With each passing day, it seems increasingly clear that Labour did not fully think through the implications of its tax-raiding Budget.
The Government might genuinely have believed that hiking employers’ National Insurance contributions would hammer only big businesses.
But we already know that this is jeopardising the existence of some charities, care homes and hospices.
Incredibly, it gets worse. We now learn the cash grab will particularly hurt organisations which provide vital support for victims of rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse.
These charities – which include Victim Support – face an extra annual tax bill totalling many millions of pounds.
In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, the chief executives warn that as a result they may have no option but to lay off staff, close waiting lists and cut essential services.
This would put some of society’s most vulnerable women in greater danger of being attacked or even killed by aggressive men.
That grim consequence alone should have given the Prime Minister pause for thought before making the charities liable for more tax. What makes it all the more perplexing is that it undermines his own pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that charity Victim Support may have no option but to lay off staff, close waiting lists and cut essential services due to tax increases
The Government might genuinely have believed that hiking employers’ National Insurance contributions would hammer only big businesses (Stock Image)
It is hard to believe the Government intended to do anything so unpopular and with such potentially serious consequences.
So if Sir Keir’s promise is anything more than election-stump rhetoric, he should exempt the organisations that provide a lifeline to abused women.
A big year for Kemi
To describe 2024 as a catastrophically bad year for the Tories would be something of an understatement.
The party suffered a historic election defeat after voters grew fed up of its dysfunction and failure to deliver change.
The coming year, then, is an important one for new leader Kemi Badenoch. Even so, she is right to reject being rushed into announcing a raft of fresh policies.
There are more than four years before the next election. She must focus on regaining the public’s trust, developing an agenda for governing based on true Tory principles, thinking deeply about the reform required of Britain’s crumbling public sector and making the party electable.
The coming year is an important one for new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoc
In its first five months in power, Labour has shown itself to be hapless, venal, mendacious and profoundly unpopular.
Mrs Badenoch undoubtedly has the talent to exploit this and turn Tory fortunes around. However, expecting her to transform the party in the six weeks she’s been in post is simply not reasonable.
Who will heal NHS?
Christmas might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most hectic for the NHS.
From seasonal illnesses and slips on icy pavements to alcohol-related injuries, the festive period puts it under huge strain.
While the health service faces acute problems, a damning poll has revealed the public is rapidly losing faith in it. Astonishingly, only one in four people believe they could see a GP or get an ambulance in an emergency over Christmas. With record sums being poured into the NHS, including an extra £22billion in the Budget, tackling these problems should be a priority.
If Labour is to do anything worthwhile during its time in government, reforming the NHS so it offers patients the care they deserve should be near the top of the list.
