The Budget

[voltaire]

How was it for you?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpo...171999,00.html

V

[Babzzii]

I think the main good thing about the budget is that drivers were
not hammered again !!

As one who does a lot of travelling to see family I was pleased about
that !!

8p on a packet of ciggies was a wee bit steep, but hardened smokers will
pay it, I have read somewhere that it will actually be 9p once the VAT
has been included, that to me stinks !!

I do think that charities will lose out now that Mr Brown has decided
not to renew the Top Up scheme for payroll donations even though he
has said that he promises a 'cash incentive' to encourage small companies
to join the Top Up scheme !!

I wonder if any government is going to put the xmas payments to
pensioners etc. up from £10 to something in line with all the inflation
since it was first given out when Maggie was in power, I am thinking that
it would be a mighty sum now.

[Last_Knight]

No one was really that badly hit, although for smokers I imagine the 8/9p will be a minor blow, it could of been a lot worse. Especially with all the crying over smoking at the moment.
I imagined Alcohol to be higher with the recent Government programmes that will try to cut down binge drinking, surely a more expensive drink through tax would either stop this or at least give more to the government. Saying that the poor casual drinker will be harmed for no good reason.

If Britain is gaining money like Mr. Brown states, I say, it's about time. For once such a powerful nation we have become a mere shadow, you'd still expect certain riches to be in our posession.

I see no surprise though in our country becoming richer, the M.O.D has been cut back so much its unbelievable. I'll be amazed if we have a military by 2010.
I suppose you have to get money from somewhere to pay for all those 'Asylum Seekers'.