In his speech Gordon Brown said: "Where I've made mistakes I'll put my hand up and try to put them right.
"What happened with the 10p stung me because it really hurt...because on the side of hard-working families is where I want to be, and from n
ow on it's the only place I will be."
That does sound odd, and what about the single low-paid workers?
Alistair Darling said he would do everything in his power to counter the current economic crisis.
Now this is the man who, in the March budget, left a few millions of the lowest-paid much worse off than they were before.
Both he and the Prime Minister made a second attempt to put the matter right in May and failed yet again.
The £120m now being paid benefits mainly middle earners and still leaves that 1.1 million low paid workers £50 or more worse off.
These people are now facing ever-increasing food and fuel costs (eat or heat!), with the hardships of winter still to come.
The Chancellor, at that time, stated he would resolve the matter in his November pre-budget. Whatever he does won't be effective until April next year.
Now, if the two persons in the best position to help the lower paid could twice not perform basic elementary calculations that would have shown them the adverse effects their actions would have on the very people they were trying to help, it can only leave one dumbfounded!
Gordon Brown, in his conference speech, said: "This is no time for novices."
Well on the evidence so far Gordon, perhaps you and your Chancellor should get out pretty quick!
Harry Thompson
The full article contains 303 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
