Browned off

Last month's Budget was the usual sorry affair with the Chancellor failing to impress. In what many people are calling Mr Brown's last Budget speech, changes to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) and stamp duty thresholds and a lack of NHS funding disappointed many and will probably make little difference in the long run. Despite increasing the IHT threshold from £275,000 to £325,000 over the next four years, Mr Brown's gesture has impressed few commentators. If the rapid rise in house prices over the last few years are anything to go by, in four years the IHT alteration is unlikely to make ...