Blogger IFS confusion and my confusion

OK I admit it. If the Liberal Democrats were in opposition I think I would argue that the Institute for Fiscal Studies report was a sign that the Labour government is not progressive. So I guess this means that the coalition budget is also not progressive within the confines of the report study.

At least I never used the IFS report released during the Gernal Election campaign on rated unspecified cuts in spending to claim that the Liberal Democrats had the best result as I only believe the report showed how all parties where not telling the full story on cuts. See 'Institute for Fiscal Studies has condemned all 3 main parties‏'.

This earlier report does reassure me that the commissioned by the End Child Poverty campaign is not political as that report did not rate Labour as the best. Crash Bang Wallace I think is wrong to claim that its 'Time for the IFS to come clean – they swing to the Left'.

But I am confussed as the report does not take everything the government is currently and will be doing into account. I don't believe the way to raise the poor out of poverty is to simply do it though benefits. From what I have read this report takes benefits very much into account. The way to get people out of povety is for them to have well paid jobs and regular work with a progressive decrease in benefit support as they earn more.This is the type of work Iain Duncan Smith is looking into and the type of benefits that will cost but pay in the long term.

The second point is that while it may or may not of been right to cliam the budget as progressive. It is overall government policy not just the budget that makes a difference to the income and out goings of the poor. This report only targets the budget.

Other bloggers for example Caron Musings So who's right on Budget, IFS or the Coalition? is somewhere between the two. I agree with that, but it is very hard for us layman like me to judge.  Split Horizons thinks thatIFS Study Shows What Won't Happen . Again that is also right in my view as it does does not include factors like the economy or other policy.

Next Left states thatCoalition supporters, there IS an alternative to "IFS denial" over the regressive budget. I'm not a in denial myself I'm just confused as I simply do not know if the budget really was progressive or regressive. I would like to use this report as a pointer that we need to be more progressive so that the coalition can really demostrate that it is progressive. But the coalition willneed to beable to sight other factors such as making work pay.

One thing is for sure, this is not a good report for a progressive coalition and we must not simply dismiss it but use it to be more progressive in the future. I hope to be less confused after the next report on the next budget. I hope it will be harder for bloggers to argue against the progressive nature of the coalition.

Todays Link is to local blogger Liberal Burblings who is not confusedCome on, let’s face it: The first budget was a categoric, gimungous FAIL for the Liberal Democrats