Breaking the Budget: March 2024
This is what Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced yesterday:
Cut to National Insurance
£3bn for the NHS in digitising its services
Fuel and alcohol duty frozen
Cutting national insurance is allegedly saving people £450 a year. This is good, no? National insurance is necessary to fund the schemes we have such as healthcare. At a time when the NHS is barely functioning, cutting the contribution almost feels like signing their death warrant. There are (rumours) that Hunt wishes to scrap National Insurance one day, leaving the question of what will happen to publicly funded services.
So we're £450 better off, might as well buy those jeans I was putting off? Wrong. Because the income tax threshold has been frozen - this means that you're worse off unless you earn between £26,000-£50,000. The best impacts of this decision are felt by those earning above £50,000 and below £26,000, the richest and poorest in society. It's a fatal error to treat the most vulnerable in this way and not account for their financial situation.
£3bn for the NHS in digitising its services - I think most see this positively because we need modernisation. But what about the lack of hospital beds and doctors, as well as record waiting times in A&E?
Hunt has said that the Government has prioritised schemes that protect the UK's poorest.
Bear in mind: this is before the General Election, which still hasn't been announced. Apparently, Labour has pushed for May 2nd but nothing yet.
Anything in the Budget cannot be 'too appalling' because the Conservatives seek re-election.
This Budget did not do anything for me except reaffirm that this party is not making things better for young people. I don't know what party is willing to improve the lives of young people.
#budget #marchbudget #jeremyhunt #nationalinsurance #nhs #fuel #rishisunak #government #reelection #generalelection
*Image obtained from the Metro front page (Thursday 7th March 2024), all rights reserved 
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