Do we know where our taxes go?

[cojak]

.Following on from the Clegg post, this is a shocking article

Don't know your debts from your deficits? You're not alone - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

According to the CPS research, only 10 per cent of Britons know that the Government's cuts package is projected to increase the national debt by around £600bn by 2015. Many more (47 per cent) assume – incorrectly – that the Government wants to reduce the debt by this amount.

So much for knowing why we are going through this pain...

[SimonMac]

So basically we are cutting to reduce additional borrowing rather than reduce what we owe in total?!

Whats hard to understand with that!

[ZARDOZ]

I remember seeing a nice bar chart graphic pre election, of Tory projected borrowing versus what Labour would borrow. The difference was minimal, both would increase the national debt by similar amounts. Except one party was publicising it as cuts while the other publicing it as investment.

[fullyautomatix]

Nobody said they would reduce spending and it would magically reduce overall debt. When was the last time any debt repayment was done. New Labour completely shafted us by increasing the public sector 10 fold and borrowing to service that. When Conservatives came in the net borrowing every month was around 15 billion. Its a long way to go to bring it down in such a way to start paying off the total debt.

[Doggy Styles]

.Following on from the Clegg post, this is a shocking article

Don't know your debts from your deficits? You're not alone - UK Politics - UK - The Independent


So much for knowing why we are going through this pain...

There are some on CUK who didn't know the difference between reducing debt and reducing the deficit.

Which led to some sneering that despite Coalition cuts, debt was still going up!

But since CUK comprises some of the finest minds on the planet, it is not surprising that the great unwashed out there don't understand it.

[ZARDOZ]

Nobody said they would reduce spending and it would magically reduce overall debt. When was the last time any debt repayment was done. New Labour completely shafted us by increasing the public sector 10 fold and borrowing to service that. When Conservatives came in the net borrowing every month was around 15 billion. Its a long way to go to bring it down in such a way to start paying off the total debt.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...me=false&gid=2

Sounds like you have fallen for the political line. Have a look at the figures.

Since 1979 I only see two years when the Tories were in surplus (88 89). 1990 was in surplus excluding financial intervention but net borrowing was in the red so we won't count that.

Labour were in surplus 98,99,00,01. Of course this doesnt include PPP debt, but both governments were/are fond of that.

[DodgyAgent]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...me=false&gid=2

Sounds like you have fallen for the political line. Have a look at the figures.

Since 1979 I only see two years when the Tories were in surplus (88 89). 1990 was in surplus excluding financial intervention but net borrowing was in the red so we won't count that.

Labour were in surplus 98,99,00,01. Of course this doesnt include PPP debt, but both governments were/are fond of that.

The years that labour were in surplus were due to the legacy left by the Tories

[minestrone]

The country is fecked, let's face it.

It could take 50 hard years to make a decent dent in the debt left when we do eventually get the deficit fixed and any progress could get wiped out by labour going off on one again.

[Robinho]

It depends how much we can get for the banks when we nationalise them.

In general we are ****ed though and it's sad to see really.

[BrilloPad]

Yep - we are fooked! Lets spend what cash we have left on one massive party then tell the foreigners to go whistle for it.