WHO ARE CORBYN'S 'RICH' ?

Jeremy Corbyn continues to tell us that, if elected, Labour will go after 'the rich' and make sure that they pay their 'fair share' towards the state. He's also talked about some plan to limit the pay of the highest paid to a multiple of the pay of the lowest, perhaps no more than 20 times as much.

In pursuing this course, one wonders if Corbyn intends confining his assault on 'the rich' to senior managers of corporations or will be going after doctors, lawyers, accountants and so on. One also wonders what he might be planning to do about the truly highest paid in our society, the grotesquely overvalued sports 'stars'.

It's been reported that Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovich is being paid something in the region of £370,000 per week, while we know that there are numerous other footballers who are paid well in excess of £100,000 per week. Some others, notably those in the Formula 1 racing sphere are paid similarly ludicrous sums, Lewis Hamilton being reportedly on some £600,000 per week.

The average worker might expect to earn, at current rates, around £1,250,000 in his or her entire working life, before tax, while these insanely overpaid footballers and others are paid that in little more than a few months or, even, weeks. These people often have special arrangements which reduce or remove any liability to UK tax, meaning that the disparity is all the greater. They can afford to live in places of which the rest of us can only dream and to have life styles which we can barely imagine. They are vastly more wealthy and privileged than virtually any others in society, matched only by a handful of the most senior directors of the largest international companies who are responsible for huge numbers of staff and enormous resources.

If Corbyn was to attack lawyers and accountants, he'd have many on his side, ignorant and ill-advised though they'd be. If he attacked doctors, he'd be roundly condemned, though he'd undoubtedly try to aim his attack at those in private practice. However, if he attacked our beloved sports stars, he'd have very few supporters; for some reason, no one seems to mind the profligacy of major sports' institutions even though the money paid to their stars comes from the pockets of those who pay ridiculously inflated prices for the privilege of watching their heroes perform.

If there are 'rich' who need to be targeted, it is those who are paid very large sums, often without being taxed, for doing nothing of real importance. Sadly, the broad sweep of the 'entertainment industry' seems to be immune to such things.