Spend spend spend

My own tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer was relatively uneventful, tax receipts were healthy, some departments were over-budget and some were under-budget but never by more than a few percent. We approved some long term spending plans that went awry after a while, but nothing dramatic. It was all cut short by some sex-scandal I'd rather not talk about (it wasn't my fault).

One thing I learnt though was that it wasn't my money and there's only so much of it.

However, Alistair Darling, 'Allo Darlin's Pre-Budget Report comes across much like one of these poor demented people who can't stop buying stuff on their credit card, can't afford to pay the repayments, makes the husband give up his beer and his ciggies and then keeps spending and spending.

We don't need a new car dear, we don't need a conservatory, what did you go and buy a new dress for? How much? Christ.

The government are spending our kids money in an almost identical way to if there was no limit to how much the could spend.

I can't stop them.

There was this neat thing the other day when a blogger needed dental surgery, and aftr years and years of paying taxes and national insurance, the NHS was unable to help, so instead the community rallied round and paid for it. The official state is fucking useless, luckily there is an alternative that's more efficient and more helpful. If only we could opt out for paying for the offical one.

"I promise never to use hospitals if I don't have to pay for them"

Anyhoo, if I had the charisma to start a Facebook group to encourage the government to cut spending, I would, luckily I don't. But there is this neat Facebook group trying to cut taxes on beer.

For all of recorded history, people have brewed beer and baked bread. These necessities of life have sustained us for thousands of years. But somewhere along the line demons spoke unto the ears of kings and rulers, urging them to tax beer with the lie that beer was sinful. Even today we still suffer under this unjust tax on a basic foodstuff.

Beer is not a sin. Beer is not a luxury. Beer is tasty. Beer is nutritious. BEER IS FOOD.