Your tax money at work
I don’t do politics.
This is a deliberate move to prevent people from realising how ill-informed I actually am about world and state affairs.
That said, a few months ago a couple of friends of mine sent me a link to one of those e-petitions on the Internet. Although they had a slightly vested interest in the subject, as they work for Innocent Drinks, I thought it was a very good point they were making, and so I signed it.
This is what the petition said:
“At the moment, all food (including things like hotdogs and crisps) is subject to a zero rate of tax. But people who want to make a healthy choice and buy smoothies and juices get taxed 17.5% VAT. It’s a simple step, and, as more and more people get their fruit in liquid form, it could make a big difference. Our research shows that at least 500 million more portions of fruit would be consumed each year if this happened. Since we all know that eating more fruit and veg is essential to being healthier, it makes sense to help people make positive choices.”
Makes perfect sense, right? You could even swap the VAT over to the junk food if you wanted to avoid a loss in revenue. Just imagine how much a hot dog at the cinema would cost if the DID add VAT.
Finally this week the official response came out on the website. You can read the whole thing here.
“Dietary based taxes were considered by Derek Wanless in ‘Securing Good Health for the Whole Population’ -published in 2004. The report highlights a number of difficulties of principle and practice in any attempt to use the tax system to influence diet.”
It’s a bit difficult? Really? That’s the excuse you are going with? “It’s a bit harder to do than we’d like, if we’re honest”. Difficulties of principle? The principle I struggle with most of all is that good food is taxed, and the shit food is not.
“Furthermore, European VAT rules require that in most cases, the same VAT rate is applied to all competing products. This limits the extent to which any new reduced rate could be targeted on the most healthy fruit drinks.”
Fucking hellski. So, not only do you consider it ‘difficult’, but it is European basically telling you what to do anyway. And yet again with the ‘difficulty’ in targetting only the most healthy fruit drinks. Well, here’s a suggestion. Why not reduce VAT on a any drink that is made from 100% fruit or vegetables? How’s that for a clear division on what does and does not merit a VAT reduction?
It seems that if you want to use the ePetition site you have to ask for a change that is both easy for them to implement, and requires little change. Perhaps someone should start a petition for them to carry on exactly as they?
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May 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 am
These rules and regulations are such a load of sh*t!
Fight back - make your own juices and smoothies at home, simple really. Sod the supermarket, buy your fruit and veg in a market, take home and juice. Simple really and you get to try out more flavours than you can buy in a bottle. In fact they are fresher so even better for you.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
After your attack on veggies yesterday I’m surprised at you standing up for the rights of the typical Innocent Smoothie drinker (hippy bastard).
I say double the VAT at the till if all you have in your shopping trolley is vegetarian food, add a packet of bacon and it becomes all VAT free, as you’re obviously about to enjoy a tasty Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, part of a balanced healthy diet.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
I’m glad you mentioned this! I also signed that petition and was very disappointed when I read the results the other day. I’ve signed a lot of petitions on that site and have so far only been impressed by the number of different ways in which the government has responded “Sorry about that but, er, we can’t really be arsed.”
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
I’ve only ever signed one e-petition which was objecting to BT/Virgin Media using Phorm.
A read through the other petitions is always worthwhile though along with the usual horde of crazies demanding that we pull out of the EU, send the fuzzie-wuzzies home, bring back public birchings and bomb the crap out of places with strange names, there’s a few comedy classics like I want Tony Blair to stop my neighbours looking at me in a funny way or get me a council house with a view of the sea.
You do realise the reason everything is in such a mess is that all the people who know how to solve the world’s problems are too busy driving taxi’s and cutting people’s hair to get things sorted?
My son voted for the first time ever in last night’s election he was eagerly looking forward to taking part in the democratic process and casting his vote, only to discover that when we got to the polling booth all he got to do was choose between 3 non-entities.
He picked Lib Dem’s cos they’re the father of someone he knows, I forsee cynicism will soon settle in.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
It’s not all bad news though. There is no VAT on Jaffa Cakes, and they have fruit in them.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
Jaggy - There is a world of difference between being a sickly veggie and enjoying a smoothie alongside with your delicious fillet steak, like what I do…
Lucy - If I could be bothered (see response to Lin) I’d check to see if any change has resulted from ANY of those petitions.
Keef - What is ‘Phorm’?
Salvadore - Who are they kidding, we all know they’re a biscuit…
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Salvadore is correct, was a court case in the 80’s I think. Definition is that a biscuit is something that starts of hard and becomes soft (add as many fnarr’s here as you see fit) and a cake is something that starts of soft and becomes hard with time.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
The truth is its a bit difficult to pass any legislation that would favour the consumer over giant monolithic corporations like McDs or any of the other crap food producers - If you would like to get beyond livid I would suggest reading “Captive State - the corporate takeover of Britain” by George Monbiot , just to see how shafted you are being - I know Canada isnt perfect but this book influenced my decision to emigrate. To sum up some of the worst corporate nastiness, basically The Govt is held to ransom and could be sued by the corporations for bringing in any legistlation that is less than favourable for them - basically to the point of bankrupting the country. Eee it makes me blood boil thinking about it.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
As someone in perfect health who does not eat healthily I oppose this idea.
In other news a certain young lady was up in York over the weekend and mentioned your name, she said you need a full body wax. Though she did not say whether she had seen said hair in person or not.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
You’ve never heard of Phorm ? You surprise me Angry
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/29/phorm_roundup/
The above link will explain better than any wittering by me
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Keef - The second sentence of today’s post was not included for humour purposes.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I suppose it depends how healthy they really are:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/20/ccinnocent20.xml
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Petitions are for those misguided individuals who think the politicians actually give a rats arse about what the public want. The only thing they understand is money and/or blackmail. Cunts.
May 4th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
You got it right. Anything made from 100% fruit gets zero rated. Easy.
Why do we bother to vote? Why do we have 640 expensive MPs when 70% or more of our laws are from the bloody EC in Brussels? The bastards in Nu Lab will not listen anyway.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Politics are stupid. The political monkeys are stupid.
PROJECT UPDATE
May 6th, 2008 at 3:02 am
I totally agree.