‘Independent expert’ and tax lawyer Dan Neidle is raising the alarm over Gordon Brown’s call for a slew of gambling tax hikes. Neidle published a blog this morning in which he warned that whacking enormous taxes on the industry inevitably hits the gambler, not the gambling companies, and that the Institute for Public Policy Research’s (IPPR) proposal is flawed. If even Neidle is saying it…
“We need to be careful about trying to raise additional revenue from “sin” taxes. The revenue may be less than we expect, and what revenue we do receive may (in economic terms) come from customers rather than the businesses making the sale.
Personally I see compelling arguments for reducing the harms caused by gambling; but I’m unconvinced tax is a good tool for doing that. Regulation may be a better approach.
A tax increase may still be worth doing as a revenue-raiser. But any argument for an increase needs a more robust revenue estimate than the IPPR’s use of a static calculation and illustrative tables. And it needs to acknowledge who is actually paying the price.”
Rachel Reeves is nonetheless laying the groundwork to introduce such a sin tax at the budget anyway. Maybe Dan will be putting in a few calls to dissuade her…
Gordon Brown’s call for a raft of gambling tax hikes today is a rerun of his long-running attempt to kill the industry. This latest wheeze from the ex-PM is no different…
The tax hike calls come this time from Labour’s house think tank the IPPR which proposes hiking duties:
- On online casinos from 21% to 50%.
- On slots and gaming machines from 20% to 50%.
- Hiking general betting duty on non-racing bets from 15% to 25%.
The proposals strangely enough echo those proposed by Brown and his wonks at the Social Market Foundation. Its head ex-Brown spinner Theo Bertram is running defence of the IPPR report on X today…
There is no groundswell of support for gambling taxation – it is a co-ordinated campaign from Brown and his cronies. Aveek Bhattachayra, formerly the SMF’s economist, transferred to the Treasury in March this year as Head of Excise. Coincidentally the Treasury has now run and finished a “consultation” on remote gambling which signals the government’s aims to raise a raft of gambling duties. Goodbye racing and online bingo…
Multimillionaire Derek Webb has given Labour £1.3 million since the start of 2023 and he’s given £160,000 to the Social Market Foundation (SMF) – which describes itself as “independent”. Theo Bertram, an ex-spinner SpAd for Gordon Brown, now heads the SMF and advocates excise duty on gambling be doubled to 42%. Gordon Brown – yes, Gordon’s alive – wants to establish a new “poverty fund”. Which he hopes will take in another £9 billion from taxing us, banks, and gamblers even more…
Gordon’s policy paper was unsurprisingly backed enthusiastically by the Social Market Foundation. Do not be deceived into thinking that there is a genuine groundswell of approval for taxing punters, this is an anti-gambling campaign…
The SMF are leading the charge on taxing gambling, in fact they embrace nanny statism openly, advocating for taxes on any small joy which they see as a vice. Unfortunately as Rachel Reeves starts to run out of other people’s money to spend, she will be eagerly looking for new taxes…
Aveek Bhattachayra, formerly the SMF’s economist, transferred to the Treasury in March as Head of Excise. Coincidentally the Treasury has now begun a “consultation” on remote gambling. Labour is coming for your racing and online bingo…
The billions lost by Gordon Brown’s decision to sell Britain’s gold reserves are mounting as gold prices have increased tenfold since that debacle. Gold touched $3,000 for the first time ever on Friday and has sat at around the same level since, peaking at $3,004.86 on Friday and $3,001.63 today. Would be nice to have some in reserve…
Guido got out his fag packet to do some maths. Gordon Brown sold 12,712,000 ounces of gold for revenue of $3,500,588,920. That would today be worth $38,197,780,320. That’s a difference of $34,697,191,400. Exchanged to pounds that’s lost revenue potential of £27,168,547,397. Could fill a black hole or two…
Guido has long highlighted Brown’s stupidity in selling off the Bank of England’s gold reserves at their then level (Brown’s bottom) – the former Chancellor’s reverse Midas touch in action. FT economist and Guido’s old sparring partner on the Brown sell-off Alan Beattie has kept mysteriously quiet…
In the last few hours Elon has turned the spotlight on former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s record in office on the rape gangs scandal. In a salvo of tweets the X owner has let rip:
Gordon Brown sold those little girls for votes https://t.co/PNfoaNnCrP
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025
What!!?? Explain yourself, Gordon Brown. https://t.co/zeBkYFKWlQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025
Gordon Brown sold those little girls for votes https://t.co/PNfoaNnCrP
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025
This could go further…
Gordon Brown speaking to Sky News on whether he will do a Cameron-style comeback:
“I’m too old to be a British politician and too young to be an American politician.”
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”
