The Budget ........
 

With the Budget looming what are your thoughts ?
Too many cuts or not enough what say you!....

We're f**ked. That's what I say.

Doesn't really make work pay if he's going after those in-work-benefits ...

Could you be a bit more specific ...:D

Correct,Osbourne seems to be going after anyone who is poorer than himself..
If he cuts tax credits he may find that a lot just give up low paid work ...

Regardless of what's in the Budget, the headline will be how he's taken 1p off Beer duty.

Also increasing Sunday Trading Hours. Feels a little bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul a bit.......can see smaller stores going to the wall and more pub/restaurant jobs going so it seems a bit of a sideways step. There are only so many jobs and so many people to fill them in the areas that those jobs are available and therefore only so much money being spent. I can't see how opening Next/Boots/Tesco etc for three or four hours longer (or however long it will be) will boost the economy frankly. It'll simply be one group benefitting from the misfortune of others, in much the same way that pubs, small stores got tanked by the onset of retail parks in the 80's/90's.

That said......for shift workers and the like, the flexibility of 24/7 trading is useful.

Just seems a funny move when we get hammered with information about energy being in shorter supply and more trading means more traffic, more fuel, more electricity, more consumption generally. Higher demand means higher prices.

Despite my views/rant it could turn out wonderfully. So we'll see I guess.

totaly disagree, why would extending opening hours make small shops go bust? in a world where online shops trade 24/7 not being allowed to open is a massive disadvantage for small and big shops alike.

and as far as making extra jobs being a bad thing, are you for real?

Wow that much...
I bet he puts the smokes up aswell ......

I believe "small" shops were always exempt form Sunday trading laws, precisely to give them an edge over the "big boys"

There is talk of him removing the ability of BTL landlords to write off interest payments against tax. Now that would be interesting!

This was where I was coming from. I don't think I was clear enough in how I put it.

I also view any extension to trading hours as job displacement not outright job creation. Granted there will be more jobs available at a superstore than at a country pub but some of those jobs inevitably come at a cost to businesses like the country pub.

Online trade and retail parks have also hammered the High St. So it really isn't "all that".

Like I said in my first post, it could work out wonderfully but I think there is definitely a case for less being more where trading hours are concerned.

bought my ky ready for the cut's to ctc, before long it's going to cost me money to work :luxhello:

It will if Osbourne get's his way ........:brickwall

TBH I think they should be looking at all those claiming to send back to other countries and those with kids not in the UK - once they get rid of those 'scams' there will be plenty left to top up the NHS etc

They seem to take the easy option instead of tackling the things that are actually killing the country - this statement goes for all parties not just those in power currently as they are all just as bad.

None of the issues we the normal folk suffer from really affect those MP's as everything seems to work ok for them and they are never in poverty.

Is it just Sundays that have restrictions? Are there no 24/7 supermarkets in England:wonder:


Scotland has never had trading restrictions, supermarkets are truly open 24/7 and it's never been a problem up here with smaller stores.


I had to do a double take on this yesterday as I had always presumed England was the same, I couldn't imagine turning up to do my weekly shop at 5pm on a Sunday and the doors being closed :lol1: How old fashioned and draconian, the supermarkets in Scotland are bustling on Sunday evenings, it will be no different when they open 24/7 in England.



Was a good budget, good to see the living wage brought in, good to see tax credits being limited to 2 children only, good to see the personal allowance and the 40% band move upwards but absolutely sh*t news about the new VED rates, seems very harsh.

you learn summit new everyday, didn;t realise there were any specific exemptions

Try Spain...NOTHING is open on a Sunday.

Just restaurants and main petrol stations (rural ones are closed). Its like Wales tens years ago. :lol1:

Its bit of a reality take, when we think that we're part of teh EU, you drive over the boarder and expect the same...France on a Sunday, nope, all closed too!

Makes me wonder why the hell we work all hours god sends and over the channel everyone else is chilling out and having a day off.....

You sure they weren't on strike .....:D

Or maybe one of their many public holidays.

I made the mistake of traveling over there on ascension day; not even the restaurants were open :mad:

Well he did it, or limited it to 20% anyway. Quite a bold move I suppose.

It will be interesting to see what effect this has. The intended consequence is to cool the btl market and give first time buyers a more level playing field, all desirable.

Some highly leveraged btl landlords with will run into problems and be forced to sell, I doubt they'll get much sympathy.

I wonder if the unintended consequence will be that landlords increase their rents to cover themselves and make things even more difficult for the younger generation.

I'm leaning towards that school of thought. If you did the sums and a move was more expensive in terms of fees for the next 12 months than a rate hike in the current household, you'd be inclined to stay put. Plus there's the slightly unquantifiable price of convenience. People have their own measure of the worth of their spare time. Looking for houses takes time. Moving takes time. Blah, blah, etc. £30 a month extra staying put might seem a "good deal" if it means not having to deal with agents/credit searches/forms and van hire......something a savvy btl landlord will know only too well.