Blocking Andreason is a disgrace

Marta Andreason, the former EU chief accountant (and whistleblower) turned UKIP MEP has been blocked from becoming the Vice President of the Budgetary Committee by EPP and PES MEPs who fear "scandal". Or more to the point, they fear the horrific budget being exposed by Andreason (again) and have taken to political, unaccountable means (secret ballot) to do so.

Andreason, regardless of political affiliation, is the perfect candidate for the role - she has experience and knows about, well, accounting and budgetary. She would also take the role of a committee vice president properly, holding the executive to account, the whole point of a committee. The EPP and PES, being Europhile nonsensists, want to further the EU integration and federalisation, so naturally oppose the Commission being shown up for what it is - an utterly hopeless organisation. They are also enemies of accountability - they blocked her on political lines, not meritocratic lines - a real disgrace to democracy, which again is seriously lacking in the EU, even its supposedly democratic chamber.

The Budget: death throes of this government

The Budget this afternoon is an utter mess. The government think that they are helping, but they aren't. It shows so many reasons why governments, especially when left-wing, should not get involved.

The message of the tax rises is that if you are a wealth creator, stay well away. The 50% rate is just going to send our top businessmen, etc, to Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra..... In short-termist electioneering, the government has put short-term gain over long-term growth. They borrowed to the extremes, and now they want to please their core voters.

The real change should be a tax CUT, and a corporation tax cut to make our economy competitive and to give entrepreneurs an incentive. I certainly hope that Cameron and Osborne oppose this political rent-seeking.

As for the car scrappage scheme, it will help foreign economies not our own (BMW, Mercedes, Audi et al) and will cost a huge amount to the taxpayer.

Then the news that they are putting half a billion towards those noisy monstrosities that tend to end up where local people don't want them. Let private companies supply the demand (which is very low) and don't waste taxpayers' money on them.

He's also optimistic in his predictions. They are confident, but we aren't. Do you know what will make me confident? A change of government, with policies that give me confidence in the future. Cameron, sort it out.

The Budget and fuel prices

Since fuel prices have started going up (and have gone up at least 10p from where they were lowest), are the government going to abandon the 2p fuel tax rise?

Obviously not since the government just wants more of our money, but it would be the sensible thing to do, unless they want more hauliers going out of business, and higher supermarket prices, etc etc.

I suppose their excuse will be it will pull us out of deflation. But weren't they printing money for that?

New Labour are probably as confused as I am.