The United Bermuda Party believes the 2010 National Budget outlines the “road to ruin” for Bermuda.

Bob Richards gave the official Opposition reply to the Budget this morning.

He said he believed last week’s Budget reflected that the Government was “slow to act, given to spin, undisciplined, self-serving, hypocritical and careless with the people’s money”.

The 2010 Budget came in at $1.2 billion — a $100 million increase compared to 2009/2010. It cut spending on education and social rehabilitation while raising spending on tourism, transport and policing.

Mr. Richards said Government no longer had large revenues to fall back on, and was instead raising payroll tax and foreign currency tax.

“The cupboard, as they say, is bare,” he said. “But instead of changing their ways, instead of tightening their own belts, they are coming after the people to pay for their cars, their travel, their overseas consultants, their bloated budgets, their expense accounts and their cronies — to the tune of more than $100 million in new taxes.”

In particular Mr. Richards took aim at four parts of the Budget:

* “The Government is banking on a recovery taking place this year. We believe recovery this year is unlikely.

*Imposing tax increases at this time is the wrong thing to do. Not only does it penalise Bermudians for the Government’s mismanagement of the public purse, it could well suppress any nascent recovery.

* Government spending is out of control and shows no real signs of slowing down. Its lack of discipline, responsibility and control are the root causes of the mess we’re in.

* It is wrong for the Government to foist its spiralling debt on our children and grandchildren.”

To see what the United Bermuda Party would do to improve the Budget read tomorrow’s Royal Gazette.