PeterE wrote:

Tax all income at the same base rate and close the loopholes that
exist which rich people exploit to avoid paying tax.

...and also the loopholes poor people also use to avoid paying tax

Trouble is, since most taxes apart from income tax are regressive in
effect, the poor end up paying more of their income in tax than the
richest.

Agreed... hence the suggestion of having a single rate of personal income
tax, applied to ALL income and collected more effectively, and no other
taxes whatsoever.

Tobacco duty, for example, is effectively a tax on the poor.

Agreed... The suggestion being discussed would eliminate tobacco duty