Budget March 2021

[plodder]

Extending furlough, help to buy etc etc

R&D tax relief too, plus visa reforms for highly skilled migrants

[plodder]

uh oh. new rules to allow pension funds to invest in "exciting new ventures", i.e. higher risk. Unlocks billions apparently.

[plodder]

Ah. Free ports. Simplified planning in these areas, lower taxes, handouts for infrastructure and simplified customs rules.

8 of them dotted around the place, including West Midlands airport.

[plodder]

That's the red wall gone blue then.

[monkey]

That's the red wall gone blue then.

Only for a bit, despite all the spending, this is still a very Tory budget, designed to help business, rather than people. After the Covid spending is finished people might notice there's very little being done for the public services they need, and they've just got an effective tax hike. Putting some treasury departments in Darlington won't hide that.

But some people do like the sizzle more than the sausage.

[headshot]

Ah. Free ports. Simplified planning in these areas, lower taxes, handouts for infrastructure and simplified customs rules.

8 of them dotted around the place, including West Midlands airport.

Where is "West Midland Airport"??

[headshot]

Ah. It’s actually going to be at East Midlands Airport.

[plodder]

yeah, it’s near there, just along a bit.

[plodder]

That's the red wall gone blue then.

Only for a bit, despite all the spending, this is still a very Tory budget, designed to help business, rather than people. After the Covid spending is finished people might notice there's very little being done for the public services they need, and they've just got an effective tax hike. Putting some treasury departments in Darlington won't hide that.

But some people do like the sizzle more than the sausage.

If business is booming then enough people will have enough money in their pockets to not worry about public services.

If business is not booming then enough people will not have enough money in their pockets and they will then need to worry about public services.

I am very suspicious of people who prefer the latter.

[El Pollo Diablo]

The papers have gone big on "Sunak's Tax Raid". I'll be fascinated to see how this plays with the public in the next few days.

[monkey]

That's the red wall gone blue then.

Only for a bit, despite all the spending, this is still a very Tory budget, designed to help business, rather than people. After the Covid spending is finished people might notice there's very little being done for the public services they need, and they've just got an effective tax hike. Putting some treasury departments in Darlington won't hide that.

But some people do like the sizzle more than the sausage.

If business is booming then enough people will have enough money in their pockets to not worry about public services.

If business is not booming then enough people will not have enough money in their pockets and they will then need to worry about public services.

I am very suspicious of people who prefer the latter.

Why do think I'm making a choice? I generally find that people like to have money in their pocket, *and* decent social care/bins collected/etc. The IFS seem to agree with me too clicky

[plodder]

sorry, wasn't pointing the finger. Many people I've encountered seem to think that it's best to have well-funded social care via the medium of walloping businesses.