There is hard evidence that talented people are leaving the country because we are not competitive. Tax receipts will be lower and aggregate demand is lower. People are buying beer and staying in on a Saturday night; they are not spending their money in restaurants. I do not blame restaurateurs or people in the service industry for this. The prices they charge have increased because indirect stealth taxes have driven up the cost of their raw material. Costs are spiralling and in the long-term these people will have to abandon their businesses because of increased costs, higher insurance and higher employment costs.