I have just received my tax summary from HMRC and I am very impressed. Open government.
There in multi-colour splendour is how much tax I am paying this year and exactly how much I provided for welfare, health, education and all the other services we expect in a civilised country.
Another example of the vast amount of information we have at our fingertips in this amazing age. And, as with all information, it allows us to form opinions.
I gave seven times as much money to Defence as I did to the European Union. As the European Union is the best defence I can imagine against being invaded, shouldn't we pay a bit more to that and a bit less to the other forms of defence which appear to involve bombing people in faraway places.
In Switerland and California, people can vote for specific proposals as well as for party A or party B. Maybe in the future, the tax summary will be interactive. This is how much you have to pay; this is how we propose to split it; how do you want to divide your bill?
Power to the people.
