Government materials updated this autumn promote taxation to children as young as eight in schools. Start them young…
HMRC has a collection of material for teachers to dish out in schools, divided by age groups. The materials were launched in 2022 and have been updated this year. Children from the ages of 8 and 13, as part of the Junior Tax Facts course, watch classroom videos promoting false myths about taxation:
One video:
“You can think of tax as one shared bank account that everyone in the country pays into. The government is then in charge of looking after this bank account and sharing all the money to help everyone in the country. This money is also used to pay for the things that your town or city needs. When you’re older and you get a job, or maybe even start your own business, the taxes you’ll pay will all be added into this shared bank account.
Now, maybe you’re thinking it’s not fair that people have to pay tax. But think about all the things that would disappear if we didn’t have the money from taxes. Your school and your teachers, hospitals and ambulances, doctors and nurses, libraries, and museums would all be gone. There would be no one to collect our rubbish or keep our streets clean, and no police officers or firefighters to keep us safe.”
Now you can see how important taxes are, and how they pay for the important things in our lives. Even things we don’t think about. The tax we collect is there to keep our country safe, to provide essential services for your local community, and to make life better for you and your family.”
Another egregious video script:
“Can you imagine life a long time ago, in the age of woolly mammoths, sabre-tooth tigers and cavemen? You and your family would have found it very difficult back then, with no teachers to teach you, no doctors to care for you, and no police officers to protect you from ravenous beasts. It’s a good job things have changed!”
One activity tells teachers to “write this question on the board for this age group: Do you think life was harder for people before tax? Give your reasons.” Guido can confirm there is no mention of the Laffer Curve or any acknowledgement that taxes can negatively impact behaviour for any age range…
Secondary school children from age 14-17 are given the opportunity to invent a new tax in one classroom activity: “Students create a new 10% tax on an item or service. Students will then present to the other groups, justifying their reasons, and the class will vote either for or against each proposal.” The pupils are told to work in pairs, and in the same activity they are taught to fear tax cuts:
“Option B: In pairs, you are tasked with putting a new 10% tax on an item or service. You will need to work together to come up with a name for this new tax and explain why you think it is a good idea and why it will benefit society. Be prepared to present to other groups, justifying your reasons, and the rest of the class will vote either for or against your proposal.”
Option C: It’s your turn to decide where the money collected from taxes is spent! … Stretch: What public services would you be prepared to give up if you could pay less tax and what might be the impact?”
Children from 8-13, told to allocate tax revenue, are not able to suggest that less should be spent on the welfare state or debt interest, instead being presented with an anodyne chunk of the UK spending packet:
“Tax priorities. Who gets the money? Give each area a number from 1 to 6. There are no wrong answers. You decide in your groups. Give reasons for your chosen order! Health. Protecting the environment. Museums. Armed forces. Education. Police. 1 = should get the most money. 6 = should get the least money. Stretch question: You may have found this activity hard. Can you think of some reasons why it was tricky to decide who should get the money?”
The documents were refreshed in October, including updating HMRC’s total tax haul from £600 billion in 2022 to £850 billion this year. Funnily enough that figure is already out of date as the taxman has now brought in £966.4 billion in one year…
Another new module, promoting tax facts to 16+ pupils, has also been launched. Full team ahead on tax propaganda…
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.”