Budget 2025: ‘It would be terrible if pensioners had to pay tax’

“I’m not really perhaps the right one to ask because I’m 85 on Saturday and I’ve never voted once in my life.”

Barbara Merrick may not be interested in elections, but she’s got plenty to say about how those who are elected should be running the country.

“The Conservatives blame Labour, Labour blame the Conservatives – they’re like a load of children,” explained Ms Merrick.

She was among a number of people at Cheddar Country Market in Somerset wanting to talk ahead of the Budget on 26 November.

In a speech in early November Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she would make the “necessary choices” for the economy to bring down NHS waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living.

She’s no longer expected to raise income tax rates in the Budget but could still decide to raise money by freezing the thresholds at which income tax rates are introduced and other taxes could also be increased.

Another market customer, Lynne Hamlyn, was concerned more people receiving the state pension could end up paying income tax.

“I think that would be terrible,” she said.