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So as we know our Tory led government's whole focus is getting the deficit down by reducing net borrowing. That's why they have planned to give hundreds of thousands of public sector workers the heave ho and why your gran's benefits might be less. And that's why they have spent the last year terrorising the population with stories that there are no alternative to all the cuts. "We are like Greece " etc etc. "We are maxed out on the corporate credit card".

So a year into their plan and alas, the April borrowing figures have been announced and they are the worst figures for April ever announced. Most economists were expecting a net borrowing requirement (tax receipts - government spending) of about 6.5 billion.

The borrowing requirement was 10 billion due to a slump in tax receipts.

But hey the Lib Dems said before the election that this is what would happen if you go too fast and too deep with the cuts. Confidence would slump. Growth would slump and the borrowing requirement would get worse rather than better as tax receipts fell.

Mmm. Can I hear some Osborne and Cameron cliches around the corner of "We always anticipated choppy waters" And "a disappointing figure, but we have measures in place to.. blah blah"

Time for a change of policy, possibly?

Cheers
D

I think plans A through to Z probably wouldn't work. The UK is, !flush! Anyway here are some facts and figures for the good folk of BGAFD to number crunch over breakfast.

Thanks for the link, Jimbo.

Good stuff.

If you look at the graph, UK Debt as % of GDP you will note that the figure for UK debt as a % of GDP in 2007 was less than that in most years of the Tory governments between 1979 and 1997.

There are some on this forum that have been arguing that it was all Labour's fault and that the government pissed away the money we didnt have. Setting aside the effects of the global recession that hit in 2007/8 onwards, that criticism looks to be more aptly made of the Tories.

Cheers
D

Jimbo Slip - please do not worry yourself about the National Debt. Go
off instead and lay some young cuties for us !!
No one worries about the National Debt too much in any country. If you
accept that Britain overall remains one of the 20 most influential, powerful
and - sorry to say this Jimbo - but successful economies in the World, and
that the USA tops the list, then bear in mind that all-so-powerful USA has
a National Debt of just under 15 TRILLION dollars !!!! For over half a
century a National Debt clock in Times Square racks up the debt by the
second, but it does not stop USA from being an economic powerhouse.
Britain remains a highly successful country, all things considered, and
helped by cheap labour from eastern Europe, so stop knocking the
Nation and help the economy by producing more first-class Brit porn !!!

Agree Frank.

In terrorising the population by saying the country is in a complete mess in order to justify their attack on public services, the government will end up with a self-fulfilling prophesy as families decide to cut right back on spending, pay off their mortgages as fast as they can etc etc.

Cheers
D

Dear me, ordinary people paying down debt and refusing to borrow money to buy things they don't need imported from China? That would be terrible.

"Dear me, ordinary people paying down debt and refusing to borrow money to buy things they don't need imported from China? That would be terrible."

It would be terrible if you and hundreds of thousands of people like you lost your jobs because of it.

Like it or not, by far the biggest part of the UK economy is service based. Much of the service industry success or failure is based on confidence. Smash that confidence which is what the Tories have done and the economy tanks.

Cheers
D

David, your'e like a programmed robot, why don't you just say that, all Tories are cunt's and incapable of doing anything. Only Nu-Labour can get us out of this mess, only Ed can save the planet, just like that dour cunt before him didn't.

"David, your'e like a programmed robot, why don't you just say that, all Tories are cunt's and incapable of doing anything. Only Nu-Labour can get us out of this mess, only Ed can save the planet, just like that dour cunt before him didn't."

In short, I clearly disagree with your views. If that makes me a programmed robot that's something I will just have to cope with. !wink!.

I believe that the Labour view i.e. cuts that are not so deep and quick is more likely to succeed with the economy than the Tory plan which appears to be tanking the economy one year in. The Lib Dems also agreed with the Labour plan before the election.

Did Labour make mistakes? Yes as I have frequently said. Are they a better option than the Tories? Yes, in my view.

I disagree with you, Lizard. Less insults Liz, more evidence of brainpower might be a good idea. After all, isn't your site, the home of creative minds? Or does that just mean creative in terms of insults?

Cheers
D

Jeeez, It's not like I called you a cunt or anything, anyway, I profoundly disagree, I am of the opinion that all politician's are basically the same. I don't see how life under the Labour party would be any different, there would still have to be cuts, maybe at a slower rate, but the economy would still be crap, the NHS would still have problem (it always has and will continue to), the transport system is fucking rubbish, Nationalise it, along with the utilities, this is the system I would prefer, contarary to what you may think, I have never been a fan of privatisation, I don't believe it can be regulated sucessfully. There has been a narrowing of the objectives of all parties over the last 15yrs, they all want the centre ground, therefore a co-alition is probably about right. In truth they are all the same, big business and European judges rule.