Labour reaction to budget

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?

anarchy

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.

JA tweet on beer prices
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!!!).

Low paid get budget boost – LibDem promise delivered

Anyone with income below £10,000 will not pay income tax from next April.

£700 tax cut for poor

2.7 million extra will not be paying income tax and 24.5 million will be paying £700 less tax than under Labour.

The higher tax rate at 45% is still more than was applied during most of the term of office of the last Labour government

The budget includes a boost for house buyers and is better news for house builders.

A summary of today’s budget changes can be found be clicking here.

York Council doesn’t know how many of its properties are under occupied.

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.

“All York” bus ticket sales revealed to be only 10,000 a quarter.

The Council have admitted that the initial sales of use any operator “all York” tickets totalled only 10,000 after the first quarter.

£25,000 of Council taxpayers money was used to publicise the facility. The £5 a day ticket has therefore enjoyed a 50% subsidy from taxpayers.

Around 16 million bus journeys are made in York each year.

Labour Councillors had gone to ridiculous lengths to prevent the sales figure being made public.

We understand that “All York” ticket sales have now dropped off.

The principle of having a “go anywhere, use any bus operator” ticket has wide support.

However the system, introduced by Labour, was clearly not thought through. They should have waited until a “smart card” option was available.

weight watchers bus

We now understand that a ride around for £1 deal on bus transport for all young people of Yorkmay also be launched shortly. We hope that this project has been more thoroughly audited to ensure that no additional burden falls on taxpayers

NB. The Council has yet to announce whether it will be bidding for government support from the “Green Bus Fund”. Bids have to be with the DpT by 26th March 2013.

The fund subsidises the introduction of low and zero emission buses.

Only 17% of goods and services used by the York Council are locally sourced

sign

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.