This budget fails to live up to Andy Burnham’s grand rhetoric

Caitlin Boswell of Tax Justice UK and others on what Aditya Chakrabortty described as a ‘Martin Lewis budget’

Aditya Chakrabortty was spot-on in his analysis of John Healey’s budget (Burnham promised big change – where was it? Instead we got the Martin Lewis budget, 28 October). It was a drop in the ocean of what is needed to bring about the scale of change this country needs and, importantly, was promised by Andy Burnham.

As the affordability crisis rages on, people may feel some relief at the small cost of living measures announced for households and businesses. But when we’ve been told we’ll get a wholesale reset and an end to neoliberalism, 4p off the price of gherkins and a temporary tiny bank tax isn’t going to cut it.

So, what’s the solution? The government must fairly tax the vast fortunes of the richest people and corporations, left mostly untouched. Recouping the massive wealth and profits siphoned off to shady tax havens each year, equalising how the tax system treats income from wealth and work, and building HMRC’s capacity to properly measure and collect tax from the very richest would raise tens of billions to help pay for targeted, meaningful cost of living support and Burnham’s ambitious plans to fix the housing crisis, fund social care and devolve power and wealth to every region.

Reforming capital gains tax – a proposal supported by members of his own party – would make things fairer and raise around £19.7bn a year, enough to build 90,000 new council homes (the number needed each year to end the housing crisis) and train 128,000 new NHS nurses.

This government cannot survive much longer on vibes alone, and Labour is already on its last chance. Burnham must use his 10-year plan and spending review to lay out a proper roadmap to genuinely improve lives and transform the country, otherwise he risks being remembered for gherkins, which isn’t much better than Liz Truss’s lettuce. Caitlin Boswell Deputy director, external affairs, Tax Justice UK

Aditya Chakrabortty is right to say that Andy Burnham’s grand rhetoric and romantic notions need to be translated into a bold programme of change. Unless this government tackles income and wealth inequality seriously, people’s anger will unceremoniously sweep it from office at the next election. Hugh Firth Newcastle upon Tyne

Living in a rented band B property, my “breathing space” was short-lived on budget day. The £100 energy payment announced by the chancellor will be entirely swallowed up by Northern Energy’s own announcement via email at 5pm the same day: “a temporary fuel surcharge of £17 per delivery will be applied to LPG deliveries as from your next delivery”.

Although this is “temporary”, customers are warned that the need to cover the elevated fuel costs is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. I had six deliveries of LPG last year – do the maths. Juliet Lunn Cockermouth, Cumbria

Once again, tax thresholds are frozen. What a missed opportunity. It would have been so easy to raise the threshold in line with the state pension, and keep them aligned. This simple mechanism would ensure that those with no other income pay no tax, and keep a little more money in the pockets of working people and others on very low incomes. Maybe next year? Jack Kenward South Molton, North Devon

Although abolishing the standing charge is something I agree with, presumably one of the groups that will benefit are second (and third) home owners. This includes approximately 177 MPs, Airbnb properties and holiday lets. John Victor Davies Hastings, East Sussex

I know that things are tight, but could the government not have funded a red box with “CR III” painted on it rather than the “ER II” sported by Mr Healey? Robert Bowden Bristol