The Budget

Because I'm a thousand miles away or more, I feel safe and confident in predicting this years annual budget by our Overlord Brown.

Lets see...it'll start with a load of waffle - targets met, milestones achieved, this sort of thing. Self set targets, milestones that don't measure much of anything. Just enough to put off the average listener till he gets to the "good parts".

He'll increase military spending to cover ongoing operations - because if he doesn't, he'll have to pull them out even faster then they already are.

"Families" will get something - some small pittance, that will do next to nothing for the average family because its means tested, assessed or otherwise "targeted".

Fuel duty will wise - again - because its such a good source of ready cash for the government. Everybody needs transport, after all. But he won't reduce tax on biofuels. That would just be sensible.

He'll claim the NHS has had problems, but is bravely overcoming them, with new financial prudence measures (aka firing nurses, closing wards and downgrading capabilities).

Taxes on those nasty rich people (aka everyone earning more then 15K or so) will increase, but he'll throw in something for the "first time buyers" in the housing market.

And just look out for the measures designed to change society. "50% of children in university". Extra programs for the disadvantaged. You know the type...

All in all, he'll take "less from those who can't afford it", do "more" with it and help "those who help themselves".

Or, run through a "double plus bad doublespeak translator", he'll tax us more, waste more and hurt the economy by fiddling with it more then he has too.

Anyone want to bet against me?