Tuesday, January 04, 2011

A year of pain

It was fashionable in the 1980s for our high streets to have closed down shops, for people to be out of work, for there to be regular protests against the government and for each new year to be welcomed with huge increases to the cost of commuting. After the years of plenty in the noughties it appears that we are headed for a 1980s re-run.

Both the Tories and Lib Dems promised us all at the election that they wouldn't put up VAT. The sales tax is commonly regarded as regressive, hitting the poorest hardest.

Instead of a new politics of trust 2011 is already showing to be a year of expensive broken promises. Expect the resentment to continue, the cost of living to rise and the shops to start closing.

Happy New Year.

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