New Zealand and the UK both have top tax rates that raise little revenue but lie as potent political traps for parties on the right
Grant Robertson and Gordon Brown have quite a lot in common.
Robertson, New Zealand’s finance minister and deputy PM, had dreams of leading his Labour party while it wallowed in opposition, just as Brown did with his. Like Brown, Robertson ended up putting these dreams on hold and settling for the finance portfolio as a more charismatic ally took the party to victory.
