No hope in this, only horror and hunger for vulnerable families

THE word “hope” was bandied about a lot in the days running up to the budget. It was going to be a turning point, we were told. The day we got our act together. The day we turned a corner to a brighter future.

Well, I can think of several words beginning with H that sum up the budget for me. And hope isn’t one of them. Horror was part of my reaction. And I’m afraid one of the consequences of this budget for many families, including children, will be hunger.

No doubt the analysts and the commentators, in their comfy chairs at their state-of-the-art computers, will tell us that cuts in basic rates of social welfare are sustainable and justifiable. After all, the cost of living has gone down, they tell us.