The riots and protests by the far right in England continue to occupy the thoughts of our readers.
Earlier this week one of our correspondents argued that it was time to crack down, hard, on the miscreants.
Today, a reader looks at what he perceives to be the root cause of the unrest.
David Bruce of Troon writes:
"As the horror of street rioting and racial intimidation tarnishes further the UK's reputation, Denis Bruce (Letters, August 6) encapsulated the essence of what is wrong with the UK when he wrote about deregulation and the rise of individualism, which is undermining community cohesion.
Inequality is at the root of our problems. Happier countries share their wealth more evenly. The challenge, surely, for our governments at both Westminster and Holyrood is less about expanding economic growth and more about extending fairness, all the more so as AI increasingly threatens many current forms of employment. We need a simpler tax system that distributes the massive wealth of society's profits better, to enable rewarding lives, free from poverty and a caring society.
Other writers have suggested ways of ensuring profits made in this country contribute a fairer share of UK tax. In addition to these measures I would advocate for universal basic incomes to significantly reduce the need to apply for welfare payments, long-awaited reform of council tax based on land values and a requirement on new private developments to include payment for necessary public infrastructure.
Unfortunately, none of these will happen as, thanks to our divisive, short-term power-seeking politics, this kind of collectivism no longer resonates with the leadership of any of the main parties."
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