Labour and immigration

Another perceptive article from Peter Wilby. (How Labour can stop itself worrying about immigration, 28/12/13) He is absolutely right to say that Labour`s best bets are to "stay silent" on the issue of immigration,  to repair the "historic bargain" with its "natural supporters", and to show that they are not "on the side of City financiers and international plutocrats".What Wilby doesn`t mention is not only  the urgency of the situation, as those voters need to be convinced before Ukip can spread further its evil propaganda in the build-up to the Euro elections, but the feebleness of Labour`s attempts so far. General statements about childcare and bonus taxes are insufficient, when a list of around six specific policy statements is needed to show clearly the difference between them and the other parties which are clearly in thrall to the City.

  Instead of having a tax system like the present one,which leads to wealth being hoarded, often squirrelled away in tax havens, a progressive tax structure, coupled with stringent laws banning tax evasion, would see the re-appearance of this money, its return to the Treasury, and its expenditure on the people and services which need it the most; if it also means that income tax rates have to rise to 70% or 80% for the richest, or taxes on bonuses to 90% or more, so be it. How many voters really think those earning over £200,000 a year are paying their fair share? Minimum wage mut be raised to at least the living wage, and then index-linked. If Labour politicians became MPs so that they could continue needless Tory policies of enforcing poverty, they need to join up with the Lib Dems, who certainly found doing it easy enough!