An unfair tax on a 93-year-old blind woman
I feel slightly uneasy about bringing a much-loved ageing family member into a politically motivated post but her situation sums up why Labour's landline tax is absurd and unfair.
My grandmother is 94 in May, and she's registered as completely blind. She's never accessed the internet and I can't imagine a scenario whereby she ever will.
One of the few bits of technology she uses is her telephone. In fact I'd say being housebound through blindness and rheumatoid arthritis she's utterly dependent on her landline.
Yet under Labour's plans she's about to pay £6 per year in additional tax for this essential technology. And the absurd part of this injustice is that the tax will fund investment that she'll never gain benefit from.
It is absolutely right that Britain takes immediate steps to both improve broadband coverage and increase broadband speeds. During a recent trip to Thailand I read with interest plans to roll out fibre-optic broadband there. Such moves by recently industrialised countries will boost their economic prospects and bring stiff competition to the UK technology sector. We need to act now or face being left behind.
But why should those who will never see the benefit pay for improved infrastructure? Surely it would be much fairer to share the tax burden of future infrastructure between those who are enjoying the benefits today.
With the convergence of voice and data services on mobile networks the tax would have been marginally fairer if applied to mobile phones instead of landlines.
But a much fairer solution would be to tax those reaping the benefits today: those with ADSL2+ (8Mbps or faster connections) and larger online businesses.
It's glaringly obvious that online shops and services will benefit directly from wider broadband coverage and faster broadband. Companies profiting today providing home entertainment, gambling and gaming services, home shopping etc should foot the bill for investment in future broadband services. Not a 93-year-old blind woman reliant on her one link to the outside world.