[Archived] Quality Of Life In Britain Is The Best It Has Ever Been

[Billy Castell]

And why do we need all these cuts Jim? Oh yes, because Labour peed all the money up the wall, whilst letting the economy become too dependent on spivs and sharks in the city.

[Sandiway Blue]

Osborne's cuts to hit the poor hardest, particularly in the north.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a8d8edc8-7c8d-11df-8b74-00144feabdc0.html

For sombody who champions `the working class of the north` you appear to have lost sight of the fact that the majority of brfcs users are working class people and therefore don`t subscribe to the F.T thus rendering us unable to view the article without registering...

[jim mk2]

The ConDem government today announced it is to sell off the High-Speed rail link between St Pancras and the Chunnel, giving the clearest indication yet that the coalition will flog off every public asset that's worth a few quid in the time-honoured Tory tradition of Thatcher. This is the last remaining remaining publicly-owned fragment of the railway network and will now fall into the the hands of the profit-driven vultures from the private sector. The Con-Dems insist they are committed to building HS2 between London and Scotland, again using public money. It makes no sense to have a private company charging extra for high-speed travel south of London while a public company runs high-speed travel north of London. With special thanks to the inimitable Bob Crow.

[Billy Castell]

Thing is Jim, how would you solve the debt problem that Labour created? I'm no fan of the Tories and mass privatisation at all, but we're really in the ____, thanks to the Tory reserve team that had ran the shop for the last 13 years. Oh yeah, you never mention solutions to problems do you?

You seem the type who'd vote for a grapefruit if it stood for Labour. That loyalty is blinding you to the fact that Labour have become crap Tories since the Earl of Baghdad was leader, and they couldn't give a crap about t' north until election time. You think Peter Mandelson worried about life in Hartlepool at all?

[thenodrog]

You think Peter Mandelson worried about life in Hartlepool at all?

But the people of Hartlepool are starving they have no bread sir .....

'Well let them eat guacamole then'!

[jim mk2]

Thing is Jim, how would you solve the debt problem that Labour created? I'm no fan of the Tories and mass privatisation at all, but we're really in the ____, thanks to the Tory reserve team that had ran the shop for the last 13 years. Oh yeah, you never mention solutions to problems do you?

Read my earlier posts. If the ConDem govt did nothing and the present subdued rate of economic growth continued, the deficit would be halved in 4 years anyway. No threat to the economic recovery because of spurious cuts, no job losses, no cuts in public services, no tax rises. If the pace of economic growth picked up, the deficit would come down even quicker. These cuts and tax rises to be announced to be Osborne today are unnecessary, ideologically driven and were planned by the Tories in advance of the election as something they would do anyway regardless of the state of the economy. Alan B'stards the lot of them.

[Steve Moss]

. . . the deficit would be halved in 4 years anyway. . . .

This comment recalls a problem that I have with our American politicians. They always talk about reducing the deficit, instead of eliminating it and paying off the debt. It's akin to saying and "I'll spend future generations into poverty at a slower rate than the opposition!" It doesn't really impress me. Balance the budget and pay off the debt. Anything else is a band aid applied to stop a gushing artery.

[jim mk2]

This comment recalls a problem that I have with our American politicians. They always talk about reducing the deficit, instead of eliminating it and paying off the debt. It's akin to saying and "I'll spend future generations into poverty at a slower rate than the opposition!" It doesn't really impress me. Balance the budget and pay off the debt. Anything else is a band aid applied to stop a gushing artery.

Government, companies and individuals all borrow to invest. Ever heard of mortgages ? The government debt is like a long term mortgage except in Britain's case it will be paid off far earlier than the average mortgage because of rising economic growth and increasing tax receipts. If all governments had taken your view over debt the human race would still be still in the dark ages.

[broadsword]

The ConDem government today announced it is to sell off the High-Speed rail link between St Pancras and the Chunnel, giving the clearest indication yet that the coalition will flog off every public asset that's worth a few quid in the time-honoured Tory tradition of Thatcher. This is the last remaining remaining publicly-owned fragment of the railway network and will now fall into the the hands of the profit-driven vultures from the private sector. The Con-Dems insist they are committed to building HS2 between London and Scotland, again using public money. It makes no sense to have a private company charging extra for high-speed travel south of London while a public company runs high-speed travel north of London. With special thanks to the inimitable Bob Crow.

Gordon Brown tried to flog off the Dartford Crossing amongst others in a desperate attempt to put some money back into teh public purse. Was this in the time-honoured tradition of thatcher too?

And while I'm at it, how about PFI (a Tory idea), NATS, the Tote, DERA and the plans to privatise Royal Mail?

Oh, aand look what I found here ... "Brown Confirms Dartford Crossing and HS1 For Sale"

http://www.tfi-news.com/brown-confirms-dartford-crossing-and-hs1-for-sale/

Was that in the time-honoured tradition of Thatcher too?

[jim mk2]

Dunno. Ask Bob Crow.

[broadsword]

I think the only thing Bob Crow would understand would be a right hard thump. 'orrible man.

In any case, not especially germane to the point. I think you have a problem with admitting that the Labour party don't always get it right.

[jim mk2]

In any case, not especially germane to the point. I think you have a problem with admitting that the Labour party don't always get it right.

Not true. I've said a few times that they didn't spend enough during their 13 years in power and they failed to repeal Thatcher's anti-trade union laws.

[BiggusLaddus]

Not true. I've said a few times that they didn't spend enough during their 13 years in power and they failed to repeal Thatcher's anti-trade union laws.

The mind boggles. How big would you like our sovereign debt to be? £2tr, £3tr?

[JAL]

Not true. I've said a few times that they didn't spend enough during their 13 years in power and they failed to repeal Thatcher's anti-trade union laws.

Come on Jim mk2, wake up, smell the coffee, your people were 'Thatcherites in disguise'.

There was never any intention to repeal the anti trade union laws, just keep ther working man down by bringing in mass immigration and keep their pay down.

New labour = the sons and daughters of old Tories

[Tris]

Dunno. Ask Bob Crow.

And in just four words, it was over.

[Tris]

gullible Tory voting scum

Please don't try to defend Adams or McGuinness or any of the other IRA scum or I'll go into full rant mode.

Proof of a limited vocabulary ... or political ignorance ... or just rant-mode induced confusion??

[Grabbi Graeme]

Dunno. Ask Bob Crow.

Being a member of Bob Crow's union the RMT, I can say what a complete ###### he is, me and my fellow members have lost a lot of money through strikes that have not been succesfull, he has cost me a lot in lost earnings where I have seen no reward.

Although this is nothing new I remember in British Rail days with Jimmy Knapp, we would strike for 3 days then the NUR would agree a 1 and 1/2% rise in pay which never covered what you lost through the strike.

[Billy Castell]

Read my earlier posts. If the ConDem govt did nothing and the present subdued rate of economic growth continued, the deficit would be halved in 4 years anyway. No threat to the economic recovery because of spurious cuts, no job losses, no cuts in public services, no tax rises. If the pace of economic growth picked up, the deficit would come down even quicker. These cuts and tax rises to be announced to be Osborne today are unnecessary, ideologically driven and were planned by the Tories in advance of the election as something they would do anyway regardless of the state of the economy. Alan B'stards the lot of them.

Problem is Jim, there is/was a lot of assumption about how the future will pan out, and Mr. Darling was often overly optimistic about growth etc. Whilst I am ot sure that savage cuts now are the way to go right now, I'd prefer what money there is to be spent more wisely than Labour have done over their time in power. The NHS spends a lot more on management, filling in forms, target setting wtc., whilst their love of PFI has meant companies like Sodexo (who are crap to work for by the way) are making a killing at tax payers expense.

One thing that needs to be done is to sack 90% of the staff in jobcentreplus and to just sort out the whole unemployment system. It seems to be a never ending maze of unhelpful people, rules that exclude those who are seeking jobs, and inefficiency. From my experiences, it is all so convoluted and poorly run that those who seek jobs are penalised, yet those who 'play the game' find it easier to get some money for fags and Sky TV.

[jim mk2]

And in just four words, it was over.

And some fell on stony ground .....

Moving on, those who voted Tory might want to reflect on the words of their leader who said in an interview with Sky on April 1: "Our plans don't involve an increase in VAT". Cameron repeated the mantra in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr just a month ago, after the election, when he said a VAT rise was "not something we plan to do". On April 8, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg announced to much fanfare including a poster campaign warning of a VAT rise under a Tory government: "We will not have to raise VAT to deliver our promises...Let me repeat that: Our plans do not require a rise in VAT".Fast-forward to today and Clegg is deputy prime minister and Tory lapdog in a Con-Dem coalition that has just announced a rise in VAT to 20% that will hit the poor hardest.

Make no mistake, this was not an emergency Budget but a purely optional and ideologically driven right-wing exercise in reducing the size of the state that will reduce growth (on Osborne's own admission), increase the risk of another recession, increase unemployment, and hit those who can least afford it worst. Inevitably it will the north that will take the brunt of those cuts while public sector workers are entitled to ask why they are having to pay for the excesses of the private sector with job cuts and pay freezes. There is nothing fair about this Budget, but then there is nothing fair about Tory ideology either.

[broadsword]

How much do you think a rise in VAT to 20% will hurt people's pockets then?

And could you please go through the sums that show that at the current rate of growth, the deficit will be halved in four years?

[jim mk2]

How much do you think a rise in VAT to 20% will hurt people's pockets then?

And could you please go through the sums that show that at the current rate of growth, the deficit will be halved in four years?

The information is widely available if you look.

And another thing: Osborne could easily have avoided an increase in VAT if he had increased CGT to the 50 per cent income tax highest rate, and / or chosen not to reduce corporation tax to 24% over 4 years, which would be the lowest headline rate ever, lowest in the G7 and fifth lowest in G20. The truth = tax on profits of big companies bad. Tax on assets of wealthy bad. Tax on poor – who spend more of their incomes proportionately on goods and services – good.

Welcome to Tory Britain.

[adopted scouser]

How much do you think a rise in VAT to 20% will hurt people's pockets then?

And could you please go through the sums that show that at the current rate of growth, the deficit will be halved in four years?

It won't Bryan. Remember that massive boost we all got when Broon lowered it to 15% ? Think I'll buy the DVD player now it's 93p cheaper, what a joke. They've left out food and kid's clothes anyway.

Funny watching Jim swim upstream, let it go Fred.

[broadsword]

The information is widely available if you look.

Well I'm asking you.

It won't Bryan. Remember that massive boost we all got when Broon lowered it to 15% ? Think I'll buy the DVD player now it's 93p cheaper, what a joke. They've left out food and kid's clothes anyway.

Funny watching Jim swim upstream, let it go Fred.

Exactly, a 2.5% change in VAT does not materially affect demand because it doesn't lead to a change in price that's of practical significence to most people.

[jim mk2]

Think I'll buy the DVD player now it's 93p cheaper, what a joke.

93p may not be much to you but every penny counts to alot of people.

[den]

It won't Bryan. Remember that massive boost we all got when Broon lowered it to 15% ? Think I'll buy the DVD player now it's 93p cheaper, what a joke. They've left out food and kid's clothes anyway.

A conservative supporter backing a PM that lied about raising taxes, and a conservative supporter that sees no problem with higher taxes A.S?

That wouldn't be political double standards and bias I see there - would it?