What might the Budget hold?

[MyUserName]

Haven't we banned people for less?

For less than lying down?

[IR35FanClub]

Easy budget cut of 10% - (actually loads more)

Sack anyone who only collects metrics or manages people.

Their posts can be absorbed by people doing real work.

As far as I know if you are busy doing work. you'll spend less time doing stuff like metrics and mangement which doesn't really matter.

Anyone who does performance measuring or management for a living can become a freelancer. Good luck with that.

I think it would help if everyone doing measuring retrained on a wood working course (measure twice cut once) and manufacturere were legally required to publish life expectancy data for furniture (another job for the measureres). People would stop buying cheap chinese / swedish tat and spend a bit more on something that will last a life time and can survive a house move.

The managers can run job clubs for managers helping them to retrain in how to produce something that requires skills. Whether that is design your own soap, custom made clothing or almost free ipad apps I don't care.

Mass customisation is the way of future manufacturing and it makes sense to have it onshore to cut delivery times. China is already getting too expensive to make anything other than cheap tat, so you can be sure it if says "Made In China" it may as well say "Put in the bin now to avoid cluttering the house".

[Edit] to add real examples - toy cars that don't roll, plastic guns that don't work, light figtings that once you unscrew them to connect the wiring won't go back together, umbrellas that last 2 uses before collapsing, steel (well metal) dining chairs that last less than a year, hand tools that go rusty before coming into contact with water, etc etc. Thankfully my parents are donwsizing and I've picked up half a house full of quality britush made furniture and tools :-)

[Andy2]

They are quietly getting more people into 40% tax bracket

2011-12 >£35000
2012-13 >£34370
2013-14 >£32010

soon everyone will be paying 40% tax.

[eek]

They are quietly getting more people into 40% tax bracket

2011-12 >£35000
2012-13 >£34370
2013-14 >£32010

soon everyone will be paying 40% tax.

Its the £50,000 claim everything back bracket I dislike the look of.

[sasguru]

You probably think UK produces a few Rolls Royces and a few Jaguars.

It exports by value 1/3 of what Germany does. Germany has only 20 million more people.
That's why the cake is too small

[SandyD]

What about fizzy drinks? Do we have to pay tax on that

Does it include fizzy water or just soft drinks??

[minestrone]

Nothing will happen. The big problem, as said, is that we have no manufacturing base anymore and there really is no wiggle room left now.

Personally I would scrap tuition fees for engineering, science and mathematical degrees. If we reach capacity in places we should give local students first refusal before it is allowed to go to a foreign student. Big problems require bold solutions.

[The Spartan]

They are quietly getting more people into 40% tax bracket

2011-12 >£35000
2012-13 >£34370
2013-14 >£32010

soon everyone will be paying 40% tax.

Doesn't that coincide with increase in the basic tax allowance though?

[eek]

Doesn't that coincide with increase in the basic tax allowance though?

Yes, basic tax allowance is increasing above inflation while the 40% rate has been kept static so the better off "pay their fair share".

[Doggy Styles]

It exports by value 1/3 of what Germany does. Germany has only 20 million more people.

In which case the UK still exports a lot more than many people think.