Sir, The Library of the House of Commons offers an independent research service to members of the Westminster parliament. Last week it published the rather startling conclusion that the UK tax burden, as measured by the share of national wealth taken by taxation, is now actually higher by half a percentage point than during the last year of Labour government in 1979.
This is the end result of 16 years of a Government pursuing all the aims of small government, low taxes and privatisation that are at the core of the recent PD document.
All the frantic Tax and Spend rhetoric of Mr McDowell cannot explain how the same result came about here at the end of three years of PD participation in Government. By 1992, public spending as a share of national wealth had increased over 1989. Last year under a Labour Minister that share has declined. It will decline even more this year.
I doubt if this information will cool Mr McDowell's ardour. He was never one to let the facts cut across a good story. Yours, etc., Minister of State, Dail Eireann, Baile Atha Cliath 2.