My entirely selfish hope - but I think it would make great sense - to help SAVERS (we've really suffered during the past ten years due to low interest rates; our savings and pensions, no longer earning, are depleted more and more).

Scrap tax on private pensions. At present we can get 25% of our pensions as tax free lump sums. Make the remaining 75% tax free and we can survive easier with very little cost to the treasury (most of us are forced to buy annuities instead; tiny income, virtually no tax). We'd cash in our pensions and spend the money. Good for the economy (over 65 year olds are big spenders). The only down side for the Treasury is less death duties after we croak but that's in several years time and the economy needs a boost now.

It'll never happen.

I am, largely, in agreement: The Tories could well go some way towards giving you (most) of what you want. If they remain in power.

But then, you don't vote!

Does it not seem perverse that you refuse to even put an X on a piece of paper - in an effort to precipitate fair and realistic change?

It may, JK

This is a feel good budget .... Unexpected things WILL happen

JK2006 wrote:

It'll never happen.

It did

.......and the plight of the saver was mentioned many times during the speech. See the Evening Standard headline

Strikes me my suggestion is spot on; exactly what the budget seems to be doing.

Lucky my phone hacking of No11 is so efficient. Thank you Glenn, Rebekah and Andy.

Surprised nothing was said about JSA.

All round, it struck me as a well argued, well delivered budget with many a positive thing about compared to recent years.............

OK, call it a feelgood budget (if you see it as vote grabbing), call it a clever use of statistics to sound positive (if you don't believe the 'detail'), call it an absolute disgrace that cuts in the public sector continue while vote grabbing tax breaks are being offered (if you detest this Govnt)

As listened, i heard all manner of good sense arguments that I would use myself for my own finances, and the same actions taken......I can't imagine myself having a credit card bill of £20,000, a bad credit rating, no intention of paying it back, but looking to borrow more to continue the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed...........I wouldn't be allowed to borrow more, I'd be chased by debt agencies and I'd actually be a bit of a d*ck

So, any Labour response and reply that keeps battering on about public service cuts, about rich getting richer, about social services needing MORE support ad infinitum........couldn't support

Ed Balls is so transparent he should be a window. His latest laboured 'trick' is to add 'which we all want to see' when he's trying to condemn anything that is supposed to be positive. (e.g. 'Although the Government is claiming unemployment is falling - which we all want to see!!! - I don't think it is') I've seen more subtle vending machines than that ludicrous old bruiser.

Reply to Pru above :

Agreed

Pru wrote:
Ed Balls is so transparent he should be a window. His latest laboured 'trick' is to add 'which we all want to see' when he's trying to condemn anything that is supposed to be positive. (e.g. 'Although the Government is claiming unemployment is falling - which we all want to see!!! - I don't think it is') I've seen more subtle vending machines than that ludicrous old bruiser.

Agreed, Pru - he's simply a waste of space.

He (helped) cause one of the biggest crises ever to hit the UK economy and then denied all involvement in it - but never missed an opportunity to say "things are not improving fast enough".

With him still in charge they would NOT be improving AT ALL !

The next election has just been won !

Mr Reason wrote:
i heard all manner of good sense arguments that I would use myself for my own finances, and the same actions taken......I can't imagine myself having a credit card bill of £20,000, a bad credit rating, no intention of paying it back, but looking to borrow more to continue the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed...........I wouldn't be allowed to borrow more, I'd be chased by debt agencies and I'd actually be a bit of a d*ck

So, any Labour response and reply that keeps battering on about public service cuts, about rich getting richer, about social services needing MORE support ad infinitum........couldn't support

As Osborne said - it's a budget for 'Makers, Doers And Savers'

NOT for dolers and scroungers !

Keep rewarding those who work hard (and contribute) and keep squeezing those who always have their hands out (and never contribute anything) .... we are on the UP !

In The Know (as always) wrote:

The next election has just been won



Unless the LibDems decide to support Labour...

And of course they have taken the idea and fucked it up; you can take all your pension instead of putting it into an annuity BUT... you still have to pay 25% tax on it!

I feel your pain JK. Low interest rates around the world make it tough for self funded retirees.

you elect people who would be better of running the corner grocer and this is what you get.

UK same as Oz and the same type of plonkers who bullet proof their own incomes and basically still believe in the infamous, never-worked 'trickle down" fantasy .

SP17 wrote:
In The Know (as always) wrote:

The next election has just been won



Unless the LibDems decide to support Labour...




I can still see old Labour and Tories supporters voting UKIP, they won't the GE but will get a few seats - East Thanet ?

Tories want poor people go to bingo halls and drink cheap beer, then blame for using food banks.

Labour are still favourites on prediction polls, they are Tories disguised in red.

Ahh, you're wrong Herr King. Gideon will tax your pension pot at whatever the prevailing rate of income tax is at the time you cash in your chips. Currently, this would be at 20, 40 and 45% respectively, though by the time I can take mine, it'll probably be 20 and 40%.

However, I would imagine though, that yours truly is only paying basic rate tax on those piddling PRS cheques! LOL

on the plus side Bingo tax is down which helps dozens of bingo hall bosses.

Going back to the initial post, how on earth did you know something nobody else anywhere knew? Do you have sources or were you just wishing?

hedda wrote:
I feel your pain JK. Low interest rates around the world make it tough for self funded retirees.

you elect people who would be better of running the corner grocer and this is what you get.


... as opposed to those who COULDN'T run a corner shop (as their 17 years in power proves)?

In his speech Osborne said - "A weak leader, who had risen to the top - after betraying his brother, compelled by a gang of unruly barons to sign on the dotted line".

I wonder who he could have been thinking about?
I can't get my 'Ed round it !

hedda wrote:
on the plus side Bingo tax is down which helps dozens of bingo hall bosses.

Tories want to encourage the vulnerable to go to food banks.