chriswoodartist

The leader of the opposition party, Kemi Badenock, described yesterday’s budget as a smorgasbord of misery – I wouldn’t go that far but then I don’t own a mansion or an electric car.

Below is a list of measures that I was pleased to hear Chancellor of the Exchequor,  Rachel Reeves, announce to a packed house in Westminster    :

1. Cost of Living Support: Measures were introduced to help households tackle rising energy bills and inflation. This includes extended energy price caps and targeted support for vulnerable families.

2. Tax Changes: Some tax thresholds were frozen, meaning people may pay more tax as wages increase. There were also announcements about potential changes to inheritance tax and corporation tax rates.

3. Support for Public Services: Additional funding was announced for the NHS, schools, and local councils to help improve services and tackle ongoing challenges.

4. Housing and Rent: New initiatives were unveiled to make housing more affordable, including support for first-time buyers and renters.

5. Green Initiatives: Investments were pledged to support renewable energy projects and reduce carbon emissions as part of the UK’s commitment to tackle climate change.

6. Business Growth: Funding was allocated to small and medium-sized businesses to encourage innovation and job creation.

Broadly speaking, the budget aligned with my expectations – but  as previously mentioned,  there were many leaks, not least the Office for Budget Responsibility, publishing the entire budget online 40 minutes before Rachel Reeves delivered her speech in the House of Commons !

She could have gone much further with some of the measures but possibly not without alienating half the population – she did that with the last budget and this one was even more critical. Hers and Kier Starmer’s, head was on the block.

There was mayhem outside the Houses of Parliament as well as inside. A massive protest from the farming community was cancelled by the police at 17.00 on Tuesday. Nevertheless hundreds of protesting  farmers ignored the curfew and continued to arrive on their tractors, blocking central London. Inheritance taxes imposed on farmers in the last budget have brought farmers to their knees. This was the last straw for an industry that feeds the Nation. It would seem that we are happy to destroy the industry and buy food from other countries. This appears to be insane, particularly as the food then needs to be shipped to the UK. We are supposed to be meeting net zero and not unnecessarily moving vast quantities of goods around the globe. The green initiatives in the budget were welcome but there needs to be more joined up thinking.

Returning to my favourite topic, I said how cold it was yesterday, and in complete contrast a warm front has passed over us and today we are basking in 13degrees – basking isn’t quite the adjective as it’s cloudy and rain will follow later this afternoon. The wind has swung round to SW 15mph and the barometer is still relatively high at 1016 (although my digital barometer in the library is 1039). It’s 15 degrees C in the house so I can report that my toes are comfortable (in their lambswool slippers) ! It’s interesting to note how many plants are still in flower in the garden – they seem to have survived the frosts so far . . .

Today’s lighthearted doodle was produced yesterday – it bears no relation to my musing other than it will be the holidays soon and I needed a distraction ! More “distractions”, weather and art later. I also promise to put a lid on politics . . . .

Copyright Chris N Wood all rights reserved 27.11.25 11.21

Cheerio 4 now