The Budget

Why hasn’t this ‘superhead’ of a free school academy chain been suspended and an investigation started? If he’s done as alleged, surely it’s fraud.

www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2016/03/damning-reports-show-problems-at-perry-beeches-were-more-than-a-little-confusion-over-the-law#comment-form

How can he claim that he’s been paid a ‘second salary’ of over £100k without knowing that it would be illegal?

This man has already been reprimanded by the (now defunct) General Teaching Council for obscenity in a public place. I’m a former teacher and I know that teachers have been sacked/blacklisted for less.

I just don’t understand how the government can turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. It has even been claimed that the alleged miraculous improvement in results has been nothing of the sort. www.wwwords.co.uk/rss/abstract.asp?j=forum&aid=4763

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that a free school/academy chain has been found wanting. Fortunately, it seems as though even Tory councils are rebelling.

Another u-turn on its way! Tory councillors criticise academy schools 'diktat'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35897430

I don't even know why schools were in the budget. Wholesale academisation and abolition of parent governors weren't manifesto policies.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/osborne-s-ratings-plunge-after-budget-and-corbyn-is-more-popular-than-pm-a3210916.html

35 majority, wonder where the 23 came from, must find out

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/new-yorks-millionaires-call-for-higher-taxes-for-the-wealthy-to-target-poverty-a6944346.html

I wonder how many London millionaires would say the same.
I also wonder what Osborne or Boris would do about it if they did.

An interesting Yougov poll, considering that MPs are voting on these matters at the moment.

yougov.co.uk/news/2016/03/18/least-fair-budget-omnishambles/

www.welfareweekly.com/osborne-refuses-to-apologise-for-disability-benefits-cut-plan/

Welfare Weekly's take on the budget speeches today.

If you can, watch McDonnell's speech.

John McDonnell gave an excellent speech.

Osborne criticised Rachel Reeves for not saying thanks for the £35m for flood defences in Leeds where she is MP.
When she spoke she said that she didn't feel like thanking him as his government had taken away £135m in 2012.
Then when the chief secretary gave his winding up speech, he repeated the fact that she had not thanked Osborne and hadn't mentioned the flood defences. He obviously had not been in the chamber when she made her speech, and nobody thought to tell him.

Whitewave, he couldn't say how he intended to produce a balanced budget; they just said they would sort it out in the Autumn statement.
You did not miss much on the Tory side. It was just a load of soundbites all afternoon, from what I could see. I recorded a lot, but my recorder ran out!

I think he was evasive whitewave judging by the bits I've seen. Get shouty, include the word "compassionate" and if in doubt, attack the person asking the question.

I really cannot believe that they have just voted for the budget with a 35 majority.

Here's some cheerful photos.

speye.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/cam-pain-and-compassionate-consrvatism/

Been out all afternoon so missed GO in the commons.

How did he say how he intends to produce a balanced budget?

It was an election ruled by fear, Cameron does fear well

Oh yes Durhamjen It's alleged that they were spending money on the Mark Clarke "road trip", bussing in lots of young activists into marginal constituencies and not declaring the spend. One of the great things about our democracy is the limits on spending. The USA is a horrible of example of a country where there are no limits. It will be the Electoral Commission doing the enquiry?
That could be very interesting if they have to re-fight those seats... Given they were marginals...

More hopeful now than for a long time, henbane.

Djen, somehow I suspect that won't happen!

But we can always hope.

JessM, there's an enquiry into Tory party expenses at the last election.
If they are found to be at fault in all the seats like Ed Balls', where the battlebus went, there could be an election in all those seats.
That could cause a new general election - as well as a few MPs going to court.

This government ignores parliamentary traditions and their behaviour in the house is not one expects of gentlemen

It might not have been Ed Balls fault that he lost his seat.
Might have been something to do with all those Tory lies and the people who believed him when he said he was on the side of "hard working families".
I think Ed's policy was a good one.

Isn't it parliamentary tradition that the budget is agreed in a gentlemanly way?

3 u-turns so far. It would probably be best if they scrapped it and started again - trying a bit harder

Why oh why have government after government bought into the neo-liberal clap trap.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2016/03/20/who-grew-the-economy-most-its-not-as-clear-as-youd-think/

This is an interesting article. Not what you would expect from the newspapers.

Yes, but usually you have to be in government to try it.

Poor Ed.
He was great on the Bakeoff.

Well it worked in America. Fiscal stimulus is atried and very well tested formula.

Yup, Whitewave that is what Ed Balls wanted to do. Stimulate the economy
and look what happened to him.

The votes he will loose if the "soundness" disappears and they seem incompetent may be fewer but will loses from previous voters
But who would they vote for - or abstain?