Gordons Brown's last budget?

[STEED]

Well what did you think of it? At the moment of typing this post I am watching that bloated Pratt waffling on and everything is lovely in BS land.


More Later.

[STEED]

My verdict, typical give away budget with a little take back. Be warned folks once Labour wins the general election again they will claw back all that give away with interest.

PS: Middle class hit again.

[KevinB]

This is always the case with any government. But Labour has always been a party for taxing everything. I hope the bastard gets defeated in the elections.
After that he will do very nicely in a lucrative career no doubt working for some city bank for two days a week and get half a million.
How is it that failed politicians always come out with lucrative careers?

[STEED]

Originally Posted by KevinB

This is always the case with any government. But Labour has always been a party for taxing everything. I hope the bastard gets defeated in the elections.
After that he will do very nicely in a lucrative career no doubt working for some city bank for two days a week and get half a million.
How is it that failed politicians always come out with lucrative careers?

Let's look at the party's first Liberals they will never get into power as they have very strange ideas, Conservatives may rake back some lost ground but they will never get into power Cameron is not government material. Labour no change except Brown in Blair out.

I will never vote for these three party's on the grounds they have had there day and worn out. Vote for a smaller party, that's what I say.

[Penelope_Grey]

I've just read the budget, my my, very cosy. Fuel going up, what a surprise(!) Looks like Brown is paving the way for his road to the top.

I will never be able to drive a car at this rate. I'll never be able to afford one. I also am amused why it takes till next april to reduce income tax by 2p in the pound.

[STEED]

1.4 Billion rise on green taxes in three years.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by KevinB

How is it that failed politicians always come out with lucrative careers?

It's because democracy, and parties and lobbies don't go well together. At the entrance to parliament, their should be a guard with a sign: "political parties forbidden". The more party you have, the less democracy remains.

German constitution surrogate (Grundgesetz):

Article 38 The deputies to the German Bundestag are elected in universal, direct, free, equal and secret elections. They are representatives of the whole people, are not bound by orders and instructions and are subject only to their conscience.

Any party leader demanding party discipline, and demanding all members voting according to the party line - calls for open violation of the constitution. Which is under penalty in Germany. Nevertheless it is daily routine, and it is sold as a great and wonderful thing if an election is held and party leaders agree to free it from party-discipline (they say then that they make the election "free" - and demand applause for that as if they had given the public a noble, precious gift. Applaus for doing what the costitution demands and rules as the usual routine anyway...?)

But if the individual Bundestag-deputy's conscience is flawed, the public is screwed nevertheless. Maybe the character of applicants for public offices should be checked more carefully... we also should ban doing politics as a life-long job. It should be limited like the number of terms a presdient can run, for example. And lastly an independant control is needed that monitors the interaction between economical lobbies, and politicians and law-makers. Democracy has miserably failed in this regard. Do I have a fail-safe idea how to do it? No. It seems their is no recipe aganst selfishness of the one, and stupidity of the others. Call it a lack of reason and altruism altogether. democarcy is basing on illusions like Communism. both think man is altruistic, and reasonable.

He is not.

[KevinB]

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments STEED. I can't ever see Liberals getting as Cambell is too old.
David (call me Dave) Cameron is trying to be cool with the people and is showing his double standards by going about on a bike while his briefcase travels in his limmo.
The lesser known parties haven't snowball's chance in hell of getting in due to the hidden agenda type groups (Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission, Royal Inst for Intl Affairs etc. These are the people who choose who will be our next prime minister (and presidents for that fact).

Whatever happened to the Natural Law Party? I want to try yogi flying, just think how much I will save flying to work

[STEED]

This country needs to turn it's backs on the big three all us voter's should vote for a smaller party and show are disgust with the big three. They rely on non voters and why? Because they then can control you! Well in my book that is not democracy as they are voted in by us and they should work for us, but do they?

[Tchocky]

Not bad, Gordon.
Brown has delivered better budgets than this, but he hasn't done much harm today. It does look like a paving-stone on the road next door alright.
Taxes overall stay about the same, that 2% drop isnt as amazing as it sounds. What I like about this budget is where the difference is made up, mostly through environmentally-related taxes and fees. Taking the load off of the worker and placing it somewhere where market-based efforts are the best way forward, damn good move. Of course, it it works, the tax system will have to change in a few decades, but that's alright.
Always good to see a drop in corporation tax, but this will likely be cancelled out by the raise in small business tax. Not good.
So there's not a huge difference in money in/money out terms, but a cautious improvement in where it's coming from. Just the kind of steady ground he'll want to base his succession on....

[The Munster]

No help for the single man as per usual
Sooner we get a single man as prime minister the better; might get a break then !
Not all of us are 'normal' 2.4/Mortgage/Car and Debt up to our neck

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Munson

No help for the single man as per usual
Sooner we get a single man as prime minister the better; might get a break then !
Not all of us are 'normal' 2.4/Mortgage/Car and Debt up to our neck

You got my vote.