Budget Damage To Retail Trade And Consumers

EDM number 627 in 1990-91, proposed by Audrey Wise on 20/03/1991.

That this House recognises the poll tax panic now gripping the Government but notes that had it heeded the sensible advice of the Opposition and the protests of the population it would not have gone ahead with the poll tax in the first place; further notes that in its attempt to mitigate the effects of its own folly and unfairness it is increasing value added-tax to 17 1/2 per cent., despite this being a regressive tax which takes a higher proportion of income from people on average and low incomes than from the rich; protests that the major effect of this will be to deepen the recession in the retail trades, thus causing even more job losses; and condemns the Government for once again failing to understand the meaning of fair taxation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 44 MPs.