If you’re the tax personality of the year, as David Gauke is, the pressure’s on when you give an interview to be as lively as possible. Gauke’s interview with the House magazine today doesn’t disappoint, with the Exchequer Secretary accusing those who oppose the child benefit cuts of ‘fiscal nimbyism’. He says:
‘I think there’s a lot of people who are in favour of reducing the deficit but then when it’s something that affects them there can be a degree of fiscal nimbyism. The reality is that every section of society is having to make a contribution.
‘We can’t pretend that there can be sections of society which we can completely protect from deficit reduction.’
‘Fiscal nimbyism’ is a lovely turn of phrase, but it is undermined by the government’s continuing desire to protect one section of society: wealthy pensioners.
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