New Labour stealth tax of 50p on every fixed line connection.

They just can not help themselves, from helping themselves to other folks money.

A tax of 50p a month will be levied on every fixed line connection - to contribute to a fund to provide "seedcorn funding" to operators to build-out rural broadband access.

We didn't know Vodafone, BT etc need seedcorn funding. Carter said he hoped "most of it will be competed away".

So it's a stealth tax, a meaningless sweetener ... and Government gets to look like it's doing something.

**So this is the governments great help to get broadband out to the great unwashed even if they don't want it.

Raise a tax on every line in the land, supposedly to bring broadband out to the hamlet of Inbred-on-the-Marsh.

Another tax that will be raised year on year, as the internet/telecoms companies are now being seen as the new cash cow by New Labour.

They hope the new tax "will be competed away". They fucking hope. Jesus cunting wept, have they not thought it through. If a company has to take a fiscal hit to fund some HM Govt pipe dream, you know those costs will be passed onto the public.

Its going to be a disaster, with backhanders to companies who donate to Labour, opens up a whole new area for government to stick its unwanted tax nose into and is all going to end in tears.

A Tangled Rope has an amusing bit on this.

The PM also announced a ‘commitment to establishing a universal broadband service for every home and business by 2012’, saying:

Also, in order to try and drum up some support for the Labour party from the work-shy chavs we’ve been lavishing loads of money and support on, with very little in the way of reciprocation at the ballot box, we are going to have one last try to get them to vote for us.

Consequently, we are going to introduce universal broadband, so the hard-lounging couch potatoes of this land can have all the porn I the world piped to their home computers at a very respectable speed. All we ask is that when they are having a quick one off the wrist to Sasha Grey’s latest magnum opus, they remember which other bunch of wankers made it possible for them to be able to do it, and mark their ballot papers accordingly. Hopefully, remembering to wash their hands first, of course.

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