Blown Budget

The Budget of April 22 2009 was not just a bombshell. It was a blown budget. Ignoring the increased action that could and should have been taken in the medium to long term on borrowing and spending, this budget failed to help (amongst others):

—Our pensioners. Increasing the winter fuel allowance is not good enough. Our pensioners should not have to ‘bureaucracy bargain’. Where is the dignity in that? Instead our pensioners should see their state pension increased up front. Pensioners should not have to dig as deep as the working population when it comes to income tax and council tax. No pensioner should ever have to count the pennies at the supermarket checkout. They should not have to live in one room during the winter months. It is time for a proper ‘Pensioner's package’.

The budget also failed to deal effectively with the issue of credit. That is not surprising given the example being set at the top. But for all the furore over the traditional banks where is the outrage over the supermarket’s ‘finance packages’ and the store cards? Banking’s problems are not just about dividends but diversification. You should not be able to pick up credit and cabbage in the supermarket.