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The Budget - a little local difficulty

Peter Henley|20:17 UK time, Tuesday, 22 June 2010

gove_budget500.jpgMore government ministers are walking nowadays. Whatever the reason - fewer government cars, trying to appear democratic, perhaps just trying to keep a clear head - they then fall prey to wandering camera crews.

So the Surrey Heath MP and Education Secretary Michael Gove was vox-popped in Whitehall this morning, to provide the memorable image above.

Asked his opinions of the forthcoming budget he paused and bit his lip before saying that it would be "difficult."

Mr Gove is a man who used to make his living from choosing words, and he chose carefully.

The VAT rise will be difficult for us all. The cuts in public services may hit the North of England, where the economy relies on them, more than the South.

The cuts in benefit may actually have more impact in the affluent home counties, where if you're at the bottom of the pile the high cost of living can make things even worse.

And for business in the South the local difficulty may come in missed opportunities. A new business can now save fifty thousand pounds National Insurance every year by locating in Salisbury (South West) rather than Southampton (South East) But I can tell you which city needs the jobs more.

Video Games industries lose the million pound a title tax break that Labour threw up just before we chucked them out. Hard luck, Brighton.

According to the Government number crunchers, however, 7,800 people who rent out furnished holiday lets will benefit from a change in tax laws that we were told had to go through to satisfy Europe.

I'm off to Brussels tomorrow to see what they make of Britain's new austerity.

Let's see if it is so "difficult" over there.


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