Helen Salisbury: By their budgets shall you know them

“Show me your budget, and then I’ll know what you care about.”1 This quote is from Duncan Selbie, erstwhile head of Public Health England, when addressing the covid inquiry. It also applies more widely, and I was reminded of it this week as I read about the government’s plan to scrap inheritance tax.2 This proposal would benefit a small minority, as the tax is levied after only 3.76% of deaths in the UK, although many more people wrongly believe that they’ll be affected. Ending this tax would mean a £7bn reduction in government revenue.If our economy has this amount of money to spare, there are surely other priorities that should be considered. The cost of meeting the demand for full pay restoration for doctors in training has been estimated at £1bn.3 While industrial action continues, with only urgent and emergency work happening on strike days, waiting lists for NHS treatment…
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