Not everything is well with the budget announced by Chancellor Osborne. But, as we all know, his options were limited by economic problems which spread back over 5 years and longer.

He should get some credit for trying to tackle major issues like the supply of new homes, addressing the costs of child care and controlling fuel prices

He helped the less well off by bringing forward the zero tax threshold for those earning £10,000 a year, while leaving the “millionaires” tax rate at a higher level than Labour were content to levy for most of their term of office.

So what do the Labour party apologists find to criticise?

One Julia Unwin, who heads the previously well respected Rowntree Foundation in the city, claimed “The Chancellor faced a test: he needed to boost household’s incomes and help cut the cost of essentials. Neither was forthcoming”.

Really?

See above!

The problem with writing your media sound bites before actually reading the proposals is that you can look ridiculous. Perhaps she was taking a prompt from her partner – one Patrick Kelly – who resides deep in the mire that is the Labour Party in York?

But full marks to the Council Leader for Tweeting like a new pontiff that it was wrong to reduce the price of beer while ignoring the poor.

As perfect a reverse summersault as you are likely to see in the political world.

Last year the same pontiff made a heartfelt plea for beleaguered local pubs saying that the high cost of beer was forcing them towards bankruptcy.

(Not to mention the beer and skittles strategy which has seen the Labour Council squander hundreds of thousands of pounds on fairy lights, bonfires, parties and foreign travel!!!).

The Council has provided at list of vehicles abandoned in the City over the last 3 years.

Click here to see the list

Rovers and Peugeots seem to be the models most likely to be misplaced by owners!

With changes to Housing Benefit regulations only days away, the York Council has admitted that it doesn’t know how many of its Council houses are under – occupied (have one or more spare bedrooms).

In response to a Freedom of Information request it has only been able to say that, on the North Yorkshire Home Choice register, there are 839 tenants who may be affected by the change. 546 have two or more empty rooms.

However, these figures include some who are renting privately and who have never qualified for an empty bedroom subsidy.

The figures exclude those, such as pensioners, who are not affected by the changes.

With businesses and residents in York eagerly awaiting news of today’s budget, it has been revealed that only a small proportion of the York Council’s budget is spent in the City.

Asked what percentage of the local authority’s total procurement budget was spent on goods and services from suppliers and providers in the local authority area the Council responded?

Figures for the 2011/12 financial year indicate that of the Council’s third party expenditure, 17% was spent with local suppliers i.e.those with a York postcode.