George Osborne’s avoidable VAT rise
George Osborne repeatedly said that this was the “unavoidable Budget”. But the rise in VAT was only necessary to pay for a series of tax cuts elsewhere.
Yearly Archives: 2010
Budget live webchat
Left Foot Forward is teaming up with Labour List, Liberal Conspiracy ans the New Statesman blog for a live budget webchat this Tuesday from 12.
BUDGET 2010 – concern across the Nations
With swinging public sector spending cuts on his Budget radar, the Chancellor must be careful with regions like Northern Ireland that are heavily reliant on public expenditure…
Politics Summary: Tuesday, June 22nd
The front pages are dominated by today’s Budget with speculation mounting that George Osborne will spend £3.7 billion cutting income tax. The Guardian writes that the Chancellor will announce a £200 tax cut for 20 million basic rate taxpayers in antest
Enlightenment thinking can inspire ‘new politics’
Last night launched the new RSA strapline: 21st century enlightenment was launched, asking whether the Enlightenment principles can be reimagined for the present.
Green Alliance calls for end to aviation tax breaks
An analysis published this week by the Green Alliance and the Policy Studies Institute argues there would be economic, environmental and equity benefits if the Government got rid of aviation tax breaks.
Coalition’s NHS vision: diluting standards and incentivising profit
Health Secretary Lansley is pushing ahead with dilution of NHS universal standards and promoting risky plans giving GPs total budget control to buy all NHS care.
Fears for Scotland’s military bases
According to reports in this weekend’s edition of Scotland on Sunday, sources within the Ministry of Defence have confirmed that major RAF and army bases across Scotland face possible closure as part of budget cuts.
A Thatcherite horror sequel
When George Osborne delivers his first Budget on Tuesday, the re-run will be of the Thatcherism of the early 1980s. And, with much bigger cuts to public spending and no North Sea oil bonanza, it will be much worse.
Lamont’s lamentable borrowing blather
In today’s Daily Telegraph, former Chancellor Norman Lamont trots out the normal Conservative lines about “Labour’s legacy of borrowing” and Gordon Brown’s “spending addiction”. Putting aside his own record of raising debt, he goes on to claim that Britain wastest