Is Higher Tax the only answer? Polly Toynbee, reporter for The Guardian newspaper, believes that higher
tax in Great Britain is the only answer to the financial difficulties the country encounters.
Emphasis is placed on the role that local
governments play in providing services and deciding the amount of money that is put into each of the country’s statutory services. She confirms that local governments provide excellent services to the British public, but have to make too little money go too far.
Polly Toynbee quotes, “The chancellor giveth and the chancellor taketh away, very like God.”
This is showing that the
Government and the chancellor have a very important role to play and responsible for the outcome of the country.
She emphasises the difficulty the government has in equally distributing the money.
Statutory services, such as schools and hospitals, received an increase in the funding they receive, whereas local council services such as social services have had a cut in the amount of financial help they receive. This cut in financial assistance has resulted in steep cuts and closures around the country. The governments’ Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) does allocate money to social services but underestimates the total cost of running these services.
Care for children and all around care for the elderly are rising matters on the governments’ agenda. The number of children being put into care is rising steeply and the government has demanded that the standards of care must be improved. Social services, however, are finding it difficult to raise standards, as the government provided no extra financial assistance and the cost of keeping children in care has risen.
Nursing home fees have risen by 17% and the fees are now ¢100 more expensive per week than the government grants allow for.
So, to conclude, Polly Toynbee looks to where the underlying problem lies and who is to blame.
Head of government is laying the blame on local councils for managing their money badly. However, the government faces a difficult decision. It seems the only answer is to raise the taxes across the country again, but will the government dare to address the British public?