WHAT a different country we would be living in if the topic of conversation this week was “what can we do to assist?”, instead of “tax cuts for the rich!" The Westminster Budget will be announced tomorrow, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt telling Laura Kuenssberg at the weekend that he wants to “move towards a lower-tax economy, done in a responsible way”. When did the Conservatives ever do anything responsibly, and why is the focus on “tax cuts”?
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Many in our country are struggling on a daily basis just to provide the basics, so this Budget should be about reaching out, assisting those like carers who save the country millions and who need to be recognised. So I hope the Chancellor will do for carers throughout the UK what the Scottish Government has done for those in Scotland and introduce a “Carer’s Allowance Supplement”, two payments of £288 per year. He could also introduce a “Child Payment” for all eligible children under 16, like has happened in Scotland (£25/week), tackling child poverty head-on.
So, let’s stop focusing on what can be done for higher earners and instead focus on the real needy, those who in many cases are saving the country millions.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
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