Govt. scraps 50p Broadband tax

[0iD]

In a last-ditch effort to push through some last minute reforms in the Finance Bill, before Parliament is dissolved for the upcoming election, the controversial 50p Broadband Tax has been dropped from the bill.

The aim of the tax was to finance the supply of broadband to areas where it was unprofitable to supply the service, and also to provide money for updating existing networks.

It was estimated the tax, on anyone with a telephone landline, would have generated around £170m GBP/year.

Additionally dropped in the finance bill were the 10% tax on cider, unpopular with apple growers, chavs & students alike, and also the proposed tax relief on holiday homes. Shame.

[MrRobin]

Policy U-turns - typical of labour!
Scrapping the taxes actually worthwhile - typical of labour!

[oolon]

Additionally dropped in the finance bill were the 10% tax on cider, unpopular with apple growers, chavs & students alike, and also the proposed tax relief on holiday homes. Shame.

I did think this tax increase was outrageous and disproportionate, and another example of the puritanical Labour party, who seem to think the worker servo-chromo-mangaliods should be prevented from having any vices by not being able to afford them.

[TheAnimus]

Is it me, or do you think the BB tax axe might have been a little bit of a sweetner with the digital economy bill?

[oolon]

Is it me, or do you think the BB tax axe might have been a little bit of a sweetner with the digital economy bill?

I think the DE bill will be passed because I think the conservatives quite like it (in general) and passing it now would give them the chance to blame Labour if it goes badly wrong, as well as taking any upside from it.

[Andeh13]

Additionally dropped in the finance bill were the 10% tax on cider, unpopular with apple growers, chavs & students alike, and also the proposed tax relief on holiday homes. Shame.

no cider tax, no cider tax, no cider tax! . Government did good!!

[kalniel]

Policy U-turns - typical of labour!
Scrapping the taxes actually worthwhile - typical of labour!

So why have they said they would implement them if elected? They had to agree a finite number of bills for the last changes before the election and these didn't make it, that's all. Same with the increase of duty on cider.

[MrRobin]

So why have they said they would implement them if elected? They had to agree a finite number of bills for the last changes before the election and these didn't make it, that's all. Same with the increase of duty on cider.

Oh OK, I didn't know that. Seemed typical that they introduce something, it's unpopular (ofcourse it is, it's a tax!) and then so they scrap it because there's an election around the corner.