Thread 10 Starmer: First Female Chancellor delivers the Budget

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5178726-thread-9-starmer-return-to-westminster?page=40&reply=139304132

I'm fuming about the bus fares going up myself. I just won't be able to afford public transport any more, that's all there is to it.

How did you afford it before the cap was introduced? The subsidy has been in place for less than two years.

That is a whole different issue. And probably one that is worth being angry about. See also derxa’s issue with family farms.

But as a general rule closing tax loopholes is not a bad thing.

Schrodingers VAT.

Tbf the subsidy was issued because of the cost of living crisis precisely because people couldn’t afford it.

Affordability isn't the only reason that bus use has diminished, though. People's working patterns have changed, people were forced into fi ding other modes of travel during the pandemic and have stuck with them and bus services have declined in frequency and reliability and people have lost trust. If your previously twice hourly bus service into town has been cut to once hourly and ends up canceled quite often, only having to pay £2 rather than £3 isn't going to increase your trust in it if you have other options.

It used to be £2.50 where I am (Liverpool) but there was a range of relatively cheap day savers to mitigate it. They've all gone up in price quite a lot and I imagine they'll be pretty unaffordable too when the cap is £3.

We never had the cap in Wales. Mind you, I’ve got a bus pass at 60, so win some, lose some I guess.

Hi, Could you point me to the posts where I have treated RR like the second coming? Or did you miss the ones where I said I don't really like her? I think the reactions to her budget have been a bit more varied than you are suggesting, though.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/31/reeves-needs-faster-uk-growth-than-the-obr-predicts-for-her-budget-to-work

@Elodie9 this is one of the better corners of Mumsnet IMHO.

Indeed. Scotland never had the cap either.

This made me laugh.

Maybe fares won't go up to the full capped price in Liverpool? The Mayor seems to be undecided right now.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg084qvvxqo

I'm going to be £2.83 worse off- the old diesel car might be the issue here. I can live with this.

I think they will have to look at how this effects farmers, and adjust for them rather than just having land per se. So maybe any land that has been productive over a 5 year cycle could be ignored. Farm records will back this up. That way grazing land or fallow can also be ignored. I would also not count working assets, like tractors.
This is just off the top of my head, I'm sure farmers would have better ideas of how to protect their businesses and the industry, whilst cutting off the loopholes being exploited by others at the moment.

I'm not a farmer and am clueless around this, but I think the industry needs to have open conversations with the government on this. This is something that the previous administration were incapable of, I hope this Government can do better on these issues.

I'm fuming about the bus fares going up myself. I just won't be able to afford public transport any more, that's all there is to it.

Bus fares haven't gone up.

The Torys introduced a cap. That cap was £2. It was due to expire at the end of this year.

RR has extended the cap but put it at £3.

It's not a raise, bus companies don't have to charge £3. It's a cap.

Some companies and routes will have seen an increase in footfall with the cap and May decide to keep it the same as 50 people paying £2 is more income than 25 paying £3.

Sadly travel is always one of those everyday things that costs and whose costs vary.

Car drivers suffered from the increased road tax, ULEZ expansion, when petrol/diesel was almost £2/ltr.

It's a catch 22 because it's the one thing people can't avoid dojng - travelling.

In the same way housing and food inflation has caused massive suffering because these are things people can't avoid paying for.

Completely agree. Also think your ideas on farmed land are really good as this was designed to stop people buying farmland for spas and country retreats.

According to sky budget calculator I won't be better off - not worse off either!!!

But it was very limited questions!

I drink drink or smoke, I don't earn NMW, no car tax as it's ds disability car.

But I'm due a pay rise, petrol costs will vary, food costs will increase, utilities will increase I would think so I'm not sure there'll be no difference - but the budget won't directly affect me

There are already adjustments for farmers. It was on the BBC news last night. The 1 million is actually 2 million for a start, and then half tax on the remaining. So I would assume Labour are up for a sensible conversation with farmers about this. But perhaps not with Jeremy Clarkson!

IMF and Barclays CEO among many others have praised her for striking the right balance between growth, tax and borrowing.

Bottom line is Hunts unfunded NI cuts have to be paid for & people seem to have completely forgot that he cut business NI in Nov 2023.....

Its not feasible to cut taxes AND increase funding for public services but good to see you think Truss and Sunak did a better job...

Bottom line is - people want better services but they want someone else to pay for them.

https://x.com/mattgreencomedy/status/1852134508088430722

Budget Calculator

https://x.com/MichaelTakeMP/status/1852265420562067798

Nadine Dorries supports Independent Schools fighting the VAT levy legally.
However they’re fighting it by appealing to the ECHR, which Nads wants to abolish!
Is this dichotomy a problem for Nads?
OF COURSE NOT!
It’s what made her such a great Tory Minister.
I miss her!
#GoNads

No, people want better services and most people are happy to pay a little more to get them. There wouldn’t have been outrage if Hunt’s £10 billion NI cuts had been reversed.

What happens with any change that affects previous plans, financial or otherwise, is that people panic that things aren't going to be as they thought and only see the negatives. Then, most of the time, they realise that it isn't as bad as they originally thought and might require a minor tweak/ not make that much difference or even improve their lives and calm down. Seen it so many times in project management at work over the last 40 years.

Very true.

And I don't think the scare mongering (from both sides!) helped because went into this budget assuming they'll be much poorer and therefore focus on any perceived negatives rather than seeking and recognising any positives.

Not helped by the fact the the predecessors did actually make peoples budgets much tighter - if you are paying a Truss mortgage you're already looking through that lens.

itsgettingweired really glad you have options for Ds & sounds like he will able to get the wheelchair that will meet all his needs hopefully won’t be to long now
once again many thank everyone for the lovely messages💐
Dexra I’m really sorry you are so worried, I’m hoping that sensible discussions with the government a fairer outcome can be reached, I know nothing about farming but wouldn’t have thought it could be to difficult to know who is properly farming & those who are not.