A pro-Brexit campaigner accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of ignoring the chance to redeem his promise of “taking back control” from the EU by endorsing cuts to VAT which would be of immense economic benefit to millions of British citizens.
Jayne Adye believes Johnson may very well turn the UK into a “mirror image” of the EU which would go contrariwise to the sovereignty that was to accrue from parting ways with the European bloc.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Universal Credit: Starmer Accuses Johnson Of Alienating Britain’s Poorest
She said: “VAT was introduced here back in 1973, as a condition of joining the European Economic Community (as it was back then), with a minimum rate of 10 percent set. This minimum then rose to 15 percent in 2006 – although the UK Government chose to exceed this minimum in 2011 when they set VAT at 20.
“When we were part of the EU the UK was forced to implement the tax on goods, seen by the EU as non-essential or a luxury, this included goods like female hygiene products.”
“Even household fuel bills were included and currently have VAT added, although at a reduced rate of five percent – as well as additional green taxes.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How Boris Johnson Conference Speech Tragically “Missed A Crucial Mark”
“Too often the government has ignored the chances to break away from the EU status quo. We must not allow this to continue, otherwise we will simply end up a mirror image of the EU, without any of the benefits Brexit can provide, ”she added.
With the Brexit agreement which extricates the UK from EU rules, Britain is now free to set VAT at the levels it wanted, as well as simplify the current system to make the process more efficient. Ms Adye, however, believes Johnson is not making the most out of the opportunity.
The Prime Minister, who said that when the people voted during the Brexit referendum, they were “voting to end the broken model of the EU economy,” seems to have botched a golden chance to make good the envisaged benefits of exiting the “broken” EU model.
“When people voted for change in 2016 and again in 2019 as they did, they voted for the end of a broken model of the UK economy that relied on low wages and low skill and chronic low productivity, and we are moving away from that. Johnson said during an interview with the BBC.
