Why won't politicians be honest about tax?

Hint: the answer has a lot to do with YOU, the Great British Public.

I’m pleased to report that the election has prompted a nice little uptick in subscriber numbers and, even more gratifyingly, an increase in paid patrons. As ever, I’m very grateful to you all for your support. If you enjoy The Debatable Land please do share it with chums and on social media.

Note to paid subscribers: I haven’t forgotten about the questions you put forward in my latest Ask Me Anything post. I shall try and answer them later this week. It’s been a busy time.

You will notice that these pledges carefully avoid saying anything about how any of this might be paid for. Labour has no need to go out and win this election when the Tories are doing so much of the heavy lifting for them. Playing not to lose is rational when fancy-stat polls indicate you might secure a 150 seat majority on a bad day.

The seventh pledge, then, is a quiet one: no new taxes on ordinary voters. That allows Labour to …