The Tory VAT bombshell
As warned about just two months ago by the people who then built the government which dropped it:
posted by Luke Akehurst at 4:19 pm
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
About Me
- Name: Luke Akehurst
- Location: North Durham, County Durham, United Kingdom
Labour MP for North Durham since 2024. Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012 and since 2020. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Dad. Unite and GMB union member. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.
6 Comments:
Given that Darling also didn't rule out VAT increases, one can't help but suspect he would have done the same, had Labour won.
Today's Budget is Brown's most significant legacy. Where is he, by the way.
4:39 pm, June 22, 2010
The Lib Dems are junior partners in the National Coalition Government so of course their position changes on somethings. That is gwrown up, non Mandelsonian politics.
At least growth is fostered by reducing corporation tax and the NI tax holiday for small firms.
At least pensions are linked to wages (Labour talked but never did this), at least people on the minimum wage will not pay income tax in 2014 with the increased personal allowance.
Britain is on a sustainable financial path.
before you complain too much Labour in their March budget siad they would cut spending by 44 billion but would not specify until after the election. So they would cut.
4:44 pm, June 22, 2010
The LibDems have entirely capitulated to their Tory masters - but that really doesn't surprise me at all. At least there will be clear differences between their solutions and ours
5:23 pm, June 22, 2010
Never mind where Brown is, this is a shameful day for Britain. This was not so much a Budget as a 'Bodge it'! Typical Tory tactics to get in and then blame its mistakes on the last Labour government. Can you please come up with something original?
5:44 pm, June 22, 2010
Part of the problem here is that before the election Chancellor Darling promised cuts in public spending deeper than those under Margaret Thatcher. However, he refused to say what they might be.
Two very obvious candidates should have been ID cards and Trident replacement. In April 2009, a number of newspapers reported that
arch-Blairite Stephen Byers had advocated this very course.
Labour could have presented this as an example of fiscal responsibility and a willingness to listen to progressive voters.
Sadly, it did not act on this sound advice.
N.B. This is likely to be the only time I will praise Stephen Byers.
So make the most of it!
6:09 pm, June 22, 2010
To be fair Clegg doesn't look too worried about it. Kennedy though.....
3:29 pm, June 23, 2010
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