Shadow Secretary of State Vernon Coaker has said this week’s budget is bad news for Northern Ireland, and that one third of pensioners living in Northern Ireland stand to lose out financially. Mr Coaker claims that the budget will see pensioners lose an average of £83, “The Granny Tax raid on Northern Ireland will affect one in three pensioners who live there. The budget is bad news for Northern Ireland, and will take money away from older people who will lose out because of the Tory tax on pensioners.”