Monthly Archives: May 2017

Britain, Economic, Government, Politics, Society

Tax policy and the hidden truths

BRITAIN

Tax Return

For various reasons it has suited both the Labour and Conservative parties not to have tax policy turned into a central issue in the election campaign.

Under a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn a significant rise in public spending would be envisaged. The party leadership, too, has made no secret of its intention to raise taxes on the better-off – on those, as the saying goes, ‘who have the broader shoulders’. But, the definition of broad shoulder has, for some time now, been left conveniently undefined, while the resort to higher borrowing, the mantra of any socialist party, is unlikely to assuage voters after the calamitous borrowing and debt of recent years that has necessitated such a lengthy period of austerity and spending constraint.

The Conservative Party have also been markedly reluctant to be drawn into the discussion on tax, having long symbolised itself as the party of low tax. While it may claim to have lower spending commitments than Labour this does not necessarily mean that taxes will not rise. Chancellor Philip Hammond, for one, has made known his desire for greater financial flexibility and for the party to drop the ‘tax lock’ pledge. Ultimately, this begs the question of what Conservative tax policy is now.

Policies of taxation are especially sensitive at this point in time given the background of a slowing economy and forecasts of a deepening downturn. There have been signs over the last few days that the election battle – largely focused till now on the personalities of the respective leaders – is swinging back towards more practical and tangible issues.

Both parties have pledged not to increase the 20 per cent rate of VAT until 2022. As matters stand, though, the total tax burden is set to rise to its highest level in 30 years – even were the tax lock to stay in place. The March Budget stipulated that the tax burden will rise to 37.2 per cent of national income by 2019-20. And with overall government debt approaching 90 per cent of national income, voters deserve more informative answers on future tax policy than the rhetoric currently on offer.

The likelihood is that continuing low growth for the foreseeable future and a worryingly high level of government debt will act as a powerful restraint for whoever wins the election: any increase in government spending will have to be found from improved productivity and efficiency gains. That is not a particularly comfortable message to portray for any party aspiring to be the next government. It is, however, an unavoidable truth whatever the political rhetoric may claim.

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Arts, Psychology, Science

A study finds those who regularly read books are kinder and more emphatic

EFFECTS OF READING

Benefits of reading: Having your nose in a book might seem a little anti-social at times – but reading could actually make you a kinder, more empathetic person, a study has found.

Being regularly engaged and engulfed in books might seem a little anti-social at times, but research has revealed that reading could actually make you a kinder and more empathetic person.

Readers were more likely to act in a socially acceptable manner while those who preferred watching television came across as less friendly and less understanding of others’ views, researchers said.

The 123 participants in the study were quizzed on their preferences for books, TV and plays at Kingston University, London.

They were then tested on interpersonal skills, such as how much they considered people’s feelings and whether they acted to help others.

Researchers told the British Psychological Society conference in Brighton that fiction fans showed more positive social behaviour.

Readers of drama and romance novels were also empathic, while lovers of experimental books showed the ability to see things from different perspectives.

Comedy fans scored the highest for relating to others.

The study suggested reading allows people to see different points of view, enabling them to understand others better.

The researchers added: ‘Exposure to fiction relates to a range of empathetic abilities.

‘Engaging with fictional prose and comedy in particular could be key to enhancing people’s empathetic abilities.’

However, the authors warned the study did not prove cause-and-effect.

So it could be that reading causes positive behaviour, or it could be that thoughtful, well-mannered people are more likely to prefer reading.

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Fitness, Health

A 7-minute workout by a leading physiologist…

Health & Fitness

For real results exercise must be a regular habit. Use weights for both strength and speed, an excellent way of improving fitness, metabolism and general wellbeing.

If you’ve renewed your commitment to getting fit now that spring is in full swing, you may be wondering how much time that goal will require.

If you want your workouts to produce real results, exercise has to be a regular habit, says Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who came up with the 7-minute workout. Jordan’s now-viral routine, officially called the “Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout” is designed to give you the benefits of a trip to the gym in just a few minutes.

“Skipping workouts can prevent you from achieving optimal results, whatever your specific fitness goal,” Jordan says.

To start seeing results from your fitness plan — whether you’re looking for physical signs like leaner limbs and toned muscles or psychological ones like improved mood and higher energy levels — you should aim to exercise at least three to five days each week. And that doesn’t mean simply lifting a few weights on those days.

“You should aim to do cardiovascular exercise [like running on a treadmill, riding a bike, or doing high-intensity interval training] three to five days each week and resistance training [like planks, squats, or leg raises] two to three days per week,” Jordan says.

The results you see will vary based on your current fitness level. If you’re new to regular workouts and start doing resistance training two or three days each week, you may start building muscle in just a few weeks. But if you’ve been a regular at a gym or yoga studio for several months, you’ll want to step it up a notch and work your body at least four days per week.

Jordan suggests interspersing different types of workouts to target various regions of your body. This will help you avoid fatigue and maximize your time. Here’s an example five-day training plan:

Monday: Cycling and upper body resistance training, like arm raises

Tuesday: Yoga and lower body resistance training, like squats

Wednesday: Running and upper body resistance training, like bench presses

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Boxing and lower body resistance training, like leg raises

Research suggests you can also use high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which combines the cardiovascular benefits of cycling or running with resistance training, to achieve the same or similar results. If you like HIIT, the 7-minute workout is a great place to start.

Whichever workout you try, however, the most important thing is to keep doing it.

“To achieve results,” says Jordan, “consistency is key.”

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