TAXATION & INEQUALITY Richmond is one of the most prosperous boroughs in England. Its residents pay significant tax, work hard, and invest in their families' futures. So why does public life feel increasingly threadbare — and why are we looking in the wrong direction for an explanation? BY PADDY GRIFFITH · GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE, SOUTH RICHMOND If you live in Richmond upon Thames, the chances are you're doing reasonably well. You probably own your home, or are working hard t

The root cause of inequality is we are trained to punch down, not up (cartoon credit: Patrick Hollis) TAXATION & INEQUALITY The Green Party gets attacked for being naive about wealth taxes. But the real naivety lies in a cultural assumption baked into British life: that avoiding tax is something you earn the right to do. BY PADDY GRIFFITH · GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE, SOUTH RICHMOND Let's start with the charge that's levelled at the Green Party almost every time we raise the sub

The True Cost of Affordable Housing In Richmond-Upon-Thames Paddy Griffith, South Richmond, Green Party Councillor Candidate "Affordable Housing" is one of the banner issues being discussed in the Borough for the May 7th Local Elections. But it doesn’t sound very, ermm, ‘Richmond’ does it?Do we really want more ‘affordable housing’? Surely we love seeing house prices go up around here? Well, the problem starts with the name: "affordable housing". For most in TW10 and TW9 it