Surplus to requirements?

As news of a Treasury surplus does the rounds this week, what does that mean for us little people?

Being someone who winces every time I see the amount of tax and national insurance that is sucked out of my monthly wages, news of a Treasury surplus for January is no real comfort to me.

So what?

How does it affect my life in a positive way exactly? Answer - it doesn't.

Fuel is still a rip off, the cost of living is ridiculous and VAT is 20 per cent.

There is bound to be a surplus because January is the deadline for tax returns and when tax payments for the first six months of the year are paid up - it is the time of the extremely irritating 'Tax doesn't have to be Taxing' series of Inland Reveue adverts that make me want to put my fist through the TV screen.

Considering the Inland Revenue can't actually get it right that I have been in full time employment for the past 13.5 years - I wouldn't be so sure there really is a surplus in the first place.

Cynical? Me?