Thursday, January 28, 2010

Thought of the day

In Davos another day, and in a meeting of media leaders with David Cameron, I asked him a specific question: would you say now that the conservative party will not increase taxes if they win the next general election? His long answer boils down to a clear: No. This means that on a salary of 100,000 pounds a year I’ll pay the top rate of 50% and additional 30,000 pound a year to maintain my status as non-domiciled. In other words, my tax will be 80%, which is exactly the top rate minus the old benefits under Labour when I first came to reside in London in the late seventies. At least, Michael Foot then looked like a mad professor. British politicians today don’t have that look to justify the crazy tax.

Thought of the day

I am in Davos. South African leaders are here promoting their country and the Olympics. Good luck. Not only they dropped racism and apartheid, but they passed them on Israel, the new “old” South Africa.