Reply to: All hands on deck

[PM-Junkie]

On the contrary, they both do. But they both know it would be electoral suicide, so mum's the word for now.

And what, pray tell, has lead you to the stunning conclusion that either of them have the faintest idea what they are doing??

[Doggy Styles]

Anyone who thinks either GB or DC has a way out of this mess is misguided.

On the contrary, they both do. But they both know it would be electoral suicide, so mum's the word for now.

[SantaClaus]

Idiots did not take into account that fall of pound would cut demand for gilts so they can't borrow now. 3-4 months of this tulip and I think pound will drop below euro

I hope so. I'm currently long EURGBP

[BrilloPad]

...I'd be inclined to use a word stronger than "misguided"!

I was trying to do understatement for a change. Not very good at it am I.....

[PM-Junkie]

...I'd be inclined to use a word stronger than "misguided"!

[BrilloPad]

they didnt force numpties into getting into stupid ammount debt did they?
I vote labour but until recently was condiering not voting for them for the fiorst time since i began voting but i have been impressed by GB in recent months so i will be voting for them again, and i dont consider myself thick, although i am sure alot of you will disagree

Anyone who thinks either GB or DC has a way out of this mess is misguided.

[dinker]

they didnt force numpties into getting into stupid ammount debt did they?
I vote labour but until recently was condiering not voting for them for the fiorst time since i began voting but i have been impressed by GB in recent months so i will be voting for them again, and i dont consider myself thick, although i am sure alot of you will disagree

Obviously too thick to spell properly.

[gingerjedi]

You think Eton doesn't use protacabins?

& Millfield doesn't actually pay for the local 'council' sports centre?

Hmm, interesting set of prejudices there.

I know of one public school who own a very large park which all the various local state schools use for sports, but they cannot, because they aren't invited to the meetings where the bookings for its use are made.

If I were to take an educated guess I would guess that Eton do not use portacabins as classrooms.

As for Millfield they have no need to ship their students by bus to the local council run sports centre.

Don't make out that private schools are lacking facilities just like state schools, they are not. If they were the privileged wouldn't pay to use them.

The people that run the public school you speak of can't be very bright can they.

[Purple Dalek]

I don't know why people bother spending vast amounts of money on private education for their kids, Eton should make do with portacabins and Millfield can use the local council sports centre.

You think Eton doesn't use protacabins?

& Millfield doesn't actually pay for the local 'council' sports centre?

Hmm, interesting set of prejudices there.

I know of one public school who own a very large park which all the various local state schools use for sports, but they cannot, because they aren't invited to the meetings where the bookings for its use are made.

[Gonzo]

I was replying to his quote:



Of course I assumed he was referring to the 70s Labour government (as indeed other posts have). But if not, he's clearly barking (and btw I don't believe he is) as the Tories were in power prior to this Nu Labour lot. Unless I'm completely missing the argument here (and I admit that's also a possibility).

You are right to look at the 1970's as a whole, you cannot look at the second half (Labour Government) in complete isolation from what went on during the Conservative Government first part.

It is meaningless to take a discrete period of 30 years starting in 1978 - things were not hunky-dory in 1977.

[Cyberman]

I don't know why people bother spending vast amounts of money on private education for their kids, Eton should make do with portacabins and Millfield can use the local council sports centre.

My point is that all of the extra money spent in the state education sector has not produced the desired results. Money in the private sector does produce results as you infer, and that is why so many parents are avoiding the state sector like the plague.
There are so many other examples where public spending is such a waste, and is just further proof that the state does not know best. Unfortunately, New Lie just keep merrily chucking our hard-earned taxes down a black hole, without any thought of achieving better results by applying a bit more intelligence and far less billions of pounds.

[gingerjedi]

The quality of education is based on what you learn, not what facilities you have and some of the poorest countries such as China have good education systems and probably better than ours.
Unfortunately people such as yourself and New Lie will never understand this. To them, spending is the answer to everything with total disregard to whether it is necessary or can be afforded.

I don't know why people bother spending vast amounts of money on private education for their kids, Eton should make do with portacabins and Millfield can use the local council sports centre.

[chris79]

This country is f**ked. Simple as.

[Cyberman]

The fact that you expected to be flamed says it all. What really saddens me is that there are so many people in this country who believe government propaganda without question (and that is governments of whatever colour), and who have such a low understanding of economics.

I'll try to make this really simple for you. To use a small personal finances metaphor, where we are now is like having maxed out our credit cards and loans, then unexpectedly taking a big pay cut. We'd be screwed. Borrowing more would cost more because we are such a risk, and our reputation would be toilet when people found out just how clueless we are.

People are rightly complaining that Brown shouldn't have maxed out the credit cards & loans when the money was rolling in....and the reason for the pay cut is therefore irrelevant. Had he not, we could have borrowed on our credit cards & loans until our pay had gone up again. The fact that he hasn't means we'll have to borrow even more, and have to pay off that additional borrowing before we get back even to where we are now. Oh and he most certainly has maxed out on borrowing becuase he doctors the figures. In the same way that he changed the way inflation is calculated, he chooses to discount public sector pensions and PFI liabilities from the balance sheet. Without those our borrowing is 45% rising to 53% of GDP like he claims, with them it is more like 103% of GDP - and that dwarfs just about everyone. That, despite your denials, is 100% full square down to Brown's policies.

Of course, someone with an ounce of intelligence would realise that the smart move is to take the pain now, tighten our belts, stop paying out for unnecessary things (ID cards to name but one....there are hundreds of other examples), and ride out the current storm rather than borrow more and make it worse.

Dunno why I am bothering though - someone who still thinks labour are the heroes clearly has his eyes shut or his head up his backside, or both.

And no, I am not convinced the tories have the answer either. The only guy I have seen talk any sense is Vince Cable, and it shows how carp our political system is that all he is allowed to do is talk and debate. Everyone acknowledges that Doc Cable is the brightest guy in parliament when it comes to finances & economics, but just because he is in the wrong party, that ability doesn't get used. Daft.

Anyway, enough ranting. I'm off to get drunk.

Good analogy, but I disagree on Vince Cable who really knows little about economics although more than the rest of parliament and many of the gullible public.
He was the guy that recommended nationalisation of Northern Rock and the reduction of their mortgage book. Six months later he states that reducing the mortgage book is the wrong thing to do because it is reducing liquidity, but really he should have had the commonsense to realise that a year ago as I did, instead of proposing it.

[TykeMerc]

ft piece on Barber Boom

Very interesting article, thanks for the link.