So - Good Budget or Bad Budget?

[Churchill]

Well it is interesting that the USA is now AA but seems to have no trouble raising money and is still the world's reserve curreny.

BTW you know the supporters of equal rights for ratings agencies are never going to forgive you for that comment......

I'm expecting them along any minute...

Closely followed by MF, he's not as fast as he used to be.

[AtW]

Well it is interesting that the USA is now AA but seems to have no trouble raising money and is still the world's reserve curreny.

They have big gun boats.

Also FRS is always there to print money.

[OwlHoot]

Who's forcing you to smoke? There are plenty of ways to be cured of your addiction.

Huh? Complete non-sequitur.

If the Government suddenly announced a £200 a day tax on "dangerous sports", to cover the cost of treating accidents, would you say to someone affected who complained "No one forces you to go sailing (or climbing, or rally car racing, or playing rugger, etc, etc, etc). Why not give it up?".

[vetran]

Should have left the 50% alone.
Offshoring of homes & mansion tax sensible level. CGT good.
evoidance actions maybe. Bet they get beaten.
Who didn't expect Fags,booze (yes it was pre announced) & food to get more expensive?

But why the Grannies? Makes no sense I'm all for simplifying tax (lets get rid of the winter fuel allowance and roll it in have £400 rise, you can tax that as well) but taking money from the aged is stupid.

[VectraMan]

Reducing the top level of tax and taking money from OAPs is just asking for a good kicking. I'm not sure why he did either of those. Reducing CT is good, but why not for small business too?

But I think raising the tax free allowance further is double plus good.

[AtW]

I'm not sure why he did either of those.

Not sure about grannies though raiding pension funds is one of the most attractive things for chancellor if he can get away with it, but as for 50% tax it gets reduced because it does not raise much and forces some people to go for schemes that stops them paying even 40%.

Top rate of income tax in US is 35%, just 15% on dividends/long term CGT. That's competitive economy.

[Churchill]

Huh? Complete non-sequitur.

If the Government suddenly announced a £200 a day tax on "dangerous sports", to cover the cost of treating accidents, would you say to someone affected who complained "No one forces you to go sailing (or climbing, or rally car racing, or playing rugger, etc, etc, etc). Why not give it up?".

Ok, just to get it into your nicotine addled brain. Your addiction can be cured. No-one is forcing you to continue your pitiful existence dependent on chemicals to distort your reality!

Oh and you smell.

[BrilloPad]

No-one is forcing you to continue your pitiful existence dependent on chemicals to distort your reality!

Is that what CM said before you went to the Catholic club the other night?

[Churchill]

Is that what CM said before you went to the Catholic club the other night?

Nope. She said "As soon as you cross that threshold you'll burn in hell you filthy proddy bastard!" - oh well

[OwlHoot]

Your addiction can be cured. No-one is forcing you to continue your pitiful existence dependent on chemicals to distort your reality!

Oh and you smell.

All that may be true, but is still completely irrelevant. Do you normally have this much trouble with simple logic?

The question is why should health fanatics and busibodies feel entitled to try and force me (and millions of others) _not_ to smoke?

Do you think people should be pressured into giving up fish and chips, or marmite, or alcohol, or a hundred other things? They're all made of chemicals too, with harmful and possibly fatal effects if taken to excess.

Oh I get it - Ex smoker