Taxes rising to record levels and public services falling to record lows - it doesn't add up

Yes, Rishi and his pals will have presided over the biggest tax rises on record by the next election. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has released analysis showing that tax will have risen to 37% by the time we get to vote.

This amounts to around £3,500 more per household, on average. Not very Tory? Well, it certainly isn't leading to a harmonious government or cabinet - and we know what happened when they started bickering about Europe and ended up dragging us into Brexit - but, most importantly, it isn't going down well with voters. We are, after all, in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

I am by no means anti-tax. I love contributing to a country where everyone gets equal healthcare regardless of wealth, where free education for all is top quality, where our police forces are well staffed to keep us safe ... oh, hold on a minute.

That's what our taxes should pay for and that is the bitterest irony of all. We are paying more but for what?

All of our beloved public services are crumbling. In fact, that is being too kind. They have been systematically and deliberately underfunded for years. They are now in a state where the things that make us proudest, make us feel saddest.

Do I believe that paying more tax will ensure our NHS is protected? Of course I don't.

All the research has shown that most Brits feel the same and would put in an extra penny if there were guarantees it would go to the right place.

What a sorry state of affairs and I can't help but wonder if the conspiracy theorists might be correct this time. Are things so bad that the Conservatives actually don't want to win this election because the task of turning the country around is likely to destroy whichever party is in charge? This really is looking like the election to lose.