It wasn’t as bad as I thought. The £200 tax saved is nice but will soon disapear when the VAT increases so will end up out of pocket.

The only bad call was reducing the CT rate for the high rate to 24%, just make the big companies even better off! surely would have been better to just drop it 1 % or 2 % at most!

Nothing that was unexpected in this budget. Those with little will have even less. Those with more will keep more of it. Its going to take more than one punishing budget for ppl to really feel the pinch. Let the unemployed increase and pubic services decrease. Then, this Coalition will start to fall apart!

lets keep spending like Gordon Brown until the country is completely stuffed! How do you expect us to narrow the deficit let alone pay down the debt without cuts and tax rises???~think

We all have to pay for labours legacy, lets hope people realise that at future elections….

Good intentions but didn’t go far enough IMO.

The public-sector needs reducing to provide essential public-services, not the likes of Street-Scene Managers and recycling co-ordinators and “wardens”.

My local District Council decided to rid our village of the two “Street Wardens” that had been on the books for about three years (one was an ex burger-flipper, the other a former “beautician and stylist”) about two yers ago. Amazingly crime figures haven’t escalated in the meantime and we just about manage to sleep safely in our beds without them.

Whoever’s in government unemployment would increase in the short term as a result of the last ten years fiscal policy. They spent all the money, and then they spent the money we didn’t even have, as Liam Byrne admitted.

Public services need to decrease, to a level that the private sector can afford.

Hopefully Osborne will do the necessary in the public spending review in the autumn, the one Gordon was afraid to have last year!

As for the terror of “freezing” public sector pay:

I know lots of people in the private sector who would have welcomed a pay freeze over the last three years, they had cuts, real ones.

I don’t know exactly which part, if any, of the PS he was referring to, or the whole.

I have to confess that I tend to write public-sector when I really should be putting local authority/council. These outfits need a damn serious sort-out, very very soon.

A shambolic government that may make things far worse rather than better. Remember, this GLOBAL economic crisis was created by the PRIVATE sector. It is those institutions that should be repaying a country that bailed them out from a crisis fuelled by PRIVATE GREED.

The winter of discontent will be nothing if the Government continues it’s misguided and ludicrous anti public sector crusade.

VAT – How can that be a fair tax / a means tested tax. The price you pay for having two hooray henrys in charge with no idea about the real world.

@caster rob wrote:

As for the terror of “freezing” public sector pay:

I know lots of people in the private sector who would have welcomed a pay freeze over the last three years, they had cuts, real ones.

A pay freeze is a pay cut!!

The private sector tend to pay higher salaries. Many have continued to have pay rises but that does not suit your warped agenda Rob.

I predicted the day they got in power the Cameron is gonna go down in history as maybe the worst PM ever. My opinion is not based on today’s budget as what has come from it was expected tbh.

If this government is shambolic what is to be said of the previous administration that failed to deliver a balanced budget since 2001 and ran record levels of defecit and borrowing BEFORE the economic downturn in 2008?

The economic crisis is not global, Canada, Australia and many other countries have experienced no down-turn at all. If it was global, every country would be affected.

Those institutions are indeed repaying the tax-payer whose government chose to bail them out.

The winter of discontent was exactly that, nothing, apart from the signature on the Trade Union’s death warrant, so at least some good came of it.

VAT’s fair in as much that you have more choice as to how much you pay, unlike NI or Income Tax, besides the last government’s reduction and then subsequent increase had virtually no economic effect, apart from losing the exchequer about £6billion on purchases that would have been made anyway.

Many in the private sector may have had pay rises, many have had redundancies, many more than in the public-sector, despite them having twice as much time off as sick leave.

I don’t think a desire to reduce the size of the state is necessarily warped. I happen to prefer “small” government and less state interference in the life of the individual, including having another party decide where my own money should be spent, it’s called libertarianism.

Bud: Cameron’s gonna have to go some after the previous incumbent’s achievements.

@NW Cut Angler wrote:

A shambolic government that may make things far worse rather than better. Remember, this GLOBAL economic crisis was created by the PRIVATE sector. It is those institutions that should be repaying a country that bailed them out from a crisis fuelled by PRIVATE GREED.

The winter of discontent will be nothing if the Government continues it’s misguided and ludicrous anti public sector crusade.

VAT – How can that be a fair tax / a means tested tax. The price you pay for having two hooray henrys in charge with no idea about the real world.

just tell me who brought in vat first?

@caster rob wrote:

If this government is shambolic what is to be said of the previous administration that failed to deliver a balanced budget since 2001 and ran record levels of defecit and borrowing BEFORE the economic downturn in 2008?

The economic crisis is not global, Canada, Australia and many other countries have experienced no down-turn at all. If it was global, every country would be affected.

Those institutions are indeed repaying the tax-payer whose government chose to bail them out.

The winter of discontent was exactly that, nothing, apart from the signature on the Trade Union’s death warrant, so at least some good came of it.

VAT’s fair in as much that you have more choice as to how much you pay, unlike NI or Income Tax, besides the last government’s reduction and then subsequent increase had virtually no economic effect, apart from losing the exchequer about £6billion on purchases that would have been made anyway.

Many in the private sector may have had pay rises, many have had redundancies, many more than in the public-sector, despite them having twice as much time off as sick leave.

I don’t think a desire to reduce the size of the state is necessarily warped. I happen to prefer “small” government and less state interference in the life of the individual, including having another party decide where my own money should be spent, it’s called libertarianism.

Bud: Cameron’s gonna have to go some after the previous incumbent’s achievements.

Economic Growth is the key to development and progress. It always has been. The present Government has decided to put that at grave risk. Unemployed people are the biggest waste any country can have.

The Winter of discontent achieved nothing. Later we had the ill fated Miners strike which no doubt you thought was wonderful unfortunately the net deficit from that crusade was – £6 billion.

The financial institutions are not repaying the true debt they owe the people of this country. Ironic that somebody can criticise policies they feel created a debt crisis yet our financial institions that you steadfastly defend have spent the last 2 decades manufacturing a debt crisis with irresponsible lending. Tad hypocritical 😉

If any Government wants to be prudent and fair then surely removing child benefit from the well off was an obvious step. I wonder why such an easy step was not taken. Increasing VAT is not a fair tax.

@boss bait wrote:

@NW Cut Angler wrote:

A shambolic government that may make things far worse rather than better. Remember, this GLOBAL economic crisis was created by the PRIVATE sector. It is those institutions that should be repaying a country that bailed them out from a crisis fuelled by PRIVATE GREED.

The winter of discontent will be nothing if the Government continues it’s misguided and ludicrous anti public sector crusade.

VAT – How can that be a fair tax / a means tested tax. The price you pay for having two hooray henrys in charge with no idea about the real world.

just tell me who brought in vat first?

France 😉 why? Although the idea was proposed by a German in 1918ish

@NW Cut Angler wrote:

@caster rob wrote:

If this government is shambolic what is to be said of the previous administration that failed to deliver a balanced budget since 2001 and ran record levels of defecit and borrowing BEFORE the economic downturn in 2008?

The economic crisis is not global, Canada, Australia and many other countries have experienced no down-turn at all. If it was global, every country would be affected.

Those institutions are indeed repaying the tax-payer whose government chose to bail them out.

The winter of discontent was exactly that, nothing, apart from the signature on the Trade Union’s death warrant, so at least some good came of it.

VAT’s fair in as much that you have more choice as to how much you pay, unlike NI or Income Tax, besides the last government’s reduction and then subsequent increase had virtually no economic effect, apart from losing the exchequer about £6billion on purchases that would have been made anyway.

Many in the private sector may have had pay rises, many have had redundancies, many more than in the public-sector, despite them having twice as much time off as sick leave.

I don’t think a desire to reduce the size of the state is necessarily warped. I happen to prefer “small” government and less state interference in the life of the individual, including having another party decide where my own money should be spent, it’s called libertarianism.

Bud: Cameron’s gonna have to go some after the previous incumbent’s achievements.

Economic Growth is the key to development and progress. It always has been. The present Government has decided to put that at grave risk. Unemployed people are the biggest waste any country can have.

The Winter of discontent achieved nothing. Later we had the ill fated Miners strike which no doubt you thought was wonderful unfortunately the net deficit from that crusade was – £6 billion.

The financial institutions are not repaying the true debt they owe the people of this country. Ironic that somebody can criticise policies they feel created a debt crisis yet our financial institions that you steadfastly defend have spent the last 2 decades manufacturing a debt crisis with irresponsible lending. Tad hypocritical ]

It must be quite difficult to carry out “irresponsible lending” unless some idiot is happy to indulge himself in irresponsible borrowing, otherwise, it does not compute.

Nevertheless, here’s the mighty state sector being ever-so careful with somebody else’s money:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289562/Kirklees-Council-wastes-130k-pedestrian-crossing-used.html

They really do need sorting out.

What do the ConDems know about economic growth ???? Its the usual Tory bullshit …… hammer the decent hardworking folk to make the rich even richer !!! Nick Clegg has aged 10 years in the last 8 weeks imo ~think The plus side of this shambles of a government is that it wont be around for too long ~clap ~clap ~clap

BTW is Rupert Murdoch happy ?? He got this shambles into power ! ~sick

Biggest problem any government of this country faces is that there are too few people working and earning money to support all the ones that for whatever reason are not. I don’t think you can expect the gainfully employed to have their earnings further reduced by extra taxation and pay cuts/freezes without significantly reducing welfare payments.

Oh ! …And dont forget these Tory / ConDem idiots want us hard working folk to work until we are 70 before we can retire !!!!!! While the FAT CATS get their £600K plus bonuses every year Plus mega EARLY RETIREMENT SUPER PENSIONS for doing exactly what ????

Torys = Perenial shafters of decent working class folk ~sick ~sick

Liberals = Joke Party

@Dodge wrote:

What do the ConDems know about economic growth ???? Its the usual Tory bullshit …… hammer the decent hardworking folk to make the rich even richer !!! Nick Clegg has aged 10 years in the last 8 weeks imo ~think The plus side of this shambles of a government is that it wont be around for too long ~clap ~clap ~clap

BTW is Rupert Murdoch happy ?? He got this shambles into power ! ~sick

I’d have thought that even a pea-brained Trot would be aware that our countries most rapid economic growth occured before the scum-sucking, life-leaching labour party gained its woeful existence.

Probably a coincidence?

As for retirement age:

Let’s replant the magic NuLabuh Money Tree in everyone’s garden, then we can borrow and spend forever, like idiots.

Whether it had been a tory or labour goverment that had been elected in May there would have been tough financial times ahead..

The public sector was always liable to suffer, under whichever party that was elected, and for those who had already suffered in the private sector that may seem equitable.

That said a 25% reduction in the budget of the likes of the Fire and Police services budgets, which around 90% are accounted for by personnel,are liable to have dire effects, if you dont see enough cops on the street at the moment … how many are you likely to see in the future ??? And, God forbid, if a loved one is trapped in a fire, how would you view the proposed budget ?

Trying times ahead …

@caster rob wrote:

@Dodge wrote:

What do the ConDems know about economic growth ???? Its the usual Tory bullshit …… hammer the decent hardworking folk to make the rich even richer !!! Nick Clegg has aged 10 years in the last 8 weeks imo ~think The plus side of this shambles of a government is that it wont be around for too long ~clap ~clap ~clap

BTW is Rupert Murdoch happy ?? He got this shambles into power ! ~sick

I’d have thought that even a pea-brained Trot would be aware that our countries most rapid economic growth occured before the scum-sucking, life-leaching labour party gained its woeful existence.

Probably a coincidence?

As for retirement age:

Let’s replant the magic NuLabuh Money Tree in everyone’s garden, then we can borrow and spend forever, like idiots.

No not a trot CR ~naughty ~naughty FAR FROM IT !!!

I have worked in the construction industry for 30 years and my wife has worked for the NHS all her working life ….. like i say thank god this government wont be around too long !

If labour had won this election the country would have been finished for good…

NWCA, apparently the cost of administering means tested child benefit is greater than cost of paying it to wealthy families; hence why Osborne decided not to do it (he definitely wanted to).

Dodge, are you implying that people earning ‘high incomes’ are not “decent, hardworking folk”? Usually, people earn higher incomes (and hence pay MORE tax) because they have worked harder and invested in their education and skills, contrary to what you seem to be implying.

The unions are increasingly marginalised. Middle England has nothing but disdain for the likes of Crow, Simpson and Woodley, whose sole objective seems to be to ruin the lives of ordinary people for the sake of a few extra quid here and some cushy perks there. The sooner these union dinosaurs are seen off once and for all, the better. Another winter of discontent is just a pipe dream of loony socialists.

To address wangla’s point directly, I do not think that the budget will have any significant impact on the fishing industry, except for giving match anglers, who are notoriously the biggest bunch of whingers in society, further ammunition for moaning at the draw.

Gary ,

So you are implying that the likes of Willy the w@nker from British Airways is a “Good Guy ” then ? ~sick

Lets rejoice the jumped up t!ts of middle england ~naughty ~naughty ~sick

@Dodge:

“like i say thank god this government wont be around too long !”

You might be right, the frustrated LibDem homosexual Hughes will most likely do his best to topple it through a hissey fit of jealousy.

Assuming this happens, to your satisfaction, you obviously have some alternative administration in mind.

What is it?

Early days yet CR ….. opposition will do the Labour party a lot of good, 14 years in power is a long time ! ….. meantime lets all watch this charade of a coalition go t!ts up without it doing too much damage to us all ….. hopefully ~think

Dodge.

I think we’ll have to conclude our debate for our mutual benefit.

Unless I’m very much mistaken, you appear to be of the stance that the previous government went “t!ts up without doing too much damage to us all”.

Er, as a bit of a reality check, our economy is now in the worst state it’s ever been in peace-time, thanks, solely to Gordon Brown ( who no longer goes to work, but still draws £1200 a week).

I’m still waiting to recognise your alternative.

In concluding meself CR ……

Er …… World economy , not just Gordon Browns ! Guess that suits some to play the blame game on him doesnt it.

Nasty buisness politics , but hey !

@caster rob wrote:

@Dodge:

“like i say thank god this government wont be around too long !”

You might be right, the frustrated LibDem homosexual Hughes will most likely do his best to topple it through a hissey fit of jealousy.

Assuming this happens, to your satisfaction, you obviously have some alternative administration in mind.

What is it?

Why the homophobic comment Rob. I am not sure it has any relevance.

The vital alternative!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10426747.stm

I didn’t know stating facts was homphobic, but the relevance is that when he contested the LibDem leadership in 2006 he blatantly denied his homosexuality which makes him an untrustworthy lying hypocrite in my book.

As for the “alternative”:

I find it odd that people who’ve blamed American economics for the current financial situation (like the BBC, Yvette Cooper, Gordon Brown and er, the rest of the Labour Party) should then laud it when it suits them!

International Monetary Fund (IMF), the biggest factor has been the decline in economic activity which hit tax revenues hard. Nearly half the increase in government debt that the IMF predicts for the developed country members of the G20 up to 2015 will be due to lost tax revenue.

President Obama wrote to other leaders of the G20 major economies last week expressing concern about the risks of renewed recession and hardship if cuts are made too soon.

We must learn from the mistakes of the past, he wrote.

He is probably referring to the US recession of 1937-38, which followed a period of recovery from the Great Depression. One of his top economic advisers, Christina Romer, partly blames new taxes and lower government spending for that downturn.

President Obama’s letter didn’t name any particular government. Nor did it explicitly say anyone is taking the axe to public spending too soon. He also acknowledged that government finances will need to be improved.

But he is clearly uneasy about the timing of such action and he will be able to share that concern with the other G20 leaders at a summit in Canada at the weekend.

The debate reflects a genuine dilemma. Government debts in the developed economies need to be stabilised. But the recovery is not very secure and could easily be set back.

@caster rob wrote:

I didn’t know stating facts was homphobic, but the relevance is that when he contested the LibDem leadership in 2006 he blatantly denied his homosexuality which makes him an untrustworthy lying hypocrite in my book.

As for the “alternative”:

I find it odd that people who’ve blamed American economics for the current financial situation (like the BBC, Yvette Cooper, Gordon Brown and er, the rest of the Labour Party) should then laud it when it suits them!

Sexuality has no bearing Rob on someone’s ability to do a job. Personally, being gay is not something I have ever considered or wanted but currently and historically there have been umpteen gay politicians.