Budget 2015 - what do you think?

[KateMumsnet]

Today at 12.30pm - and with only 50 days until the general election - chancellor George Osborne will deliver the last budget of this government. Amongst other things, he’s expected to announce an increase in the personal tax allowance, a reduction in the rate at which savings are taxed and, possibly, a move on inheritance tax. We'd love to know what you'd like to see emerge from his briefcase - and to hear what you think as he announces his measures.

[Hillingdon]

There are certain people who still have issues about the lesser power of the unions (my Dad) and people who still quote Thatcher as runining their lives (My Dad again).

The thing is work must pay, we must stop certain groups of people taking and not wanting to contribute anything back. We know who they are.

I would like people to think before they make a decision. Not blame upbringing and the like.

I would love to see apprenticeships given more value. They wont pay you generally more money for academic/profressional roles but they will allow people who have not found achievements at school a route to follow.
Around here plumbers, electricians are in short supply. A good one is clung onto for dear life. I could have kissed the plumber who stopped our water leak... (and why so few women doing these roles?)

Does anyone think that after 4 years of Tory government that Labour would have done a better job? I am genuinely interested having come from a strict Labour household when growing up and turned in the opposite direction now.


If Labour do get in having done a deal of srots with the SNP does anyone look forward to that day.

[Isitmebut]

Miliband is treating his reply as if speaking within the Oxbridge Student debating society, as so many mistruths wrapped up in rambling rollocks, it .

On average families worse off, well as the the wealthiest are paying more, surely that INCREASES the figure, and where would we be IF WE HAD LABOUR TAX INCREASES FOR 5-YEARS, rather than tax cuts?

And his claim that the near bankrupt state he handed over had built less homes than them through the global boom with £hundreds of billions to spend on fat government WELL LOOK AT THE FIGURES, especially for 2004 when we opened our doors to 500 million new citizens;


Using Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLC) figures, and using the full 18-year term of the last Conservative government (including a few recessions) but only the first 11-years under Labour (before the worst recession in nearly a century), the Conservatives averaged 50,761 new social housing sector homes a year, while the last Labour government averaged 24,299 per year.

Putting the decline rate in context, the new social housing sector build HIGH was 88,530 new homes in 1980 (around the time ‘Right to Buy’ was a policy) and the LOW was 130 new social homes in 2004 at the height of an immigration boom – no doubt STILL selling off Right to Buy Homes, with a resulting large NET REDUCTION of council housing stock for that year.

And the bedroom tax or Spare Room Subsidy, Miliband had no firm policy to help the 5 million needing social homes in 2010, never mind try and release 800,000 spare bedrooms - so as usual, Labour had no answers in 2010, and their 5- pledges in 2015 are an unrealistic joke.

[Hillingdon]

Who was your DH talking about?

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

I think the home buyers ISA has potential not only does it help first time buyers but it helps the housing market.

I do however think it was a budget very much with the election in mind

[JoanHicksonMIfive]

I have no time for Balls at all.

[Hillingdon]

I am working on a project with someone who has no ideas himself. He just dismisses everyone elses.... I just hate people like this....

[glenthebattleostrich]

Ok, lots of good in the budget.

Making tax simpler can only be a good thing. The class 2 NI cut does concern me slightly, I need more explanation of how that will affect my pension and future benefit entitlement, should I need them.

Fully support the tax changes, though my profit is rarely above my tax allowance and bringing more on minimum wage out of tax can only be a good thing.

The growth and debt forecasts are good.

I would have liked more support for early years and childcare more than more for broadband.

Good that more is going to be invested in children and maternal mental health.

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

hillingdon if that question was to me he was talking about Milliband

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

I wonder what the limit will be on the first time buyers ISA ?

It's 50 for every 200 you put in according to sky news.

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

Agree about the broadband glen I would have prefered more money to be put into care or education not broadband

[ihategeorgeosborne]

I was brought up in a Conservative voting family. My dad was a thatcherite and still is I think. Don't think he's quite into Dave and George in the same way though. I'm not happy with some of the things this government has done, but I can't bring myself to vote Labour in May.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Smiling l luffs you hubby too

I was raised in a labour family. John Smith was a political hero of mine (and a bloody decent bloke). I can't vote for this incarnation of labour. Ed Milliband is a hypocrite. Ed Balls is untrustworthy at best and the least said about Harriot Harman the better.

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

My grandparents are labour through and through, my mum votes for whoever she feels like at the time and I used to be labour then switched to conservative last time and will be voting tory again, however if labour had a strong leader and policies I agreed with I wouldn't rule out voting for them again.

I don't agree with everything this government have done but then I wouldn't whoever was in charge.

[JillyR2015]

(Is it although Miilband to his credit did say "built fewer homes", not "less homes" - at least he can speak although he sometimes drops ts)

[JillyR2015]

"Notrevealingmyidentity Wed 18-Mar-15 14:01:15

I wonder what the limit will be on the first time buyers ISA ?

It's 50 for every 200 you put in according to sky news."

yes, that's right. I'm reading budget papers now so will see if the answer is there. www.gov.uk/government/collections/budget-2015-hm-revenue-and-customs

[ihategeorgeosborne]

I think some of them deliberately drop ts to make them sound like they're 'down with the people!'

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

Thanks *jilly

[JillyR2015]

I couldn't see a detailed document on it (and the document on tax and the self employed says so very little it is useless).

I would imagine you could put into it your annual ISA allowance of £15k or whatever it is each year so over 5 years £75k say over 5 years and the state puts in £18750 BUT I bet they say average deposit £10k so maximum state top up something tiny. I would not hold your breath. They always cap these things.

[ihategeorgeosborne]

I found this in the telegraph if it helps:

A new "Help to Buy" Isa scheme will help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder. For every £200 a first-time buyer saves, the Government will top up the deposit with £50. This tax cut will be available for up to £15,000 only. So, if a first-time buyer saves £12,000, the Government will add £3,000 to the pot.

Presumably, if you're in a couple you could both do this, so 30K?

[Armchairathlete]

Fantastic budget. Couldn't fault a thing. Delivered with intelligence and humour and attacked with sneering and jibes.

[JillyR2015]

Ah, that sounds very clear. £15k maximum I suppose. Yes, it might be possible to double up with a spouse or sibling you are buying with I suppose.

[BaronessEllaSaturday]

Presumably, if you're in a couple you could both do this, so 30K? I would expect the cap to be limited to one per property

[Plonkysaurus]

I'm quite surprised at the responses here. Please remember that PMQs is only a step away from the Oxbridge Debating Society anyway. It's theatre, not real politics. It's easy to say these things before an election. Sitting here spaffing yourselves over public school boys insulting one another isn't exactly appealing. OYBBK, I agree.

And I actually agreed with a lot of Milliband's criticism. The questions about the NHS fielded by Cameron prior to the budget were well and truly dodged, not to mention hammed up. Then there was no mention of the NHS in the budget at all. Or education. Or anything that actually involves an ongoing service for working families. Fine, if you're in a position to be able to save any money whatsoever, or if you're a pensioner, this budget probably sounds good. For the rest of us? Ed got it right. It's window dressing.

But hey, at least the church roofs are getting mended

[Plonkysaurus]

But thank goodness we've got a new pound coin to distract us all, eh?

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

Well an extra 3 grand would help me out personally.