The EU’s tax haven agenda is a show of futile and cynical window
dressing put there to impress the gullible while doing nothing
fundamental about the problem, which is systemic. If a tax is vulnerable
to avoidance and evasion, it will be avoided and evaded. The EuroTax,
VAT, is a perfect example, with leakage rates of over 30% in some EU
member countries. It has been known for the past three centuries that
taxes on real estate ie land, cannot be avoided or evaded; land cannot
be hidden or moved to a tax haven. Those responsible for EU tax policy
have no excuse for not understanding this, since land value taxes were
widespread in Europe before World War One, the fundamental ideas having
been rediscovered in modern times by the French Physiocrats and Henry
George. The ideas of Henry George were picked up with enthusiasm in
Germany and Denmark.
The Guardian has published a couple more articles against HS2, one by specialist rail commentator Christian Wolmar, and another today by journalist Simon Jenkins. The main arguments in favour will doubtless be wheeled out by the commentators: the need for capacity and the disruption caused by upgrading existing routes. HST itself will severely disrupt services to Euston during the construction period. Capacity can be increased at a fraction of the cost by a variety of measures, provided that it is accepted that the additional traffic will run at existing speeds. It is not generally known that the Midland main line is, or was, four track all the way from London to Trent Junction, between Nottingham and Derby. This is because the additional tracks are separate, having been added for coal trains which trundled down to Brent sidings, on the edge of London, from a collection point at Toton in Nottinghamshire, where the Midland Railway build a huge marshalling yard. Beyond Derby, the main l...
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