The 50p tax bombshell is not only a reversion to the worst politics of envy – a form of politics one hoped, naively as it turned out, had been consigned to the dustbin of history. It is also the worst manifestation yet of a very modern aspect of Brownite Labour.
As I wrote in the Sunday Telegraph at the weekend, Damian McBride’s vile emails sent from a Government address and the heavyhanded arrest of Damian Green both reflect a dangerous belief that the public interest and party political interest are identical, co-terminous.
Last night, Labour insiders made little attempt to pretend that the logic behind the 50p tax was fiscal: they know full well that it will raise next to nothing. But they welcome it with glee as a cunning plan to unsettle the Tories and throw a big red spanner in the Cameroon works.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in