I broadly agree with your overall point, but: >High taxes Compared to where? Taxes in the UK are pretty middle of the road when compared to other Western demo

I broadly agree with your overall point, but: >High taxes Compared to where? Taxes in the UK are pretty middle of the road when compared to other Western democracies. A bit higher than in some, a bit lower than in others. That's not to say that the tax system is particularly fair, but the overall tax burden is not unusually high.