THE outcome of the Budget was fairly predictable. The Tories have tried to bribe the electorate with income tax cuts due to come into force in April next year, probably just before the General Election.
In the meantime, we all have to suffer with increased taxes on essential items such as petrol and insurance.
The big question after the Budget was whether Labour MPs, including Jack Straw, would join the Liberal Democrats and oppose the 1p cut in Income Tax and support extra funding for education.
In failing to join the Liberal Democrats in voting 'no' in the Commons, their promises on education are exposed as nothing more than warm words and any grumbling by the Labour Party about the worsening state of our children's education will be nothing short of hypocrisy.
This was a direct challenge to Labour to say 'no' to tax cuts and 'yes' to better education.
STEPHEN FENN, (Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Blackburn), Homestead, Clayton Brook.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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