According to the BBC Brown defends ‘U-turn’ on 10p tax. Yet looking at the article and listening to what he has said I can’t see a U-turn.
I can see some distant promises to give old people some extra cash at winter, and some young people a bit more via the minimum wage (notice not actually via the government) and some more tax credits to those without children.
However here’s the problem, at the moment to get Working Tax Credits you need be earning less than £13,000 as a single person over 26, or £18,000 (combined income) as a couple over 26.
Meaning a married couple earning £9,000 each get NO tax credits, yet get hit with a 10% tax increase on their income.
Gordon Brown (who last time I checked was no longer the Chancellor) is still screwing over those on low incomes.
I get paid next Monday and for the first time my actuall wage will be less than last month, something that I never believed would happen with a Labour Government (well at least while my income was nowhere near the 40% rate).
I’m not looking forward to next month’s pay packet much either having already had the first since we waved goodbye to the 10p rate. As that will be the second month running that my take home pay will have decreased. When you consider, barring periods of unemployment, it’s either been stationary or gone up for 16 odd years that is scarey.
Gahh. Instead of pratting around with credits why not just… tax the poor less.