A letter to the Times which was published around 29th May 1987.

In his article “Folly of the compassion stakes” (May 26th) Michael Ignatieff suggests that the fact that a majority of the electorate apparently intend to vote for the parties (Labour and Alliance) which will put up taxes, contradicts Ralph Harris’s view that few people volunteer to pay higher taxes in order to get better services.  There is in fact no contradiction, since those voting Labour, in particular, will do so in the expectation that the better services they think they will get will be paid for by others, especially those voting Conservative.