The Budget

[Arginald Valleywater]

With regard to pensions my bank manager and IFA friends are now advising to pay off your mortgage, cut pension contributions and have as much hard cash in the bank as possible. Max out your ISAs and if you can take control of your own money. Personally I'm looking for a rich widow with a dodgy ticker!

[David Johnson]

"It would be very difficult, even for Labour to turn that surplus into a deficit in just 2 years,"

This is obviously wrong. John Major took the deficit from ?3 billion in 1990 to ?50 billion in 1993.

"but I'm glad you agree that to achieve that surplus they had to act like Conservatives. "

This is obviously wrong. If they had "acted like the Conservatives" they would have slashed welfare payments, attacked disabled rights and helped to underwrite the rich as they bought ?600K houses..

"If it makes you happy splitting hairs over an 18 month period before Labour started spending like money was going out of fashion"

This is obviously wrong. The Labour government never spent money like it was going out of fashion. To repeat yet again, 1991- 96 6 years in all under John Major. The total public deficit for those years was about ?224 bn. If you then compare that with 2002-2007 - 6 years in all. The total public deficit for those years was about ?203 billion.

So if Labour "spent money as if it was going out of fashion" you are going to have to make up some crass clich? about describing John Major's spending. Howsabout "like an alcoholic with a free pass to a brewery?"


"and the point you still don't get is under Major they had a bad recesssion (regardless of whose fault it was) the debt went up but they got it down again."

So what you really mean is that John Major "crashed the economy?" Can't remember there being a GLOBAL BANKING RECESSION during Major's government can you? Must have been a result of Tory economic mismanagement. By 1993, the Tories had been in power for the last 14 years. Presumably, being a Tory boy, you would blame Major's recession on Clem Attlee's Labour government of 1945-51. !wink!

[David Johnson]

"Oh so now you're switching from debt ratio to debt in cash terms ? You seem very desperate to argue come what may"

Wrong yet again. The graph that I initially put up before you responded to my post showed the deficit/surplus in cash terms. It was YOU who then switched to debt ratio.

"Any sane person can see that the Tories are able to reduce our debt and Labour are incapable of reducing it."

Ah, the "you don't agree with me so you are insane" argument. Usually introduced by people who are getting a pasting in a discussion. The data over the last 25 years does not back your view.

"I sincerely hope that the Tory/Lib coalition get in again for another 5 years and I'd be even happier if you drew your last breath under that government )"

Ah yes, the "you don't agree with me so I hope you die" argument. Says it all really!

[Cuntybollocks]

Ah, the "you don't agree with me so you are insane" argument.

But you said earlier in this thread.....

"you are in cloud cuckoo land"

Do make up your mind David old bean. !laugh!

[David Johnson]

Cloud cuckoo land - A state of absurdly over-optimistic fantasy

Unhinged - deranged, insane

They mean different things, dear, old Cunty.

However, I am delighted to see that you are hanging on my every word.............you must be learning loads!

!laugh!

[Cuntybollocks]

Lol!!

I am enjoying the fact that you are farting against thunder.

Leopardhunter clearly winning this argument. !laugh!

[David Johnson]

Dear old Cunty. so transparent. Like reading an open book.

!wink!

[Cuntybollocks]

No need for content free insults.

As you have said yourself in the past!!.lol.

You do insist on dropping yourself in it tonight don't you?

!laugh! !laugh! !laugh!