Efficiencies

Watched my old mucker Alistair Darling do his job today. At the personal taxation level the biggie is, of course, the rise in inheritance tax to £600k with immediate effect. I can think of at least 1 person of my acquaintance who is in line for a windfall as a result of the retrospective element. Personally, it will make no difference to me. The value of my parent's home (her only asset) does not meet the current level and while it may eventually mean something for my children I sincerely hope it will be a very long time before they benefit.

I am not one of these people worrying about leaving my kids a legacy. I have managed perfectly well without one and they can too. They have been blessed with two parents who loved them, looked after them and equipped them for adult life. They know how to earn their keep, how to work hard and the difference between right and wrong...and they are prepared to accept the consequences if they get it wrong...that seems a more than adequate inheritance to me. And if they get a financial bonus when we cop it then that's all it is...a bonus. I want my kids to earn what they have...not expect a handout either from the State (unless ill-health forces it) or from their mum and dad.

The really BIG story is, of course, the brakes on the growth of public expenditure - this means the public sector is really going to have look at efficiencies: my husband works in the NHS and his observation is that much of the undeniably new money has gone straight into very high salaries for top level staff...I certainly think that's the case in Scottish Education. The massive investment in teachers' salaries has produced nothing tangible...except better paid teachers...not a bad thing in itself...but not enough for the investment involved. Next thing is reducing class sizes to 18...ostensibly massive investment in education but equally obviously better working conditions for teachers...it needs to be tied unequivocally to raised achievements for children.