By: Spearkite

Spearkite
Tue, 30 Sep 2025 02:59:34 +0000

Democracy is basically a beauty contest, and ‘beauty’ in this context looks like low taxes and high quality public services. If you can add in a dash of government largesse, then that beauty becomes positively ravishing. Governments have been elected on the basis of the promises they make, and a promise to be realistic about the nation’s finances doesn’t win any beauty contests.

I don’t wish to make excuses for the present government, which does seem to be breathtakingly illiterate when it comes to economics, but if we want a government which will make the hard choices we need to demonstrate a willingness to vote for it. I don’t see that happening any time soon: even Reform UK, which could step up to the plate at some point, are making promises on taxation and spending that look unrealistic.

We will have to get used to higher levels of personal taxation and greatly reduced public services if we are serious about eliminating the ongoing deficit (and making some inroads into the accumulated debt). That’s not a very palatable prescription, and I can’t see it being a vote winner. So, instead of voting our way out of decline I think we are destined to be forced by circumstances into the steps that need to be taken.