As with most elections, the Clinton dictum that “it’s the economy, stupid,” has held good in the general election of 2015 – with special emphasis this time on “stupid”. The debate about who has done or will do best in managing the economy has been even more confused and irrational than usual this time. It […]
Posts under ‘Public Spending’
Deliberately engineered ignorance on the economy undermines Britain’s democracy
May 4th, 2015 by Bryan Gould.
Greek myths retold: confronting the ideologues of austerity
Apr 25th, 2015 by Michael Burke.The world economy is not strong and the President of the United States is sufficiently concerned about new shocks to it that he recently met the Greek Finance Minister to urge ‘flexibility on all sides’ in the negotiations between the Syriza-led government and its creditors. US concern is fully justified. In any attempt to reach agreement it […]
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There are 3 ways to cut the deficit – why has Labour chosen the wrong one?
Apr 23rd, 2015 by Michael Meacher.The budget deficit, which has been far more central to this election campaign than it should have been, can be dealt with in three separate ways. It can be reduced by cutting net expenditure either by taxing the poor or by taxing the rich, or it can be reduced by cutting unemployment (the ‘automatic stabilisers’ […]
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The central issue of this election is a mystery wrapped in an enigma
Apr 17th, 2015 by Michael Meacher.The key issue of this election,behind all the superficial flashy giveaways, is paying off the deficit. It still stands this year at £92bn when Osborne pledged in 2010 it would be £37bn or below – a discrepancy of £55bn, not exactly a minor slippage. So how exactly, after 5 years in which Osborne has tried […]
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Why a vote for the Tories is a vote for Communism
Apr 15th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.If you’re the tiny section of this blog’s readership contemplating voting Conservative, be aware that you’re voting for communism! Yes, we’ve had the £8bn NHS pledge, the policy of freezing rail fares, the promise of 30 hours a week childcare, and now the Tories are threatening to expropriate housing associations and pass them on at […]
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On George Osborne’s sorry pathetic car crash interview
Apr 14th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.If a confrontation with Paxo or Brillo is like going ten rounds with a grizzly bear, spending time on Andrew Marr’s sofa is the political equivalent of a smooch by a pound puppy. Yet this giver of the most gentle of interviews had George Osborne on the ropes in seconds. Of course, if you ask Dan […]
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Productivity is central flaw in Tory economic argument
Apr 5th, 2015 by Michael Meacher.One of the company bosses signing the Telegraph letter sought to clinch his case by saying it was ‘madness’ to abandon the government’s economic policy since it was only half done and they needed to ‘finish the job’. But what is half done? Not reducing the deficit since it was £118bn when Alistair Darling’s two […]
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£12bn more cuts will crucify poorest in society and are not necessary
Mar 31st, 2015 by Michael Meacher.So the Tories are able to tell us that Labour plans to cut the deficit (which they have never seen) will increase costs by precisely £3,028 per household, a figure now definitively rubbished by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and which the Tory party chairman has now admitted is mere “guesswork”. Yet they can’t tell […]
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Do we want predatory capitalism or an economy geared to the common good?
Mar 29th, 2015 by Michael Meacher.Despite the predictable whines of some FTSE-100 bosses reported yesterday about a post-election Labour-SNP pact, Ed M should flesh out more about his vision to replace ‘predatory capitalism’ both because that is what a majority of people want and also to put paid to the ignorant mantra that self-interested executives like to propagate that anyone […]
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Extreme and dangerous Tory spending cuts
Mar 25th, 2015 by Grahame Morris.The Chancellor’s final budget was less than twenty hours old before Liberal Democrat Treasury ministers tried to disown it by presenting an alternative ‘yellow’ budget, before abusing parliamentary privilege to deliver it as a ministerial statement. However, no matter how many budgets the government presents none of them can hide from the fact that the Coalition […]
