Budget day and no one is taking the blind bit of notice.

[Fat Dave]

Why does the housing market need a boost, other than to prop up people's egos about the worth of their houses?

It's needed to provide work for builders, electricians, plumbers, materials suppliers, architects, decorators, furnishers ... the list goes on, headed of course by estate agents.

[DimPrawn]

It's needed to provide work for builders, electricians, plumbers, materials suppliers, architects, decorators, furnishers ... the list goes on, headed of course by estate agents.

I'm guessing the MP's with their 3rd, 4th and 5th houses all paid for with expenses want a spring bounce in prices before they unload the lot and pocket a nice little earner.

[TimberWolf]

Well, the experts reckon there's going to be a lot of changes made in this budget, including removal of all stamp duty on property under £250K in an attempt to reinflate the housing market bubble.
.

Yep. It has been made so. I'm not sure why, but the whole Labour side of the house erupted in laughter when it was at the announced and the Tories didn't. perhaps they were thinking "scorched earth"?

[Bunk]

Yep. It has been made so. I'm not sure why, but the whole Labour side of the house erupted in laughter when it was at the announced and the Tories didn't. perhaps they were thinking "scorched earth"?

Wasn't that in response to raising the stamp duty on £1million+ houses?

[bobhope]

He's reeling off statistics now.

I see tractor production is up

[Moscow Mule]

It's needed to provide work for builders, electricians, plumbers, materials suppliers, architects, decorators, furnishers ... the list goes on, headed of course by estate agents.

Fair enough if they are scrapping Stamp Duty on new-builds, but I can't see it having a massive impact on the building industry otherwise.

[NickFitz]

Well, the experts reckon there's going to be a lot of changes made in this budget, including removal of all stamp duty on property under £250K in an attempt to reinflate the housing market bubble.

Turns out the experts weren't quite correct: the stamp duty holiday below £250K only applies to first-time buyers, and on properties above £1M it goes up to 5%.

[DimPrawn]

Turns out the experts weren't quite correct: the stamp duty holiday below £250K only applies to first-time buyers, and on properties above £1M it goes up to 5%.

****, when I'm a millionaire I'm going to have to shell out 5% on stamp duty.

[Bunk]

I quite like Darling as a chancellor. He speaks a bit more like an accountant, as opposed to Gordon Brown, who was always more of a politician. In these financially austere times this is just what the doctor ordered.

Hmm

[DimPrawn]

Good news!

Fuel duty isn't going up 3p in April, it's going up 1p!

And then 1p in October and 1p next January.