Budget

No real surpises, especially given the "justifying" stories lately about alcohol consumption from various think tanks.

BBC

Although I do like the stated goal or eradicating child poverty, most people would take it as one of those things that doesn't really need a budget to announce.

The alcohol stats dont suprise me tbh.

Yep it's an easy target especially considering how the last month or so the news has been fill with "something must be done" stories about alcohol.

The only people who don't drink too much are the BMA who've applied to has the licence on their bar extended.

Last month or so? Its been headlining for far longer than that tbh im bored of hearing about it.

If people are too ignorant to take on board health warnings, then let them f***ing kill themselves slowly....mugs!

abit strong! would of worded that a little different but its true

I'm glad I don't smoke anymore

yet again im treated like a leper for choosing to smoke when will people realise that raising taxes on fags and booze isnt gonna give people an incentive to stop, instead it will make them poorer quicker! why not put tax on fat cats per building owned or summat similar

Not sure about that. I know a few people who stopped because of the increased cost of cigs.

a few compared to howver many millions up and down the uk which carry on smoking or go abroad to get cigs fair play to them after all if your own countries failing you just for smoking what do ya do? turn to the french for cheap lung cancer!

I must have missed something. How is "your own country failing you just for smoking?"

by constantly raising the price and restrictions on smoking if they wanna rise the price on stuff make it something that wont hit the poor mans pocket so much

If you wanna smoke you should pay more tax, when your coughing your lungs up or dying of cancer you'll use the NHS, i don't mind paying for other peoples healthcare but not when it comes to self inflicted illness.

but i pay my national health tax as much as you do so why should i miss out just because people who choose not to smoke are being selfish? in a hospital sick people should be cared for regardless. i read a story about a bloke who broke his ankle but wouldnt be helped because he smoked, do you consider that reasonable?

Depends on the details of the story, the way you have said it i don't agree. You pay as much tax as me on national insurance but by smoking your increasing the chances that your going to need to use a significant amount of NHS resources. Unhealthy things should be taxed for that reason.

I completely agree with you, although I am a tad annoyed about the alcohol hikes, but that's only becaus I am a poverty-stricken student

However, these taxes are being used to benefit the wider community at large, which has always been a labour policy, ever since they were founded, which was only about 100 years ago. . . . .anyway, if you don't like it, vote for conservatives lol. Their policy is more "take care of yourself and to hell with you ".