Less than three months after Chancellor George Osborne presented his Budget to Parliament, we’ve seen u-turn after u-turn.

Policies that were defended to the hilt have been dumped. From the pasty tax, to the caravan tax to the charity tax, the government has been forced to climb down.

All of these u-turns have been announced when Parliament is in recess to avoid scrutiny and to take attention away from other government woes.

It just shows what a mess the government is in. No sooner do we have an ill thought out announcement than we have a hasty retreat.

These individual measures are important, but it doesn’t alter the need for the government to think again about the lack of growth and jobs in the economy.

There is also no sign of a retreat over the tax cut in the budget for millionaires, while pensioners and familieshave been askedtocontributemore.

These u-turns areto bewelcomed, but they don’t change the need for a new course altogether from this shambolic government.

This article was originally published by The Sunderland Echo on 13th June 2012: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/lifestyle/columnists/bridget-phillipson-u-turn-after-u-turn-1-4618940