Why do we let people who don't even pay net tax decide our spending priorities?

Tell me, why on earth do we allow people who contribute absolutely nothing, or even take more out of the system than they put in, to have an equal say in how my taxes are spent? It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s like letting someone who’s never bought a share vote on a company’s dividend policy. It’s a recipe for endless promises of freebies and a complete disregard for fiscal discipline, because someone else is always paying.

My proposal is simple: you should have to be a net taxpayer to vote in general elections. This means you need to contribute more in income tax and national insurance than you receive in benefits or tax credits. It’s about having skin in the game. If you’re not contributing, why should you have an equal say in how the country’s finances are managed?

This isn’t about being cruel; it’s about aligning incentives.