Suffering taxpayers should not pay burden

Budget day is fast approaching and the amount of time left for its architects to scrape together sources of revenue that might deflect the burden of heavy taxation away from at least some of our citizens is diminishing.

The omens are not good as more and more would-be benefactors are ignoring our begging bowl.

This leaves Mr Noonan and his advisors with a large deficit which has to be settled, and it would be outrageous if the people are unnecessarily burdened.