Peter Hirst calls for fair taxes to help struggling families

7.46.51pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Apr 2009

"Despite the G20 summit committing to lend vast more sums of money to help restart the world economy, it is not clear how this will help British people." writes Dr Peter Hirst.

"Perhaps we must just be patient and wait for these measures to work. However, more could be done now to lessen the burden on those who have or are at risk of losing their job, home or savings.

"It is time to close the massive loopholes in the British tax system that enables high earning Executives to escape paying their fair contribution to society. It is also time for the Government to force banks to start lending again. Gordon Brown could better use the money that he has already injected into the economy by means of his wasteful £12.5bn VAT cut to create the thousands of new jobs and homes that this country so desperately needs.

"Families struggling to pay for vital necessities will not forgive the G20 leaders if their actions do not translate into real immediate help. It seems that there is one set of rules for the financial sector and a completely different set for everyone else.

"Our leaders need to realise that in a democracy, they must treat different sectors of society more equally or suffer the consequences."