Wake me up when the inexplicably dull budget is over
There’s still nearly three weeks to go until this year’s Budget, but both the government and the media are in a frenzy of trying to ramp up interest in the whole snooze-fest.
Last week, Rachel Reeves gave an unprecedented press conference, at which she hinted that she might raise taxes. Or did she? The chattering classes were out in droves on telly all week predicting that she could raise income tax, hike VAT, cut public spending, blah, blah. Endlessly speculating about what might hypothetically happen in two-and-half weeks time. Which prompted most of us to switch over and watch Gogglebox instead.
I have known World Cups with much less build-up than this year’s autumn statement. The public have a strange relationship with The Budget. On one hand, it is the single day in the entire political calendar when an announcement made in parliament has a direct effect on the lives of Mr and Mrs Public. On the other hand, almost all of us find the entire performance inexplicably dull.
Last year’s Budget, the first under a Labour government in nearly a decade-and-a-half contained radical measures such as a 6.7% increase in the minimum wage and £1.4 billion pounds to build 500 new schools. As well as £5 billion towards building new homes and £1 billion on hospital repairs. I know that because I just looked it up on Wikipedia. AlI most us remember is that the chancellor knocked 1p off the price of a pint of draft beer In pubs.
It wasn’t always like this. Back in the day, people used to get quite excited about what The Budget might contain. People used to actually watch it on the telly, which is admittedly more of a reflection on the paucity of viewing options available in the 1970’s. Back then, the Horse Of The Year Show was one of the major highlight’s in the autumn TV schedule.
People used to take bets on it. Lots of us would go out and buy a couple of bottles of spirits, in case the duty was raised on Budget Day. Now most of us are so apathetic, we couldn’t even tell you when it’s going to take place. Wednesday 26th November, in case you’re interested. Wake me up when it’s over.