An Unjust and Unfair Budget

Like many people in this country I was not looking forward to the budget today; not because I was concerned that I might be worse off as a result of the budget but because I was concerned that if the reports about the budget were true then it would be the usual Tory story of the rich getting richer whilst the poor are ground even further into the ground.  Alas my fears seem to have been confirmed.

George Osbourne will no doubt argue that by raising the income tax threshold to over £9,000 he has put more money into the pockets of hard working families.  This may be true, but he has done nothing at all for those who are really in need and who, often through no fault of their own are forced to exist on benefits.  The budget offers no hope at all for the really needy in our society; indeed there is an intention to try to save a further £14 billion on benefits; not only will the poorest in our society not be gaining any improvements in their incomes, they will actually see that income decrease.

A further attack on the poor comes in the form of the 3p increase in fuel duty from August onwards.  Whilst the environmental lobby will hail this as a step in the right direction it still impacts adversely on the poor.  Not only does a fuel increase mean a bigger cost in filling a car with petrol or diesel, it can also lead to a rise in bus fares and food bills (because the food will cost more to transport).  Those with middle to high incomes can absorb these increasing costs with relatively little discomfort; not so those who are just about managing to make ends meet some of the time and sometimes failing to do even that.

What about the rich?  Has the budget adversely affected them?  Apparently not!  Whilst the poor are being asked to share in the pain of government cuts the rich have received a cut in the top rate of tax from 50% to 45%.  Increases in Stamp Duty will only be paid if they buy new homes.

So, we have a budget that sees the rich getting richer and, surprise, surprise, the poor getting poorer.    I am no economist, and no doubt some of the subtleties of the budget have completely by passed me; but it doesn’t seem fair, it doesn’t seem just.

The Old Testament prophets spoke strongly against the injustices in their society and Jesus himself had a few things to say about how we should treat the poor.  We need to look at the society we are living in and question whether it meets Biblical standards of justice.  I am very much afraid that it doesn’t and that the budget will only serve to make the injustice even greater.