It seems George and David have bitten off more than they can chew.
After hitting the nation, and probably bankrupting their ‘fave pasty store’, Greggs, with a bizarre tax on heated foodstuffs, the terrible two have made unconvincing noises about their love of the pastry staple.
Their attempt to diffuse pastygate has backfired massively. Instead of explaining why on earth they had decided to put small bakeries out of business, the Tories reacted with a patronising attempt at understanding the plight of the working man who will miss out on the greasy treats. Cameron asserted that he goes to Cornwall – as everyone knows Cornwall is the only place you can buy a pasty, isn’t it?
Oh well, pass the tax-free caviar, George.
The pasty furore has unfortunately managed to supercede the Chancellor’s raid on pensioners. They have disappeared from the pages of newspapers – old dears are now old news, evidently.
While Ed Miliband and DC squabble about sausage rolls, older workers who have served the state and paid their fair share of contributions in their work life will now have to pay tax on the little they earn.
An allowance thatallowed them to earn a fair whack before feeling the pain of the taxman has been removed, costing many around £400 a year.
As pensions decrease and the cost of living rises, those who would normally be sitting down to enjoy their retirement are being forced to wake up bleary-eyed to put in another shift.
Stats show that there are 358,000 more workers aged over 65 in the last decade back in work. It is wrong that the older generation, whose efforts over the years helped pay for the services and infrastructure around us, are now forced to pay for their own care in their later years.
Considering that this is meant to be a so-called Budget of working families, it seems George has forgotten to acknowledge that the over-65s now fit this description.
It is a more painful kick in the teeth when 300,000-odd rich households enjoy a cut in their income tax contributions – at the expense of pensioners of course. Those earning over £1m, according to one Labour MP, can enjoy a saving of at least £40,000 a year. This at the same time that those earning less than that discount (around £35,000) have to pay around 35p in every pound.
It is nice to know that it is the middle-ground workers paying the brunt of the tax and not those who can afford to do without a discount in tax.
Yet while the Budget fails to deliver equality, opposition ministers too easily get distracted by the tomfoolery of the tabloids.
Ed Miliband, who vies to be the next leader of the country, has dropped his grannies in favour of pasties.
The out-of-touch leader and his sidekick, Ed Balls, waltzed into a Greggs store to munch on a photo opportunity and show he’s an ordinary Joe. Although Ed “Wallace” Miliband could never be, however hard he tried.
Sadly, like George Osborne and Cameron before them with their I-love-pasties-yes-I-really-do-line, their attempts to fraternise with the common man failed miserably.
Because while the tax on hot foods may be ludicrous, it is more insulting that those people who are meant to represent us feel that we care about something so trivial over housing, pensions and running our cars – the country doesn’t run on sausage rolls.
Both Labour and the Conservatives have only served to show how ignorant each are, and how ignorant they think we are.
All this focus on the bonkers pasty tax has helped to distract from the real issues at hand… maybe because it is easier than having to actually deal with them.
If Ed really hopes of a chance of power, posing with a pasty won’t cut it.
Try posing with a pensioner or a hard-pushed taxpayer paying the price of a poorly-thought out and unfair Budget.
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