Before an election, chancellors often try to woo voters with tax cuts that leave the incoming government in a hole. Here are six ‘poison pill’ speeches
There are budgets that fall apart within minutes of the chancellor delivering his Commons speech: think of George Osborne’s pasty tax, one of many missteps that meant his 2012 budget will be forever known as an omnishambles.
Then there are the “poison pill” budgets: the ones that come at the end of a parliament, when the chancellor of the day goes for broke – sometimes literally – to attract voters and attempt to stay in office. If their party loses, the opposition is left to clean up the mess.
Continue reading…Before an election, chancellors often try to woo voters with tax cuts that leave the incoming government in a hole. Here are six ‘poison pill’ speechesThere are budgets that fall apart within minutes of the chancellor delivering his Commons speech: think of George Osborne’s pasty tax, one of many missteps that meant his 2012 budget will be forever known as an omnishambles.Then there are the “poison pill” budgets: the ones that come at the end of a parliament, when the chancellor of the day goes for broke – sometimes literally – to attract voters and attempt to stay in office. If their party loses, the opposition is left to clean up the mess. Continue reading…
