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Will Gibbons follow Darling on business rates?

It would seem that Alistair Darling has finally given into pressure from the various business lobby groups and will not implement a five per cent increase in business rates in England although firms will still face a two per cent increase.

However, as pointed out in the blog entry yesterday and in the Western Mail on Saturday, business rates is a devolved matter.

The question is whether the Assembly will, as in the past, blindly follow the Chancellor's decision or will finally do the right thing and refuse any increase in business rates at all for this year.

With this decision, the Assembly has finally been given the opportunity to do something different to England in terms of fiscal policy.

For the sake of businesses across Wales, let's hope it does.

Comments

Anonymous said…
darling still putting up the fuel tax though
April 01, 2009 9:53 am
Anonymous said…
and business rate cuts are just deferred
April 01, 2009 7:56 pm
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