I was thinking more along the lines of a tax which is specifically for the purpose I described (i.e. on top of things like VAT and corporation/income tax).

Unfortunately, the bean-counters in this country don't like hypothecation, because it means they would have to get off their arses and do the complicated job of working out how much they received from that specific tax. And, of course, it would reduce Uncle Gordon's scope for playing Paul Daniels (or should that be Tommy Cooper?) with the Budget.

Alex

I think they don't like hypothecation because it would give us the idea that we can pick and choose about what we want to pay for.

Mind you, I'd happily not pay for Cruise missiles/nuclear reprocessing/ but I wouldn't want my neighbour to opt out of paying for the National Gallery/Theatre/PlantCollection/HealthService.

Emma

The problem with the Lottery is that the number of actual winners makes the odds seem better. When every week we're shown pictures of happy winners it seems more like a matter of 'just picking the right numbers' than it does an exercise in extreme odds.

I admit I buy the occasional lucky dip but then I can afford a quid a week inbetween my other efficient methods of pouring money down the drain (or down my throat ). What's saddening is when you're in a queue behind someone buying £10 worth of scratch cards, doing them there and then and buying more with the occasional £2 win or dipping into their purse for just one more.

Did you know that your best chances of winning are to be a builder in Newcastle?

Jon

Did you know that your best chances of winning are to be a builder in Newcastle?

...which would be true if builders in Newcastle represent the biggest demographic group playing the Lottery (because that's how odds work).

I've got a friend who is convinced he has seen patterns in the numbers that come out of the machines, and their relationship to the way in which the balls drop into the machine. No matter how much I try to explain that the stirring they are given will randomise them enough to destroy any such pattern, he still thinks he can beat the odds. Just like the many people who have thought they had a "system" for beating roulette tables.

The branch of mathematics called probability theory (from which statistics comes) evolved out of just this kind of attempt to beat the odds at gambling. So some mugs are evidently quite intelligent, even if they can't take the hint that the odds are trying to give them.

Alex

<Added>

Of course, the really odd thing about the Lottery is that it is the one business venture that is effectively given a free advertising slot every week on the BBC!