Economy
Articles
While male unemployment has fallen female unemployment increased by 11,000; highlighting the uneven impact of the struggling economy.
The latest overall figures for the South East show a small fall of 2,000 on the last quarter with 282,000 now unemployed.
Compared to the last quarter male unemployment fell to 143,000 while female unemployment jumped to 139,000.
The number of JSA claimants aged 18-24 remained close to 43,000. Of these 12,245 had been claiming for over six months – an increase of 114% since March last year. Read the rest of this article »
Sussex MEP Peter Skinner and Hastings & Rye Labour candidate for MP Sarah Owen met with local fishermen in Hastings last week to discuss the future of the local fishing fleet.
The Euro MP has long campaigned on fishing issues and met with Paul Joy of the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society, Labour Parliamentary candidate Sarah Owen and Old Town Councillor John Hodges.
The Labour team of the MEP, Parliamentary Candidate and local Councillor are renewing calls for a big redistribution of quota from bigger boats to the smaller under 10m vessels which constitute the Hastings and Rye fleets. The under 10s are currently suffering due to chronic lack of quota. They are also demanding an end to discards and the the prioritisation of coastal communities in all future policy decisions. Read the rest of this article »
Euro MP Peter Skinner has expressed his dismay and disappointment at the government’s proposal to charge VAT on all food ‘sold above ambient temperature.’ Dubbed the ‘pasty tax,’ the proposal has attracted criticism from businesses across the sector and means that fresh hot prepared food will be taxed, whilst pre-packaged, pre-prepared food will not.
Currently VAT is not charged on most food and drink, but is payable on take away food sold to be eaten hot. Under the new rules all food above ‘ambient temperature’ will be subject to VAT at 20%, hiked up last year despite pre-election promises not to. The definition of that temperature has so far not been made clear, but it is likely to include foods sold by bakeries such as pasties and sausage rolls.
Chancellor George Osborne announced the changes in his budget alongside plans to charge VAT on sports nutrition drinks, hairdressing facilities and holiday caravans.
Peter Skinner MEP:
‘These recent proposals are yet another example of how this government is completely out of touch with the majority of people. Many are already struggling to pay their bills on a monthly basis and now they will have to face increasing prices on the basics.
Businesses are either going to have to swallow this tax or pass it on to their customers, putting them in a very difficult position. The government should be promoting growth and job creation, not placing additional financial burdens on traders and consumers who are already struggling.’
Squeezing the least well
“Millions paying more while millionaires pay less”
The Chancellor George Osborne has just delivered the Tory-led Government’s budget including a cut in the top rate of income tax (paid by the wealthiest 1%) from 50% to 45%. The Budget also highlighted the fact that economic growth in 2012 would be only 0.8% and that Government borrowing this year would be a massive £120billion.
- 14,000 people earning £1 million or more are getting a tax cut of over £40,000 each year.
- A family with children earning just £20,000 loses £253 a year from this April. This is on top of the VAT rise which is costing a family an average of £450 per year.
- And this Budget includes a £3 billion tax raid on pensioners over the next four years. The freeze in the personal allowance for pensioners will see 4.5 million pensioners who pay income tax losing an average of £75 per year next April. People who turn 65 next year will lose out by £314.
