Political Currency EMQs Easter special: Does anyone want to pay more taxes?
7 snips
Apr 17, 2025 In this Easter special, two prominent figures discuss the rare phenomenon of wanting to pay more taxes. They ponder what might happen if a Prime Minister loses their seat and examine historical cases of political leadership. Topics also include the potential scrapping of tax-free lump sums for pensions and the idea of mandatory business contributions to local economies. The conversation humorously critiques political budgeting while exploring the complexities of devolving power to cities and regional governments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Future of Tax-Free Pension Lump Sum
- Future governments might remove the tax-free lump sum from pensions, but it's unlikely due to its importance to retirees.
- Major pension reform or taxing higher rate taxpayers differently could enable such a change.
Devolution for City Growth
- Devolution should give UK city mayors more power over skills, transport, and planning to boost economic growth.
- Abolishing individual local authorities in metro areas would be too disruptive compared to strengthening combined authorities and mayoral powers.
Man Who Wants To Pay More Taxes
- Barry, a charitable sector leader, wishes to voluntarily pay more taxes to support public services beyond charity donations.
- George Osborne revealed you can overpay the Treasury as a gift and sometimes get a personal thank you letter from the Chancellor.
