From Prof Willem H. Buiter.

Sir, Of course Alistair Darling, the chancellor, is being attacked for abolishing taper relief and setting a uniform capital gains tax rate of 18 per cent. Those who complain are those who stand to lose. Special pleading always masquerades as the defence of the common good: the losers want us to believe that their loss is not only painful to them but also unfair and damaging to the UK economy.