UK: Not now Darling, if you think Brown nosed aside
Despite moving his office (but not his home) from 11 Downing Street to Number 10 (Chancellor to Prime Minister) Gordon Brown remains in overall charge of the economy, making him effectively the UK's first president. His influence in Treasury is leading to ever higher taxes - and even the poor don't escape.
A Commons Treasury Committee - made up of members of all parties - has said that Gordon Brown's plans for the economy, which have largely hidebound his successor's options.
One of Brown's last acts was to remove the 10p income tax band for low income families. Although Brown announced it in the 2007 budget, it came into force on 6th April this year.
Brown applied a socialist agenda at one end of the scale but to make some concessions to the new Labour supporters in the middle income bracket.
Brown reduced the main rate of income tax by 2% - but for the poor who don't earn enough to reach that rate, the effect has been an increase of 8%. Brown argues that this is countered by new tax credits, following his conviction that it is better for the state to take money off people and then give it back under discretionary payments which can be changed at the whim of ministers.
The Committee says that all those over the age of 65 - who already suffer far greater tax burdens than under any previous government. Also, those families who earn less than GBP18,500 each year and who are not entitled to tax credits could pay more than GBP250 in additional taxes.
It's not the only problem that Brown's legacy is causing: a recent announcement has caused ructions for those British citizens who are non-resident. He has announced a change in the way that the number of days in the UK is counted for tax purposes. He intends to include the day of arrival and departure. The industry that will most immediately be affected by this is the motor racing industry.
Many of those working in international motor racing travel for much of the year, from mechanics to drivers. They spend less than the current calculation of the year in the UK. As most F1 teams, for example, run their teams and test in the UK, this means that drivers who live abroad and fly into the UK for two or three days' testing will now have a significant increase in the number of days that count. And that means that teams and drivers' costs will increase dramatically and the number of UK test days - and therefore the support industry has less need to be in the UK.
Ten years ago, the Rolling Stones cancelled their UK tour dates because new taxes and the tax regime changes introduced by the then newly installed Labour government - under Brown as Chancellor - would have resulted in the whole European tour making a loss. But that didn't stop Brown's reforms and just a couple of weeks ago yet more changes resulted in a major sports tour cancellation citing that a high tax bill would result.
During the past ten years, the tax and duty regime has both increased the overall burden of tax and, incredibly for a Labour government, had a disturbing regressive effect. Essentials such as car tax, fuel duty and other taxes have a disproportionate effect on the poor - and those, in addition to tobacco and alcohol duties, have been regular targets for Brown.
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