Liberty Alone

Ming says he’s about opportunity, he despairs about the lack of opportunity. That’s quite right, that is what I’m concerned with, I see too much damage caused by the lack of opportunity and the perceived lack of opportunity.

Why then does he try to whip up envy and class divide by claiming the rich are doing ‘too well’?

You cannot do too well. We should not chastise for doing well, we should look at why others don’t get to do well.

This poverty of opportunity is the real poverty. The way to make it better is not to remove opportunity from those who have it, or penalise them for that. The solution is to expand the opportunities to all. The manipulations of this Labour government have descreased opportunity. Social mobility is lower than it was under Thatcher, the privileged are getting ever more entrenched in their privilege. More redistribution and meddling does not work. Opportunity not income matters.

Education is key, he acknowledges that, but what are we going to do about that? Keep the status quo with a few twiddles at the edges. Why not look at ways to introduce competition into the education system. The private sector is far superior to the majority of the state sector. Its not more money that does that but the fact that schools have to compete for pupils, they have to offer the best they can.

Taxation is another issue. We all pay too much tax, but the poor pay far too much. Lets give them an incentive to work and create their own opportunity. Lets make it more worthwhile to work than to be on benefits. Lower taxation is the key. Lower taxation as you earn more income as well, not just when you’re very poor.

The opportunity to buy housing is rightly highlighted as another problem. What are we doing? Nothing. We’re still calling for an abandonment of property taxes and taxing income even more. What a disincentive to work harder and push up house prices even more.

So lets look at how we can increase opportunity for all, but especially the poorest, those who lack opportunity and the drive to better themselves. Simplify regulations to let people start small businesses.

We need radical liberal policies to combat this, not more of the status quo. Not more socialist or social democratic policies. Free people up, don’t constrain them.

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