The downfall of the Tory party.

[Chippy_Tea]

What's happened today?​

We're about to wrap up our live coverage, but before we go let's have a look at the main developments in the continuing row over comments made last week by Ashfield MP Lee Anderson towards the Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

• Khan condemned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and the top of the Tory party, for failing to call out Anderson's "ignorant, prejudiced and racist" comments
• In an opinion piece on the Evening Standard, the capital's mayor said "anti-Muslim bigotry and racism are not taken seriously"
• It comes after Anderson doubled down on his criticism of Khan and accused him of "double standards for political benefit"
• How did we get here? Speaking on GB News on Friday, Anderson claimed "Islamists" had "got control" of the mayor of London. This sparked outrage across members of the opposition, and some senior Tory MPs as well. A day later, he was suspended from sitting with the Tory party in parliament
• Speaking today, Sunak said Anderson's remarks were "wrong" and "unacceptable"
• Despite suspending the whip from the Ashfield MP, Downing Street has faced criticism for refusing to call Anderson's remarks "Islamophobic". The prime minister's spokesman said anti-Muslim hatred will not be tolerated but added that the government has "issues" with the definition of Islamophobia put forward by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, saying that it "conflates race with religion"

• In other news, Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has rejected a bid by the Scottish National Party (SNP) for an emergency debate on the situation in Gaza

To read the latest on this story click here.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce a 2p cut to National Insurance when he delivers his Budget on Wednesday.
BBC News

The plan - which matches a cut announced in the Autumn Statement - was first reported in The Times.
Mr Hunt has been under pressure, particularly from Tory MPs, to cut taxes currently at an historic high.
Last week, the chancellor hinted he would use his Budget to cut taxes saying he wanted to "show a path" towards a lower-tax economy.
However, he stressed he would only do so in a "responsible" way.
In his Budget statement - taking place in the House of Commons on Wednesday - Mr Hunt is likely to argue that rewarding work and putting more money in people's pockets is a driving motivation for the government.
It comes against a backdrop of sluggish economic growth, with the country falling into recession at the end of last year.

In recent weeks, the chancellor has been emphasising that his scope for cutting taxes is not what he had hoped it would be.
Cutting National Insurance is cheaper than cutting income tax; however, some Conservative MPs fear it is less well understood by many voters and so is less beneficial politically.
They have also argued that the initial cut to National Insurance has not improved the Conservatives' political fortunes - a key consideration with the general election expected this year.
Labour believe the government has more room for manoeuvre than ministers have been suggesting and may cut income tax as well.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, when he responds to the Budget, will argue tax cuts now still leave people worse off because of the freezing of tax thresholds, which means many people are paying higher rates of tax than they used to.
Alongside the expected cut to National Insurance, Mr Hunt is set to freeze fuel duty for another year. The levy has not increased since 2011.
The BBC has also been told Mr Hunt will use his Budget to urge councils to reduce their spending on diversity schemes and consultants.
It comes as councils across the country have said they are struggling to balance the books.
This week councils in Birmingham and Nottingham have announced big cuts to services.
The Local Government Association has dismissed attacks on diversity schemes as a "distraction" arguing that councils spent "pence" on such projects.
Meanwhile, the chancellor is also considering other measures to raise revenue, including a new tax on vapes and scrapping non-dom tax status.
People with non-domiciled status are UK residents whose home for tax purposes is abroad. Under the current system, they do not have to pay UK tax on money they make overseas.
Labour has pledged to abolish non-dom status and spend the money generated on schools and the NHS.
If the party backs any tax cuts the chancellor announces, which they are expected to do, this would leave questions over how some of their spending pledges would be funded.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How much would you save with a 2p national insurance, based on an annual income ​

So a saving of £7 a month for the lowest paid in the example below and £110 for the highest


£15,000 - Take-home pay of £14,320 in 2024/25, compared to £14,235 in 23/24 - Increase of £85

£20,000 - Take-home pay of £17,920 in 2024/25, compared to £17,660 in 23/24 - Increase of £260

£25,000 - Take-home pay of £21,520 in 2024/25, compared to £21,085 in 23/24 - Increase of £435

£30,000 - Take-home pay of £25,120 in 2024/25, compared to £24,510 in 23/24 - Increase of £610

£35,000 - Take-home pay of £28,720 in 2024/25, compared to £27,935 in 23/24 - Increase of £785

£40,000 - Take-home pay of £32,320 in 2024/25, compared to £31,360 in 23/24 - Increase of £960

£45,000 - Take-home pay of £34,786 in 2024/25, compared to £35,920 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,135

£50,000 - Take-home pay of £39,520 in 2024/25, compared to £38,210 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,310

£55,000 - Take-home pay of £42,457 in 2024/25, compared to £41,138 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,320

£60,000 - Take-home pay of £45,357 in 2024/25, compared to £44,038 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,320

£65,000 - Take-home pay of £48,257 in 2024/25, compared to £46,938 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,320

£70,000 - Take-home pay of £51,157 in 2024/25, compared to £49,838 in 23/24 - Increase of £1,320

The independent

 

[Rodcx500z]

But they can instantly find 31 million to protect the spineless mp's who represent us

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It's the budget today do you think they have given Taresas magic money tree and a good shake and may give us something more than the predicted cuts above?

Labour have criticised the tories saying they should have given income tax cuts instead, experts are saying they have fallen into the Tory trap as they will now have to cut income tax if/when they get in.

 

[foxy]

It is likely Labour will get in, the only trap they have fallen into, is getting into power!
If the money isn't there to fix the NHS for the Tories it isn't going to magically appear when the Labour Party gets in.
Giving tax cuts will only work if the biggest percentage of the cuts go to the low-income earners. Why, they don't hold on to money, it goes straight into the tills keeping the economy buoyant. Giving tax cuts to the well-off goes straight into the bank.
In my years in business, the easiest people to get money from were those on a low income, the hardest were those with luxury cars, mansions and employ a nanny. I had one client who was a multi-millionaire, he was in his 80s, I couldn't make a sale of $500! His sister warned me he wouldn't buy. The reason he was scared of running out of money!
Kevin Bridges sums it up nicely.

 

[Agentgonzo]

They know it's their last few months in power, so they lower taxes not in the hope it'll buy them votes (everyone on the whole planet knows this is moronic) but so they can go "labour have put taxes up and up and up since they got into power" when fighting for the next election.

And the really sad thing is it'll work because the public has such a short memory.

 

[dad_of_jon]

They know it's their last few months in power, so they lower taxes not in the hope it'll buy them votes (everyone on the whole planet knows this is moronic) but so they can go "labour have put taxes up and up and up since they got into power" when fighting for the next election.

And the really sad thing is it'll work because the public has such a short memory.

I think you make a point there. Take a hit on being out of power for 5 and attempt to rebuild the party whilst Lab struggle to rebuild a screwed up financial situation.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I think you make a point there. Take a hit on being out of power for 5 and attempt to rebuild the party whilst Lab struggle to rebuild a screwed up financial situation.

The public vote on perception rather than performance. In 1997 the economy was performing strongly and unemployment was falling, but the Conservatives fell to a huge defeat as previous crises had wrecked public confidence in them and Blair positioned Labour perfectly to take advantage.

 

[JockyBrewer]

After today's budget the UK will have it's highest tax burden as a % of GDP since WWII.



Are they still the "Party of Fiscal Responsibility"?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

​

Here's a recap of the chancellor's major announcements:

• National Insurance was cut for workers by another 2p, from 10% to 8% – having already fallen by 2p in last year's Autumn Statement
• The earnings threshold for child benefit was raised to £60,000, from £50,000
• The windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies was extended until 2029, while capital gains tax was reduced for the higher rate of property from 28% to 24%
• And the non-dom tax break, claimed by wealthy foreign residents in the UK, was abolished - but new arrivals will still not pay tax on foreign income and gains for their first four years of UK residency
• The Household Support Fund for families in England was extended for six months, falling short of charities’ hopes of a two-year extension
• Alcohol duty was frozen and the 5p cut in fuel duty was extended
• The chancellor announced a new British ISA to encourage more people to invest in UK assets
• The VAT threshold for small businesses was increased, from £85,000 to £90,000
• And there will be new taxes on vapes, and higher taxes for business class flights

Summary​

1. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has cut workers' National Insurance by another 2p in the Budget, meaning it falls from 10% to 8%
2. He says the cut, to begin next month, is worth £450 a year for the average worker
3. It follows another 2p cut announced in last year's Autumn Statement - but there is no change to income tax
4. Labour leader Keir Starmer calls the Budget a "last desperate act" and says people are paying "more and more for less and less"
5. Hunt also announces a six-month extension to the Household Support Fund, a freeze in alcohol duty, and an extension to the 5p cut in fuel duty
6. He increases the VAT threshold for small businesses to £90,000, and announces new taxes on vapes and higher taxes for business class flights
7. He says he's "abolishing" the "non-dom" tax system, and will move the child benefit threshold from £50,000 to £60,000

 

[An Ankoù]

A very interesting budget. I'm not sure there are any great gains for anybody, but what was fascinating was how Jeremy Berkeley Hunt spent more time ribbing Labour than on announcing his measures. A new ploy, then, of entertainment over substance. A bit of a non-starter, I thought.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Tax level still set to reach highest level since 1948​

BBC News
Robert Cuffe
Head of statistics

The government will collect 37.1p of every pound generated in the economy in 2028/29, according to today's forecasts from the government's spending watchdog, the OBR.
That will be the highest level in nearly 80 years.
Remember, this is the total tax take, not just personal taxes, national insurance or VAT.
It also includes taxes on, say, property sales, holiday lets and companies.
The OBR's current forecast is actually slightly lower than the forecast they made in November (37.7p of every pound generated in the economy).
One third of the 0.6p-per-pound fall between November and today's projections is due to measures announced by the government today.
The rest is due to changes in what's forecast to happen to the economy.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Will everyone be better off after the NI cut?​

Dearbail Jordan
Business reporter

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, says that people who earn between £25,000 to £50,000 will be better off after the latest 2p cut in National Insurance.
"They have lost from the income tax rises but they've gained more from those National Insurance cuts," he tells the BBC.
Overall, though, he says that OBR figures show that average incomes will be no higher at the end of this Parliament than they were at the beginning in 2019.
"That is pretty remarkable," he says.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Sunak spent 18 minutes on his phone while Starmer ripped him a new a**e hole i wonder if he was looking for a new job.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Angela Rayner wants to see Diane Abbott back as Labour MP​

I have a feeling she may be in a huge minority -

They suspended her 11 months ago for saying

Irish, Jewish and Traveller people do not face racism "all their lives

I have a feeling this is a knee jerk reaction coming after Frank Hester was reported to have said the MP made him want "to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot".
Would she have said she would "like to see" Diane Abbott back as a Labour MP" if Hester had not made that comment?

​

By Sam Francis, political reporter & Hannah Miller, political correspondent
BBC News

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has said she would "like to see" Diane Abbott back as a Labour MP.
The party suspended Ms Abbott 11 months ago for saying Irish, Jewish and Traveller people do not face racism "all their lives".
Ms Rayner said she was frustrated over the length of the investigation but the party had to follow its procedures.
Ms Abbott has been in the spotlight this week over alleged racist comments about her by a Tory donor.

She currently sits as an independent MP after being suspended by Labour in April 2023 after she wrote in the Observer that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice", which she said is "similar to racism".
"But they are not all their lives subject to racism," she added.
She withdrew her remarks the same day and apologised "for any anguish caused".
Ms Abbott remains under investigation by Labour, but in an article in the Guardian this week said that it would be "both sad and strange" if party leader Sir Keir Starmer kept her out because of it.
Ms Rayner told journalists that "at times" she "shares the frustration" of how long processes take, but added that there are sometimes "sensitive reasons" for that.
Asked at a lunch with Westminster reporters if she wanted to see Ms Abbott back in the Parliamentary Labour Party, Ms Rayner said: "Personally, I would like to see Diane back but the Labour Party has to follow its procedures.
"And for me, that is the most important thing, that we have made sure our party is fit to govern by making sure we have got complaint procedures that are robust and people can have confidence in.
"So it doesn't matter what I think because I don't make that decision because it is done through a panel, it has gone through experts, and I'm not involved in that process."

IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Ms Abbott spoke outside Downing Street at an anti-racism protest in August
In an article for the Guardian on Thursday, Ms Abbott took aim at the Tories, arguing policies such as the Rwanda deportation scheme show they intend to play "the race card" as the next election approaches.
But she also criticised Labour, insisting "racism in politics is not just a matter for any one political party".
The article was published a day after Ms Abbott unsuccessfully tried more than 40 times to get the Speaker's attention so she could contribute to Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, which was dominated by the row. A spokesperson for the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said there was "not enough time" to call all MPs who wanted to speak.
Ms Rayner added that the Labour Party may still have racists in it, but said the party has policies in place and is doing "proactive work" to "root people out".
Ms Abbott is understood to have asked Sir Keir to readmit her to the Parliamentary Labour Party, when he asked her if there was anything he could do.
Sir Keir told the BBC Ms Abbott cannot re-join the party while an independent investigation into her comments was still ongoing.
Labour "need to put our arm around [Ms Abbott] and give her support" over the "racist and misogynistic" comments against her, Sir Keri said.
But pressed on whether he will welcome her back into the party fold, Sir Keir told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2: "That's an entirely different issue.
"That was about allegations of antisemitism in relation to a letter... which is subject to an ongoing investigation, which is separate from me. That's not something which I conduct."

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I dont think she should be allowed back, remember these interviews -

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Interesting statistic on 5 live this morning -

The cost of sending each person to Ruanda is going to be £2,000,000 which is the same as sending them to France and putting them up in the Ritz for four years.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Interesting statistic on 5 live this morning -
The cost of sending each person to Ruanda is going to be £2,000,000 which is the same as sending them to France and putting them up in the Ritz for four years.

Ah the old money tree will be given a good old shake

 

[Rodcx500z]

Can't stand Raynor another lying odious labour toad, bet there are 17 mirrors in her bathroom