Billy Bragg explains his tax protest

Recently we mildly rebuked the singer Billy Bragg for his public decision not to pay his taxes this year - we're not, as a general rule, in favour of tax protests. But we would like to draw attention to a speech Bragg has given explaining himself. We haven't changed our position - but we applaud so much of what he had to say here.

"To me, paying my income tax is an expression of social solidarity; a means of making a contribution to the common good. Paying taxes is a way of recognising that in any society that we - all of us – have some degree of responsibility for one another.

When the invisible hand of capitalism failed to lift a finger to help the Royal Bank of Scotland, it was the People’s hand that reached out to save them: the compassionate hand that holds the new-born baby at birth; the teaching hand that guides the child in the classroom; the caring hand that helps us when we’re old and infirm."

Now listen on. It's less than five minutes long, and powerfully put.