DAILY MAIL COMMENT: As John Healey unveils his first Budget, the prospect of even more benefits is adding insult to injury
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The expected unveiling of billions more in welfare payments in today’s Budget will amount to a textbook example of adding insult to injury.
It will prove to any remaining doubters that not only does Andy Burnham have no appetite for tackling the Benefits Britain mindset nurtured under his predecessor, but that he is willing to encourage it further.
One lesson from this is that both the Prime Minister and John Healey are unconcerned about the message sent to the legions only too happy to stay at home accepting state handouts. Even more disturbingly, it also suggests they are untroubled about what it says to those of us funding it all.
Nor is there likely to be much comfort elsewhere for taxpayers when the Chancellor steps up to the despatch box. The drip-feed of leaks over recent days points to a range of uninspired, uninspiring initiatives that barely amount to tinkering around the edges.
Little wonder that cuts to import tariffs on gherkins, beans and other foodstuffs have been described as ‘insulting’ when estimates suggest weekly household savings of just 40p. And this at a time when at least one forecast suggests annual energy bills will rise by an average of 27 per cent from January to £2,192.
The Chancellor may think imposing more taxes on major banks is a clever move. But not only does it reek of the populist gimmicks favoured by his boss, it will do far more harm than good.
Inevitably, the banks will pass on the charges to customers in the form of higher mortgage repayments and more expensive personal loans. Even more damaging for Britain’s prospects, businesses will find it harder to borrow money to expand operations and help grow the economy.
There is unlikely to be much comfort for taxpayers when Chancellor John Healey steps up to the despatch box to deliver his Budget
Yet with the benefits bill exceeding income tax revenue in the last fiscal year, it is the Government’s deranged attitude to welfare that is most concerning of all.
For the first time ever, Britain’s national debt stands at more than £3trillion. Paying people to sit on the couch watching daytime TV isn’t going to put a dent in that.
Chinese challenge
From the corridors of Westminster to the halls of academia, the Chinese authorities are insidiously, remorselessly gathering intelligence all the time on how our nation works.
Yet for far too long the Government has avoided creating a fuss over their clandestine activities. Following a vote in the House of Lords, ministers will now be forced to name and shame the Beijing regime for any involvement in cyber attacks on Britain.
But shame on lily-livered Labour for trying to block the amendment to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. Bitter experience shows that President Xi Jinping will stop at nothing in the pursuit of data on our political, educational and public service structures. Trying to appease him is a mug’s game.
Harry's life lesson
With the Labour handouts culture setting a very poor example on reward and effort, Harry Kane’s remarks on success deserve close attention.
The 33-year-old, speaking after he became the first English player in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, described the benefits of ‘hard work when no one else is watching’.
Wise words indeed. And ones that should carry a valuable lesson not only for aspiring sporting heroes, but for anyone who wants to get on in life…
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.