The ARMANDO LAGRANDE Column

About 30 people were known to have been watching what was being relayed on the Parliamentary website. That is, about 30 people in any one session.
Nothing earth shattering, if you ask me! As the mud-slinging prevails, there is a lot of important and interesting political stuff that comes across, but who can put up with so much for so long, when what really matters for the average person is what goes up, because never does anything come down.
AS NOTHING HAPPENED?
This year the budget measures were presented in such a way that for most people, nothing has happened by way of increases, except perhaps for the electrifying news. But a government must derive money from one source or another, and with electricity it can be argued that if you want to pay less, you should use it less.
Then there was a small increase in tax for the business sector, which really was nothing to stir anything up in a big way.
And of course, there may be other factors that may have escaped the average person, out in the mid-day sun.
WHAT HAVE BUDGETS IN THE HOT WEATHER?
I don't know why, but there must be some hidden reason why budgets are held in the long hot summer, when what matters most is the beach and what have you.
In winter, most people would be at home and anything would probably grasp one's attention, don't you think?
So, there they were in the heat of it all, bothered by their debates and by the climate, certainly few people would put up with such verbosity when out on the beach.
Of course, this does not detract from the importance of the occasion, in fact it's the most important thing that happens in political terms in any one year, but not everyone is a politician. Not even the female politician who said in the House that she is against politicians presumably that means that she is against herself!
Well, well, well. So there you are, in the heat of the summer everything is possible, even a budget that on the face of it is nothing to write home about. But the talking was endless and the interest was almost a non-starter.
As I've said, nothing should detract from the importance of such an event, the Budget! But watching it on television on a hot summer's day in particular is not many people' cup of tea.

27-07-21 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR