From left: Dymond DJ, Dame Emma Thompson, Hope Gallagher and Prospex CEO Richard ‘Beef’ Frankland

• GREAT to see your feature on Emma Thompson’s support for Prospex youth centre, which is no doubt in a continual struggle to keep things going when so much local government support is being lost as a result of national government spending cuts, (It’s mad we don’t have more youth clubs, says Dame Emma Thompson, November 2).

The essential services youth centres like this provide is rightly recognised by Thompson, who has proven to be an impressively dedicated campaigner over the years for a broad range of noble causes including opposition to the war in Iraq, Brexit, climate change, food insecurity, to directly financing the political support fund for women.

And I’m sure all the donations made will have been effectively deployed by the receipt organisations involved. So, talking the talk and, indeed, walking the walk.

However, I believe, there is an even greater a contribution that can be made by earnestly engaged artists, storytellers and pre-eminent figures of our celebrity culture: change the national conversation around taxation and, hence, public service provision.

To have a lasting effect, and avoid accusations of performative conscious-salving from reactionary right-wingers (and, indeed, those struggling at the sharp end of Tory austerity consequences) such public initiatives have to be sustained, broadened outwards and also upwards, not only to government, but directed at the high-rolling billionaires who so desperately seek, and enjoy being seen in, the company of many of these well-meaning signatories and campaigning celebrities.

If they can change the mind-sets of the super-wealthy towards wanting more equitable rates of taxation, then that will open up more space for a Labour government to occupy and build upon.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has rightly emphasised the need for fiscal responsibility with her “securonomics” garnering widespread credibility. But bolder policy, beyond the current manifesto suggestions, will only emerge through a prefiguring shift in our cultural narrative.

Rather a burden best avoided, tax should be remembered as being the price we pay for a civilised society. And, darling, piecemeal philanthropy is just sooooo 19th century…

JEF SMITH
Oseney Crescent, NW5