[jambutty]

It has been reported that many shops are not recalculating their prices to reflect the reduction in vat, as it would be too time consuming and not cost effect. Well they do have a point, up to a point.

But you can bet your sweet life that when the vat is put back to 17½% it will suddenly become not just possible but a must.

All Darling/Brown’s tinkering has done is put up prices in the future.

In spite of all the rhetoric coming out of the government, there is still no sign that the energy companies are going to reduce their prices, because the price of oil has tumbled.

I heard the other day that British Gas is sending a cheque for £15 to customers for “being good payers”, but no overall reduction.