Anyone else irritated by the media coverage of budget?

[flymetothemoo]

Clearly, if it was at all possible then Labour would want to spend billions / on public services, fixing everything. The fact that they are having to be so frugal is NOT what they would choose, politically or materially!

Clearly it's the last government's fault we are in this position. And yet Labour are the bad guys, according to the press, and even the BBC and the Guardian are contributing to this stoking of negativity and fear.

What are they supposed to do in terms of the budget?

They must find the money from somewhere. They've promised to protect working people, employees NI, income tax etc. So they have to find it from somewhere. It might be employers, or inheritance tax loopholes, or benefit loopholes.

They are damned if they do and if they don't aren't they?

That line doesn’t help Labour they’re still getting backlash no matter what

Well, yes, from people like you who they will never please as you are ideologically opposed to them and all they do. As you have repeatedly made clear.

It's odd when posters are so adamant but you are incorrect, plus why so emotive it's just some politicians whom you prefer

That still doesn't mean that Labour are not currently squandering a lead and getting backlash due their own failures. The opposition are barely doing much, look to Labour if you want to ponder on what's happening

They may get out of it, but currently this is on them.

And they would from some quarters if they magically transformed every public service, solved the housing crisis and delivered a gold ingot to every doorstep. They’re actually doing pretty well.

https://pledgeprogress.co.uk/

The media are whipping all this up as a result of the WHA being cancelled with little notice. They're ignoring the Tories who've been a chaotic shambles for years.

Can't say I have respect for our supposed democracy.

That's a really useful link, thank you.

I don't know why they don't just reverse the NI cuts and suck up the inevitable grief they'll get. It'll fill the black hole in one fell swoop, and we were all paying the higher percentages not that long ago, so it could be viewed as we've all had a temporary discount. All this tinkering is just going to piss more people off and pit groups against each other.

The most sensible and easiest suggestion of the entire thread!

Yes.

It’s just crazy isn’t it. That’s why I despise politicians and politics. It’s the most sensible and effective and practical thing to do. But oh no they refuse to do it because they made unnecessary promises pre election and now to save face they won’t do the most logical and sensible thing.

It’s just madness. And now they are in a toxic mess as to who is a working person. Well there are many working people running small and medium sized businesses that are not large corporations who are going to pay an unnecessary price for their ineptitude.

This new government keeps on talking about growth but if the things being mooted are going to happen well all they will do is hamper growth.

It’s all very well issuing pay increases for public services, and I’m not against that, but it’s the private sector that funds it all.

100%

Labour could not do the sensible thing and instead had to start a class war and stir up the politics of envy.

In order to raise the taxes they want [note I am refraining from the word 'need' as it is not clear what is political rhetoric against the Tories] and not to affect 'working people', they have artificially distorted the definition of 'working people' to include everyone except people who do not have the means to write a cheque [who writes cheques these days anyway?] or who wasn't a high earning consultant in the NHS. So now everyone and anyone who sensibly saved up anything is up in arms.

Seems like self-harm but hey it got them into power, so a price worth paying even if now it has come back to bite Labour in the arse. You get what you vote for.

The thing is reversing the NI cut which has only been in place for a brief period of time would be the most sensible thing to do. It’s just standard mathematics.

But if they do implement new NI for employers on their pension contributions it’s going to have a detrimental effect. That’s also standard mathematics.

Digging in to try and skew and squirm your way around pre election promises just for the sake of it, when it doesn’t make economic sense is just a travesty that we have a government prepared to do just that when it’s economically illiterate.

They could have said the last government was reckless in reducing NI and that it’s unaffordable and needs to be corrected back to what it originally was.

This budget is not about the alleged black hole. That’s a smoke screen. This budget is about higher funding for certain public services. We have had high inflation. Taxing more will hurt a lot of ordinary people who cannot afford it.

More money for the NHS rarely improves it. We get longer waiting times. We get very patchy care. Some good and some awful. Wes Streetimg needs to say what his strategy is to deliver value for money. Our money. Labour are now changing what borrowing looks like. Student loans are being taken out of borrowing apparently. It’s unlikely any additional tax will produce better services unless the services are reformed. As for going back to the well with higher taxes for businesses is anti growth. It’s completely misunderstanding the difficulties business is facing. We will be back to “Labour isn’t working” if employers cannot afford it.

Such nonsense lines from 'fully funded, fully costed' to 'harsh light of fiscal reality' or whatever latest doom phrase is incoming

They deserve backlash for spinning tales, the media should go more on this not less. Tax hikes after getting voting in on lies

The NI cuts of over £20 billion have to be paid for, as do the 5.5% pay rises for military, nhs staff and teachers plus the payouts for PO and blood scandals.

Sunak never funded any of this, just called an election, knowing he would lose and slope shouldered it all onto Labour.

Whoever won, had to fund tall of this, either by tax rises or public service cuts and after 14 years of austerity, there is little to cut.

Labour aren't increases NI income tax on employees, or VAT, so how did they lie?

Tory tears

@EasternStandard Now “working people” cannot be defined! They all have different ideas when interviewed! They sound illiterate.

Yeh another total farce

'Working people' they all over the shop

Some posters are getting very ratty now that the budget is nearly upon us. Perhaps because they will no longer be able to froth about speculations?

I agree with the poster who said the NI cut should be reversed. It is a shame that Labour has boxed itself in on that one.

Sure.

What a load of bumpkin

Labour’s ‘fully funded, fully costed’ was a farce no matter how you and they spin it.

Lovely doom line from Starmer today which you’ll like.

I understand that it is usual for a new government to publish their budget within weeks of an election. It has taken this government 4 months so surely they bear some responsibility for the speculation?

Why would you rather reverse this than have employers pay more NIC instead?

Ha yes the “harsh light of fiscal reality” is coming

Whatever the fuck that means

Funny they didn't use that as the pre GE campaign what ho