Labour never miss a trick in raising a buck, do they?
Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is considering extending a £15 surcharge for victims to those handed on-the-spot fines and fixed penalties.
We have seen this scam before. Introduction of a stream of revenue for a defined purpose, only to change the rules once it has been embedded ... like National Insurance.
The victim surcharge was an idea that had a beginning and an end. Those who inflict damage on victims should be made to pay. Unfortunately, the victim bit looks like being airbrushed out of the equation. Not so much a charge, then, but a new tax (on top of the VAT already included in PCNs).
So, if this is enacted, drop a crisp packet resulting in a fine and you will be paying £51 to the local authority, but £24 directly to government (more when VAT goes back to 17.5%).
Sometimes one has to just step back and admire the sheer, corrupt nerve of the modern political class.
