Brown and the Budget
Discussion
ananova said:
Brown unveiling pre-election Budget
Labour MPs will look to Gordon Brown to inject new life into the party's pre-election campaigning as the Chancellor delivers what may be his final Budget.
In what is likely to be the Government's last big setpiece announcement before the general election - widely expected on May 5 - Mr Brown will seek to seize the political initiative.
Despite Treasury attempts to play down suggestions of the pre-election give-away, the Chancellor is expected to announce help for first-time home buyers by raising the stamp duty threshold from £60,000 to £100,000.
Such a move would pre-empt the Tories who have signalled that cutting stamp duty will be one of their priorities when they set out their promised plans for £4 billion of tax cuts.
It has been reported that motorists are also set to benefit in the Budget with another freeze on fuel duty - despite the anger such a move will spark among the "green" lobby.
Comments from the Chancellor and his allies have suggested that he is planning help for Labour's priority areas with tax breaks for pensioners and "hard working" families.
Measures to extend affordable childcare in order to enable mothers to return to work may also be on the agenda.
And business leaders will be hoping that the Chancellor will heed their calls to reduce some of the burden of red tape which, they say, has cost them £40 billion since Labour came to power in 1997.
Mr Brown will be unveiling the secrets of his Budget box for the ninth and possibly last time, amid speculation at Westminster that Tony Blair may be planning to move him to the Foreign Office if Labour is re-elected.
However it will provide the Chancellor - who still hopes to succeed Mr Blair when he steps down some time in the next Parliament - with an opportunity to set out his stall as a leader in waiting.
When is the announcement of what has actually been decided?
Mrs Fish said:
[quote=ananovaComments from the Chancellor and his allies have suggested that he is planning help for Labour's priority areas with tax breaks for pensioners and "hard working" families.
Funnily enough most people on Ph's are hardworking and all we can expect is a sh**ing-though he will probable wait for the next budget for that.
I can't see how freezing fuel duty is a 'benefit' to motorists, its just not another shafting.
As for when will we know for sure, I think he'll start his budget speech at 12:30... It normally seems to go on for hours so some point late this afternoon.
Budget calculators normally pop up pretty soon after that which can tell you exactly how much worse off you'll be.
As for when will we know for sure, I think he'll start his budget speech at 12:30... It normally seems to go on for hours so some point late this afternoon.
Budget calculators normally pop up pretty soon after that which can tell you exactly how much worse off you'll be.
He'll give a little away today and then clobber us all big time after the election. A safe prediction is that he needs another £12 billion to balance the books. He raised taxes after both the 97 and 01 elections and will undoubtedly do so again. 
Far from being a great chancellor I think Brown has been a huge failure. He inherited a great economy in 97 and has proceeded to increase taxes in an unprecedented manner whilst simultaneously stealing £5 billion a year from our pension plans. He has gone on to waste our money in the most profligate manner imaginable.
An unmitigated disaster who would have been fired in 2001 if Bliar wasn't so weak and frightened of his own chancellor.
Today is no more that pre election window dressing. We're in for a rough ride after May so brace yourselves...............
Far from being a great chancellor I think Brown has been a huge failure. He inherited a great economy in 97 and has proceeded to increase taxes in an unprecedented manner whilst simultaneously stealing £5 billion a year from our pension plans. He has gone on to waste our money in the most profligate manner imaginable.
An unmitigated disaster who would have been fired in 2001 if Bliar wasn't so weak and frightened of his own chancellor.
Today is no more that pre election window dressing. We're in for a rough ride after May so brace yourselves...............
I have just heard on the radio that Brown reckons we now have the best economy in 300 plus years.
>> Edited by Mrs Fish on Wednesday 16th March 12:59
ananova said:
Brown Budget to promote stability
Chancellor Gordon Brown has set out the economic record on which Labour will fight the next General Election.
He hailed the low inflation rate and strong growth as he unveiled a Budget designed to promote stability while giving extra help to Britain's hard-working families and pensioners.
With the expected poll only weeks away, he insisted he would take no risks with the country's economy.
He opened his speech with a now-familiar boast.
"Britain is today experiencing the longest period of sustained economic growth since records began in the year 1701.
"And the foundation of this Budget is our determination to maintain British stability and growth."
Mr Brown said the UK's long-term prosperity could only be secured "if we make the right decisions to be world leaders in science, enterprise and education".
But he added that family prosperity could only be secured if a strong economy was matched with investments to "help parents balance work and family life, to give every child the best possible start in life, and to deliver a fair deal for pensioners".
He went on: "So my Budget choice is to lock in stability and never put it at risk; and to strike the right balance between tax cuts that are affordable, investments that are essential and stability that is paramount: at all times putting Britain's hard working families first."
He said growth in 2004 would be in line with forecasts - 3.1%.
>> Edited by Mrs Fish on Wednesday 16th March 12:59
Mrs Fish said:
I have just heard on the radio that Brown reckons we now have the best economy in 300 plus years
We have had a long period of unintterupted economic growth which is partly due to policy decisions he has made-credit where credit is due.
The only problem is that the rewards of this economic growth have been denied to the rich or even those on middling incomes.
7p on a packet of fags from 6.00pm tonight.
Penny on bottle of beer.
4p on bottle of wine.
Nothing on cider or spirits.
He's just reading the motoring stuff, watch this space - or fill it in...
£120,000 stamp duty, + shared equity mortgages (25%) for FTB.
Inheritance tax threshold raised...
Penny on bottle of beer.
4p on bottle of wine.
Nothing on cider or spirits.
He's just reading the motoring stuff, watch this space - or fill it in...
£120,000 stamp duty, + shared equity mortgages (25%) for FTB.
Inheritance tax threshold raised...
Hardcore2000 said:
120000 limit for stamp duty and the goernment offering to buy 25% of a first time buyers house, maybe they are not so bad afterall
HOLD THE PHONE!!
I complete on Friday on my housing move.
My property I've bought is £115,000
I've exchange last week.
I paid the solicitor the fees so he can complete
CAN I HAVE THE 1% BACK ???
munter said:
Raising the SD threshold from £60K to £100K indeed.
Are there really that many thick people in this country?
Eh? What are you getting at there? That only thick people buy cheap houses? What he's just done is possibly saved me from paying stamp duty...
A know of no property in my local area which is worth less than 100K-It is a meaningless concession unless you happen to live in the Labour heartlands.
According to the beeb, Defence can expect an extra £400! That won't cover the cost of a flak jacket in Iraq!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4354159.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4354159.stm
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That gave me an awful mental picture. I don't think any amount of booze will ever erase it.
I realy really hope the Tories boot the hell out of Labour in the coming election. I don't know if I can bear another 4 years of Labour. It'll take a decade to undo the damage, and end up being another mess like the 80s.
JagLover said:
Plotloss said:
Raising the SD threshold from £60K to £100K indeed.
Are there really that many thick people in this country?
Eh? What are you getting at there? That only thick people buy cheap houses? What he's just done is possibly saved me from paying stamp duty...
A know of no property in my local area which is worth less than 100K-It is a meaningless concession unless you happen to live in the Labour heartlands.
Thats odd because i'm looking at stuff between £80,000 and £100,000 in High Wycombe, Bucks, London Green belt. Yes it the cheapest stuff and it'll need work. But we all start at the bottom.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I think if she can afford an £800k house straight off the blocks I wouldn't want them to tbh, although I think that may be part of the point you were trying to make...?
Obviously, they don't give you 25%, it would be repayable out of the value of the house on sale one would imagine.
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