What a Surprise

There is nothing like a bit of new year cheer to make you feel good about the coming year and don't we all need it at the moment. Unfortunately it won't be coming from the Government. They would rather take money from the struggling families in the country than the banks that caused the mess. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise as they are only supporting their paymasters. It just disappointing they said they are the party for families and they are robbing them to pay for the mistakes of the rich.

In a report by Family and Parenting Institute it said that families with children incomes with drop by over four percent over the next four years while families without children will just be one percent worse off. Most of this change will come from changes to the tax and benefits system purposed by the government. The research confirmed what many people had been thinking that families shouldering a disproportionate burden to pay for the mistakes of the past.

The government in reply to the report have said they are trying help by cutting fuel duty, freezing council tax and cutting income tax for millions. However that won't help the poorest without jobs, who don't pay council or income tax and can't afford to run cars. Those at bottom end of the income band, the poorest are going to hit the hardest. And with the economy still failing many of these families could be unemployed for years to come!

The polices being followed by the Government hardly live up the Conservative Party's family friendly tag line used in the election. These policy's include: increases in VAT, reductions in tax credits, cuts in housing benefit, a freeze on child benefits, the use of CPI to uprate benefits each year, and future reductions in council tax benefit. These changes, it is estimated, will see a further half a million children living in absolute poverty within the next four years.

My personal view is that the banks should paid their due in some kind of Robin Hood Tax. Then if we still have to feel the pain it should be shared out equally. People with children and the very poor should not be paying for the mistakes of the rich few. That is just unfair and I can't believe the Liberal Democrats are allowing it to happen without some kind of fight.