Rubbing It In.

George Osborne is to announce that everyone is to receive a personalised statement on what their tax has been spent on.

Why? What good can it do. Are you going to feel happy with how much tax you are paying if you see a breakdown of it's division. Will you feel happier that the money you have to spend each month seems to be getting smaller but it is ok because you know exactly how much has been sent abroad in aid? Will they be telling you how much of your income tax has been diverted to producing your personalised statement, because at a rough guess the postage cost alone runs to £11 million pounds.

I really cannot see the sense in this. Maybe they think if they show how little is spent on politicians we might stop getting at them over the expenses scandal. But in fact they aren't going to go into that much detail, just mention the big three or four divisions, NHS, benefits, you get the idea. You already get the breakdown of your council tax and where that is spent. Hands up all those who sit down and read through it, relishing the statistics that tell you what percentage goes on street cleaning, local policing, supporting libraries.

They do have a rationale behind this and it's the second time in two days I have heard it. You will receive the statement so that you can "engage" with your personal taxation. Yesterday you found out where the Olympic torch would be to give every one the chance to "engage" with the Olympic Games.

Funnily enough it isn't the first engagement I've had of a 20th March. In 1978 I got engaged to my future wife. It must be something in the air.