Confected outrage doesn’t change the facts about the family
by Miriam Cates, Artillery Row:
On Thursday I was interviewed by Times Radio to discuss what policies I would like to see in next year’s Conservative manifesto. Pretty standard for a political interview one might think, but not, as it happens, on Twitter (X), where so far the clip has been viewed nearly one million times and hundreds of users have accused me variously of “blaming parents for dying”, being “vile”, “evil”, “thick”, “homophobic”, “disgusting”, a “white power barbie” and wanting women to stay in abusive relationships. It turns out that not all publicity is good publicity.
You may be wondering what on earth I said to have evoked such an extreme response. Did I demand that the next manifesto include a promise to drown kittens and privatise the NHS? No, my policy “ask” was far more anodyne; I merely suggested we should adjust our taxation system to end the “family penalty” that sees British families paying significantly more tax than in most comparable countries.
Having children and bringing them up well is surely one of the best things anyone can do to serve society. We should therefore not only celebrate those who are raising the future generation but also use the tax and benefits system to support their endeavours. Currently, the failure of the British tax system to recognise households (HMRC treats all earners as disconnected individuals) piles financial pressure on families, making it harder to make ends meet even when parents work long hours.
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