Political View: Inequality is the problem, not migration

When things are this difficult, it’s only human to look for someone to blame. And for years, politicians of all stripes have been pointing the finger in one direction: migration.

But what if they’ve been getting us to look the wrong way? What if the reason our public services are crumbling isn’t because of our new neighbours, but because of decades of political choices that have made a handful of people astonishingly rich at everyone else's expense?

Follow the Money

For the last 40 years, the basic deal has been this: the very wealthiest in society have seen their riches multiply, while the rest of us have been told to tighten our belts. This isn't some conspiracy theory; it’s the predictable result of austerity and an economic system designed to funnel wealth upwards.

Don’t just take my word for it. Listen to Gary Stevenson, a former top currency trader who became a millionaire in his twenties. He saw how the system works from the inside. He explains that the super-rich don't make their money by working harder; they make it from owning things – property, stocks, and shares. While your wages barely keep up with the price of a weekly shop, their wealth grows automatically. He’s now a loud voice telling us all that this staggering inequality is the real threat to our economy and society. It’s a rigged game.

When the government chooses not to cut taxes for the super-wealthy and big corporations, and then tells us there’s no money left for our NHS, our schools, or our councils, that’s not an economic necessity. That’s a political choice. Austerity was the tool they used to shrink the public services we all rely on, making life harder for ordinary people in cities like ours.

A Simple, Fair Solution

So, what’s the answer? It’s actually pretty simple: we need to tax wealth fairly. The Green Party has a straightforward policy to do just that – a modest wealth tax on the top 1% of households. This isn’t about punishing success. It's about asking those with the broadest shoulders, those who have benefited most from our economy, to pay a little more to help fund the services that benefit everyone.

And before you hear the usual cries of "they'll all just leave the country," consider the group Patriotic Millionaires. This is a growing organisation of millionaires, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who are actively campaigning to pay more tax. They know the current system is unsustainable and deeply unfair, and they believe that a functioning society with good public services is worth paying for.

Think what that extra revenue could do for Peterborough. It could mean fully funding our local council to fix the potholes and keep the libraries open. It could mean a properly funded NHS, so you can see a doctor when you need one. It could fund a massive programme of building new, warm, and affordable council homes, and investing in the green jobs of the future right here in our city.

Let's Focus on the Real Problem

When our communities are properly invested in, the whole debate around migration changes. The truth is, migrants are not our enemies. They are our colleagues in the NHS, our neighbours, and the people running businesses that enrich our city. They contribute far more in taxes than they take out.

The narrative that blames migrants for squeezed services is a convenient distraction. It gets politicians off the hook for the damage their austerity policies have caused. It’s a classic tactic of divide and rule, turning us against each other while the real winners – the super-rich – laugh all the way to the bank.

Let's stop falling for it. The problem isn’t the person who’s moved here from another country. The problem is an economic system that creates billionaires while forcing local councils to go bankrupt. The problem is inequality. It’s time we pointed the finger in the right direction and demanded a fairer deal for Peterborough.

To find out more about the Green Party of England and Wales https://greenparty.org.uk/