YORK: Archbishop denounces trickle-down economics and huge disparities of wealth and opportunity in Britain
https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/news/religion-news-26-september-2022/
September 29, 2022
Two days after the chancellor announced tax breaks for the rich, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has spoken out against the idea that wealth trickles down and challenged people who will pay less tax to consider the" uncomfortable question" of what to do with the extra cash.
He was speaking at St James in the City, Liverpool, on the opening day of the Labour Party conference in the city. The set Bible reading happened to be about wealth and riches, including: "The love of money is the root of all evil".
He said this was relevant "especially for those who believe that wealth trickles down, when all of those without much wealth, and especially the poor, know it gathers and expands in the aquifers and coffers of the wealthy and is carefully guarded".
He said people need to talk more about the "huge discrepancies of wealth and opportunity" in Britain, but his main point was to consider the injunction to do good deeds, to be generous and willing to share: "Though you may -- or may not -- be pleased about this week's tax cuts, if you are a beneficiary, what you choose to do with your additional money is an uncomfortable question only you can answer, and no politician or economist can make it for you. It is about each of us asking what is right".
He said he had glimpsed deep-seated instincts of generous goodness and grace, in the queue that formed to pay last respects to Queen Elizabeth. "Let us build a coalition of hopefulness and goodwill around what we know to be true and good and right".
Sermon on YouTube herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Uo6u6MqSQ