Feel better?

[sandmaster]

I see the budget review as a blatant short term attempt to bribe the electorate before the next general election. After that, whoever is in power, taxes will rise to repair the damage Brown and Darling have done. My question is: do you feel richer and better off today? Will you go on a spending spree to "save the nation?"

[dasherman]

The way I see it is:

1) We are living in a global economy & are experiencing a worldwide recession.What Browns' Darling does in this country is just a drop in the ocean!

2) Many families are struggling with day to day expenditure,so any tax savings now will just be spent on the mortgage,utility bills,etc. Not many will go out and buy new tv's just to save a few quid of VAT.

3) With all the money the government are borrowing and the tax rises in a year or two,i can see the recession actually being prolonged by these measures. Whose to say that things will be better then?

[sandmaster]

That's my thinking. The recession may be slightly easier for some for a short time - but it will be prolonged and worse for everyone due to government measures.

[WoWo]

They know the game is up, they are just doing this to make it look like they are doing something.

My question would be this.... do you think that people currently having difficulty in paying bills, are having trouble paying 2.5% of it or a lot more than that?

For example those facing repossession, that only happens after about 7 months of missed payments, 2.5% is a drop in the ocean.

[auntiebertie]

Of course not - if I spend �100 I save �2.50 today which I would have not saved yesterday - big whoopy whoo....It doesn't even pay for the car park charges.

[Sammylad]

Maybe spending �100 and saving �2.50 isin't much, but �400 and saving �10 is sizeable enough to make people think. Also, the more time goes on, the more people will buy because there will be a rush to buy things before VAT goes back up.

The goverment are there to look after the best interests of the country. In the biggest economic crisis we've faced in 100 years, do you think they should sit idley by and do nothing? The cynicism of some British people astounds me.

[sandmaster]

Thrift can be an answer to economic problems. The profligacy of the government astounds me. No - they should not stand by and do nothing - but getting further into debt weakens the country. This government has done nothing to encourage people to save - borrow borrow borrow!.

[WoWo]

"In the biggest economic crisis we've faced in 100 years, do you think they should sit idley by and do nothing?"

That's what they did for the last 10 years or so to create the problem.....