A net loss
FOR a Government publicly committed to pursuing growth, Labour appears strangely addicted to Net Zero policies which may well achieve the opposite.
From whacking up the cost of a gas boiler to slapping fines on manufacturers for not selling enough electric cars, ministers seem determined to beat us into accepting their green delusions.
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Now shoppers face yet another tax on food and drink packaging.
The scheme was rightly dropped by the Tories but has been revived by Labour as part of its drive to tackle plastic waste.
Business leaders say it could cost food retailers £2billion.
Civil servants admit almost all of that will be passed on to consumers in higher prices at the tills.
Labour claims it’s part of a plan to create 21,000 new jobs in the recycling sector. We’ll see.
But imposing another unnecessary inflationary tax as the economy stalls is anti-growth and will add to voters’ current gloom.
Good government should be about making people’s lives better — not endlessly punishing them for living.
Grab tidings
AMID the last-minute rush to buy Christmas gifts on the High Street, spare a thought for the shopkeepers fighting on two fronts.
Not just to keep their businesses afloat as spending slows and National Insurance rises wipe out profits.
But also battling rampant armies of shoplifters looting stores in broad daylight.
There are now 670 shoplifting offences going unsolved every day — up 38 per cent on five years ago.
Thugs strip the shelves with impunity knowing there is every chance they will never be prosecuted. The cops have simply given up and left retailers at the mercy of organised gangs.
But whether it’s staff facing violent attacks or the deathly drugs trade it fuels, shoplifting is NOT a victimless crime. Much harsher penalties are urgently needed, along with the will of the courts to impose them.
Our shopkeepers, the backbone of Britain, have been abandoned too long.
Will no one step in to protect them?
Hard-working
IT has been a tough year for our Royal Family, to say the least.
Yet despite his ongoing treatment for cancer the King has emerged as the second-hardest working royal this year.
His Majesty is behind only Princess Anne, even though she was also forced to rest in the summer after a nasty riding accident.
Their dedication to service and duty remains truly inspirational.