Is Alistair Darling listening to the UK car industry?
The Chancellor the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, will next week reveal his pre-budget report which will be the last major chance the UK government has to influence UK taxpayers before the general election. While taxpayers and voters will be top of the agenda for Alistair Darling and the Labour government, the car industry is again calling for more help and an extension of the car scrappage scheme. So is Alistair Darling listening?
While there has been little or no word of an extension of the car scrappage scheme in the short to medium term, we can assume that the UK government can and will do everything in its power to grab the headlines and grab the interest of taxpayers around the UK. In many ways the car scrappage scheme has been a win win situation for the government with additional tax income from car sales more than making up for the cost of the car scrappage scheme itself. When you also throw in the reduced impact on the environment, it seems likely that the UK government will seriously consider a further extension of the car scrappage scheme.
However, Alistair Darling is likely to play his cards close to his chest for some time to come and announce a wave of voter friendly and industry friendly schemes at the very last minute.
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