"Pay now, pay later" budget plans bad news for North Somerset

10.46.24am GMT Fri 3rd Dec 2004

Local residents will be disappointed by the Chancellor's pre-budget report, announced yesterday in the House of Commons, according to local Liberal Democrats.

Councillor Mike Bell, the Lib Dem Prospective MP for Woodspring Constituency, has branded the report a "pay now, pay later" budget.

"The report will be incredibly disappointing for older people," said Mike Bell. "Pensioners in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead could decide the result of the next General Election, but have once again been largely ignored by the Chancellor.

"The basic state pension is disgracefully low and small increases each year are simply not good enough. On Council Tax, the Government has again fought shy of real action by scrapping the tax. The payment of £50 for the over 70s to help with the cost of council tax bills is half of the amount given this year. Many older people will feel that the Chancellor is giving with one hand and taking away with the other.

"This is a "pay now, pay more later" budget. Ministers have put off difficult decisions, and are hoping for calm before a post-election storm. Yet council tax is so unfair, the storm is closing fast."

"Avon and Somerset Police have been given a better than expected grant for next year, which will help to avert the multi-million pound cuts in their budget that had been feared. However, the settlement will again see inflation-busting increases in Council Tax for the police, with no significant improvement in services.

"The full cost of the Iraq war is still hitting taxpayers hard. In the first Gulf War, grateful Arab and European allies paid 80% of costs. This time we will pay at least £5 billion if we stay in Iraq until January 2006, as anticipated."