Taxes supporting our children? Bah! Humbug!

I GOT talking to a chap the other day, a literary acquaintance, you might say.

- Alan Payling

I normally only see him about once a year, round about this time. When we bumped into each other, he very quickly launched into a rant about the recent Budget. It made a change from immigration, I suppose.The main target of his ire was Rachel Reeves ending the two-child cap on Universal Credit payments.

While he was venting forth, I thought for a moment he was auditioning for the part of Bumble the Beadle in Oliver. You know the sort; let the children starve, keep them in rags, reopen the workhouse, send them up chimneys, spare the rod, spoil the child, that sort of heartless bile.

Anyway, he was quite strident in saying he felt it should not be him who had to pay more tax to look after someone else’s children.

“I don’t expect anyone to pay for my two kids, why should I pay for anyone else’s?”