The coalition are doing a great job on growth.

[doodab]

I reckon red tape creates jobs and increases market efficiency to some extent as it provides an incentive for companies to stay small, specialise at what they are good at and outsource other stuff.

[TimberWolf]

We're still pursuing the economics of the past 10 years, Gordonomics.

[VectraMan]

Personally I'm of the opinion that global macroeconomics is more akin to the weather. One can forecast it to some extent but only crackpots and charlatans claim to have power over it.

WHS. But we can still judge the politicians on how they handle the inevitable ups and downs. Imagine if Britain had got to the credit crunch with little or no public debt. The government could have comfortably bailed out the banks, and increased public spending on infrastructure without it being that big a deal. I think Gordon Brown didn't do too bad a job at handling the crisis; it was the years before that where he did the damage, and Osbourne and Co's hands are so tied they're following the only path they possibly can.

[TimberWolf]

WHS. But we can still judge the politicians on how they handle the inevitable ups and downs. Imagine if Britain had got to the credit crunch with little or no public debt. The government could have comfortably bailed out the banks, and increased public spending on infrastructure without it being that big a deal. I think Gordon Brown didn't do too bad a job at handling the crisis; it was the years before that where he did the damage, and Osbourne and Co's hands are so tied they're following the only path they possibly can.

Except they've stepped harder on the accelerator...

[Platypus]

Considering the horrible economic circumstances Brown's government was one of the wisest in UK recent history.

Sheesh.