As (almost) exclusively revealed in last week’s Bankstone News, Chancellor Philip “Eggs” Hammond’s Autumn Statement included plans to increase Insane Punishment Tax (IPT) in June next year from 10% to 12%.
Oddly, this news seems to have been met with something less than universal enthusiasm. One vocal dissenter is Neil Sugarbuns of militant ambulance chasing action group the Association of Personal Injury Liars (APIL).
Neil professes himself “astounded” at Hammond’s nerve in banging on about how the withdrawal of justice from persons pursuing claims worth less than £500m will save everyone money on their motor insurance premiums – and then (only going and) whacking up IPT!
Sugarbuns argues that the Chancellor’s claim that “taking common law back to the dark ages” * will save motor insurance buyers a bunch of money every year rings hollow – especially when he’s clawing it all back in Insane Punishment Tax.
Plus, Mr Sugarbuns, adds: how do we even know motorists will save any money, when “the insurance industry has a track record of failing to pass on savings made from previous reforms by lowering premiums.”
The whole thing stinks, Sugarbuns suggests. The idea that saving £80 on their motor insurance policies will more than adequately compensate car owners for losing the right to legal representation “simply adds insult to injury” he says.
The thing is, though. Most people are simply trying it on and probably don’t even have an injury to which insult could be added – by Hammo or anyone else for that matter. Whiplash, let us not forget, is a fictional injury!
So maybe Sugarbuns and his appalling APILers should just go away and leave politicians to decide who gets justice and who doesn’t – without a lot of self-serving moaning and groaning from unelected legal types.
* Where, presumably, it will be extremely hard to access for anyone who can’t afford a personal time machine.
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