Growing the economy

[David Johnson]

Obvously it's a difficult thing growing the economy.

Snow, like in December buggers the economy.

Hot weather like in spring buggers the economy, because people use less heating, presumably. I guess what we need is cool drizzle for a few years.

Bank holidays like for the Royal wedding buggers the economy. Wasn't it Cameron who insisted on an extra bank holiday? I thought it was going to do wonders for the economy. We would all book hotels in London, buy lots of bunting, have street parties, buy Union Jack suits etc etc.

The tsunami in Japan buggered the economy.

So in the last 9 months, the total economic growth is 0.2%. In the previous 9 months under the influence of Labour government measures it was 2.1%. And the Office of Budget Responsibility has already downgraded three times it's estimates of growth for the year.

So if this carries on, Osborne is buggered in terms of paying off the deficit.

The main thing though as Boy George pointed out, Blighty is a safe port in a storm.

That's alright then.

No need to panic.

Yet.

Icebergs to starboard Captain Cameron!

Cheers
D

[number 6]

Cue Jimslip,Lizard and the rest saying " ITS ALL LABOURS FAULT"..zzzzzz

[Lizard]

Life's sweet.

[tuf766]

more chance of growing a sunflower out of my hat

[Arginald Valleywater]

And your suggestions to turn the GLOBAL downturn around are???

[jimslip]

Arginald Valleywater wrote:

> And your suggestions to turn the GLOBAL downturn around are???

Errr I think you'll find the answer to the above is, "Bring back New Labour with a resounding victory and all will be well with the World. A new era of prosperity, happiness and plenty will unfold before your very eyes! People will drop to their knees and Give Thanks! Merchant Bankers will join hands with lowly hospital cleaners and dance a merry jig of joy for they know that the Tory has been banished to the wilderness together with his loathed, Tory Cuts. There will be no more CUTS only money a plenty, for one and all. Overnight there will be jobs for all, each job paying a minimum wage of ?20/ hour. Where there are no jobs to be had, New Labour will create them, as did Jesus in the parable of the Loaves and fishes, except it will be jobs and NOT fishes that are created from nothing. Jobs like, "Waste paperbin holder in chief" or "Professional Traffic Cone" will create millions of opportunities. Look to the East my brethren because truly I say to you, a new age is dawning, an age free from the dreaded Tory Cuts and an age of bliss that can only be NEW LABOUR!"

K S Smithson
New Labour Activist
Cell 563/ Block 7
Broadmoor Hospital
Crowthorne
Berkshire, RH45 7EG

[Lizard]

"as did Jesus in the parable of the Loaves and fishes,"

Does Jesus still work at the DOE?, I thought he's moved to the Department of Transport.

[David Johnson]

Welcome to your return to talking about things political. I knew it was only a question of time.

Does the deficit need to be cut? Of course, it does. The bottom line though is that in the last 9 months, the economy has flatlined. In the previous 9 months to that it grew 2.1%. There is no way that Osborne can meet his targets for reducing the deficit. In the 9 months in which the economy grew 2.1% the targets for reducing the deficit were being exceeded.

Why is the economy flatlining when countries like Germany, France, US are pretty much back to where they were prior to the crash?

1. Large scale job cuts in the public sector, one of the big sources of employment for private sector companies.
2. The government terrorising the population that we were on the verge of bankruptcy in May last year and there will be a lot of pain.
3. The public cutting back on expenditure and instead concentrating on paying off mortgages etc. because of 2.
4. Consumer spending tanking because of 3.
5. Consumer confidence being at its lowest ever rating based on 2.

What needs to happen.

1. Stop terrorising the population.
2. Realise that cutting too deep and too fast is not working.
3. Try a plan B with tax cuts e.g. VAT and capital projects to try and stimulate growth.
4. Realise that pretty much all the jobs being created under this government are casual jobs taken by non-UK workers, desperate for some income. The jobs created are so low paid that there is no incentive even for people living on a pittance of JSA and getting their rent paid etc to get off the dole because they would be worse off.
5. The government has had so many about turns on policy so far re. forests, school milk, the NHS plans etc etc, they may as well have an about turn on the economy given their current plans are tanking.

Cheers
D

[David Johnson]

I dont particularly care who tries plan B with the economy as long as someone does soon.

We are 15 months into the Tory government and Plan A is obviously not working.

Unless someone has the guts to introduce plan B, I suspect what will happen is

1. Osborne will continue to miss his targets for growth and reducing the deficit.
2. The Tory right wing will argue that the cuts haven't been deep enough therefore there has to be a lot more public sector job losses, NHS cuts, pension cuts etc etc, resulting in more lives ruined, people made homeless, operations cancelled etc etc.
3. Then we really will be heading towards Greece and Ireland territory.

Unless Jimbo, you have any bright ideas as an alternative?

Cheers
D