The curious case of the missing taxpayer

摘要

EVEN AS BOTH main parties promise more spending, they insist that most voters will not pay a penny for it. Labour says those earning under £80,000 ($103,000) will see no rise in income tax, despite its promise of more than £8obn a year of extra day-to-day spending (equiv-alenttO4% of gdp). The Conservatives, who plan a more modest spending rise of £ 3bn, say they can afford to do this while reducing the number of workers who have to pay national-insurance contributions, a payroll tax. Can taxpayers really get something for nothing?