As a thought experiment, let’s imagine that Labour wins the next General Election. In fairly short order, many British companies start going out of business, including Hovis Ltd.
So Jeremy Corbyn decides to take it into public ownership. But the Labour apparatchiks in Whitehall know nothing about running a business – shock! – and Hovis quickly starts losing a great deal of money.
Then John McDonnell comes up with a brainwave: Why not impose a toaster tax? Henceforth, anyone who owns a toaster will have to pay an annual fee of £154.50 and the money this raises will then be spent on subsidizing Hovis.
Doesn’t matter if you would no more dream of putting a slice of Hovis in your toaster than a piece of cardboard – you still have to fork out £154.50 a year. If you refuse, it’ll be off to the Scrubs with you, where, if you’re lucky, you can join Rod Liddle, Douglas Murray and me in the journalists’ wing. (To read more, click here.)
