Finland has been voted the world’s happiest country by its citizens for the fourth successive year. Even though it’s bloomin’ cold and dark for a good part of the year, Fin’s feel financially and physically secure, healthy, looked after and governed by uncorrupt MPs. We’re 32nd and both the Land of the Free and Germany are outside the top 20. In fact, those living in Moldova, Kosovo and El Salvador feel happier than we Brits. You’d assume that in Finland and the other consistently-happy Scandewegian countries, they pay more tax. OK, the booze is more expensive to theoretically stop them drinking too much in those long winter months. But income tax in Finland is between 17 and 23.5%, with 0.5% for medical care and 7% for pensions – employers pay 20%. Sounds reasonable to me; although I’m not keen on saunas, which it’s thought are a big contributor to Finnish well-being. And the language is as challenging as the climate, but, I guess, you can’t have everything and a little onnellisuus counts for a lot, I’d say.
“Rachel Reeves may be forced to raise taxes”
Why did she/they (in the old sense) think that tinkering around with IHT and CGT would be enough to sort out the NHS; and the potholes; and…and the list goes on. My guess is that they asked the Treasury for a list of anything not involving income tax that they could get away with lightly, although they should already have learned from the winter fuel stuff that all publicity is not good publicity.