Alistair Darling: Should he stay or should he go?

Is it time to say "goodnight darling"? Give us your verdict

Opinion Polls & Market Research

We also want to hear your views. What do you think of Alistair Darling's first Budget? Post your comments below.

Comments

[AMAC]

Not only should the Chancellor go but his Boss Broon should go because it's his mismanagement over the last ten years that has put us in the situation that we are in.Pensioners are going to be worse off as are 90% of the population He says we are going to be paying less TAX because we will be paying 20% as against 22% but has he conveniently forgotten about the 10% band that he has got rid of common sense says that we will be paying more but thenwe are probably asking too much of these Cowboys in Westminster to use common sense they wouldn't know it if they fell over it.

[Mr T Hall]

Another nail in the coffin of the pub industry, prices have already increased between 10 - 15 pence a pint this year and now the government wants its share of the pie to. Comes across as the government’s way of capitalising on underage binge drinkers who coincidently would never get served in respectable public house.

[christine marshall]

A lot more woffle sprouting out figures, the average person knows that the cost of living under this government has soared. We as a country remain in debt.

[June Shillings]

What us poor workers that don't have immediate children and don't have a lot of money coming in. Everything has risen for us, with no excise on anything to help us to live!

[Unhappy Voter]

Both Darling and Brown should Resign immediately, Darling because he is an incompetent buffoon and Brown because of his mismanagement of the countries finances over the last 10 years and for all of the stealth Taxes that has been introduced.

[Ricks Rants]

This incompetent idiot should be hung for treason along with the rest of the government.
A budget out to penalise the only people left working in the country, so he can fund the scrounging idiots who vote for them

[Gemma]

I have to say that I agree with the decision to tax the non essentials - I would much rather cut down on my alcohol intake then have my wages hit further. No one needs to drink or smoke; they are leisure activities and ones which are straining the NHS's resources.

Glad the old people's heating allowances have risen, they needed that and that child allowance goes up. It all helps.

[Jimmy]

if uk plc were a business they would have been sacked for financial mismanagement some time ago. How hilarious to see Brown opening new academies for entrepreneurs whilst at the same time they are raising the corporation tax levels for small business - no consistent policies at all.

do they not realise they are competing globally to attract wealth creating individuals?

[H Gemmell]

As expected,
Another stride towards poverty for the average brit.How about seeing things through the eyes of the average worker, already struggling to make ends meet. And why the hell do utility companies get away with price increases way above inflation? Such rises SHOULD NOT be allowed to exceed the current rate of inflation.
The sooner a Conservative government gets back into office the better

[teresa]

HIS HANDS WERE TIED BY THE BIGGEST LIAR OF A UNELECTED PRIME MINISTER """" IN GOD KNOWS HOW MANY YEARS. ONE WHO SAYS THIS COUNTRY SHOULD BE GREENER WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF WATER ETC whose fault is it .
this govenment for allowing all these extra people in and we the pensioners are having to pay the cost , along with hard pressed families , the govenment dont suffer they wont pay extra for booze etc they get it free what a lot of terrible people run our country i voted labour now i know i was crazy in the head

[Presh]

we need a new election, e need to take up arms and take to the streets............WHAT ARE WE.......STUPID OR SOMETHING? Stupid is as stupid does......what is this nonsense.

[Martin Briggs]

The trouble with Brown/Darling and Co is that they think and treat the public of this counrty as thick - well we are not !
We know when we are being done over and no amount of spin and lies will cover it up.
Bring on the next election - Blair must be laughing his socks off as Brown carries the can for his incompitence.

[MN]

11 years of spin results in bankrupt govt who have to rob smokers, drivers, drinkers and the average tax payer whilst they look forward to index linked final salary pensions funded by us.

If drinking is such a problem, reduce supply, take it away from supermarkets. At this rate there will be no British pubs left, already the smoking ban is killing their trade.

About time this govt went though I wouldn't like to have to pick up their pieces.

[david johnson]

Nether thought I would be the one to
be saying,"What about the Pensioners".
My wife is 63yrs & I am 65 and unable to work .
Like many thousands our worked for pension is designed to make us fade away.
I would like to see comment from others,and also ask the media to highlite European comparatives .
Thank you.

[L C Lawson]

Pathetic. Lacking in originality and showing no understanding of Britain's problems. If you looked closely you could see Brown's hand up his back pulling the strings.

[PMAC]

Smokers and drinkers have always been the easy targets so it's fair to say that this is not a Chancellor of invention.
My questions are: Once smokers have been priced out of their habit where does the Chancellor turn?
Not motorists by any chance, in the name of saving the environment?

[L.Drewitt]

As usual, smokers, drinkers and drivers bear the brunt of tax increases, justified as 'green' measures.
When the inflation rate has rocketed due to the cost of fuel, Darling will still look surprised when given the figures as he doesn't seem to realise that although the people are penalised for causing inflation with restrictions on pay etc. it is really government led.

[djc]

Darling stated that the average price of a bottle of wine is now £4.00. Can he please let us know where he shops? Or maybe this is an indication of the standard of wine that he appreciates!!! Please, someone bring him into the real world.

[JohnD]

When the Chancellor of the Exchequer is reduced to talking about plastic bags in a Budget Statement, I begin to lose the will to live....

[jfw]

Will commentators and politicians stop saying pensioners have a winter £250 fuel allowance.

This is not true.

Its per household not per pesioner.

A household with three pensioners in it gets £250.
While an household with one pensioer in it gets £250.

Stop missleading the public with this.

[Nick Carter]

Yet another Scot' screwing up the economy. Please go and run Scotland.

[bill beange]

i wish i could put up my prices everytime i cocked up my finances.bring on the election and lets get rid of these clowns

[John Poynton]

Bag man rules.

[Small Businessman]

A budget to attack the wealth providers. Small companies rate of 22% because the chancellor thinks we are all out to rip off the country. Yet it is the small businesses that are the engine of the economy. At a time of economic stress he should have been encouraging us not attacking us. But of course we don't vote so we are not a threat, not until unemployment happens and they need us to provide the jobs that the voters want!

[peter ellis]

i lost faith in darling when he tried to copy the tories proposals last autumn.It was clear that he and brown and the rest of the government had lost their nerve and not shown any strength.Brown can hardly fire him for inheriting the mess brown left him but he has no savvy or charisma and i believe that he has no real interest in the job.He has to prove that he is his own man and i think that is difficult because he is clearly brown's puppet.

Someone like Roy Jenkins would have handled matters with great aplomb and would have received public suppport for so doing.

darling is not up to the job.He is no good as a frontman.

P.ellis

[ray]

What a farce,again.
Extra £50 heating allowance for pensioners,this should have been £250 after all these years!
Absolutley nothing for the enviroment,=just a plastic bag tax,maybe an incentive to buy a newer car with lower "emissions" =more money for the so called government to squander.
What we need is a GOVERNMENT (Govern is to control) not a taxation outfit.

[Paul Steiger]

If the way to improve the roads is not to build more or improve them but just to tax the people that use them more, shurley the same can be done to improve the efficencey of Government. Just tax MPs 130% of what the ordinary taxpayer pays. You'd see tax come down and public sector effeciency rocket.

[Mike]

As usual from this goverment all smoke and mirrors.

[HP]

Once again...

NOTHING for decent hard working middle aged couples.

NOTHING for the pensioners who have worked hard all their lives and saved a little money becuse they were careful.

When will it be our turn to benefit????

I don't even get the winter fuel allowance because I am 60 on 30 September and I have to be 60 on or before 23rd!!!!!!!!! I am still in disbelief!! Fairer to work out the benefit end of October/ November??

[Caroline Green]

He has given pensioners a one-off fuel payment of £50 - but is still charging us extra tax on petrol (which is a necessity for most of us) and our council tax is rising faster than inflation. Is he helping us at all - it doesn't seem like that to me.

[Dan Twyford]

To all those voting for him to go - let's face it most of the commentators have said that they could have almost cancelled the budget as the key was not to rock the boat in the current economic circumstances. Has it rocked the boat? I think not. Are we going to come through this global economic slow down better than most OECD countries, yes. All the rest is nit picking, and I am speaking as someone who will pay more this year. And no I am definitely NOT rich.

If we want all good things in life i.e. good NHS, good education, good transport, remove child poverty, look after disabled, infirm, etc etc etc then someone has to pay for it. As you say, he has not put up alcohol up for the last 10 years. So this increase is modest. I think that you are very biased in your comments.

[Julia Hughes]

We're trying to sell our house and were hoping the chancellor would change stamp duty for houses at the level ours is being marketed at -£269,950. It's unfair that the rate jumps from 1% to 3% at this level which is only an average price particularly in the South East. We are finding that this is artificially skewing the market at this level because people are reluctant to pay the price when this level of duty has to be added to the equation. It would be more fair if it was set at 1.5%.

[peter]

Green budget, my A##e!!!!!!!!
This budget was no more than an excuse for this Labour government to raise yet more tax.
Charging for carrier bags, Road pricing, Excise duty on drinks and tobacco.
It's time the so called green people in county realised that no matter how green we are, even if the whole country was 100% green)
it will never make the slightest difference, when you have the likes of countries such as the USA, india china, Russia etc. continuing as they are to pollute the world with no concern for the rest of us.
As for this budget its just an excuse for this government to penalise ordinary people for Labour's mistakes.
It is now time for Gordon Brown to listen to the people and to call an election.
Brown has no mandate to be PM. so should do the what the people really want, and quit.

[Chris Goodman]

He is just the latest in the Scot dominated New Labour who have no skills to befit them for running UK Ltd.
He has failed to grasp the basis that one must not spend more than one earns and he is now spending more than his share.
He needs to do a Maggie and really cut the bureaucracy in Government - like a 10% cut in Whitehall penpushers.
His budget is very much a nothing, taking more of our earned money and giving less in return. He waves the green flag which is meaningless as it all goes into his one big pot.
A failure when he could have done so much than up the unearned benefit stakes.

[diane slater]

roll on the next general election and vote labour out, my partner and i will be £200+ worse off in the forthcoming year.with the utilities and council tax increasing our standard of living is falling each year.

[J Smith]

On the face of it, the lowest paid taxpayers will see their tax double.

However, I expect Mr Darling and his boss are well aware that employers like the big supermarkets allow their staff to tailor their hours (and therefore their tax liability) so that any shortfall is made up in benefits.

The employers get cheap, part-time labour with reduced rights, the cheap labourers get ther benefits preserved, the Govt gets its extra income, and the only loser is the REAL low-income taxpayer, who doesn't claim benefits.

[Ron Griffiths]

I really cannot be bothered to comment on the Chancellor; When the whole Labour Party are a complete shambles esp. the PM. who seems to spend all his time trying to cover up the mess they are in and the mess they have put the country in! The sooner we can get shot of them the better.

[Andrew Smith]

The UK needs to change this goverment as they have crushed familys with taxes plus why do labour give more to divorced couples.

We have been sold out to the a sad Goverment thata tax crazy..

[Sam Smith]

e should stay for now. Seriously, who is there to replace him?

Balls looks about as mature as a schoolkid, with absolutely no credibility. And lets not beat about the bush here, Darling is inheriting a load of problems given to him by Brown. Lets face it, the LAbour party, not Darling needs to go, unfortunately there is going to be a very painful downturn before that happens, possibly a depression.

As for AMAC, it isnt as if you wake up one morning and discover you are a pensioner, so why not save for your future? You have had 300% house price growth, starving the younger generations facing a lifetime renting, now you want them to pay for a comfortable retirement as well? PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!

[Babis Gakis]

Read Vernon Coleman's "Living in a Fascist Country" to learn more about what a bunch of thieving muppets we have running this country into the ground. Get rid of the lot of them.

[Justin]

Let him stay. He's the best chance the Conservatives have of getting in at the next election!

[John]

Do not blame the monkey because you don't like the tune the organ grinder is playing.

[ricky]

Sadly, this government has lost the plot, frittering away the surpluses of previous years to place us on the edge of the proverbial precipice. Far from fostering stability, this unelected PM and his spineless flunky have risked the immediate futures of the ordinary, hard working taxpayers of this country in their increasingly desperate bid to cling on to power.

[Richard from Worthing]

Please don't be fooled by the cut in basic rate tax from 22% to 20%.
Because the chancellor has removed to 10% band the difference is minimal. Plus this change now means tax relief on pension contributions are reduced to 20% further impacting the growth of struggling pension funds.

Also, none of the other measures actually stop people drinking alcohol or driving larger vehicles. The government doesn't want people to change their habits just pay more tax in to the coffers of the treasury.

Incompetent does not describe the utterly shambolic position the UK find itself in after 10 years of Labour governmentand more to the point 10 years of Gordon McBrown policies placing us in this unenviable position. How can the UK be better placed to ride out this economic turmoil when we currently have the highest debt burden, highest tax burden of any western economy.

The conservatives are once again going to have an almighty mess to sort out as soon as this lot are kicked out by the long suffering voters of this country. (remember the late 70's)

[Mrs Grist]

LABOUR SHOULD GO THEY ARE JUST A BUNCH OF BUNGLING IDIOTS. PLEASE GOD THEY ARE NEVER ALLOWED IN AGAIN.

I am nearly 70 years of age and I cannot afford heating so I sit in my coat and scarf since this lot got in. When the Conservatives were in I could at lease make a cup of tea occasionally.

[me]

he should go

[R W SLATER]

The most boring non event of a budget I have ever seen or heard and I have heard over 50 budget speeches.

[Lucy Bulpin]

What's the point in putting so much tax on alcohol and cigarettes, when we all know that it just increases the booze cruises. But at last the tax has increased the tax on spirits - how annoying in the past that spirits have been spared, when it's common knowledge that spirits are drunk by m.p.s whereas increases on beer affects the working man's pocket.

[GS1]

Just the usual shafting again!
Promises of this or that for 2009 or the future, but before we get there everything changes again. You want to help families, then bring the changes in now! They increase wine etc and those changes happen instantly!
Big wow to tax cuts, what with fuel busting rises, and paltry pay rises low income familes are no better off.
Here's an outrageous idea.... lose overpaid MP's and channel that money to the public!!

[Mike Bibby]

Weren't Gormless Gordon and the Brown Nosers a failed pop-group in the 90s?

[Dr. D. Shepherd]

This government's M.O. is to oversimplify a problem, demonise a scapegoat, then force a raft of half-baked knee-jerk policies on us.

This time the scapegoat is alcohol and the knee-jerk is to ramp up prices (an idea already proven a failure in Norway and Sweden).

i.e. They KNOW alcohol consumption will NOT fall - overtaxing it is NOT a health policy, nor will it do anything to deter hoodlums - this is just a cynical attempt to buy votes from suckers and jack up stealth tax to fund their war.

All punitive legislation based on lifestyle is DISCRIMINATION. Why are some minorities protected and some not?

[george]

Another beating for the ordinary working joe, over 70% of my money each month goes on taxes before the next payday. income tax, NI, council tax, fuel tax, cartax,insurance tax, VAT on EVERYTHING. how is that fair for 65 hours work a week for £21k to raise a family on? Now it will be 72-75%, why should I bother to keep on fighting to get by? If everyone productive either emigrates or gives up and becomes a benefits freeloader, who will he tax then? no commerce left? Do tell, oh wise and brilliant Brown/Darling - who have never run a business, created a real job or made a profit. Here is the problem with all of labour, new or old, they are budget people, get a budget and spend it, no matter how badly they screw up, they just hit the taxpayer for more next year and spend that too, IMBECILES!! Time to emigrate, there's no reason to stay.

[markie mark]

After raising tax on booze ,how does this government expect to get any votes? A stone cold sober general public could not possibly do it! Come on you are undermining the basis for your own success!

[d smith]

The one comment that for me encapsulates the whole attitude of this government towards the people of this country is the one made by Ed Balls "So what"? says it all

[Andrew]

Brown to Darling to who? The lack of competent, trustworthy politicians in the labour party is obvious.

Even the reasoning behind the VED increase is obviously to raise and yet they think they can cover it up by saying "gas guzzler".

Tax increases on a tiny fraction of the total vehicles driven (Ferraris etc) make no real Co2 difference even if they are all crushed tommorrow. Hidden VED increases on all vehicles don't change the marginal cost of each mile driven which means people will still drive.

All done to tax people where they have no choice but to pay. What exactly do I get for my money?

[IAN PAYNE]

Move over Darling !!!

[Geoff]

Alistair Darling was a puppet when he was the Transport Secretary, and he is one now as the Chancellor. It's time for a change. The Labour Gov't continue to bleat about what the Tories left them after their tenure, yet it is now some 10 years since Labour started to rule. It is the poor average person that will once again suffer from this budget, and not the fat cats who pro rata do not pay as much tax as the average person. Scandalous !!!

[richard england]

As Skinner told the torries take ur ragtail and bobtail and go, it now applies to labour

[Lee Stringer]

When are people ging to realise that global warming / climate change is a cyclical event that will happen regardless of carbon emissions. What caused the last change?.. long before the human element!! Climate change prevention is just an excuse to make tax hikes sound more acceptable. If this government spent less money helping other countries and focused more on our own problems FIRST, it would be far better off... charity begins at home. Once we have a great economy and a second to none national health service etc etc then by all means help out those less fortunate. In the mean time close the doors, The UK is full and should not re-open to anyone who has nothing to offer until further notice!!!

[Hugh McKay]

the surprise is always in the detail of a New Labour budget.
The truth of the abolishment of the 10% rate is that it will only affect those at the poor end of the money chain - the old and those in the poverty trap.The Darling dummy did not talk about the benefit claw back so typical of the mirrors used in past budgets by his master Brown

[Mark Ociepko]

The budget is defective as its main underlying purpose is to deal with the huge costs of the two expensive wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. This is why government borrowing is out of control. The long involvement of the army in N. Ireland came to an end and it looked like the economy was going to benefit through more money being spent on fighting for what the people really found were the issues and these issues were within this society here. No way I am afraid to say. Once again we are being taken on board to a destination not of our choice. Do you have the feeling that many of our leading politicians are in a mess with their policies aspirations?

[Andrew]

Gemma. Smokers fund the nhs. If they were to stop, we would be even more screwed. They cost the NHS Billions less than they contribute.

The poll should be. Who wants this government out! I would love to see the result.

[Robert Dixon]

I am amazed by the poll in todays Times that seems to say that the budget is fair enough. Do people not realise that real inflation is running at about 9% and the country has been bancrupted by this incompetent government. The only thing that keeps me sane is being able to have a glass of wine at the end of the day and I seriously object to paying to this bunch of rascals for the privilege.

[Olga]

I lived and worked in the UK for the last 8years, my salary has increased nearly £20k, but I can afford much less for the money I earn now 8years later. I love this country despite of Darling-Brown, but it would be so much better without them and their party! When I came here it was still good after Conservatives, the Labour had not destroyed it yet. I am dreaming about good times to return back! Olga, Cambs

[steve]

Extra tax on alcohol will not stop binge drinking but what it will do is cause the closure of some pubs that are on the edge of survival.
He has also increased the purchase of alcohol in Calais for those lucky pepole living in Kent.

[kevin daniels]

Once upon a day you could rely on the labour government to be supportive of the ordinary working class person,now with the scrapping of the 10p income tax rate for low earners one wonders.
You earn your wages and then after that everything you buy is taxed and even your savings are taxed.
If a government could sort out this mess then it would get my vote.

[chris]

why get rid of someone who will punish those who voted labour? darling is the best news the conservatives have had for a long time and the longer he is in his present job the better off everybody will be in the fullness of time. Put someone competent in Darlings place ( reservation: is there such a person in Labour ? )and the conservatives will continue to look what they are: second rate: maybe third rate.

[rowna sorrentino]

This is not Gordon Browns fault but the idiot who was in so called charge previously if he was in the UK at the time instead of enjoying a free holiday with the rest of his family. Labour will not change so why grumble if you voted for them - I did not and would never even think about doing so they always line their own pockets first. England is the worst looked after place in the UK - but on saying that what choice have we got it is time the British people stood up to their government and make them listen because at the moment they get away with any changes that they vote for they most certainly do not deserve any more money allowances and should work for every penny - most of them do not know the meaning of the word WORK. Would Mr.Cameron be any better or ould he line his own pockets as well?

[Craig]

Alistair Darling should definately go.

And he should take all his labour cronies with him.

They are all useless

[J McGarrigle]

Time Labour went they only know about raising taxes hitting the poor low wage workers who are not scrounging of the rest and the married and single worker, car tax vat petrol heating all taxes es folks welcome to tax land.kick them out at the local elections.

[John Oliver]

Darling is merely the scapegoat. Gordon Brown is entirely responsible for the situation we are in and should take full responsibility. He has demonstrated a degree of political cynicism and deviousness unparalleled in modern political history and should be forced to take the consequences.

[Margaret]

RUBBISH! OR WAS BROWN TELLING HIM WHAT TO DO?
WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE ON BENEFITS ARE NOT GETTING A REDUCTION?
Seems fair - if we are paying more tax they should get less! I work for the NHS and pay £2,400 a year in tax - Abu Qatada (Bin ladens ambassador) gets £1000 a month in benefits - This means I work all year to pay him almost 3 months benefit? He claimed asylum on false papers!
HOW MANY MORE LIKE HIM?
NO WONDER Darling IS BROKE - If below spending contributes to his economic state--
BENEFITS
100 MILLION ON DRUG ADDICT BENEFITS
300 MILLION ON BENEFIT CHEATS + the rest
100 MOSQUITO NETS
1 BILLION PLUS - LEGAL AID TO IMMIGRANTS
9 BILLION OLYMPICS
TRILLIONS WASTED ON STUPID GIV PROJECTS
MILLIONS TO SET UP GOV DEPTS TO MONITOR IMMIGRATION
Above spending is only the tip of the iceberg!

[Michael Bowden]

I feel that Brown is both Prime Minister and Chancellor, and that Darling is just Brown's stooge. Blair and Brown were a unique partnership each a force to be reckoned with. Since Blair retired things have sadly deteriorated.

[m lumley]

It infuriates me the manner in which Brown, Darling and friends say off-handedly to those just out of the poverty line and clobbered by the mess over the end of the 10p tax rate: "we will get around to doing something for you soon."
These people need help NOW! Ministers and their flock of supine MPS should put down the John Lewis catalogue and stop salivating over possible additions to their second homes - and think for a moment about whom they represent. Most taxpayers can only dream of having an MP's pay and perks, ýet now many people just out of the poverty line are contributing to MPs'gilt-edged liofestyle.

[Phil de Buquet]

There are people around long enough to remember the previous time that Labour were the government. I never thought that the British people would be so stupid as voter for Labour again even after eighteen years on the back burner in opposition. Everything was quite reasonable for the first four years whilg Gordon was using the plan designed by the Conservative Chancellor.

While he was sitting in his backroom he was thinking up all these clever wheezes to squeeze money out of everybody except those with great wealth who said "start messing with me or my money and I'm off matey, so please yerself !

So now we find ourselves with a different Chancellor who is suffering all that is being thrown at him, and most of it is not of his making.

We really are now up to our necks again just like we were in 1979. What did we ever do to deserve this kind of treatment.

[David]

Darling isnt the problem because he isnt in charge of the Treasury. It is Gordon Brown who is pulling the strings, it was Brown who got rid of the 10p rate and it is Brown who should GO and GO NOW.

[M. Cawdery]

Having read most of the comments above one comment springs out; unanimous.
Out with Nulab, Mr.Bean Brown and all his incompetent stooges.

[Ashanollah]

Alister Darling must go, what is the Labour Party trying to do lose the general election, don't they realise how much damage they have done to this country by letting Mr Darling handle the fianace,it is bad enough with Gordon Brown at the helm.

[Mark Smith]

I am truly thankful I have nothing to reproach myself for - I have never voted Labour in my entire life and these last eleven years have confirmed my distrust and loathing of socialism and nulab in particular. I can only hope that the 30% or so of ignorant fools who might still vote for them at the next election might just might come to their senses. God help us if they do not.

[Robert El-Cid]

Five fathom five the country lies in a sea of Nu-Labour debt and waste. With millions whose only income is welfare payments laughing at the workers as the tax system drowns them. Brown's concept of Socialism seems to have run its course but who has got the answers???

[TC]

He should go. And so should Gordon Brown. High Inflation (and labour spin mongering to make it seem lower), 3.5mn people claiming benefits, presiding over the most ridiculous housing bubble in UK history, bailing out failing banks, selling gold reserves at the worst possible time the list of incompetence goes on and on.

[John Smith]

I may be wrong but no-one has yet mentioned greedy Gordons' £5 billion a year grab at the pension funds that ruined probably the best final pension scheme in the world. Except for National and Local Government employees!(And MP's of course).Prudence begins at home,and Darling won't put that right.
J.S.