South Lorne Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1344187/VAT-increase-UK-public-deficit-clueless-Mr-Johnson.html On the day VAT goes up to a record 20 per cent, the Shadow Chancellor finally breaks his silence over Labour’s alternative plans for plugging the deficit... and immediately makes it clear he hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about.First, Alan Johnson ties himself in knots, suggesting 2011 should not be a year for cuts — seemingly unaware that the last Labour government, of which he was a prominent member, planned that the biggest cuts of all should fall this year. Next, he gets into a muddle over when his party would eliminate the structural deficit, telling the BBC it would be in 2015-16, before saying he ‘probably’ meant 2016-17. Chancellor George Osborne and his shadow Alan Johnson, who is happy to parrot his uninspiring leader Ed Miliband As for VAT, he’s happy to parrot his uninspiring leader Ed Miliband, saying this is ‘the wrong tax at the wrong time’. But it’s only when pressed, and apparently by accident, that he commits his party to the alternative of raising National Insurance contributions. Leave aside that as part of Labour’s legacy, NI will go up anyway this year (another fact of which Mr Johnson seems only half aware, confessing he hasn’t read all the details of his party’s last Budget). Has the Shadow Chancellor even begun to consider the devastating impact of further increasing this tax on jobs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 They know that Labour would have done the same alright. They are just lying and hoping that nobody notices. Just like when they try to blame the current government for problems that started long ago despite the fact they've only been in power for 6 months. Same as it ever was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 When Darling got the job, we thought he'd be a yes-man puppet for his puppetmaster. But he turned out not entirely like that. They didn't want to make the same mistake this time ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344214/VAT-rise-Alan-Johnson-worried-poor-cope-goes-2-hour-Savoy-lunch.html here they are.the day VAT went up 2.5% Heh. I thought you'd dug up a reference from last year, when there was the proportionally-bigger rise in VAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 When Darling got the job, we thought he'd be a yes-man puppet for his puppetmaster. But he turned out not entirely like that. They didn't want to make the same mistake this time ... From Wikipedia: "He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain" Cheers to Communism! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reck B Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I just cannot for the life of me understand why that man is the shadow chancellor. It seems that he just doesn't understand anything about the economy. Everytime I've seen him interviewed he looks and sounds utterly clueless, stupid even, yet Labour somehow think he will be competent running the countries finances and expect us to put our trust in him. Is Johnson really the best they can come up with? Is it a joke? I really don't get it. I can understand Johnson working as a postman - no offence to postmen but it's just walking around and putting envelopes in slots with a bit of reading mixed in. This is Johnsons level - it's what his genetic make-up ought to limit him to & that's fair enough, but for some reason he's found his way to the pinnacle of British politics where his lack of intelligence could end up adversley affecting the lives of over 60 million people. Is it too much to ask that a potential chancellor at least has an A level in economics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Cheers to Communism! I'll raise a glass of vintage champagne to that!! They really have no shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blod Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Isn't it always the way that those that are further from reality are happiest to be communists / socialists, the rest of nulabour are just as hypocritical if not more so. I don't think that its just the left that are hypocrites as there are plenty on the right. This version of champagne socialism was one of nulabours selling point to many of their hypocritical followers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil D Possitt Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I just cannot for the life of me understand why that man is the shadow chancellor. It seems that he just doesn't understand anything about the economy. Everytime I've seen him interviewed he looks and sounds utterly clueless, stupid even, yet Labour somehow think he will be competent running the countries finances and expect us to put our trust in him. Is Johnson really the best they can come up with? Is it a joke? I really don't get it. I can understand Johnson working as a postman - no offence to postmen but it's just walking around and putting envelopes in slots with a bit of reading mixed in. This is Johnsons level - it's what his genetic make-up ought to limit him to & that's fair enough, but for some reason he's found his way to the pinnacle of British politics where his lack of intelligence could end up adversley affecting the lives of over 60 million people. Is it too much to ask that a potential chancellor at least has an A level in economics? Similarly the father of a friend of mine served alongside John Prescott in the Merchant Navy. He was apparently known as "John P*sspot" in those days as his colleagues considered cleaning the ship's toilets was about the limit of his abilities. I think subsequent events proved them correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superted187 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I'm seriously concluding that all politicians are clueless now anyways. Hardly any of them have ever had a real life, long term, full time job outside of politics or pr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingHasToGive Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I just cannot for the life of me understand why that man is the shadow chancellor. It seems that he just doesn't understand anything about the economy. Everytime I've seen him interviewed he looks and sounds utterly clueless, stupid even, yet Labour somehow think he will be competent running the countries finances and expect us to put our trust in him. Is Johnson really the best they can come up with? Is it a joke? I really don't get it. I can understand Johnson working as a postman - no offence to postmen but it's just walking around and putting envelopes in slots with a bit of reading mixed in. This is Johnsons level - it's what his genetic make-up ought to limit him to & that's fair enough, but for some reason he's found his way to the pinnacle of British politics where his lack of intelligence could end up adversley affecting the lives of over 60 million people. Is it too much to ask that a potential chancellor at least has an A level in economics? I think the problem is that all the senior politicians with decent economic credentials stood against Ed Milliband in the Leadership elections. The most obvious candidate I would say would be Ed Balls, but he has a stench of Brownist about him ( ruthless, bully and was Browns protege until Brown became PM ). Yvette Fielding is another, but is probably a Balls supporter ( as they are married ). Other than that he could go with his brother, but they appear to have had a bit of a public falling out. I think Johnston was the ideal idiot for the job as Labour's policy is to oppose everything the government do, whilst appearing to be trying to prevent the unions from overreacting. I'm pretty sure the 'bring the government down' rhetoric from the unions is a Labour ploy to get into power ASAP, either that or the unions are happy there isn't a Labour government because now they can mass-strike for without being hypocrites because of the Labour Party's union funding arrangements. Most parties look better in opposition than in government, but somehow the current Labour party are looking even more pathetic and the Conservatives are doing a good job of looking moderately competent. Only the LibDems seem to follow that rule at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We need a new party...a party worth voting for, that is more interested in the people than in themselves and what they can make out of it...hey! we can only dream...utopia doesn't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicestersq Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Similarly the father of a friend of mine served alongside John Prescott in the Merchant Navy. He was apparently known as "John P*sspot" in those days as his colleagues considered cleaning the ship's toilets was about the limit of his abilities. I think subsequent events proved them correct. Lord almighty, can you imagine a whole voyage trying to hold it all in cos you had prezza cleansing the lavvies? If he had a job cleaning the toilets at a holiday camp, it would be called Bustin's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I used to think Johnson didn't sound too bad for a Labour politician but since he became shadow chancellor it's like he has lost his marbles. When they get into higher office do politicians have to go through more security scanners that kill their brain cells? It would explain a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieAndy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I am sure Johnson is a decent guy and likeable etc but like others he is clueless and sooooo far out of his depth in this role that I keep expecting Malcolm Tucker to come in and berate him for his latest poor PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Sando Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 From Wikipedia: "He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain" Cheers to Communism! There is no contradiction The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can "throw the rascals out" at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy. - Carrol Quigley, Tragedy and Hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim123 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I just cannot for the life of me understand why that man is the shadow chancellor. Because he isn't Mr or Mrs Balls tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 There is no contradiction The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can "throw the rascals out" at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy. - Carrol Quigley, Tragedy and Hope Yep, it's funny how people in the UK feel divided between nulabour and tory. Whereas, when you look closly at those parties' real actions (when in government) - they don't differ that much. I can't recall a single decision by either the NuLab or Tory governments that would be good for UK people but harm big bankers, big corporations or the EU. That's because those parties would never put their voters before their real masters (bankers, big corps and the EU). Ideology is dead. Only thing that matters to today's politicians is money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lorne Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 There is no contradiction ....who said contradiction...we know the Communist elite live the life of rich Lords....that's why we need rid of both...and an elected second House...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim123 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I am sure Johnson is a decent guy and likeable etc but like others he is clueless and sooooo far out of his depth in this role that I keep expecting Malcolm Tucker to come in and berate him for his latest poor PR. Actually, I think that politically he is saying exactly the right things. The sort of people who can see through his comments was never likely to be voting Labour anyway, it's the others he's preaching to, and I think he's convincing them. tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lorne Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Actually, I think that politically he is saying exactly the right things. The sort of people who can see through his comments was never likely to be voting Labour anyway, it's the others he's preaching to, and I think he's convincing them. tim ...true in the sense ...dummed down politician for dummed down voters.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 ...true in the sense ...dummed down politician for dummed down voters.... ...who only constitute <30% of the electorate anyway, less when it rains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingHasToGive Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Actually, I think that politically he is saying exactly the right things. The sort of people who can see through his comments was never likely to be voting Labour a significant proportion of the electorate anyway, it's the others he's preaching to, and I think he's convincing them. tim Corrected for accuracy. Most people in this country are ignorant of what a deficit is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 If Johnson ever gets to be chancellor be afraid be very very afraid. 4 minutes into this clip he shows he doesn't even know what the NI figure is. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Alan-Johnson-Slips-Up-On-NI-Figures/Video/201101215889369 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hirop Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 i had the misfortune to hear the millipede on radio 2 this week, prattling on about bank levy as "the bankers caused" the problems. Is any reporter at any point ever going to front down these toads and state explitly that the bankers did what they did amidst 'light-touch' regulation and low interest rate jiggery-pokery debt frenzy all under Labour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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