Alistair Darling's budget

[STFC_Gazza]

Another nail in the coffin of the british pub.

That Cunt Alistair Darling has increased Cider duty by 10% and beer by 5% meaning an extra 10p a pint now in the pub. Another dagger in the heart of pubs. So much in trying to stop over 40 pubs a week shutting in the UK! As a side note, Tax on beer in Britain is now 11 times higher than Germany, nine times higher than Spain and seven times higher than France.

For smokers fags gone up 4% meaning an extra 25p a packet.

Fuel up by 1p

[iffy]

Given the scale of the problems in the economy, complaining about cider duty is a bit like complaining that the people who demolished your house didn't shut the gate on their way out.

[land_of_bo]

On the plus side there's never been a better time to sober up and quit the fags!

[Fred Elliot]

On the plus side there's never been a better time to sober up and quit the fags!

Bollocks to that !

[Simon Pieman]

Another nail in the coffin of the british pub.

I'd say the general state of the economy and people having less money after all of the taxes rises will kill off the pubs.

Not many can afford to go out often anymore.

[Ralphy]

How much has the tosser put on fuel? £1.20 a fucking litre here at the moment.

Labour OUT!

[LucienSanchez]

I think all these increases would have been brought in whoever was in charge... living just gets more and more expensive in this country, its annoying.

[Ralphy]

Still want Labour out.

[ghanimah]

I wonder how long it will be before cider companies start doing a 'Pringles'

[LucienSanchez]

What is involved in 'doing a Pringles'?

[juddie]

convince me the tories will be better Ralphy. I'm not saying keep Labour, cos they're shite, but they're all as shite as each other.

[BANGKOK RED]

What is involved in 'doing a Pringles'?

Once you pop....?

(I am guessing)

[Power to people]

It annoys me that those new people who want to get on the housing market won't have to pay stamp duty on houses but those that already own a house and want to move will, surely it should apply to all if they want to get the housing market moving.

Keep pilling tax on booze is typical of any goverment though, a quick way to raise money - can't see the tories being any better than labour, in fact I think I dislike Cameron more than I do Brown - just something smarmy about they guy

Thought they may have done something for your man on the street as a typical vote catcher but they don't seem to have.

[ghanimah]

What is involved in 'doing a Pringles'?

Arguing, for tax reasons, that they're not crisps when they clearly are.

[reeves4england]

It's all very well sitting here at a computer saying "they shouldn't put more tax on booze, "they shouldn't put more tax on fuel", "they shouldn't put more tax on fags" and "they should cut stamp duty for more people" but these cuts have to be paid for. Not only that, if these cuts are made and the City can't see how they will be financed, the pound will slump even further and the country will be facing even greater costs of servicing its debts.

I'm not saying Darling has come out with the perfect budget, but sitting here complaining without suggesting a single viable alternative is rather futile.