Economics

[embee]

Originally Posted by Bibio

... "high earners" use the same services that all of us do well in fact most of them have private health care but do they get a rebate on their NI contributions or council tax... ermm no....

You have to consider what sort of welfare state you want. Here we have something of an egalitarian approach to welfare, the alternative (or opposite if you prefer) is an individual means tested system or even pay-as-you-use, which would be impractical or unfair in reality.
I pay for stuff I don't use, but other people do (childrens' benefits, schools etc). The only time I've had dealings with the NHS in the last 40 yrs or so is basically some covid vaccines, but I pay for everyone else. Should I get a rebate? No, we judge that a system of availability to all and paid for by all (more or less), is possibly the least worst solution (a bit like the Monarchy).
Progressive taxation is probably a reasonable principle, we wouldn't want to eliminate the tax threshold and start taxing everyone on every pound they earn or receive which would be a very regressive system.
Whatever system, there will always be winners and losers, but it should be "fair". We are in a regime where high salaries have already factored in the high tax rates, if you dropped the progressive tax rates then arguably the high salaries should be cut to reflect it (net income remains the same), which would go down like a lead balloon with the Tory membership.