andygoodliff

reaction to budget 07

I'm not an expert on economics or on the implications on the budget, but it does seem to me that this new budget will increase the divide between rich and poor, as Adam Curtis' The Trap suggested has been the case since Labour came to power in 1997. Rather than being a government of social justice, ultimately (if Curtis is right), Labour have made social mobility even harder. A drop in income tax is welcome, but the removal of the 10p lower rate, means those lower wages will end up paying more tax. I don't understand how this is fair? Its giving with the left hand and then taking it away with the right, which so often seems typical New Labour. We're taking troops out of Iraq,  but we're sending more to Afgahstan. We're setting up children centres and starting programmes like Sure Start, but then we're not giving the adequate funding to make them work and make a difference in the community. It's annoying.

Ask Tony...

If you go to labour.org.uk you can email Tony a question. It seems a good opportunity to ask the PM about Labour policies.  Last night I watched the last Labour political broacast, which featured Tony and Gordon having a late night chat on their achievements and their dreams.  Very clever, I thought.  But I remained unswayed.  I've had a look at the different policies put out by the parties and currently the Liberal Democrats do seem have the kind of policies I would like to see initiated.

Tony and Gordon frustrate me.  I think both of them are natural gifted leaders (just compare a Blair speech with a Michael Howard speech) and I instictively warm to them, but both - Blair especially - are prone to using their gifts to twist and avoid the truth. I find their policies on childcare to suggest that professionals do a better job than parents, which may be true in some cases, but the government should support parents and allow them to be at home with their children, instead of pushing mothers (and in some cases fathers) back into the world of work. I find Blair's unwillingness to apologise annoying - I don't want an infalliable Prime Minister (if there ever could be one), so why do they act as if they are.

Well that's some of my thoughts on Labour, but as I said above, policy wise the Lib Dems have got my vote.  On education they would give an 'equal emphasis on vocational learning' and to 'reform inspection system'.  On tax they would 'introduce a 50% rate on tax on incomes over £100,000 a year' - a bigger tax on the very rich - something Labour fail to do.  On pensions they would 'introduce a citizen's pension guaranterring £105 per week for single pensioners and £160 for couples.' On the environment they would 'cut tax on vehicles that pollute the least, funded by increased tax on those that pollute more.'  On the same issue Labour say they would 'enable at least 25% of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2006, with further improvements by 2008' - this I think is extremely important.