As I type there is a huge BBC outside broadcast van parked in the street and a small group of engineers running wires around the Gauge Opinion headquarters here in Money Road. At 6:30 I am due to be live on BBC London News commenting on today's budget with some other local businesses.
I'm just pulling together my thoughts about the budget so I can condense it down into the 30 second sound bite I suspect we will be allowed.
I don't want to be too negative. The first few months of running my own business from here in Money Road has been quite encouraging. I've been able to find a few clients relatively easily. I've delivered public speaking and media training to South American medics in Amsterdam, one to one executive coaching to senior Local councillors in Bristol, and travelled all round the country interviewing chief executives for a video for the Audit Commission.
In March I managed to send out invoices for more that I have ever earned before in a month, which is encouraging. However, it is tricky to plan when you cannot be sure where the next project will come from and how long it will last. I'd quite like to take on a couple of staff at some point soon, to help grow the business, but the prospect of filling in the forms fills me with dread. Perhaps the chancellor could have merged the Inland Revenue and National Insurance in the budget which would cut the paperwork in half.
The Chancellor is promising to find £15 billion worth of efficiency savings somehow. As someone who has worked in the public, private and voluntary sector, I know there are plenty of ways the Government could spend our money more efficiently. That'll take a bit of a culture change and some real political leadership, which is currently sadly lacking.
I expect they'll ask me about the new 50p tax rate that seems to be leading the news at the moment. I think that is a bit of a gimmick really. Political game-playing designed to put the Tories on the spot. Nothing wrong with that but running a business you learn to look at the big numbers first. When the Government needs to borrow £200 billion plus in bonds to fund this budget that's when you need to start worrying.
Still, there's always the penny on a pint to talk about - perhaps we can drink our way to a recovery. I know my fellow Warlingham Rugby Club players will be happy to take on that challenge. I don't mind paying a bit more tax - but we should be able to see clearly where it's going. If you want to tax alcohol more then spend it pound for pound on dealing with some of the problems that alcohol creates, tackling violent crime for example. More money for bobbies on the beat rather than bailing out bungling bankers. I wonder if I can get that into the interview - might be a bit of a tongue twister.
There's plenty of help in the budget for the army of young unemployed people the Chancellor expects to create. There's less help for older people who are just as likely to be hit by the recession but will have greater responsibilities. The Chancellor might regret that when he and his cabinet colleagues lose their jobs in a year's time.
