Budget 2016

What is left from the Budget of 2016? Not a lot!

The first thing to go was disability change and it was nearly instant. People at the time were calling for a failed budget in the first week. The changes to PIP [personal independence payments] were listed in the Treasury document that adds detail to the chancellors statement. However on the following BBC question time the education secretary described the PIP cuts as a suggestion that was under consultation. The next thing we know is they have been cancelled.

Back in March just after the budget was released, the shadow chancellor called on the Budget to be ripped up and begun again, Mr McDonnell claimed the Chancellor “insults this House” with his no-show - while Labour MPs shouted "where is he?" and "frit" as Mr Gauke stood at the despatch box.

Then there was the wobble over the green tax or the rise in VAT from 5% to 20% for renewable energy specifically solar panels it would create a collision between the European Union and the British Parliament. Friends of the Earth highlighted, the solar tax would also have created the perverse situation whereby people ended up paying more tax on solar panels and energy conservation than on energy from polluting sources like oil and coal who would have their low tax rates retained, which would skew the energy market away from clean energy and send Britain’s energy policy in precisely the wrong direction.

Next on the hit list was Academies and this reverse change was released on what has become known as bad new day, slipped out amongst other bad news considered worse than changing every single school into an Academy whether they wanted it or not. The announcement was made at the height of the Junior Doctors strike where they walked out of emergency services.

Now the sugar tax is about to get squished. This looks as though it will come into contention with the EU as it breaches their rules. Oh dear!