Something I’ve just read has had me shaking my head in despair…

Further down the page is an item on a newly published report that is calling on the Government to help the public replace their old, inefficient household appliances with more energy efficient ones. It argues that new appliances will enable people to potentially cut their energy bills by up to £75 a year – and collectively make an enormous difference to the nation’s electricity consumption.

The report - supported by The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances, puts forward details of several schemes that have been successful in other countries.

I figured that the best way of funding such a scheme in the UK would be to cut VAT on these products and I know that the KBB industry has been campaigning for this for some years. However, I also know that the Government doesn’t really have the money – a point made clear in a press release I’ve just received from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which seeks to remind readers that although the politicians keep telling us that the deficit (the money the Government spends that exceeds our income) is reducing, our national debt is actually increasing.  Indeed the TPA has relaunched its National Debt Clock, which shows the frightening rate at which this is happening. It’s currently £4,344 a second, or £375 million a day.

No chance of a VAT reduction despite a very good cause then…

Then I read that the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has pledged £250,000 of OUR money to help finance British bands that want to play at international festivals! As someone who spends most of her free time and any spare money at such events in the UK, I’d rather our bands stay in this country so I have a greater chance of seeing them perform – but I realise that’s a bit selfish on my part. Over to the TPA, which says:

"Politicians talk about the need to make savings, so why on earth are they frittering away our cash like this? The Beatles and the Rolling Stones broke America because they made great music, not because taxpayers subsidised them. I’m not really sure how One Direction managed it, but at least taxpayers didn’t have to cough up…"

I couldn’t agree more!

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs