Just reading an article on the BBC website about the budget...

"Mr Osborne, who will speak from 1230 BST, will say moves to cut the £155bn deficit will be based on fairness, with the better-off paying more." -- Fair yet one section of people paying more purely because they are better off... hows that even close to fair? fair would mean everyone pays the same surely?

Think percentages not values.

VAT up to 20%, those with more disposable income will pay more tax

makes sense when you put it like that, but it just didnt sound like thats what he meant from the quote.

I know what you mean and I dont like it much either

http://specials.uk.msn.com/be-the-chancellor.aspx -- who do you come out as?

I was gordon brown... which horrified me tbh

Depends on your viewpoint.

Is fair that everyone pays the same percentage of their income, or that everyone pays based on their ability to play ?

Not sure where I fall.

Nigel Lawson.. I chose only options that i thought would hurt the public the most (raise taxes, cut spending, ruin the olympics, kill the welfare state, privatise the NHS)... I am pleased Nigel Lawson is not the chancellor!    -)

Quote from: Binary Shadowhttp://specials.uk.msn.com/be-the-chancellor.aspx -- who do you come out as?

I was gordon brown... which horrified me tbh

Nigel Lawson for me

Quote from: Tek_EdNigel Lawson.. I chose only options that i thought would hurt the public the most (raise taxes, cut spending, ruin the olympics, kill the welfare state, privatise the NHS)... I am pleased Nigel Lawson is not the chancellor!    -)

disagree.. if one can not afford, one should not indulge.

Nigel Lawson here too.

That was crap. The end summary says Im Gordon Brown and will "increase taxes on fuel..." even though I specifically said I wouldnt in that question !

yeah its sh*te i think as i said the same

cant agree with getting rid of the NHS though

Quote from: Binary Shadowyeah its sh*te i think as i said the same

cant agree with getting rid of the NHS though

The NHS could be massively downsized though, including fines for not showing
up for appointments & contributing to certain things like xrays, or having your
stomach pumped, etc. - especially if it was caused under the influence.

I also agree with the idea of an agreement for the patient to do certain things
before getting certain treatments & anything cosmetic scrapped. Women getting
NHS boobjobs because they say their m&ms make them self conscious & depressed.

Theres a lot of waste in the public sector & most departments in my experience are well
over staffed.

Overall its a hell of a gamble to take with the British Economy. Vat increase will hit poorest most.

Quote from: SeriousOverall its a hell of a gamble to take with the British Economy. Vat increase will hit poorest most.

I dont think many will notice it to be honest, in the same way dropping it to 15% didnt really make a huge difference.

Im not sure I believe the argument that the VAT increase will affect lower income households more. Sure, everyone has to pay it, but its such a small change its hardly noticeable for your day to day shopping and essentials. When you will feel the pinch is when making a more expensive purchase and Id hazard a guess and say that high income households spend a tremendous amount more on luxury goods and expensive items than poorer homes, and these people see a difference, but they can afford to pay the difference as well.

A lot of tabloids are running scare stories. Im looking at one now, "VAT rise will add £33 to average shopping basket". This is utter bollocks and sensationalist scaremongering. The article itself even goes on to explain in the small print that it will add £33 per year to an "average" shoppers spends in a supermarket, and thats assuming you trust their maths. A lot of people seem to be commenting on how terrified they will be to look at the prices of petrol in January. Its just an excuse to moan; its going to add something like 2.5p to every litre of petrol you buy. Its hardly earth shattering.