Item 173 - Letter from Hugh Dalton to F. W. Pethick-Lawrence

1 single sheet

107 Albert Bridge Road, S.W.11.—Comments on Pethick-Lawrence’s budget proposals, with reference to his own, and recommends measures to be taken if a capital levy is ruled out for the present.

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Transcript

107 Albert Bridge Road, S.W.11.
15/2/23

Dear Pethick Lawrence,

I have nothing that can be called a criticism to make of your Labour Budget proposals. My own reply to Greenwood was less ambitious, as I made no attempt to estimate, or even guess, the revenue yield next year.

Several of my practical proposals, e.g. to halve all the food taxes, agreed with yours. An alternative, roughly equivalent from the revenue point of view, would be to concentrate on the sugar duty & reduce it by 75%.

The loss of annual revenue consequent on a Capital Levy is not easy to estimate. I have worked it out in some detail, so far as the inadequate available statistics allow, in my little book on this subject which is now in the Press, {1} & I don’t think I am far out of agreement with your estimates.

If Capital Levy is ruled out for the moment, the line to take in the House is, I think, simply the need to shift burdens, i.e. lower food taxes & more generous allowances etc for the smaller income tax payer and, on the other hand, more steeply graduated super tax and death duties.

Yours sincerely
Hugh Dalton.

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{1} Presumably Principles of Public Finance.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2020.