Darling sets Britain on course for bust

Following today's pre-budget report and the news of tax cuts (or should that be con?) that could bring Britain to the brink of bankruptcy I have one response: liars.

It is not the minimal tax cuts or rising debt that particularly upsets me, although important, it is the massive deception that the Brown government is taking part in. Not only are the tax cuts minimal and what Labourites hope to be a public relations coup, they will affect British people not one iota. This budget will swell the national debt to £1 trillion, mean tax rises in the future and will do nothing to boost spending; thanks to the constant media gloom.

While the Government cuts one tax, they increase the other. I believe that we should put the future stability of Britain's economy first and introduce a budget that promotes responsibility and saving. Taxes should stay as they are, we must promote savings, provide incentives for foreign investment and bring vital projects forward to create British jobs. Any borrowing needed for the above could be prevented by cutting bureaucracy and improving efficiency in Government.

As someone who will be able to vote in the next election, this budget and Government has failed massively to win my vote.

Something a little local

As an advance warning this may seem like a negative post, and by negative I don't mean politically or personally but the subject in general.

I always use public transport as much as I can, this is for two reasons; one it is easy and number two it is environmentally friendly (although I will be the first to admit this is not the most important to me.) I always use Wakefield Kirkgate station, the station itself paints a bleak picture and abysmal impression of the city, which is in fact up and coming. The station is used by hundreds of people a day and to be honest when dark, it is quite intimidating.

Now the main issue I have with this is not the building or the impression it makes on the city, that is irrelevant, it is that someone was recently sexually assaulted here. While I concede that this could happen in many places, not enough is done to prevent it. There is subway that links the platforms, it has several blind spots for people that use it. There were mirrors on each corner, allowing users to see round the corner, these have been vandalised and removed leaving blind spots in a subway.

This is a dangerous gap in security and the prevention of not just sexual assault, but practically any crime. I have written to the operator of the station, Northern Rail and requested that they install the mirrors as a preventative measure.

Thanks for reading, Joe

It's the economy . . . stupid.

I woke up this afternoon (after a well deserved lie in) to find my staple news site, the BBC full of stories about the present economic problems. I avoid the word 'crisis' as I do not want to take part in the general media's obsession with pushing us over the edge into a recession. I would argue that the entire crisis is the media's own doing and it's own creation, but this would not be true; we have all had a role in the current crisis and we must learn the lessons that it will teach us.

A solution that I would throw my whole political will behind, which admittedly amounts to very little apart from my occasional musings on this blog, will surprise many of you; keep taxes as they are. A tax cut as Gordon Brown is reported to be mulling, would serve purely as a politically motivated action with the next election getting closer by the day. A tax cut it would seem would play into Gordon Brown's chances of clinging to power and is part of a strategy others have pointed out to woo voters.

In the media circus surrounding the economic downturn, a minimal tax cut would do extremely little to boost consumer spending or confidence. The media would simply cite the cut as another step toward economic catastrophe. Not only would this not boost the economy in the slightest, it would also be completely irresponsible and would leave the nation in massive debt for future generations.

I would argue that taxes should stay the same for the next financial year, or maybe slightly higher . . . I believe that we should embark on a sensible public spending bout. This would create jobs in sectors that are on life support (construction for example,) improve public services, prevent the national debt from exploding and generate investment in the areas that may be hit hardest.

Till next time, Joe

The first . . . of many posts.

Hey,

My name is Joseph and you can call me Joe after refreshing the page over and over so you are familiar with my blog and we are good friends (really good friends if my visitor numbers increase!) I started this blog for the reasons that many others do; debate and discussion. The two cornerstones of our democracy, our freedom to express our every thought and the reason that you and me can be elected to the highest office in the United Kindom. I want this blog to be a place of ideas for the future and what we can put right from the past.

Our country is now at a turning point, for the last ten years Labour has held a tight grip on our politics and for the first time in a long time people are excited to be Conservatives again. In this blog I am not going down the route that others have; one of denial, a denial that Labour has not achieved impressive things in it's tenure, because it has. You may ask; then why be a Conservative? It is to this question I have a simple answer; we can do better.

This is a lesson that history teaches us, I believe that we can run a better government without an overwhelming bureaucracy, I believe that we will bring a better NHS for the people that puts doctors in charge and we can save our planet with more innovation and emphasis on renewable sources.

Thanks for reading, tell me I am right (or wrong) and come back for more.

Joe