NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
So that?s it the Budget is over approved by an overwhelming majority in the Keys with all the nodding donkeys in Legco signing up assiduously.
It really was something of a non event with most important decisions deferred or as in the case of the EDF fund already taken.
Budget day used to be a big event in the Isle of Man with analysis and special budget day newspapers now its rather a tawdry event although Manx Radio ?messenger of choice? for the Bell administration did try to keep the thing alive through the day and will probably try to breath some life into the corpse over the next few days and into the weekend.
Budgets were once important for ordinary people you could gauge if the Island was successful on the basis that benefits were passed on to the people and indeed through the late eighties into the nineties there was a steady transfer of prosperity across to working people and those on fixed incomes with at the same time money set aside into the reserves. This indeed is the money this government is spending now on their business chums!
Eddie Teare talked a lot today about how the Island continues to enjoy growth but the spectre of the VAT cut was also brought out in the debate afterwards to remind us that growth or not you are still going to have to pay. Don?t believe all that guff about not levying further charges on individuals they will they have promised this before and then reneged.
My own view is that this is still a very wealthy community but increasingly that wealth resides in a cabal in the business sector and around government for whom the economy is now gerrymandered. It started before this last administration and has been a feature of life here for almost a decade now.
The ?haves? get more the ?have nots? get less! There was more of it today with threats to workers ?toe the line or else ?and failure to deliver on previous promises over taxation for low income groups ? this is a government that cannot keep its word for twelve months. Much talk about the low paid and the ?numerable? but this from a government that exploits low pay and vulnerability.
A community with ?thirty years of growth? and food banks, fuel poverty and persecution of those on incapacity benefit ? so ask yourself where is all the money from this growth going and more importantly into whose pockets?
Most pertinently there are calls to tackle pension deficiency but this is the second bite at the cherry previous reform proved inadequate. If I were a pension contributor either state or public sector I would be wary of warnings of dire consequences from politicians with a gold plated pension pending and perhaps one or two already ?trousered?.
Never mind the denizens ?on the head? will put a good spin on it and after all that?s what this government likes spin and more spin!
The current Isle of Man government and Tynwald is without a doubt in 2016 the last refuge of scoundrels!
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
16/02/16
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
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