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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » George Osborne’s budget day YouGov ratings showing a net dr

SystemSystem Posts: 12,267
edited March 2016 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » George Osborne’s budget day YouGov ratings showing a net drop of 20 since November

How Osborne's YouGov "well-badly" ratings have slipped since November. pic.twitter.com/1qRYOBQjOQ

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Comments

  • His star will rise again
  • The Tory MP for Gower is asking a question, this pleases me so much.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,768
    edited March 2016
    3RD
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 63,567

    2

    Your maths is as good as Osborne's.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,768

    2

    Your maths is as good as Osborne's.
    Boo 3rd like SNP then
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,554
    Missed PMQ's, what did Bob from Billericay, Sue from the BBC and Ivan from Friends of the Earth want to ask the PM this week?
  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,158

    The Tory MP for Gower is asking a question, this pleases me so much.

    What would Ifor Davies have said! He once got nearly 80% of the vote....

  • Missed PMQ's, what did Bob from Billericay, Sue from the BBC and Ivan from Friends of the Earth want to ask the PM this week?

    Clean Air/Air pollution.

    Actually it was a decent PMQs from Corbyn, had Dave on difficult ground.

    The irony is of course this is the one day of the year political saddos don't care about PMQs
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    edited March 2016
    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?
  • notmenotme Posts: 3,293
    edited March 2016
    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,770

    Missed PMQ's, what did Bob from Billericay, Sue from the BBC and Ivan from Friends of the Earth want to ask the PM this week?

    Dunno, but the preprepared answer from Hugo's hedge fund was the same as always.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Full Fact
    It's correct that over 99% of solar capacity in the UK has been installed since David Cameron became PM https://t.co/p43MXeRV08 #PMQs
  • Mortimer said:

    The Tory MP for Gower is asking a question, this pleases me so much.

    What would Ifor Davies have said! He once got nearly 80% of the vote....

    I know, superb tipping by Tissue Price last year
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,554

    Missed PMQ's, what did Bob from Billericay, Sue from the BBC and Ivan from Friends of the Earth want to ask the PM this week?

    Clean Air/Air pollution.

    Actually it was a decent PMQs from Corbyn, had Dave on difficult ground.

    The irony is of course this is the one day of the year political saddos don't care about PMQs
    Ahhh so it was Friends of the Earth week this week....
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,554
    edited March 2016

    Full Fact
    It's correct that over 99% of solar capacity in the UK has been installed since David Cameron became PM https://t.co/p43MXeRV08 #PMQs

    You only have to drive around the country and see the massive amount of fields that have been converted in solar farms. How economical it all is, given solar has always been expensive and we don't exactly get a lot of sun in the UK (yes I know they can still work without masses of direct sunlight) I have no idea.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,943
    edited March 2016
    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
  • NorfolkTilIDieNorfolkTilIDie Posts: 1,268
    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Yet still well above safe levels in London. Including around Heathrow.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Allison Pearson
    One in six European babies is now born in the UK. Incredible repercussions for maternity units, midwives, schools, teachers.
  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,158
    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    I'd support both of those.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628

    The Tory MP for Gower is asking a question, this pleases me so much.

    And now the Tory MP for Morley and Outwood!
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 61,262
    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    I actually find that graph rather encouraging.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    FPT...

    Polruan said:


    [SNIP]

    Meeksian? On balance it's better than Meeksite or Meeksist, I think. On your first point, I'm not a great fan of the EU and was open-minded about voting Leave for quite some time. That time is now past but I'm never going to be an enthusiastic campaigner for the EU.

    Structurally, the referendum can only be a binary Leave/Remain choice (or names to that effect). Those wishing to leave must therefore construct their argument accordingly. It is the choice of the Leave campaign as to how it argues its case.

    Leave has been so incoherent as to have failed even to coalesce and will not do so for at least another month. That is not the fault of the government (and is, in truth, an indication of the problems that the nation would face if it decides to leave). And the problem with the alternatives put forward is not that there aren't any coherent alternatives, it is that we have a superabundance of them. Boris Johnson alone has managed four in the last three weeks. If we vote leave, we'll be having a national game of spin the bottle to choose which one gets selected. That's not particularly likely to produce one that the public will get behind or be contented with: the reverse.

    But it's a bit rich blaming the Remain camp for the fact that the Leave camp is so spectacularly crap.

    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,943

    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    I actually find that graph rather encouraging.
    Shall I use the [joke] tags in future?
  • notmenotme Posts: 3,293
    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    But the index line cant come down, isnt it the base to measure changes from? If you reset the index line from say 2009, it would look a bit rockier, but we see here an impressive change around how we treat our environment over that time period. It's not just air quality its sea and river quality also. Much of the hard work has come about as a result of EU bullying us into facing up to our responsibilities...
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    edited March 2016
    Mine for Nothing
    New GOP delegate count:

    Trump - 696
    Cruz - 417
    Kasich - 146
    Uncommitted - 26
  • JonCisBackJonCisBack Posts: 911
    The "gathering storm clouds" are to a fair extent out of Osborne's control. He will be judged on whether he has fixed the roof while the suns was shining (albeit weakly) and on whether his famed rebalancing has happened to any significant extent. hmmmm

    I think he has been a moderately decent Chancellor, broadly going in the right direction whilst failing to do much about some of the key the underlying issues we face such as stupidly high house prices, too many imports and a lack of skills in the economy. Blame not solely at his door though.

    Wealth inequality has definitely grown as well, there must be a sensible, effective and fair way of getting a bit more from the "1%" or even 0.1%. This is getting noticed some way beyond the usual lefty anti-capitalist circles who think salaries should be capped at £50k or whatever.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,943
    notme said:

    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    But the index line cant come down, isnt it the base to measure changes from? If you reset the index line from say 2009, it would look a bit rockier, but we see here an impressive change around how we treat our environment over that time period. It's not just air quality its sea and river quality also. Much of the hard work has come about as a result of EU bullying us into facing up to our responsibilities...
    image
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 61,262
    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Pew Research
    Long Supreme Court vacancies used to be more common https://t.co/EWph7HJQJ5 https://t.co/U7hRWoXOyZ
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Polruan said:


    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.

    It is not in the government's gift to tell opponents how they should wish to oppose its policy.

    The referendum will deliver Leave or Remain and a mandate for future action accordingly. If Leave, the meaning of Leave will be discerned primarily from the way in which the Leave camp has conducted its campaign. At present, that's not going to be very informative, to put it mildly.

    It is for the Leave camp to construct a prospectus. Remain has done that. It may well be that the Leave prospectus would lack plausibility (certainly Leavers aren't shy about suggesting that about the Remain prospectus) but right now it hasn't even got to the stage of clarity or coherence.
  • agingjbagingjb Posts: 76
    The next conservative leader will first have to be one of the top two selected by tory MPs (or has that changed). Which two will be chosen? And what will the membership do with this choice?
  • JonathanDJonathanD Posts: 2,400
    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    I wonder if he will go for a big exciting review of something that gets everyone debating the merits of it but doesn't cost him anything up front and may even be fiscally neutral - eg merging NI and Income Tax

  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 61,262
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    I actually find that graph rather encouraging.
    Shall I use the [joke] tags in future?
    Well, it wasn't exactly Live at the Apollo, Robert!
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 61,262
    Bit boring on the Osborne tie bets then.
  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,158
    JonathanD said:

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    I wonder if he will go for a big exciting review of something that gets everyone debating the merits of it but doesn't cost him anything up front and may even be fiscally neutral - eg merging NI and Income Tax

    That is a good idea.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Domestic houses down here are smothered in them, it's very noticeable.

    Full Fact
    It's correct that over 99% of solar capacity in the UK has been installed since David Cameron became PM https://t.co/p43MXeRV08 #PMQs

    You only have to drive around the country and see the massive amount of fields that have been converted in solar farms. How economical it all is, given solar has always been expensive and we don't exactly get a lot of sun in the UK (yes I know they can still work without masses of direct sunlight) I have no idea.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    edited March 2016

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
    Yep - surely something that reduces pressure on the NHS should be encouraged by the tax system rather than penalised?

    To really encourage companies to offer it, make the cost of insurance deductible against corporation tax - but only on condition that all employees are enrolled if they wish to be. Imagine what would happen to NHS demand if Tesco could be persuaded to offer comprehensive health insurance to all their employees.
  • notmenotme Posts: 3,293
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    I actually find that graph rather encouraging.
    Shall I use the [joke] tags in future?
    yes... sorry!! But come on give me credit for getting the data out there within minutes of Corbyn speaking..
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Shadsy usually has a mugs market on budget bingo; but sadly seems to have missed it out this year.

    Is there one anywhere else?
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    [Mark Senior] tags, shurely?
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    notme said:

    Curse of the new thread!

    Corbyn's air pollution delusions:
    image

    Unless we can get that index line down, I don't see how it can be counted as any kind of success.
    I actually find that graph rather encouraging.
    Shall I use the [joke] tags in future?
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340

    Shadsy usually has a mugs market on budget bingo; but sadly seems to have missed it out this year.

    Is there one anywhere else?

    Hills did one.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 120,433
    edited March 2016

    Shadsy usually has a mugs market on budget bingo; but sadly seems to have missed it out this year.

    Is there one anywhere else?

    He had it, but pulls it an hour before the budget, as the budget speech is given to the media around then.

    This was the market as this morning

    https://twitter.com/LadPolitics/status/710026591376646144
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
    Yep - surely something that reduces pressure on the NHS should be encouraged by the tax system rather than penalised?

    To really encourage companies to offer it, make the cost of insurance deductible against corporation tax - but only on condition that all employees are enrolled if they wish to be. Imagine what would happen to NHS demand if Tesco could be persuaded to offer comprehensive health insurance to all their employees.
    The cost of PMI (like most employee benefits and remuneration) is deductible against CT.
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Shadsy usually has a mugs market on budget bingo; but sadly seems to have missed it out this year.

    Is there one anywhere else?

    He had it, but pulls it an hour before the budget, as the budget speech is given to the media around then.

    This was the market as this morning

    https://twitter.com/LadPolitics/status/710026591376646144
    Must have missed it while watching the footy. Still it does save me a few quid!
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    General Boles
    Chris Leslie's squad coordinating outfits #pmqs https://t.co/EDd87yEE0l
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    Polruan said:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
    Yep - surely something that reduces pressure on the NHS should be encouraged by the tax system rather than penalised?

    To really encourage companies to offer it, make the cost of insurance deductible against corporation tax - but only on condition that all employees are enrolled if they wish to be. Imagine what would happen to NHS demand if Tesco could be persuaded to offer comprehensive health insurance to all their employees.
    The cost of PMI (like most employee benefits and remuneration) is deductible against CT.
    I said that wrong. Meant to say Employer NI contributions rather than corp tax.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,062
    His first 'Thank You' is to Robert Chote my ex house mate and I always thought he was a lefty!
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    edited March 2016
    Is there a market on the number of interventions by Mr Deputy Speaker?
  • Ozzy using the budget to make a strong vote Remain intervention
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Polruan said:


    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.

    It is not in the government's gift to tell opponents how they should wish to oppose its policy.

    The referendum will deliver Leave or Remain and a mandate for future action accordingly. If Leave, the meaning of Leave will be discerned primarily from the way in which the Leave camp has conducted its campaign. At present, that's not going to be very informative, to put it mildly.

    It is for the Leave camp to construct a prospectus. Remain has done that. It may well be that the Leave prospectus would lack plausibility (certainly Leavers aren't shy about suggesting that about the Remain prospectus) but right now it hasn't even got to the stage of clarity or coherence.
    The fundamental point you are ignoring is that different people have different reasons for wanting to leave.

    The question isn't "is the grass on the other side of the fence green or yellow?", it's "do you want to be on this side of the fence or not?"

    Personally speaking, I want to be on the other side of the fence. I'd rather the grass was green, but I would prefer yellow grass to the slough of despond* that we are currently standing in

    * It looks green, but...
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,554

    Ozzy using the budget to make a strong vote Remain intervention

    And people say Osborne is too political with his budgets...
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    I did say yesterday that he should come out and campaign hard for Remain, given where he stands in the party. He obviously agrees.
  • Ozzy using the budget to make a strong vote Remain intervention

    And people say Osborne is too political with his budgets...
    He's been factual, and made a point of respecting those voting Leave.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 10,001

    Allison Pearson
    One in six European babies is now born in the UK. Incredible repercussions for maternity units, midwives, schools, teachers.

    The UK has what, 1/8th of the EU population and unlike some doesn't have a disastrously low birth rate. Silly use of figures IMO.
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083

    Polruan said:


    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.

    It is not in the government's gift to tell opponents how they should wish to oppose its policy.

    The referendum will deliver Leave or Remain and a mandate for future action accordingly. If Leave, the meaning of Leave will be discerned primarily from the way in which the Leave camp has conducted its campaign. At present, that's not going to be very informative, to put it mildly.

    It is for the Leave camp to construct a prospectus. Remain has done that. It may well be that the Leave prospectus would lack plausibility (certainly Leavers aren't shy about suggesting that about the Remain prospectus) but right now it hasn't even got to the stage of clarity or coherence.
    Continuing the logic, how should a responsible government discern its appropriate course of action if there *wasn't* a completely clear prospectus? Also, should a responsible government really use as its primary source of guidance a view put forward by a mishmash of individuals acting in a private capcity, some elected and some unelected (in general terms), but none elected to fulfil that role in the governance of the country? Seems a surprising choice.
  • watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
    Yep - surely something that reduces pressure on the NHS should be encouraged by the tax system rather than penalised?

    To really encourage companies to offer it, make the cost of insurance deductible against corporation tax - but only on condition that all employees are enrolled if they wish to be. Imagine what would happen to NHS demand if Tesco could be persuaded to offer comprehensive health insurance to all their employees.
    Imagine what would happen if thousands of Tesco employees were able to compare NHS healthcare with an alternative. They might prefer the new religion.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Oops

    Kevin Meagher
    'Mr Deputy Speaker' comes out as 'Diabetes Beaker' on BBC subtitles #Budget2016
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Pro Brussells nonsense from GO - about as believable as his predictions for eliminating the deficit.
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    However the has just made it much more expensive to hire a public sector worker..
  • PolruanPolruan Posts: 2,083
    Sandpit said:

    Polruan said:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Any ideas on the Chancellor's rabbit out of a hat in the Budget?

    My suggestion would be a reversal of the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of employer-provided private health insurance.

    Maybe also something on simplification of marginal income tax rates alongside a rise in the 40% threshold?

    Do we have a budget bingo market anywhere?

    It costs me a fortune.

    My private medical provided by my employer has a policy value of c.£2.5k and HMRC make it tax deductible; I'm a 40% taxpayer.

    So I basically paid over a grand for it last year.

    Not sure it's worth it.
    Yep - surely something that reduces pressure on the NHS should be encouraged by the tax system rather than penalised?

    To really encourage companies to offer it, make the cost of insurance deductible against corporation tax - but only on condition that all employees are enrolled if they wish to be. Imagine what would happen to NHS demand if Tesco could be persuaded to offer comprehensive health insurance to all their employees.
    The cost of PMI (like most employee benefits and remuneration) is deductible against CT.
    I said that wrong. Meant to say Employer NI contributions rather than corp tax.
    Oh ok, make it an exempt benefit for Class 1A? Not a bad call, hard to say whether the saving would be decisive in any employer offering or not offering PMI though (tends to be driven by industry sector norms, so it might just end up being a tax break for banks/large corporates).
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    The only highlight here is the nerds watching this already have an opinion.
    TGOHF said:

    Pro Brussells nonsense from GO - about as believable as his predictions for eliminating the deficit.

  • NorfolkTilIDieNorfolkTilIDie Posts: 1,268
    Off topic, but Obama will nominate his SCOTUS appointee today. I think he will nominate Sri Srinivasan, the first Asian American nominee. I also think he will nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill his position on the DC Circuit, the next most important court.

    The GOP already create problems for themselves in blocking Srinivasan, but Brown Jackson could put them in a further bind. Either they support her, which makes her a great very liberal SCOTUS pick for the next opening and also undermines their argument for not backing Sri, or they oppose her, and thus unfairly stop both a qualified Asian American and a qualified African American women at the same time.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,943

    Allison Pearson
    One in six European babies is now born in the UK. Incredible repercussions for maternity units, midwives, schools, teachers.

    The UK has what, 1/8th of the EU population and unlike some doesn't have a disastrously low birth rate. Silly use of figures IMO.
    Agreed.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,062
    'Meeksian? On balance it's better than Meeksite or Meeksist, I think."

    It took Freud years and several theses-to get an '.ian'. I'd stick with that
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    GO fails again to meet debt targets.

    Time for a change at COTE ?
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    @michaelsavage

    Gosh - borrowing up from £4.6bn to £21.4bn in 2018-19. Almost £16bn off course. #Budget16
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    edited March 2016
    Why do I get the feeling that lots of technical and complicated changes to corp tax will lead to huge rises in revenue?

    Edit: He says it will raise 9bn but will cut the headline rate of corp tax from 18% to 17%
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Corporation tax 2020 - 17%
  • TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    OBR forecasts over £40bn more borrowing
    16/17 £55.5bn deficit (+£6bn)
    17/18 £38.8bn deficit (+14bn)
    18/19 £21.4bn deficit (+21.5bn)
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    edited March 2016
    Business rate relief threshold to more than double from 6k to 15k.

    Adam Boulton
    GO targeting help for small business - one of the heartlands for #Brexit. No business rates for 600k of them.
  • oldpoliticsoldpolitics Posts: 455
    After that Brexit crack and the terrible borrowing numbers the budget surprise had better be a unicorn out the hat, a rabbit won't cut it. Does he even want to be Leader? Misrepresenting the OBR and bringing the EU Referendum into the Budget he may as well have got his dick out and wandered round the Tory benches slapping Leavers in the face with it.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    Big cuts in business rates for small shops.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,554
    edited March 2016
    Balanced budget by 2120?
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,062
    TGOHF said:

    @michaelsavage

    Gosh - borrowing up from £4.6bn to £21.4bn in 2018-19. Almost £16bn off course. #Budget16

    But his presentation is very good. He'd make a fine PM

  • Ozzy going for the small business vote
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    At least one Conservative MP will be happy today:


    @DannyShawBBC ·

    Govt's drugs advisers say "poppers", used mainly by gay men to enhance sexual experience, can't be covered by the new legal highs ban

  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,723
    FPT
    notme said:

    » show previous quotes
    I was an immigrant worker at an american amusement park (one of the biggest, not Disney) in 1998... Not new. But the overseas workers were, like me, students from Europe, primarily UK, mixed in with students from universities in surrounding states. I've heard this has changed more recently, with a significant increase of the number of overseas, as the wages have stayed pegged to a stalled minimum wage.

    Walt Disney are not alone , most American corporations do it including Hi Tech, high pay ones. Just read the Register or The Channel and it is full of it.
  • watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Sandpit said:

    Why do I get the feeling that lots of technical and complicated changes to corp tax will lead to huge rises in revenue?

    Edit: He says it will raise 9bn but will cut the headline rate of corp tax from 18% to 17%

    As always, let's see what's in the small print. Osborne loves making things more complicated, rather than simplifying.
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 39,790
    Polruan said:

    Polruan said:


    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.

    It is not in the government's gift to tell opponents how they should wish to oppose its policy.

    The referendum will deliver Leave or Remain and a mandate for future action accordingly. If Leave, the meaning of Leave will be discerned primarily from the way in which the Leave camp has conducted its campaign. At present, that's not going to be very informative, to put it mildly.

    It is for the Leave camp to construct a prospectus. Remain has done that. It may well be that the Leave prospectus would lack plausibility (certainly Leavers aren't shy about suggesting that about the Remain prospectus) but right now it hasn't even got to the stage of clarity or coherence.
    Continuing the logic, how should a responsible government discern its appropriate course of action if there *wasn't* a completely clear prospectus? Also, should a responsible government really use as its primary source of guidance a view put forward by a mishmash of individuals acting in a private capcity, some elected and some unelected (in general terms), but none elected to fulfil that role in the governance of the country? Seems a surprising choice.

    A choice would be much better, I agree; but how would that work in reality? Is there a choice around which the Leave side could have coalesced? I'd have thought that several options on the ballot paper would make a Remain vote more likely as Leavers would split along lines we see on here.

  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Elena
    Corporation tax:
    28% in 2010.
    17% in 2020.

    Business rates for 600,000 small businesses:
    Dead.

    Now that's a legacy.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628

    Ozzy going for the small business vote

    Good! Hope he sorts out the contractors' expenses proposals now.
  • Ozzy doing his best to help the Oil industry and annoying the Nats in the process.

    He gets my vote in the next Tory leadership election
  • watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    Roger said:

    TGOHF said:

    @michaelsavage

    Gosh - borrowing up from £4.6bn to £21.4bn in 2018-19. Almost £16bn off course. #Budget16

    But his presentation is very good. He'd make a fine PM

    Trollin', trollin', trollin', keep them doggies trollin'...
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    edited March 2016
    Ha - abolition of petroleum tax, that will royally upset the SNP.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,723

    Ozzy doing his best to help the Oil industry and annoying the Nats in the process.

    He gets my vote in the next Tory leadership election

    he giving them tuppence then
  • JonathanDJonathanD Posts: 2,400
    watford30 said:

    Sandpit said:

    Why do I get the feeling that lots of technical and complicated changes to corp tax will lead to huge rises in revenue?

    Edit: He says it will raise 9bn but will cut the headline rate of corp tax from 18% to 17%

    As always, let's see what's in the small print. Osborne loves making things more complicated, rather than simplifying.
    He's primarily ending or limiting the ability of companies to offset debt against profit.
  • SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976

    Business rate relief threshold to more than double from 6k to 15k.

    Adam Boulton
    GO targeting help for small business - one of the heartlands for #Brexit. No business rates for 600k of them.

    Good - They certainly need the help, since the recession the high street is awash with nothing but charity shops.
  • oldpoliticsoldpolitics Posts: 455
    Sandpit said:

    Big cuts in business rates for small shops.

    Easy win for the Chancellor, the income goes to local councils - not his problem. Is he going to compensate Manchester whose Northern Powerhouse deal was built on them keeping local growth in business rates?
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 55,628
    50% reduction on Severn Bridge tolls. Why not abolish them completely, have they not paid for the bridges by now?
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    edited March 2016
    I want to know more about this

    LauraK
    Other big moves on devolution, Greater Manchester will get some powers over criminal justice + many more elected mayors

    East Anglia, West of England and Lincolnshire to get elected mayors #budget2016
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Polruan said:

    Polruan said:


    Personally I'd go for the Meekado given the Pooh-Bah approach to dissenters.

    I still don't understand how you see the Leave campaign as being empowered to construct an alternative. Because if the campaign was unaminous the remainers would immediately (and correctly) say "But they can't guarantee that will happen - rather than [say] EEA, it could be a disastrous exit with no agreements". If Cameron were to say something like "I promise that we will do our best to negotiate our future outside the EU in line with the agreed views of the Leave campaign" you'd have a fair point. But he hasn't, and won't. At the moment what you're saying is akin to criticising England for not having a settled first XV on the basis that people in the West Stand are arguing about whether Farrell or Tuilagi should be at 12.

    It is not in the government's gift to tell opponents how they should wish to oppose its policy.

    The referendum will deliver Leave or Remain and a mandate for future action accordingly. If Leave, the meaning of Leave will be discerned primarily from the way in which the Leave camp has conducted its campaign. At present, that's not going to be very informative, to put it mildly.

    It is for the Leave camp to construct a prospectus. Remain has done that. It may well be that the Leave prospectus would lack plausibility (certainly Leavers aren't shy about suggesting that about the Remain prospectus) but right now it hasn't even got to the stage of clarity or coherence.
    Continuing the logic, how should a responsible government discern its appropriate course of action if there *wasn't* a completely clear prospectus? Also, should a responsible government really use as its primary source of guidance a view put forward by a mishmash of individuals acting in a private capcity, some elected and some unelected (in general terms), but none elected to fulfil that role in the governance of the country? Seems a surprising choice.

    A choice would be much better, I agree; but how would that work in reality? Is there a choice around which the Leave side could have coalesced? I'd have thought that several options on the ballot paper would make a Remain vote more likely as Leavers would split along lines we see on here.

    AV...
  • watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    edited March 2016
    JonathanD said:

    watford30 said:

    Sandpit said:

    Why do I get the feeling that lots of technical and complicated changes to corp tax will lead to huge rises in revenue?

    Edit: He says it will raise 9bn but will cut the headline rate of corp tax from 18% to 17%

    As always, let's see what's in the small print. Osborne loves making things more complicated, rather than simplifying.
    He's primarily ending or limiting the ability of companies to offset debt against profit.
    It's Osborne's equivalent of 'Find the lady', so beloved of Oxford Street con artists.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Beth Prescott
    Disability budget will rise by more than £1bn - will spend more supporting disabled people than any point under Labour #Budget2016
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Business rate relief threshold to more than double from 6k to 15k.

    Adam Boulton
    GO targeting help for small business - one of the heartlands for #Brexit. No business rates for 600k of them.

    Good - They certainly need the help, since the recession the high street is awash with nothing but charity shops.
    You know landlords have to pay rates on empty properties unless they put charity shops in them? It's a structural cost advantage for the sector
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited March 2016

    Sandpit said:

    Big cuts in business rates for small shops.

    Easy win for the Chancellor, the income goes to local councils - not his problem. Is he going to compensate Manchester whose Northern Powerhouse deal was built on them keeping local growth in business rates?
    Putting public employers pension contributions up is going to be quite a knock to NHS and similar sectors too.
  • NorfolkTilIDieNorfolkTilIDie Posts: 1,268
    The problem with getting rid of business rates is that it encourages councils to build residential rather than commercial, as they get revenue from that. Would prefer govt cut national insurance, as that helps business but also workers.
  • watford30watford30 Posts: 3,474
    IPT stealth tax creeps ever upwards.
  • Plato_SaysPlato_Says Posts: 11,822
    Lucy Fisher
    As revealed ahead of budget, Osborne grants £115m funding to combat homelessness & rough sleeping #budget2016
  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,158
    Charles said:

    Business rate relief threshold to more than double from 6k to 15k.

    Adam Boulton
    GO targeting help for small business - one of the heartlands for #Brexit. No business rates for 600k of them.

    Good - They certainly need the help, since the recession the high street is awash with nothing but charity shops.
    You know landlords have to pay rates on empty properties unless they put charity shops in them? It's a structural cost advantage for the sector
    I've always wondered if there is some clever structuring by which landlords work around this - can they claim small business relief on the rates?
This discussion has been closed.