Recession? Now?

[Bagpuss]

That’s the point. If people can be persuaded to expect a recovery, then there’ll be a recovery. That’s why chef’s gran’s remedy-for-everything of a nice cup of tea is such a good analogy for what’s needed in the economy; something to feel good about, instead of looking at the stock market indices every day (which I’ve never done anyway as I find it almost as interesting as watching bowls.)

The media exacerbate the problem, then work colleagues get laid off, etc, and it's hard not to become pessimistic. Hopefully Gordon will do something other than increase benefits. It has to go into the hands of those with a high propensity to spend. Some of those should at least be working people.

[expat]

It is a bit of a bummer really; we all know that economies are cyclical, but this recession doesn’t look to me like a cyclical recession, more the result of economic vandalism and incompetence on the part of banks.

Maybe the real recession of 2011 is still to come?

[Mich the Tester]

Maybe the real recession of 2011 is still to come?

Stop it, you're scaring peopel even more!

[ace00]

It's OK - I just paid my corporation tax bill - should keep the UK in tax credits / council houses for a bit.

[Doggy Styles]

...this recession doesn’t look to me like a cyclical recession, more the result of economic vandalism and incompetence on the part of banks. For most of Europe it’s an early recession, not a cyclical one. Here in the Netherlands and in many other European countries, we don’t have a massive house price bubble, huge levels of personal debt or huge government deficits, but we’ve been driven into this mess by the wide boys in Wall Street and the City.

I'm disappointed that you've let Gordon Brown off the hook.

Did you know that, until Brown snatched monitoring and regulation of banks away from the Bank of England in the early 2000s, borrowing and saving with UK banks was balanced. Now, after a few years of supposedly doing the job himself, there's a 700 billion imbalance.

You're right though, it won't be a normal recession. Brown has seen to that.

[BrilloPad]

I'm a bit disgusted with the timimg of this recession. They normally start just after the turn of the decade. I'm not ready yet.

I expect it will finish at the right time though.

[Stan.goodvibes]

I'm a bit disgusted with the timimg of this recession. They normally start just after the turn of the decade. I'm not ready yet.

Yeah my plan of leaping over to the Uk to coin it during the traditional end-of-decade boom has gone to custard.

Bankers! Grrrrrr. What a bunch of twonks!

[bobhope]

I'm disappointed that you've let Gordon Brown off the hook.

Did you know that, until Brown snatched monitoring and regulation of banks away from the Bank of England in the early 2000s, borrowing and saving with UK banks was balanced. Now, after a few years of supposedly doing the job himself, there's a 700 billion imbalance.

You're right though, it won't be a normal recession. Brown has seen to that.

I still don't believe the GB's approval rating by the public has gone up.

Have they forgotten who was chancellor for 10 years?

[BrilloPad]

I still don't believe the GB's approval rating by the public has gone up.

Have they forgotten who was chancellor for 10 years?

Most A/B vote tory - most D/E vote Labour. Its the C1/C2 who decide the election ("Essex Mondeo Man"). Theses sorts will only bother which bird has her n**ks out on page 3. They will know which way to vote when the sun tells them how.

GB is seen as the man for a crisis - and in some ways the proles have a point as whoever gets in next time it will not make much difference.