Ioniq 5 Ultimate 73kWh RWD

And yet cars will pay the same regardless of if they pollute nothing or a lot. Unless it's a classic and then they can pollute as much as they do and you pay nothing in VED. A messed up system.

Yes, and attaching misleading names to taxes really doesn’t help. National Insurance is a case in point. Because of how it began, people think it’s a magic ticket to special entitlements: “I’ve paid in all my life…”

Stranger still, before the election, I was chatting to a colleague — senior pro, 30 years in the business — who, it turned out, thought cutting NI was a bad idea because it was hypothecated to the NHS, which “deserves every penny.” In that context, misconceptions about the nature (or weight!) of EVs are hardly surprising.

I don't think 100% IHT would work as lots of people have assets at the end of their life which they have worked hard to acheive and want to pass on to their children. The reason communism failed is that there is no incentive to work hard.

Genuine question - if you believe this, why educate your children privately? I didn't and mine have excellent degrees in proper subjects (Surveying and Engineering) and good jobs.

I can agree that the tax system is certainly in need of reform; it doesn't work and as you have mentioned, there should not be a need for private education nor should there be housing shortages. Solve that one (and solve the perceived immigration issue as a first step) and you have the makings of a sensible situation.

However, I am the first to admit that I was, in a very modest way, similar to the children of Bill Gates etc. My father worked very hard, built a business, got me educated and gave me an excellent start, both in terms of education and advice but also in terms of financial stability. However, I have also worked hard and built a business, and my children have seen that I have not lounged around, but gone out to work each day, paid my taxes and made them a nice life. If there was no income tax at all and certainly no CGT on business related assets, there might be a solution, but then you are waiting for people to die to pick off their assets under IHT, by which time they would have spent it all on their children.

There are so many loopholes that sometimes you have to accept that there are winners and losers and sometimes, even though the winners don't need the extra money, their wealth generates additional income for the country that the losers could not do, even if they were the winners. Think about some of the really wealthy people (even those with huge inheritances). They don't work but they use the services of so many companies, which employ huge numbers of people, all of whom pay tax. If those wealthy had to do a regular job, the overall tax take would be far less.

It's a balance and I don't think either of us have the perfect answer to it.

Yes - the obvious flaw in the situation I describe is usually the low pay of the workers, working for the ultra (or not so ultra) wealthy. It is bad and I try to do my bit to alleviate that. When I am in a restaurant and get the bill which includes a service charge, I always ask if the charge goes to the staff; so many times it does not. So I get the charge removed entirely and give a decent cash tip to the waiter/ress. There is no justification for a service charge on top of the menu price. If you want more, raise your prices.

I really feel for Mike Lynch's family (if there are any remaining). Clearly a very intelligent man who should be continuing to celebrate the release from his ordeal.

I was also underwhelmed by the interior of the Enyaq I had a quick look around in the showroom this weekend, in terms of design and materials. Depressing. Although a surprisingly useable boot (i.e. decent length) for a wretched SUV shape.

Was it a black Enyaq interior? The lighter options are so much nicer — and not just because light interiors are nicer anyway.