The manoeuvring has not just begun, but is in full swing. Opening salvos by Boris Johnson and a few others on the nutty fringe of the Tory party, having been followed up by some kite flying of George Osborne that the 50p top rate of tax for the highest earners may soon be lowered (even though it is popular among the electorate and is not guaranteed to raise revenue given that many of the biggest economies are flat-lining – just look at the USA with the lowest tax burden on its highest earners for fifty years).
The Liberal Democrats, particularly the influential voice of Danny Alexander as Chief Secretary to the Treasury – essentially Minister for Cuts – have swung behind their original proposal of a mansion tax, to try and head the Tories off at the pass. Hitting all those whose homes are worth over two million pounds doesn’t seem particularly controversial, given that the average price of a home in the UK is around the £150,000 mark.
Yet back comes Eric Pickles, Communities Secretary, portrayed as monstrous on previous occasions by Steve Bell, insisting that there will be no mansion tax. Maybe he’s still smarting from a vigorous attempt by the Lib Dems to unseat him in 2005 and wanted to spike their guns. But his claim won’t go down well with middle Britain. “These people put a lot in and don’t take a lot out.” Hmm, would these be the bankers who started this current economic malaise, politicians who asked for their moats to be cleaned on the expenses system or spoilt footballers. All very deserving claims to be clobbered.