What will Alistair Darling do next week?
We are already starting to see various leaks in the financial press regarding the pre-budget report which will be announced by Alistair Darling next week. Despite the fact that Parliament is supposed to be the place where the pre-budget report is announced, there have been various well-placed leaks in the press this week and we will see more next week. So what can we expect to see?
There is already talk of an overhaul for the UK property sector with a realignment of stamp duty on various property value bands, increased taxes for the middle income and high income earners of the UK, cuts in some areas of public services and no doubt some form of short-term taxation on the banking sector. The truth is that many of the potential changes being discussed in the financial press will never happen, will not raise sufficient funds to make them worthwhile and will ultimately be worth more as a public relation stunt.
Unfortunately, the Labour Party is not alone in using the budget and the final months of a term in office to their own ends and possibly ignoring the short to medium term requirements of the UK economy and the UK population as a whole. But would they be as "kind" if they were to retain office?
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