Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
A report has set out the cost of Gordon Brown's spending binge in terms that we can all understand in the way it affects people.
National Institute for Economic and Social Research have offered three options for the Government to bring public finances back under control.
The first option is to raise the state pension age, from 60 for women and 65 for men, to 70 between 2013 and 2023. As I know in my professional capacity the present Government policy would raise the retirement age for men and women to 68 by 2046. The difference between these by age and the required accelleration of the process is the cost of Browns binge.
The second option ia to raise the basic rate of income tax by 15p in the pound. They say that tax would have to rise by as much as 8p in the pound even if the retirement age was increased.
The third option is to cut government spending by 10%. This is a real cut, not just a reduction in growth.
Personally I believe that the third option is the one to go for, except for one thing. I dont think it goes far enough. I believe a cuts of 20% in public spending are justified and possible. We need to really cut back on the role of the State in our lives and not just play around with it. Canada did something simular in the 1990's and have not looked back. Time is ripe to act.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
It seems a pretty ghastly prospect to have the age and infirm forced to sticking in their jobs to an ancient age, surely a civilised society cant allow that to happen. Some people remain fit and so on but many dont, and besides havent you done your bit by 65 and deserve to have a bit of a rest. Who wants to carry on working down pit til 70.
The tax rises are an equally grim prospect as 8p in the pound being a staggering increase.
The third one of swingeing cuts to services also bears a horrific prospect.
Only today the government launched two new expensive things...one very essential the other open to heated debate.
The first one was an increase in spending to counteract our appalling record in Social Services where children are concerned. A good move, but you see here how impossible it is to sanction cuts as some real essential services cannot be curtailed.
The second one was the ID Card launch in Manchester. We've all had our opinions on ID Cards over the years but I think right now its a wrong move for a government who may not be in power long enough to carry it out, but will have spent greatly on it.
The Tories and the LibDEms are aginst ID Cards so no doubt will scrap it all...long after a fortune has been spent, adding to the overall financial burden we all have to face.
Sid Pollitt
It seems the government are dealing with the financial crisis and that's what's irking the Tory boys. Just think what state the economy would be in if they'd been in and left Northern Rock to crash. We even saw George Osborne on Newsnight they day before the government acted on hedge funds gambling with bank shares saying he'd do nothing [to stop them coz the same hedge funds are likely donators to said Tory party]. We have this week seen the pound and shares rising and there's been no comment, they only seem to rejoice when more redundancies are announced.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Deal with the situation as it is Sid and not how you would like to interpret it. The Conservatives have at no time said NR would have been allowed to fail. More than one approach was available and is now but the sensible thing to do is simply not even considered by this bankrupt Government - serious spending cuts.
Guest 665- Registered: 24 Mar 2008
- Posts: 345
And what would you recommend to be cut Barry?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
a very good question there, i would imagine that barry will come out with things like quangos, non front line services etc
but in reality, they will not save a great deal.
come election time, this issue will be glossed over and we will only know the truth when the next government takes office.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
to save money here is my list,close all hospitals,close schools,cut mps pay by two thirds,get rid of all armed forces,close all job centers,stop paying all benifits including pensions,and then make everybody work 18 hours a day tax them to death at 75p in the pound.this country will be back to normal in 15 years.
How about cutting all the grotesque CCTV everywhere just for starters (it's all bloody useless anyway)? Scrap ID cards and the database state. Scrap all those corrupt MP's second home allowances (a big salary AND twenty grand of allowances? Sounds nice!!) Seriously reform benefits and put an end to the dependency culture once and for all. Tax big businesses properly instead of forcing all us little guys to support the nation on our measly incomes. Stop funding special interest groups at tax payers' expense (mentioning no names so don't even ask me to). Stop financing worthless pointless causes such as politically-correct non-competitive school sports and the catalogue of other stupid things. Kill the crazy health and safety culture. Oh, and drink more booze and smoke more fags, it all helps our government financially!
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
wouldnt get much drinking time if you are working 18 hours daily would you.
Guest 665- Registered: 24 Mar 2008
- Posts: 345
We don't discuss politics in our house for fear of divorce!
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Rick has said it and make no mistake there is plently of room to cut. The State does far too much.
It simply means a dramatic reduction in the role of the State. No more nanny state antics. Front lines services should be spared as far as possible but all the frippery and pc stuff got completely rid of. People can take more responsibility for themselves.
We also need a bill to repeal the mass of idiotic pc legislation that adds costs to business and Government without adding anything of tangable value. Chief of all being the HRA.
There is one, just one area of expenditure that should be preserved and increased and that is Defence. That is the most important Government spending of all.
Sid Pollitt
They'd cut jobs in things that the state get involved in. What's that? To you and me that is the likes of Surestart. At Voice 09 Cameron said they'd scrap the Learning and Skills council, so the message that they are sending out is that they'll make things worse for people if they can.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the problem here is we will only find out when it is too late.
sure start and home start have been godsends to families and single parents that need assistance.
the learning and skills council?
if correct that will only mean less employable brits and people brought in from overseas to take jobs here.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
is that what they call outsoursing by any chance.
Sid Pollitt
The voluntary sector invited Cameron to Voice 09 to see what he had to say and his message was that he'd scrap a training programme for the unemployed [he did say it, there's no spin or secondhand smear here]. When you add the call for more people to be made unemployed by the Tory snipers from the wings [you know the type, 'make cuts, make cuts' they seem to be chanting every day] it shows what they would do if they win the general election dont it?
I said earlier that we've seen the pound and shares rise this week and there's been no comment, we have also see Northern Rock pay back £1bn to the nation's coffers and we have had not a murmur. Maybe the pocket book on teach yourself basis economics dont run to this.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
So Barry, defence is more important than education, or health, or support for scientific research, or small business support etc. etc.
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