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).
Category Archives: Politics
Darling: I can’t rewrite Budget – Liar!
Alistair Darling today suggested that he couldn’t rewrite the budget. Almost trying to put the blame for the tax rise on one Gordon Brown. However he LIES!!!!!! On the 12th March 2008 he read out his first budget. It would have been possible for him in this one to either re-introduce the 10p tax band, or alternatively put up the tax free threshold so that no one was worse off. However the Labour Party seem to be a bit thick and didn’t realise that this was such a big issue that they would have ministers almost resigning, yet over a year ago I was already pointing out that low income earners would be worse off.
I expect that most of the shouting is to do with the local elections and that once May 1st is over you won’t see Darling making any attempt to help anyone out.
Council crack down on junk gardens
In Thursday Echo we had the front page How does your garden grow?. The article is about the Environment Protection Team taking four households to court over the state of their back gardens. All of them had been asked several times to sort them out, and finally the magistrates fined them over £150 each.
Hopefully other households in Lincoln will realise that the mess in your backgarden affects your neighbours and that the council have a right and a duty to sort it out.
Council Tax up by 11.1%
Unfortunately for those in Lincoln (and very similar for those elsewhere in Lincolnshire), the 11.1% increase isn’t over 2 or 3 years. Nor is it calculated against the odd stealth local charge. Nope the figure of 11.1% is the actual increase in council tax on my bill right in front of me.
For this year Lincolnshire Police Authority have been fcked by the government and in return fcked every single council tax payer in the county.
Last year our band A house paid £87.72 to the police, this year it’s £156.90. That’s an increase of 78.9%. Seriously 78.9%! I now pay the police more than I pay the City Council (£147.84).
What seems to be worse is there is nothing we can do about it. If the county or city wanted to raise their portion by over 5% the government would stop them and if they didn’t at the next election the electorate might, but as far as I can see the police seem to be a law unto themselves.
BBC Conference Coverage
One of the things that you notice whilst away from Conference is the actual coverage that it gets. So far I’ve yet to see any pictures of Liverpool, but the BBC ran with “less VAT on fruit juice, more on alcohol” as their 2nd or 3rd item this morning. However whilst bored on the sofa, here were the stories on their PDA version:
OTHER TOP STORIES
Cable rethink on homes of rich
Vince Cable tells BBC News he scrapped plans for a £1m home tax over fears it would hurt middle-class voters.
SCOTLAND
Talks over scrapping council tax
Talks have taken place between ministers and the Lib Dems over scrapping the council tax, it emerges.
POLITICS
Lib Dems back Clegg health plans
Nick Clegg avoids a conference rebellion over NHS proposals but is forced to make some concessions.
HEALTH
Lib Dems propose juice tax cuts
VAT on fruit juice should be cut to 5% to encourage healthy diets, the Lib Dem spring conference is to hear.
Unfortunately the LibDems don’t seem to appear in one of the most important stories of the day:
TECHNOLOGY
BBC iPlayer comes to the iPhone
The BBC launches a version of its iPlayer video on demand service for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch.
Should I go to Liverpool?
This year we decided not to go to Spring Conference, even though we had paid and booked the Friday off work. The accommodation costs are too high, and nothing really happens. Instead Heather decided to work on the weekend, and we’ve booked tickets for Crufts on the Friday.
Then last night 3 13 16 15 MPs rebelled against the 3 line whip, which suddenly makes conference sound like fun (well fun if you enjoy debating the small print of the Lisbon treaty).
So should I get up early on Saturday, drive to Liverpool, not drink and then late at night head back home? Still not sure…
Is it wrong to vote and bet on Huhne?
I’ve already said that I’m not that bothered who wins, and mentioned that maybe I shouldn’t vote, since then the Huhne team claim it’s getting close, so at 3-1 is it ethical to vote for someone where the only reason is cash?
Should I bother to vote?
I’m still one of the undecideds. I really have no idea who I should vote for. But the question I’m asking myself is, should I bother to vote?
Last time around I voted for Ming, then when I went to conference I got evil stares from my Huhne friends and I have the feeling that whoever I vote for this time, the campaign team of the other will be making remarks about why we would have been better off with theirs and the stares will return.
But if I don’t vote neither side can blame me (unless it turns out to be a draw) and I keep all my mates happy.
LibDem leader to have a sex change?
As others have blogged about, YouGov have a LibDem leadership election survey with all the usual questions, but do they know something we don’t?
Would you like the next Liberal Democrat leader to commit the party to a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty?
[] Yes, he/she should
[] No, he/she should not
[] Don’t know
Question Time: Nick 12 – Chris 12 (Score Draw)
Everyone else seems to be blogging about last nights Question Time so here’s my review. Continue reading Question Time: Nick 12 – Chris 12 (Score Draw)