon above is the second in a series created by Steve Way exclusively for H&P. We will be publishing more of them over the coming days as part of our election coverage If posting them on social media please acknowledge Steve Way and H&P. For permission to reproduce in books or articles please contact Steve at: stevewayuk@yahoo.co.uk
Today, Wednesday 12 June, the Green Party released their 2024 General Election manifesto, pledging to “invest to mend broken Britain” via a fairer system of taxation.
Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay claimed, “There is a conspiracy of silence between the main Westminster parties at this election”, adding “Labour and the Conservatives would rather hide their plans for cuts to public services than confront the need for a fairer tax system that asks those with the broadest shoulders to pay more”.
The issue of taxation is one History & Policy has explored frequently in the past. Last year, we published a policy paper by Dr Rosa Hodgkin which suggested it might be possible to have a more mature public debate about the subject than the two major parties seem willing to instigate. The paper questioned the widespread assumption that the electorate is likely to be hostile to increasing taxation under any circumstances. Instead, it argued, parties need to be able to produce a coherent narrative as to why raising extra revenue in this way could be both fair and in the public interest.
H&P is based at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London.
We are the only project in the UK providing access to an international network of more than 500 historians with a broad range of expertise. H&P offers a range of resources for historians, policy makers and journalists.
