[Politics] The Budget - March 2020

[The Clamp]

Focussing largely on infrastructure. Lots of nice big contracts handed out to the Tory chums then. Let’s hope they manage to improve the country while they’re at it.

 

[nicko31]

Well if I was the Chancellor I'd definitely go for a hike in fuel duty, with a low oil price its a no brainer

 

[nicko31]

The new IR35 rules are utterly ridiculous. Just a way of forcing the self employed into being nominally 'employed' and therefore pay more tax. It will lose people their jobs. I need a to hire a contractor for maternity leave cover .... prices have gone up so much I'm probably not going to bother. Only an utter fvckwit would have brought those rules in !

Contractors have been dodging NI with this method for too long, often making their spouses shareholders to get dividends for doing no work

 

[Lower West Stander]

Watched Rishi Sunak on Andrew Marr on Sunday.

Smug ex Goldman knobhead.

And that’s coming from a Tory voter....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Mancgull]

I expect the tapering of the annual pension allowance will be altered. NHS consultants have been kicking off about it over the past year or two and it is ridiculously complex to work out and almost impossible to plan for.
Let's face it, as a nation we are going to need the good will of NHS workers more than ever in the coming weeks, so I expect it will be dealt with by this budget.

 

[dazzer6666]

Contractors have been dodging NI with this method for too long, often making their spouses shareholders to get dividends for doing no work

We’ve traditionally had loads in our industry - typically people who have been made redundant (often from the same organisation). Day rates have been trimmed over time (but the individuals still cost a ton more than a permanent member of staff - problem is with so many targets for reduced headcount we can sometimes only employ contractors, who are funded from ‘project investment’ or other smoke and mirror arrangements) and the new rules have now torn the arse out of the market. There is a whole cohort of these people going from firm to firm in the City.

Of course, the recruiters are now touting a whole load of people around the city ‘who, after a very successful period gaining great experience in the consulting world, is very keen to return to a permanent position’.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

An awful lot of money has to be thrown into repairing all the damage of the last 12 odd years. we badly need so many of our current roads re-surfaced as it is without building new ones. As for the holes in social care, education and health and homelessness and poverty, in-work poverty and diminishing life expectancy and addictions … the list is endless. Charities are laying plans to feed children who may soon be sent home from school for 1-2 months and will lose their free school meals and breakfast clubs.... 5 th biggest economy in the world.... be ashamed Mr Sunak.

I 100% agree and very well said.
I am all for infrastructure, in fact huge world leading infrastructure but only when you have your house in order and our house is in a complete mess.
When I see billions being spent on a railway line and Brexit and probably many more billions added to that tomorrow yet I am stepping over war veterans in the streets of Plymouth and the council cutting back on looking after vulnerable children and adoption services, it's just not right.
But let's see what happens tomorrow first.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Contractors have been dodging NI with this method for too long, often making their spouses shareholders to get dividends for doing no work

Bit of an ignorant statement if I may say so

Shareholders don't do work, they simply buy a "share" to become an owner [investor] of the business - dividend being a proceed of the profit achieved.
Not such a perk in recent years since dividend is now taxed 9% above £2k.

Unfair to claim we "dodge" NI when we are still complying fully with the NI tax legislation - we do pay corporation tax too so we still pay our whack of tax ....

Under IR35 I will be deducted PAYE, Employee NI AND Employers NI at source which will be more tax than a permie.
But at the same time, will NOT get sick pay, holiday or pension contribution [and any other employee benefits/rights] from my "employer" so I'm getting all the tax [and some] of a permie with NONE of the benefits.

There may be trouble ahead ....

 

[maltaseagull]

I'll be interested to see what he does for the self-employed and owner/managers of personal service companies.

Whilst the employed get holiday pay, paternity, auto-enrolment pension and - now - statutory sick pay from Day 1 the rest of us get nothing, and added to that there is the uncertainty of Brexit and coronavirus.

It's a fair point but there are some advantages.
When I was a supermarket manager, I had to wear a suit to work.I had to be on call on off days.
No tax allowance for purchase and dry cleaning.

When I was a self employed driving instructor, I could claim for work clothes, mobile and home phone etc.

 

[BLOCK F]

We have experts on NSC covering world politics, pandemics and left-backs.

I'm sure that the financial cognoscenti will soon appear.

Ha; that did make me chuckle.
If only NSC's brightest and best and noisiest ran the world.
Perhaps not.

 

[BLOCK F]

I'm surprised that there aren't long queues at petrol stations as it must be time for a fuel tax hike.

It is a possibility, but I hope not.
Meanwhile, oil prices have plummeted so, unless there are tax changes to fuel, we may get cheaper pump prices in due course.
Nevertheless, I can see why the Chancellor may be tempted, but it wouldn't go down well with 'hardworking families' and business, so in the current pickle we are in, it may not happen.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I'm hoping there's additional funding to complete (start) the long overdue A27 Bypass at Arundel

 

[Titanic]

'Whatever it takes for NHS'

The government will give the NHS "whatever extra resources" it needs during the coronavirus outbreak, Chancellor Rishi Sunak says.

"Whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with Covid-19 – it will get.

"So, whether it's research for a vaccine, recruiting thousands of returning staff, or supporting our brilliant doctors and nurses… whether it's millions of pounds or billions of pounds… whatever it needs, whatever it costs, we stand behind our NHS."

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

'Whatever it takes for NHS'

The government will give the NHS "whatever extra resources" it needs during the coronavirus outbreak, Chancellor Rishi Sunak says.

"Whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with Covid-19 – it will get.

"So, whether it's research for a vaccine, recruiting thousands of returning staff, or supporting our brilliant doctors and nurses… whether it's millions of pounds or billions of pounds… whatever it needs, whatever it costs, we stand behind our NHS."

Always good to have specific numbers in the Budget, shows the government has done the hard work required to estimate tax revenues, assess costs and distribute funds. Demonstrates competence over soundbites. Well done Mr Sunak.

 

[Weststander]

The opposition benches seem quiet.

Are there far fewer Labour MP’s than there used to be?

 

[BBassic]

The opposition benches seem quiet.

Are there far fewer Labour MP’s than there used to be?

I've not watched many but would imagine the reading of the budget is exempt from all the "WHEEEEEEEY YOU WAAAAAAANKAAAAH" shouting bullshit.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I think Jezza gets to have a gripe and a moan regarding the lack of free wi-fi in a bit.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Good old Rishi, he is levelling up and getting stuff 'done'.

 

[vegster]

Rishi is a keen little puppy isn't he? keen to Get Things Done. I just wonder where all that cash has come from? Oh yes, it's all the cuts.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The opposition benches seem quiet.

Are there far fewer Labour MP’s than there used to be?

And far fewer experienced moderate tories as well. The dictatorship of Johnson and his acolytes is well underway.