The BNP would replace income tax with increased consumption taxes. (source, see Monday’s post). The BNP would bring in tariffs to protect British workers. (source, see last week’s post). The BNP would break up supermarkets (source, see yesterday’s post). The BNP would create a new bulk transport tax on the movement of food. (source: BNP manifesto 2005). The BNP would increase taxes on junk food. (source: BNP manifesto 2005)
One of the more pernicious effects of the BNP’s programme is the way the different policies interact with each other. A great example is food, where the BNP have no less than five policies that would massively increase its cost, costing the average household £2,400 a year. Not only is food a necessity, but it also takes up a far greater proportion of the weekly paycheque of the poor. Yet again, the BNP’s polices would hurt most those they claim to represent, Britain’s ordinary working families.
The 5 policies :
- Increase VAT. To pay for it’s tax cut for the rich and abolish income tax, the BNP has pledged to raise consumption taxes such as VAT. At the moment food is zero rated – let’s assume that the BNP would raise it to the current reduced rate, or 5%.
- A new tax on junk food. Showing their nanny statist side, the BNP have proposed a new tax on junk food to promote junk food. Although they don’t bother to give any specifics, the easiest way to do this would be just to impose the full 17.5% VAT on all food that the BNP deemed not good for you.
- Tariffs to protect British farmers. The BNP would try and protect British farmers, both through increased tariffs and by setting strict limits on the amount of foreign food that could come in
- Break up Britain’s supermarkets. Supermarkets have been an enormous force for lowering prices for British consumers. As we discussed yesterday, prices drop by an average of 7% every single year
- A bulk transport tax. The BNP are believers in the local food movement, and would introduce a special bulk transport tax making it difficult to transport goods long distance, ensuring shops source their food locally.
Let’s add the effects of those 5 up. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average household spends £48 a week on food at present. According to Nothing British calculations, the sum effect of these 5 BNP policies would near double that to £93, costing you an extra £2400 a year.[1]
There’s nothing wrong with local food, the organic food or farmers markets, but it should remain a choice, not an obligation. While Nick Griffin on his inflated EU salary might be able to afford an extra couple of grand a year, the working class who vote for him aren’t quite so lucky.
[1] We’ve assumed 25% of food counts as unhealthy, a 20% cost from bulk transport tax and a 40% tariff. If the BNP wants to give us their own numbers, we’d be happy to update our figures.
Tags: policy
