Budget review

[Matblack]

So, the next PM of Great Britian has set out his Budget Review

There are quite a few things here I agree with, although there are a few glareing errors too.

I'm not overly pleased about fuel tax going up, if I has some form of cast iron promise that the extra money will be spent on the transport system or on green initatives I would be less cross though. £5 on flights is acceptable AGAIN as long as the money doesn't just go into the pot.

I salute the increase in Apprenticeships, although apprenticeships are not made by the government, they need willing employees and until there is an incentive to take on apprentices then any initative will fail. More money for basic skills for adults is great, increasingly young people are falling out of the system and not realising the value of an education until later in life, but I would like to see more investment in keeping them in in the first place, prevention is almost always cheaper and more effective than cure!

But there is one thing that really bothers me
An extra £600m for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
An extra £84m for intelligence and counter-terrorism


Surely this should be the other way around? I am very keen for us to hand back both Iraq and Afganistan as soon as possible, we need to cut and run, congratulate ourselves on freeing these dictatorships, apologise for the deaths we have caused get the hell out!

The chancellor said economic growth of 2.75% had beaten forecasts and he pledged to pay Child Benefit from the 29th week of pregnancy, from 2009.

Although fuel duty is going up 1.25p per litre from midnight and air passenger duty from £5 to £10 for most flights, Mr Brown rejected demands to re-link petrol prices to inflation.







Mr Brown, who is widely expected to take over as prime minister next year, told MPs the UK was performing better than its major competitors, apart from the US.

He said the UK was enjoying the "longest period of sustained growth in our history".


Children
Former director general of the CBI, Sir Digby Jones, has been made the government's skills envoy, said Mr Brown.
And there would be new cash for children who had fallen behind at schools and more basic skills training for adults.



There would also be an increase in the number of apprenticeships on offer for young people, he said. With all eyes on next summer's Comprehensive Spending Review, Mr Brown held off from making major policy anouncements.

But he unveiled further details of planned capital investments in schools in England. Separate announcements will be made for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He pledged to increase annual spending to £10bn by 2010, which he said would match spending per-pupil on buildings in the state sector to that in the private sector.
Other measures include:

• A further 300,000 households to be offered free insulation and free central heating.
• Consultation on bringing in bursaries worth £2,000 for looked-after children - such as those in local authority care - to go to university.
• Bookstart scheme to be extended so children get more free books when they leave primary school.
• An extra £600m for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
• An extra £84m for intelligence and counter-terrorism

Mr Brown said trend growth (the assumed rate) of the UK economy will be maintained at 2.75%, while the public finances will be based on a rate of 2.5% And he forecast economic growth next year of 2.75% to 3.25%.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6211176.stm

All in all nothing majorly wrong here, the taxes imposed appeal to my liberal sensibilities as long as they are used properly, the spending emphasis is on children and the environment which sits well and the economic forcasts look good, of course this is Gordy's spin so its going to come across looking rosey but it could be worse.

In my eyes it was always going to take a major cock up on the part of Labour to end up out of office at the next election, people still remember the mess the Conservatives made last time and if Labour can get Iraq pushed firmly under the carpet before the next election and nothing else bad happens I can't see Camaron pulling off a victory.

Ideas?

MB