NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
A few years ago the late John Herdman, a great satirical cartoonist, did a Manx budget day cartoon for the Transport Union.
The Budget Minister (then Donald Gelling) wasunveiling his budget at the time the economy was slightly depressed although nowhere near what it is now and John had an ebullient Donald ( Gelling was always larger than life both as Treasury Minister and later as CM) looking into his budget box which contained a few crumbs and some moths. I think that probably sums up what Treasury Minister Eddie Teare will have tomorrow i.e. little of substance for the rank and file.
However with all budgets and fiscal handouts with this administration you have to look at the bigger picture and Allan Bell and Eddie Teare (with their able assistant Laurence Skelly) have by sleight of hand already given the business community an early bonus with the £50 million and the tax breaks
In other words the people this government like to please are already ‘well sated’ by the feast paid for from our reserves that COMIN has already set out before them.
Tomorrow is more of a con trick and if Eddie does have any ‘rabbit to pull out of his hat’ it will be a pretty scrawny one and it will have to be spread pretty widely.
There’s often a perception that just before a General Election you will get a few sweeteners but to be honest this government knows it is so unpopular that it could tip the entire contents of what s left in the sugar bowl out and people hopefully would not be conned.
In relative terms for all the blather about growth people are probably worse of in real terms than when this government came in four and half years ago.
There will be much talk of helping the less well off and the vulnerable but don’t be gulled either by Eddie or any of his barber shop quartet from the Council of Ministers or indeed the governments faithful wordsmiths in the media.
This government has plunged the vulnerable and those on fixed incomes into levels of poverty not seen for decades.
Ironically, always the optimist, Paul Moulton went out on the stump for Manx TV to take a vox pop of folk in the street. The piece was illuminating because it showed how barren and empty the main (Strand) street was. A one stage it looked as if he had given up and cast his net further afield on to the promenade. It was all in all a depressing backdrop to a depressed economy (link):
https://www.manx.net/tv/mt-tv/watch/76690/budget-views
Never mind Eddie Teare is an ‘alchemist’ he will turn base metal into gold – just watch!
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
15/02/16
THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.
The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues
