Skip to main content

A mini budget full of lies from Rishi Sunak, the people’s millionaire | John Crace

He’s says he’s cutting taxes while raising them to the highest level since the 40s. Don’t tell us it’s raining, Rishi

At least the speech was short and sweet, coming in at little more than 25 minutes. Rishi Sunak, well, he was not so sweet. The chancellor likes to portray himself as a man of the people. Someone who gets the everyday struggles. A man who feels our pain. A tough call for a millionaire married to a billionaire. Then I guess he would argue that poverty is relative. And compared to his wife, he’s broke. Sunak also prides himself on being someone who levels with the country. A man who can be trusted to be straight, even when delivering bad news.

Neither version of himself survives the slightest contact with reality. Rather he is the worst of both worlds. A chancellor with a veneer of empathy. Who can deliver a spring statement – aka a seismic budget in any other year – that offers nothing to the poorest and most vulnerable members of society while sobbing on their behalf. Who told the chamber with a straight face that he is committed to cutting taxes even when the Office of Budget Responsibility is saying that the tax burden is set to go up to 36.3% by 2026: the highest level since the 1940s.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/80BNGwD

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

England booed off after failing against Iceland once more in Euros warm-up

It was a long way from being the triumphant Euro 2024 send-off for Gareth Southgate and his England players at a sold-out and increasingly fretful Wembley. Never mind the result because it was not the main thing, however much it stirred memories of you-know-when against Iceland. It was the performance that raised the difficult questions, the worst one for quite some time and at exactly the wrong time. The home fans, thousands of whom made for the exits before the end, were forced to watch the second half – from about minute 55 onwards – through the gaps between their fingers. And it had not been great before that. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/4ndfQL0

Covid-19 cases in England 'must fall to ease NHS pressure'

Imperial College study notes decline in week to 22 January but fall is slower than in first national lockdown Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Cases of coronavirus have started to decline in England but must fall faster to relieve pressure on the NHS, scientists behind a Covid infection survey have warned. Researchers at Imperial College London analysed more than 160,000 swabs taken between 6 and 22 January and found that while cases fell nationally in the past week the rate was not dropping swiftly enough to reduce strain on the health service. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36ggn4E

Trump to campaign in 4 states - including in Biden's hometown - during week of Democratic National Convention

Trump plans to hold a series of events next week in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona as Democrats nominate Joe Biden for president.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3al6qn7