All-round Budget thread

[longfingernails]

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Pensions: has endorsed Hutton, going for universal pension in the longer term (mentioned tax simplification in same breath, so fits with NI/tax consultation?), appeared to be including MPs pensions in public sector pension reform.

Hear! Hear! this is the Big Society at its best

< new thread in "sleb twaddle" about Elizabeth Taylor >

He's announced closure of several tax loopholes (expecting to raise £1b).

how did he say he was going to stop those offshore warehouses (like Amazon uses one in Jersey)?

good news about personal allowance rises and not moving the threshold - does mean fewer will be pushed up into the 40% bracket by the move

Tax allowance up to £8,105 for 2012.

Another rise in personal allowance is very good for low earners.
Apprenticeships sounds as though it is good news for young people, also the help for first time buyers.

My skin is still crawling though.

I missed the stuff about alcohol, a subject dear to mythroat

No change to alcohol duty.

Fags up 2% (over inflation), plus review.

Car tax, inflation only.

lol claig

mileage rate goes up from 40p to 45p! People will be happy about that!

I missed the early part of the budget, but so far it seems like good news. What a change from the doom of every budget of the past 13 years. If this is Big Society, give me more!

No change on alcohol - up for high beers, down for others.

Tobacco up by 2%.
No changes to Alcohol.
Petrol frozen to next year.

Fuel duty: stabiliser to be introduced. Escalator to be cancelled. Increases postponed.

Yeah, love the Big Society. Finally a few solid things to cite against doubters.

1P DOWN PER LITRE FROM 6PM TONIGHT

Thanks Gids :)

indeed, ditto liasjb3. I know that on paper our joint income may look Ok to many, but like everybody else that CB money, now we've received it for 6 yrs, is all part of our family budget and we need it.

1p cut in fuel duty wef 6pm tonight.

Fuel duty cut - good.

No changes to alcohol

A CUT IN FUEL DUTY!

YAY! YAY!

I think Osborne deserves a knighthood. This is magnificent! This is the beginning of the recovery, there is light after the gloom of New Labour, we are escaping the Labour quicksand, we have cut loose the leg irons which they held us back with. We are heading for a brighter future.

I commend Osborne for a knighthood.

Osbourne finished - opposition response shortly.

Well that was a surprise - I though he said it was frozen, but it's gone down.

I have to admit, I'm surprised by this budget - I thought it was going to hit all of us really hard.

So glad he had done something about petrol!

Brace yourselves for next years budget. they have 'helped' us on this budget to give us a false sense of security. the next one we will be screwed. its what governments do!

I would recommend turning off your TVs and radios before the Labour leader makes his speech. You can just predict it now. Doom and gloom and throwing a spanner in the works, the only thing they are experts at.