So Gordon Brown tries to make himself look generous

[clumsymum]

By announcing a fall in the basic rate of income tax.

BUT
It isn't until 2008, AND he's doing away with the 10% starting band (so the result actually evens out).

He's raising the 40% threshold

BUT not until 2009

Weasel

I agree. I hate that man - he's just trying to make himself look popular.

And he seems to think we're all so daft we won't realise that he's given us NOTHING.

Have not read much about it but can't help but keep on reading the title listed in Active Convos as "So Gordon Brown tried to make himself look gorgeous" which is conjuring up some worriyng mental images I can tell you!

haven't seen the details but getting rid of the 10% starting rate should help low earners so even if the overall tax take is the same, it will benefit low earners disproportionately. That's good, no?

Ah no, I understood that the threshold to start paying tax will be the same, just straight in at 20%, in which case the lower paid will be worse off.

odd then - and quite unBrownian.

VOTE, people!

you can't complain if you didn't vote, as my father always says.

thousands have suffered a martydom for his incompetence, many of whom could least afford it.

the man's a disgrace to Scotland!

I always vote expat. But I don't see who would have done anything better for those who could least afford it.

The personal allowance threshold has gone up but the 10% band has been disbanded. I think it was people earning below 16K that would be worse off. I think this is a bad policy that will particularly penalise part timer workers - so lots of mothers.

Well, bozza, you're entitled to your opinion. We're a family who wound up very nearly homeless because of Brown's tax credits. And we're still paying back the debt we had to run up during the time we were disputing their cockup but before DH could get a job that would allow us to swap shifts because we couldn't afford childcare.

And there were tens of thousands of others in the same boat as we were.

Then there's the way Brown likes to treat North Sea oil . . . but that's a whole separate issue indeed.

LOL! £16K is the average full time wage in a lot of places in the UK. Outside London. For all those in Brown's government who seem to have forgotten the rest of the island.

expat I do realise that lots of fulltime workers are earning £16K and these people will not be better or worse off. It is the people who are earning £8 or £9K that will be worse off. I am lucky, I work part time but will still be slightly better off. But I still don't think it is a good policy move and can only assume it has been done as a vote winner.

I know that you have a major downer on Gordon, but I cannot see who you think could be an improvement.

Still at least we agree on the need to vote..

why give gordon so much stick ? what tory baffoon would you all prefer

'I know that you have a major downer on Gordon, but I cannot see who you think could be an improvement. '

Well, let's just say in Scotland, some other choices for candidates have appeared on the horizon who may have different objectives and leave it at that.

Ah but I am not in Scotland so do not have your options.

budget calc

play with this to work out if you are better off or not

My standing changes only slightly. He balances the saving with increases elsewhere.

Why no childcare assistance?

Eleusis rides onto the battlefield!

Oh eleusis I would love childcare assistance too. I noted that the nursery grant is now 38 weeks instead of 33 weeks as it was for DS but it will not go up to 15 hours until 2010 and DD (who is not yet eligible) will be in y1 by then!

He is an arse.He is penalising the poorest even though they are at least working he still wants to tax them more.

I'll be a few hundred pounds a year better off

I earn a substantial amount of money - I don't need to save any tax. How on earth is it equitable for me to be better off at the expense of someone else (probably much much poorer than me) being worse off!

He is probably trying to appeal to those middle income working people who might be teetering between voting labour and voting tory. DC is doing much the same, appealing to the middle undecided class of voter.

This tax thing is all headline-grabbing crap isn't it?!? The 10% band is going, so the people on the lowest wages will be WORSE off, most basic rate tax payers will pay almost the same as the rate is falling by 2% but that's cancelled out by the 10% rate going, and higher rate tax payers will be better off as the band is going up . . . Now I'm no accountant, but if he is as in favour of redistribution as he says he is, surely more bands at different levels are better - keep the 10% rate, basic 20% rate, 30% rate at over £30,000 or something, 40% rate more or less where it is, and then a 50% rate for earnings over £100,000?

It says i am going to be 495 a year better off but i can never work out how many litres of diesel we use and its loads more than i guessed at

Well it said I was going to be £377 better off, but it didn't seem to take into account DH, and since most of the £377 was going to be tax credits that I won't be entitled to it came out pretty neutral really. Increased child benefit swallowed up by fuel and wine increases.

Expat in Scotland - we would love a SNP candidate in Richmond - please send one down!