On Wednesday March 20 Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his spring budget to the people of Great Britain. It will detail the economy and predict future growth. What is omitted will be telling, as the budget will include a good deal of spin. Then Osborne will get down to business announcing proposed policy changes which could affect any number of citizens, mainly negatively.

Sat alongside Osborne, on the front-benches of the coalition will be a few multi-millionaires, such as David Cameron and Nick Clegg. This cabinet is full of politicians who play at politics. That is a fair assumption when you consider they have no need to hold down such a job. There is of course the power and control aspect of holding a leading role in government.

In the past wealth has not always led to such assumptions. The UK, like most countries, had wealthy individuals seeking office for reasons of philanthropy or the good of the nation. These though are rare.

To consider what is wrong with the likes of UK PM David Cameron, Chancellor George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson let us look at their schooldays. There is an old saying along the lines of “show me the child and I will show you the man” which rings true for these three men.

Educated at public school and then University, in the UK, they joined the exclusive Bullingdon Club when studying at Oxford. According to Wikipedia the Bullingdon Club, founded in 1780, is an exclusive society at Oxford University, noted for its grand banquets and boisterous rituals, such as 'trashing' of restaurants and college rooms.

That information alone offers an insight into the behaviour and attitude of these men but there is more. Members of the club buy expensive tailor-made, blue and ivory suits, which they wear for functions. When they host or attend one of their functions any damage is paid for on the spot. Events are often rowdy, which has led to some local establishments opting not to host any.

Above all members must display an ostentatious disregard for money. The more money wasted the better. A perfect background for a country’s Chancellor and its Prime Minster?

Historically a sporting club, these days the Bullingdon’s main feature is dining. Elections for club membership are held twice a year. Once accepted into the inner sanctum of the Bullingdon Club other members will arrive in your university rooms. You will have to eat a full tin of Coleman’s mustard and allow the men to trash your room to complete your membership approval.

If you are not yet convinced that Messrs Cameron, Osborne and Johnson, as members of this club, are not fit for office read on.

There have been reports this year of one initiation which involved the prospective new member of the club burning a £50 in front of a tramp. Doubt has been cast over that allegation but there are others.

Wikipedia reports "some students had taken habitually to the drunken braying of ‘We are the Bullingdon’ at 3 a.m. from a house not far from the Phoenix Cinema. But the transcript of what they called the wife of the neighbour who went to ask them to be quiet was written in language that is not usually printed".

On Wednesday when Osborne gets to his feet in the House, to deliver his budget, cast your eyes over coalition front benchers. Their smug faces, as announcements about welfare reform, benefit cuts and more tough austerity measures are made, will betray their real feelings.

Osborne is set to deliver tax cuts to the wealthy in the UK and once again expect the poor and the vulnerable in the UK to pick up the tab. Why won’t he hit the wealthy in British society? Could it be because they are all old school chums and club members?

If you believe Tory propaganda that the coalition is sorting out the mess left by labour or addressing the country's deficit you are mistaken. That may or may not happen but it is not their priority. Their priority is shielding the elite from a financial hit.

The old school chums made years ago.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Above Top Secret

Osborne ploughs on with austerity-Guardian

In  recent years Prime Minister's questions in Parliament has taken place on a Wednesday. Maybe it always did but it is only in recent years that we, the British public, have been able to watch or listen in on the fun. This bloggers says fun as although it should be serious business in the House each and every day Question time can be odd to say the least.

At times it has seemed more like kiddies half hour of naughtiness in a kindergarten. Each side will take a pop at the other and aim to score points. If we are lucky, depending upon your principles it can be highly amusing or a disgrace to watch.

Today, Wednesday April 18, 2012, is the first Question time in Parliament since George Osborne's Spring Budget. The honourable chaps and gals have been enjoying an Easter break. They may want to get rid of our meagre Bank Holiday entitlement but they certainly love their holiday privileges.

Leader of the opposition Ed Milband was of course wanting to gain a political advantage over the Condems or as they are also called the UK Coalition government. Ed had plenty of ammunition to hand kindly supplied by the Budget and a series of ill thought proposals by the Tories. Mr Cameron was accused of "presiding over a "shambles"" , by Mr Miliband, who went on to tell him to "get a grip" following a few dodgy weeks.

Amusingly it seems that "pasty Gate" is far from over. A veritable fiasco followed announcements that our ridiculously high VAT of 20% would be applied to  Cornish Pasties. It did however appear that was only if they were bought hot. If taken home to heat up they would remain VAT free. 

The changes to VAT on hot food, Mr Osborne had claimed, would make the system fairer. However it seems it is far from that. Today SkyNews reported that, "Lib Dem MP Stephen Gilbert then joined in the attack on Cameron as he pointed out that "there is no VAT chargeable on caviar yet the Government is proposing to put VAT on the Cornish pasty. Can he tell me why that is fair?"

Mr Cameron replied: "What I think is unfair is that products sold in a fish and chip shop wich are subject to VAT, those same products can be sold in supermarkets not subject to VAT. "I don't think that's fair and that's why it's right we redraw the boundaries."

Yes but what about the damn caviar which the government and its cronies enjoy eating? That of course remains unanswered.

Opinion: All of this may be highly amusing and a "good laugh". After all we need that especially these days, don't we?  The problem is that whilst they are debating this trivia for our amusement the real issues are forgotten. The latest jobless figures may be slightly improved but with galloping inflation, pay cuts, granny taxes and pay freezes there are more serious fish to fry than Cod and Chips.

In case you need reminding Parliament we do not pay you to eat caviar, enjoy subsidised alcohol in the Parliament bar nor to act the fool on the world stage of the House of Commons. Isn't it about time you all behaved as adults, got on with the job in hand and led by example?

Tage: pastygate, cornish pasty, caviar, UK VAT, George Osborne, David Cameron, UK Spring budget, UK inflation

The UK is facing a government Spring budget in March 2012. Budgets can never please all of the people. If you are a one parent family what will suit you will hardly suit a multi millionaire business person. However budgets should be all about fairness. If we have to swallow some nasty medicine we should all join in. Asking the man, woman and child on the street to tighten their belt whilst those who can afford to continue to prosper is not good news. It is bad for families, those on low income. the unemployed, pensioners, the physically challenged, the country and more.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been pushing Chancellor George Osborne to alleviate the tax burden of the low paid. In the UK many workers have only secured part time jobs with a relatively small pay packet. These people though believe that it is better to work part time than to be unemployed. 

Mr Clegg would like to raise the threshold before tax is paid to £10,000 a year. After this level of income is reached the basic tax rates would kick in. Osborne has said that he is considering the matter but will not be drawn on it. He is admant that he will not borrow more money to pay for it. This means that those who could receive a tax break in one hand will have it snacthed away by another.

As usual Osborne and his fellow Tories are full of lies and hypocrisy.

First it may be worth reiterating that, "The Lib Dems secured a coalition commitment from the Conservatives to increase the personal allowance to £10,000 before the end of this Parliament" Time is moving on and if deals are to be honoured sooner or later this change will have to take place. Will it be yet one more broken Tory promise?

According to Sky news Osborne said, "I listen always - very seriously and carefully - to the Deputy Prime Minister and our coalition partners. We are a coalition and the Budget will be a coalition Budget. He knows, as I do, as the country knows, that any tax cut will have to be paid for. In other words, there would have to be a tax rise somewhere else or a spending reduction. What we are not going to do in this Budget is borrow more money to either increase spending or cut taxes."

Really Mr Osborne?

There are predictions that Mr Osborne will drop the 50p tax rate for the rich in the UK. Revenues are lower than expected which has led to speculation that wealthy people's money is going elsewhere. It seems that Osborne will be happy to pander to his chums and ease their tax burden. Where will the money to fund this come from?

Traditional Tories are pushing George Osborne to reinstate the married couple's tax break. Although in the past this blogger has gained from that tax break the time to reinstate it is not now. It may never be the time to do so. Perhaps we should remember that it was a Conservative government that scrapped it in 2000.

There are many more pieces of the tax system that are unfair However, here is a way to fund the increase in personal allowances to £10,000.

1. Currently the personal allowance is  £7,475. It is due to rise to  £8,105 for the years 2012,/2013. The cut off threshold for receiving that tax break is an income of a £100,000 a year. This could be reduced to those earning £90,000 for example. Any such change would barely hit the pockets of those higher earners but would alleviate a great deal of UK poverty. This would fund the £10,000 allowance.
2. For 2012/ 2013 the 40p higher tax rate kicks in at  £34,371-£150,000. Changing that to between £40,000 and £120,000 would be self funding and leave some money to spare.
3. For 2012/2013 the 50p rate kicks in at over £150,000. That should be maintained as it is.

OK obviously there is more to it than that. I did not enjoy a public school education with all its trimmings but I do know common sense.

Part of the problem for George Osborne is having the will to help those who need help. The old saying that where there is a will there is a way is so very true. The problem is that Mr Osborne wants to "look after his own". You may see that as old fashioned rhetoric, however for George Osborne it is a way of life.

In 2012 Great Britain will push its spending out to the limit with the Olympics and The Royal Jubilee. Those will be fiunded come Hell  or high water. Then again according to The Guardian Osborne has more money that he had planned for and can afford a budget giveaway!