The official "Autumn Statement 2015" AKA "End of Contracting" thread

[d000hg]

Business rates will go to councils... but he will remove council grant completely.

Very nice - so now councils will increase business rates massively.

Isn't the idea that the grant on average equals the rates the councils pay to the government... so it's simply making councils more autonomous?

I'm not sure how this is good though, surely it means the poor areas will suffer from not receiving the extra grant, and the rich areas will benefit from keeping all their revenues?

[quackhandle]

This is like watching a football match towards the end of the game when you know that you get relegated if the other team scores.

And the opposition chairman looks a lot like Sepp Blatter and has just winked at you.

qh

[mudskipper]

Permanent Pothole fund? Funding permanent potholes?

[AtW]

Britain will now have a permanent pot hole fund...

[OwlHoot]

In the mean time the one Aircraft Carrier we do have has no fixed wing aircraft to carry.

Nor do we have any Maritime Patrol capability thanks to George scrapping it without a replacement in 2010.

We are currently reliant on the French to go chasing Russian subs in the North Sea on our behalf.

RAF search after 'Russian submarine spotted off Scotland' - BBC News

Flip me, Admiral Lord Fisher must be turning in his grave

[d000hg]

I keep track of that myself.

You run a company, of course you do. 99% of the country do not run businesses. How detached from reality are you?

Gideon only talks about lots of money given to this and that, pre-Xmas budget really ... FOOKING START TALKING ALREADY ABOUT THOSE WHO WILL BE PAYING FOR ALL THIS!

He already has, he's talked about cuts and savings although I can't quote the figures. He mentioned revenues from tax evasion measures too.

[MrMarkyMark]

Permanent Pothole fund? Funding permanent potholes?

Ah, that will be because the road tax is "too light" to cover it, not because they spend it on everything else, FFS.

[AtW]

Isn't the idea that the grant on average equals the rates the councils pay to the government... so it's simply making councils more autonomous?

Giving ability to councils to tax businesses will result in much higher taxes on businesses - it won't be less, it's like giving Unis ability to charge fees so almost all (even totally tulipy ones) gone to max level of £9k.

Thanks Gideon, for being such a great pro-business Govt

[AtW]

You run a company, of course you do. 99% of the country do not run businesses. How detached from reality are you?

I run a business. I reckon I am more attached to reality than most people who have no clue about employer NICs, business rates, employer insurance, public liability insurance, crazy bank rates on credit card transactions etc etc.

He already has, he's talked about cuts and savings although I can't quote the figures. He mentioned revenues from tax evasion measures too.

Will someone rid me of this turbulent sockie?

[AtW]

So far I don't hear any bad news (other than obvious future increase in business rates by local councils)... only good news of increased expenditure - all that means the bad news will be really shocking....