Question Time

sidicks

Deliberately inverting the phrase or just a simple misunderstanding??


Hissy fit?!  I think you need to look elsewhere for that...

As I've outlined, use of the 'he' to follow the content of the previous posts was highly ambiguous (at best).  But we know that the principle of the lefty is that "it's always something else's fault", so I guess I should not be surprised at your attitude.  

Anyway, moving on back to this "austerity" where the government (taxpayer) injects an extra £120bn into the economy every year...

la gran siete

Carers' week, and half a million people lose their DLA today. Carers' Week, and Carers' Allowance is less than Job Seekers' Allowance. Carers Week, and no support in place for carers' who are unwell. Carers' Week, and carers have to apply for charity to get respite. When are Governments going to stop mouthing platitudinous praise at carers, and start giving them some real support, and some real opportunities.

sidicks

Given that even Labour are now acknowledging that they couldn't reverse the cuts (and might need to make additional ones), where is the money going to come from?

Sonic67

And? Labour said they would cut but that they would cut slower. Not that cuts were not required. Gordon Brown stuck to Kenneth Clarke's plans, built up a surplus of cash then started blowing it all and trying to hide it, until they ran out leaving us where we are now. The way things are going though Labour may be inheriting their own deficit again. What goes round...

karkus30

Loss of jobs - there isn't a trend, other than that of a flat lining economy. Some months up, some months down.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/may-2013/sty-employment.html

Loss of homes - repossessions have fallen since last year. Monetary expansion ( inflation ) has kept interest rates very low. In any economic downturn there are casualties. However, the fact that we are seeing less casualties should tell you that 'austerity' must be working ( even though I strongly suggest there is no Austerity and figures back that up ).
http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/3516

Drop in wages - in real wages yes. That is the result of price rises related to monetary expansion. The more money pumped in the greater the cost of importing. Again, this is unrelated to Austerity and most people would consider this is the result of QE and Government borrowing. We should also remember the warmist supported green energy tax which hits the poorest hardest for both energy and fuel costs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/23/unemployment-rate-fell

Cuts in benefits only really started in April. While they are trumpeted as some massive change, in reality they are almost insignificant and we will have to wait to see what the effects are. Meanwhile they are balanced by taking many low paid out of tax altogether. You are no doubt aware that Labour have openly said they will not reverse any of these changes ?

Food distribution centres show how charity is just as effective as state handouts. There seems to be a real problem dividing government granted benefits which are in themselves a charity, from everyday charities. Why is it any more of a problem to go to a food bank than it is to pick up a Giro and spend it in Aldi ? Charity isn't supposed to be a way of earning a living. Again, price of food, fuel and energy has risen as a result of spending and green taxes and is nothing to do with so called Austerity measures.

Shops closing - not a result of Austerity. Its the result of market conditions, partly due to the Internet and partly due to bad investment created by the boom times of cheap credit. The only connection with the Government is with the previous one who encouraged cheap money by allowing banks to pyramid billions of pounds worth of loans onto very low real deposits.

If you mean by Austerity, that people are seeing a fall in living standards then I would agree, but it has to be seen in the light of the previous unsustainable credit bubble and a subsequent global down turn. The final piece of the puzzle is QE and increased public spending. An economic policy designed to stabilise the collapse but not to allow it to run its course. We either have a slow unwinding in which people gradually see their wages eaten away, or a faster one in which the unwinding is shorter but far more painful. As we might baulk at very harsh measures and sack the Government, it appears that the former is considered a better option.

karkus30

Thats fair enough. No one says that it has to be supplied by the state if charities can provide. The problem with you is that you see private charity as worse than state charity.

sidicks

Labour now suggesting that they would be cap pensions as part of necessary welfare savings....

Awaiting LGS's comments with interest.....

karkus30

Its turning into a year of revelations. Labour now admitting it will cut further and faster than the ConLibs. George will have to get on the ball to talk about real cuts, before Ed steals the show with Labours austerity plans and blows up the entire PR illusion of Conservatives as the party of cuts.

Then we have Tim Yeo finally caught with his trousers down and an exposé of how Governments are draining everybody's personal data. Obama finally gets his secret state fingers caught in the Internet 'cookie' jar. Marvellous stuff.

la gran siete

Given as the Labour party has chosen to betray the labour movement pretty much as it did under Ramsay Macdonald now may be a time to join a new political movement which has its main purpose the destruction of the notion that this country needs austerity .It needs it like a hole a in the head.Welcome the Peoples assembly THE PEOPLES ASSEMBLY a coalition of like minded people who see that austerity is but wicked lie forced on the British people by duplicitous politicians who have as their goal the destruction of the welfare state and tax funded health care.The Labour leadership will have to face a new reality thats is there will be new genuine movement on the left determined to smash the lie once and for all

On  a lighter note ai had to laugh at this piece by Mark Steel , so very true

Miliband makes his play: do everything the same - Comment - Voices - The Independent

sidicks

Or maybe Labour finally understand that money doesn't in fact grown on trees!

Interesting who the key supporters of "The People's Assembly" are: predominantly Union entities that fear the state gravy train might be coming to an end.  Of course if those same unions were willing to negotiate sensible pensions deals to reduce the huge cost of the final salary schemes then maybe there would be more scope to protect public sector jobs.

As it is, like most socialists they are clearly out for themselves, not for the good of the country.  The only good thing that might happen is that these jokers might take some votes away from Labour, as no doubt some financially illiterate Labour supporters will defect!


LGS - where does the money come from??
???????