The Budget

[nedflanders]

What do you want to see from Mr Darling from this weeks budget? Surely he cant dare put the fuel duty up 2p. Does he not realise that inflation is going through the roof?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7286371.st m
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7288028.st m

[Ripley58]

I would love to see this government give pensioners a really good deal for once, even if it does prove expensive. I was standing behind a pensioner in Sainsbury's today and she was desperately struggling to find the extra ten pence she needed to pay her bill. The chap behind me eventually gave her the money. She thanked him profusely, but you could see tears welling up in her eyes. There is enough money in this country for everyone to have a reasonable standard of living, regardless of their age, occupation or even lack of occupation.

[jake-the-peg]

I'd agree and we could pay for it by not renewing that huge white elephant Trident!

What is the inflation at the moment Ned remind us what "through the roof" actually means?

[delboy3]

What, you didn't have the 10p yourself, Ripley?

[Gromit]

2.2% inflation in last month.

Piddling when compared to the 14.76% of March 1980 when a certain M. Thatcher was in charge.

The Sin taxes - booze, cigs, petrol will be an easy target again.

[shaneystar2]

It will be the same old....same old ..... ..if you like a drink or are a smoker and drive a car you will be paying more . If you are a fat cat you will be better off . If you are struggling to make ends meet ....you will still be struggling .
Nothing changes .

[Lonnie]

He'll do as he's told, the Budget will be Browns, Darling is just the front man.

[Ripley58]

You made me laugh dellboy. I did feel guilty afterwards, but have to admit it didn't even enter my head to cough up the 10p at the time. In my defence, I have been rather pre-occupied with my own thoughts recently.

[delboy3]

I'll let you off, Ripley, you've had it rough of late

[bazwillrun]

Of course hes going to put the 2p on petrol, how else is he going to pay for a doubling of operational costs (�3+ billion)in Iraq and Afghanistan ? amongst other Labour follies.

One thing he cant do is blame his problems on the previous government, they are all one way or another caused by his current boss Hahaha.

He will just bleed the public dry as usual

[sp1214]

Employ some decent statisticians. When the inflation rate is given as 2.1% when we all know the figure is nearer to 9% for all the necessities in life. As pensions are based on inflation figures the pensioners are being swindled.

[jno]

it was 24% in 1975, one of the factors that brought Thatcher to power. As Gromit points out, it is now somewhat less. Just how low is your roof, ned?

[nedflanders]

I live in a bungalow jno!!!
I would say in the recent economic climate 10% is pretty high. This is the real rate of inflation, as the petrol increases filter through to all goods on the shelf and on top of that 15% increases in gas and electricity bills watch the "official" rate rise.

[R1Geezer]

They should make snout a pony a packet and reduce the price of beer to 50p. Abolish road tax for bikes and quadruple it for slow moving steel boxes, put �10 a pack tax on chewing gum, same for plastic bags! or does that seem a little selfish?

[Loosehead]

All they have to do is knock about 30billion off the NHS budget most of it is pi55ed away on admin anyway. Trident is small beer in comparison, then they'd have enough dosh for all the other stuff. At the same time get shot of the 600,000 extra town hall busy bodies that have been recruited since noo Labour started, simple!