http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: UK Budget 2021 en Sun, 31 May 2026 10:03:56 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347975 Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:31:56 +0000 LaidBack 347975@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@gembo - Radio Scot had Grant Shapps on this morning offering to borrow money on ScotGov's behalf to build something that's not part of transport strategy here.<br /> Michael Mathieson said he spoke to him last night and that Shapps is not even aware of a distinct transport strategy here.<br /> Assuming they build this underwater covered bridge on stilts they still have the border between NI and Scotland to deal with that BJ kindly arranged.</p> <p>BBC and assorted Twitterers claim these funds are some sort of gift from the UK taxpayer. They're not - just go on the GERS tab. To not involve the countries involved in such a link till last minute is really insulting. NI don't want it anyway. They get stuff from EU via new ferries in south now. All part of the Bxt bonus!</p> <p>@chdot - re: the Scottish Budget seems to be better funding for active transport but still some way to go? Supported by Greens and LibDems. Anas Sarwar wanted more for social care and half expected Kate Forbes to try and get them on board. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347974 Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:11:17 +0000 gembo 347974@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Tory Westminster Rufus Dufus on R4 making up he thinks will be a tunnel from Great Britain to NI. Deep water full of arms dumps he doesn’t know about?. Not sure he was on top of his brief </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347971 Wed, 10 Mar 2021 14:47:49 +0000 crowriver 347971@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>John Harris @johnharris1969</p> <p>Guardian front page today: the plain fact of English society/politics, woefully unreported elsewhere. But here's the news: 'build back better' is a joke &amp; people are going to suffer even more cuts </p> <p>---</p> <p>Swingeing cuts on cards as councils in England face funding crisis, watchdog warns</p> <p>At least 25 councils nearly bankrupt as Covid puts pressure on finances, says National Audit Office</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/10/swingeing-cuts-on-cards-as-councils-in-england-face-funding-crisis-watchdog-warns" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/10/swingeing-cuts-on-cards-as-councils-in-england-face-funding-crisis-watchdog-warns</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347754 Sat, 06 Mar 2021 10:50:33 +0000 chdot 347754@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Cycling UK has accused the government of “airbrushing out any role for cycling in plans for a post-pandemic recovery” after Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech made no mention whatsoever of active travel.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/govt-airbrushing-out-cyclings-post-pandemic-role-281493" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/govt-airbrushing-out-cyclings-post-pandemic-role-281493</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347711 Fri, 05 Mar 2021 14:23:31 +0000 crowriver 347711@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>So, I got budget cuts, public sector pay freeze, and Freeports.</p> <p>All that <em>plus</em> imminent tax rises makes this the ultimate "belt tightening" punishment budget.</p> <p>No surprise that Sunak used to work in finance. The banks are laughing up their sleeves at the idea that the government doesn't have enough money.</p> <p>Just waiting on deregulation, contracting out and privatisation to crawl out from the woodwork in due course. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347649 Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:05:23 +0000 chdot 347649@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/03/budget-2021-key-points-rishi-sunak" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/03/budget-2021-key-points-rishi-sunak</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347638 Wed, 03 Mar 2021 14:32:21 +0000 chdot 347638@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Does seem to have found a spare MMF. </p> <p>Remains to be seen how many companies move out because of significant increase in Corporation Tax. </p> <p>I suspect not too many, so ‘low taxes’ not really the ‘answer’ after all(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347637 Wed, 03 Mar 2021 14:28:34 +0000 chdot 347637@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well you got Freeports. </p> <p>No doubt the rest will trickle out. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347591 Tue, 02 Mar 2021 19:38:24 +0000 crowriver 347591@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"action will be needed to repair the public finances"</p> <p>Let me guess.</p> <p>1. Public sector "austerity" i.e. budget cuts, pay freeze.<br /> 2. Contracting out and privatisation of public services to the private sector to continue apace.<br /> 3. Deregulation, Freeports etc. in order to "improve competitiveness".</p> <p>Have I missed anything? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347590 Tue, 02 Mar 2021 19:29:26 +0000 chdot 347590@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Tomorrow (and the next few months/years) will be interesting. </p> <p>“</p> <p>Rishi Sunak will use tomorrow’s budget to signal that the government’s unprecedented and continuing support for jobs and businesses must end once the economy has emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic.</p> <p>The chancellor will pledge to use all the tax and spending firepower at the government’s disposal to limit joblessness and business failures as the UK gradually lifts the restrictions that have left the economy almost 10% smaller than it was a year ago.</p> <p>But Sunak is also expected to announce that the period of doing “whatever it takes” will be relatively short lived and that action will be needed to repair the public finances once the crisis is over and recovery is underway.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/02/budget-2021-rishi-sunak-to-pledge-more-government-firepower-to-save-jobs-and-businesses" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/02/budget-2021-rishi-sunak-to-pledge-more-government-firepower-to-save-jobs-and-businesses</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347551 Tue, 02 Mar 2021 11:49:54 +0000 chdot 347551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>UK urged to create green apprenticeships to help </p> <p>Covid recovery Danger of young people’s futures being blighted by climate and Covid crises, say campaigners </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/02/uk-urged-to-create-green-apprenticeships-to-help-covid-recovery" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/02/uk-urged-to-create-green-apprenticeships-to-help-covid-recovery</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20509#post-347543 Tue, 02 Mar 2021 09:12:46 +0000 chdot 347543@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Budget 2021: Five things to look out for </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56207194" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56207194</a></p> <p>With all the ‘official leaking’ (to the right papers) that’s been going on, it’s hard to know if there are any surprises still to come or not. </p> <p>No real signs of meaningful changes of direction away from ‘back to the old normal as soon as possible’. </p> <p>This is clearly not going to happen for a significant number of people. </p> <p>The people who ought to realise this the most - eg politicians and journalists - have largely kept working throughout the pandemic and perhaps haven’t ‘noticed’ as much as they should have. </p> <p>There is no sign that the discovery of the magic money forest has resulted in a change of attitude to public spending.</p> <p>It also remains to be seen whether the MMF has been fully harvested and will now need to be sold off. </p> <p>Unfortunately the MMF analogy doesn’t really work. There is (under conventional economics) no annual crop. It’s more like the trees have been mortgaged, or already felled, with no plan for sustainable replanting. </p>