Someone like you (helps fund great public services)

By Natan Doron / @natandoron

The below comments from British pop star Adele made the headlines yesterday:

“I’m mortified to have to pay 50%! [While] I use the NHS, I can’t use public transport any more. Trains are always late, most state schools are shit, and I’ve gotta give you, like, four million quid – are you having a laugh? When I got my tax bill in from [the album] 19, I was ready to go and buy a gun and randomly open fire.”

The Guardian rightfully posted a piece suggesting that such comments may not endear her to many fans. Whilst obviously joking, threatening to buy a weapon and open fire randomly is a ridiculous thing to say about paying your taxes, especially in times of economic austerity. Such comments would, in my opinion, merit an apology.

At the other end of the scale, the Adam Smith Institute posted a piece with two interesting things about it. Firstly, they celebrate Adele’s comments (even posting a video of her performing, presumably in thanks to her contribution to discussions of public services and government spending). Secondly, they reproduce Adele’s comments but omit the line about the NHS – the one public service Adele admits to using.

The omission of the one positive aspect of public services that Adele’s bizarre rant mentions points to a recurring weak spot of the right in this country – people love the NHS, are happy to pay for it and are very worried by suggestions of plans to privatise it. This highlights the importance of Labour leading the fight to protect the NHS from Tory-led reforms.

As for the wider implications of her comments, these are exactly the kind of attitudes that need to be addressed and a strong counter-argument presented in the coming years. A new generation has to renew the social contract of pooling our resources and investing in good education, excellent health care and important services which bind our society together.

The rich are often praised for their charity work, sharing their wealth with vulnerable people in parts of the world facing severe poverty. If Adele goes to some of these places she may well be shocked by the lack of basic sanitation, non-existent transport infrastructure and tragically underfunded schools. Those children would give anything to have the same opportunities as those educated in UK state schools. These high standards of living and outstanding public services are not some miraculous accident but the result of years of investment, voted and paid for by taxpayers. That the rich shoulder more of the burden is part of what makes our society more equal and creates the opportunities for children of all backgrounds to have a shot at the career of their choice. A society where a single parent in Tottenham can raise a daughter who becomes a world-wide superstar. So thank you for paying your taxes Adele.