Political week on Twitter: March 19th – 23rd
Not long after George Osborne stood up to deliver Budget 2012, 'granny tax' was trending worldwide and influencing the political reaction. Was this the first social media Budget?
Compiled by Oliver Hotham
The national newspapers and twitter were riled up by the suggestion that there might be a stealth tax inserted into the Budget's pension plan, the sensitively titled "Granny Tax":
So bored of the granny tax nonsense. Try being a Greek granny.
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— Katie Martin (@katie_martin_FX) March 22, 2012
Labour's narrative on the #Budget2012: A 'granny tax' imposed to help the Cabinet's millionaire friends – Can't get simpler than that
— sunny hundal (@sunny_hundal) March 21, 2012
Worth noting though that Labour is NOT promising to reverse the 'granny tax' or bring back the 50p top rate.
— Peter MacMahon (@petermacmahon) March 22, 2012
Did Lib Dems leak everything *except* the granny tax so it would be the only bit of news to report this morning? As a way of hurting Tories?
— Toby Young (@toadmeister) March 22, 2012
Possibly the most controversial aspect of the Budget was the chancellor's decision to reduce the top rate of tax to 45p which, judging by the reaction, was merely a plot by Osborne to annoy everyone:
So we axed the 50p tax rate because people avoided paying it? We just … changed the rules for cheats? Wow. Is that a thing now? #bbcqt
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) March 22, 2012
Granny basher George Osborne doesn't pay 50p tax despite 130+k pay, renting out his Notting Hill home and a 4m trust fund – one for HMRC?
— JamesLyons (@MirrorJames) March 22, 2012
If Cameron cuts 50p tax for top 1%, remember: next time he tells you he can't afford help for you, he can afford tax cuts for millionaires
— Johann Hari (@johannhari101) March 20, 2012
cutting 50p rate to 45p next year ensures people can again avoid tax by delaying dividends. We'll never know what 50p would have raised.
— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) March 21, 2012
It was announced that cigarettes would go up in price by 37p, much to the chagrin of the two people left in Britain who can find a place they're allowed to smoke:
And since we're on the Tory lapdogs to the plutocrats, how can they raise tobacco duty+privatise the NHS? What are smokers paying for?
— Rory Smith (@RorySmithTimes) March 21, 2012
Camilla's popped to the shops for some cigarettes. 500,000 of them. #budget
— Prince Charles (@Charles_HRH) March 21, 2012
Quick, buy a mansion before midnight and fill it with cigarettes. #budget
— paul bassett davies (@thewritertype) March 21, 2012
British budget today: For Russian readers a) Britain is still in debt b) cigarettes went up by 37p a pack. Were already around £7.00 a pack
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) March 21, 2012
In other news, the government announced it would introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol. No news yet as to whether this will affect subsidised alcohol in Parliament…
I doubt minimum alcohol pricing would have stopped the Bullingdon Club smashing up restaurants. #justsayin
— John Prescott (@johnprescott) March 23, 2012
Minimum alcohol pricing is nasty, regressive and paternalistic. It ONLY hits the poor and frugal. Anti-fun Victorian vindictiveness.
— Sam Bowman (@S8mB) March 23, 2012
RT @csdrake: Minimum booze pricing? Spin the wheel again, Comrades.
— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) March 23, 2012
If there was a top of the pops style chart for ridiculous political ideas I think minimum pricing of alcohol would go straight in at No.1
— Philip Davies (@PhilipDaviesMP) March 23, 2012
