Budget Day. I don't know but I always feel a tingle of excitement before a budget as I wait to see how much more money will disappear from my pockets but after the headline statements I get bored and by the time the commentators are discussing how it is going to affect pensioners in Peterborough my eyes have sunk so far into my head I can see behind myself. This year the big talk was about the 1p cut in fuel duty as if we should be grateful for the scraps that George Osborne deigns to throw in our direction. As I need to fill my car every week and it now cost about £50 that should save me about 35p that I can reinvest elsewhere in the economy as I do my bit to stimulate growth.
   The whole fuel duty debate has left rather nasty taste in the mouth as it almost feels concocted between The Sun and the Tories whereby the former start a campaign and the latter "listen" and deliver so that the former can claim a victory and lets them think they are more important than they actually are and the Tories can kid themselves that they are being generous. In reality it makes very little difference and Osborne's claims that there is nothing in the kitty to dish out is all well and good and people do not necessarily want handouts but at the same time there is no mandate for slashing everything in sight and flogging the rest to the private sector whilst the richer elements of society remain relatively unaffected.