The Budget – a kick in the teeth

The decision to raise the National Insurance contributions for people who are self employed is nothing more than a kick in the teeth from a Chancellor, and Government, that is supposed to support enterprise and entrepreneurship. Those who choose the self employed option, and some who are forced into it by unscrupulous tax dodging employers, enjoy nothing approaching the benefits which are guaranteed to those who are employed. The obvious ones are statutory sick pay (if you don’t work, you don’t eat) and holiday pay, but there are more.

The army of self employed people forms the backbone of British industry, and from that army springs some of the world class businesses of the future. This short sighted move by the Chancellor will deter many from embarking on the self employed path, fearing further penalties to come.

This budget is further proof that the Westminster I’m-all-right-Jack elite are not interested in Everyman, and they can can go to hell in a handcart, as long as it’s not diesel powered.

Where are the proofreaders?

Is there a national shortage of proofreaders, or are companies cutting back and hoping for the best?
The day after the Budget the Daily Mail published a front page picture of Margaret Thatcher, with the Chancellor’s face superimposed. The whole image was back to front.
A few days later, we received a catalogue from Viyella. On the cover was a picture of a man and woman. The same photograph appeared inside the publication, but was reversed.
The misuse of the apostrophe is ever increasing.
How many times do we see the wrong use of ‘compliment’ or ‘complement’?
Now, people may say these things are unimportant, but what it raises in my mind is this. Will they adopt the same careless attitude in completing customers’ orders? What is their attitude to staff development? Are they as careless with managing the finances?
A company’s reputation could just hang on a misplaced comma or spelling error.

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Three score years and ten

The Government says that everyone will have to work until they are 70 in order to qualify for a pension. The NHS says that those of 70 are too old to qualify for treatment.
It’s a good way of keeping both the pensions budget and the health budget under control, and avoids the need to discuss the controversial subject of euthanasia any further.

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