How Britain’s shrinking population and widening inequality threaten our democracy – and how pubs might show us the way forward.

Pubs, cafés, cinemas, music venues—these are more than businesses.

They’re signs of life in our communities.

When they suffer, it means more than just lost revenue; it means lost connections, lost confidence, and lost prosperity.

Behind this story lies a deeper crisis: Britain’s tax base is shrinking, and the burden is falling more heavily on fewer shoulders—especially the very wealthy.

If we don’t change course, we may end up with a country where the rich fund the state, and in return, the state serves the rich.

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The tax base is shrinking—and ageing

Britain’s population is getting older.

With birth rates falling and net immigration increasingly politicised, there are fewer working-age people supporting the economy.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has already warned: unless something changes, public finances will become unsustainable.

When fewer people are working—and more are drawing pensions or relying on care—tax revenues fall while demand for spending rises.

It’s a double bind.

In the past, immigration helped offset this trend.

Now, that tap is being turned off.

The rich are paying more—but also gaining power

Here’s the paradox: the top one per cent of earners now contribute more than 30 per cent of the UK’s income tax.

On paper, that’s progressive.

But in practice, it makes the state financially dependent on a tiny elite.

When your tax base is narrow, it’s vulnerable.

If the wealthy threaten to move abroad or lobby for tax cuts, governments flinch.

We’ve seen this already—with the reversal of modest wealth tax proposals, the protection of non-dom status (until very recently), and the lack of serious corporate tax reform.

In effect, the wealthiest now say: “We fund this country—so don’t you dare tell us how to spend our money.”

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Disposable income is disappearing

It’s not just about who pays tax.

It’s about who can afford to participate in the economy at all.

Your local pub is a perfect test case.

When ordinary people don’t have enough disposable income, they stop going out.

That hits pubs, restaurants, cinemas—anywhere people go to feel human.

And it means small businesses fail, workers lose jobs, and local economies contract.

So while the government cheers for high employment, the real economy tells a different story: people working multiple jobs, just to get by.

Working to survive—not to live.

The future looks grim—unless we change it

If nothing changes, we risk creating a feedback loop:

• The rich pay more → The state becomes reliant on them

• They lobby for favourable policy → Inequality grows

• The public grows poorer → The economy stagnates

• The rich gain even more leverage → Democracy erodes

But this isn’t inevitable.

There’s another path.

Building an economy from the bottom up

Rather than chasing billionaires or fearing capital flight, a bold government would invest in the people who are still here—those who don’t have private jets or offshore accounts, but who still buy a pint, take the bus, or go out for a meal.

Here’s what that might look like:

Policy	Effect	Which Parties Support It?
Universal childcare	Frees people to work; reduces household costs	Greens, Lib Dems, SNP
Rebuilding public transport	Boosts footfall for local businesses	Greens, Labour (somewhat), Lib Dems
Mass social housing	Reduces rent burden; builds equity	Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru
VAT cuts on hospitality	Helps pubs and cafés stay open	Proposed by some local business groups; no major party currently offers this
Living wage rises	Increases real incomes and spending power	Labour, Greens
Land value tax / wealth tax	Shifts tax burden from income to accumulated wealth	Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru; not Labour under Starmer
Green public works programme	Creates jobs, builds infrastructure	Greens, previously Labour (Corbyn), some unions
Community wealth building	Keeps profits local; builds resilience	Supported by Greens, some Labour councils (e.g. Preston)

These are not radical ideas—they’re survival strategies.

And they’d benefit everyone: not just workers and renters, but small businesses, local councils, and yes, even your friend’s struggling pub.

This month, donations through Ko-fi helped keep Vox Political going — and I’ve just posted a quick update there about what’s next.
I’m working on a new investigation, a reissued book collection (free to £20+ donors), and plenty of videos to ruffle a few feathers.
Take a look behind the scenes: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
And if you’ve already chipped in — thank you. You’re making this work possible.

Conclusion: a new measure of national health

Instead of asking whether the FTSE is rising, or whether billionaires are staying in the UK, ask this:

Can the average person afford to go to the pub on a Friday night?

If the answer is no, your economy is broken.

If fewer and fewer people can afford to participate in the public life of their communities, then no amount of top-end tax revenue will save us.

It’s time to stop appeasing wealth and start investing in people—not just because it’s fair, but because it’s the only sustainable path forward.

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