Alistair Darling receives a £12 billion budget windfall
When Alistair Darling steps forward in 10 days time to deliver his budget speech he will be in receipt of a £12 billion budget windfall as a consequence of the recent recovery in the UK economy. In what many believe will be the most politically sensitive budget in years, with the government certain to use the stand to the champion its own political agenda, the divide between the Conservative party and the Labour Party will appear wider than ever before.
Even if the UK government is re-elected at next election many believe the Alistair Darling's days as Chancellor of Exchequer are numbered as his ongoing disputes with the Prime Minister are grabbing headlines day after day. There is a feeling that Alistair Darling will pull back from front-line public life and indeed he will have the opportunity to take on a number of roles within the private business sector whenever he feels the time is right.
It will be interesting to see whether Alistair Darling has won the battle of minds with Gordon Brown regarding the budget and the ongoing budget deficit. It is common knowledge that Alistair Darling favours a reduction in public spending while Gordon Brown wants to continue his spend, spend, spend policy.
Share this..
Related stories
Government considering bottle deposit scheme
The UK government is today considering a bottle deposit scheme which would see a small levy place upon bottles sold in the UK which would be repaid to customers when the empty bottles were returned. The Campaign to Protect Rural England is suggesting a 15p deposit for bottles up to half a litre and 30p for others and believes this would mean that 90% of bottles being return. This would then allow...
Read MoreIs Northern Rock a viable business?
While there was a very strong argument as to why the UK government initially stepped in to save Northern Rock from collapse, i.e. saving the overall banking system from collapse, many people are starting to wonder if it is actually a viable business. Despite suggestions in the press that the company was ahead of schedule with regards to the repayment of substantial taxpayer subsidies, it appears n...
Read MoreHM Revenue and Customs announces national insurance holiday
HM Revenue and Customs have today announced a surprise national insurance holiday for new companies in the UK in areas of the country likely to be hardest hit by the reduction in public-sector investment. Those who are eligible for the national insurance holiday will be able to claim relief for the first 10 employees they hire in their first year of operation. HM Revenue and Customs believes that...
Read MoreLiberal Democrats backtrack on call for savage cuts
The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has today backtracked on his call for "savage cuts" in the public sector budget. Amid signs that voters were concerned about the potential implications of these so called a savage cuts he has now admitted use of the word "savage" may well have been a step too far. So what exactly are the Liberal Democrats trying to do?
Well aware that there is...
Can we expect a reduction in UK VAT?
The Centre for Economics and Business Research has come forward with a very interesting idea to help refloat the UK economy and put money back into the pockets of consumers. The Centre is suggesting a five-point reduction in the rate of VAT in the UK bringing it down from 17.5% to 12.5% for a two-year period. This is the first time a reduction in VAT has been suggested by a serious economic party...
Read More