Smoking is a tax
Tobacco levies give the government £14bn-a-year, and are mostly paid by the people who can least afford them.
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Economy
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Economy
The Tories are driving themselves to distraction
A commitment to the car is a commitment to economic precarity.
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A train line to nowhere
Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the northern leg of HS2 is to be cancelled combines farce with tragedy.
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The meanwhile space deception
Temporary neighbourhood gimmicks are turning your next home into a Potemkin village.
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Brexit has made the EU less liberal and open
Brussels’ embrace of protectionism is a problem for those who yearn for closer ties with Europe.
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Would public sector pay rises cause inflation?
Steve Barclay claimed higher pay for public sector workers "would not be consistent with bringing the inflation target down." He’s…
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Hands off the triple lock
The policy has reduced grim pensioner poverty – and politicians tinkering with it will not lessen inequality.
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Letter of the week: A state’s real wealth
Write to letters@newstatesman.co.uk to have your thoughts voiced in the New Statesman magazine.
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