A FUTURE FAIR FOR ALL

The language we use in communicating ideas is desperately important. Too often, the left resorts to mantras and platitudes instead of arguing its case in terms people can understand.

The populist way in which the Tobin tax has been re-named the Robin Hood Tax is possibly deploted by purists. But , hey. taking from the rich and giving to the poor is an idea which just might catch on.

Labour's slogan for the General Election, albeit recycled from the 2003 Party confeence, is a god one.But how can people believe it when the reality is so very different.

It is patently NOT fair that bankers still get huge bonuses espite being bailed out by us.Likewise that we are told a cuts programme is inevitable when £100billion every year is lost to the economy by tax avoidance. There IS a way forward which would help bring about a fair future , and which would involve cuts.

Cuts to massive spending on Trident, cuts on military warfare in Afghanistan, cuts to tax for the low-poaid and an increase in the number of rich people paying the tax they should be paying to redistribute the wealth.

We could also cut the profits being made by the private utilities capitalising on the recent cold weather by bringing water, gas and electricity back into public ownership.

We could cut the bureaucracy in the NHS and deliver the money to front-line services. Cut the profits made by the private pharmaeceutical industry and end the gross profiteering from PFI.

Let's also cut prescription charges and tuition fees and student loans.

Including all, or any, of the above in Labour's election manifesto would bring about a turn-around in the Party's fortunes and deliver a fourth term.

Mouthing platitudes which sound good is unlikely to do that .