Danny Alexander (Ex Spin Doctor For A Load Of Trees)

[ralphmalph]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68L2OJ20100922

Perhaps they are starting to understand. No more child benefit for more than 2 kids, no winterfuel for millionaire pensioners, no more 100 quid a week housing benefit. etc, etc, etc,

We can not afford any more than the basics now.

[maxdiver]

Without an election for another 5 years - I think the coalition have the ability to make the cuts that were needed to be made when Labour had an election looming on the horizon.

[LJAR]

I am waiting for the single benefit that IDS has been talking about.

Make it simple, make it fair, make it targeted at low earners and it would be a great start.

Couple that with the £10k personal allowance that the Liberals want and we could be on to a winner.

[ccc]

I am waiting for the single benefit that IDS has been talking about.

Make it simple, make it fair, make it targeted at low earners and it would be a great start.

Couple that with the £10k personal allowance that the Liberals want and we could be on to a winner.

You think they have the balls to go for something like the citizens bond (Or whatever it is known as).

This would be a great time to do it. Why not. Get rid of MASSES of red tape and Government costs, at the same time as completely revolutionising the benefits system. At the same time giving those how are working an extra boost in their pocket.

I can't see how it could possibly cost any more than what we have today.

[General Congreve]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68L2OJ20100922

Perhaps they are starting to understand. No more child benefit for more than 2 kids, no winterfuel for millionaire pensioners, no more 100 quid a week housing benefit. etc, etc, etc,

We can not afford any more than the basics now.

Here, here. We have a system that rewards the stupid and feckless to breed whilst many in the responsible middle-classes who should be reproducing are living at home with parents or can't afford large enough accommodation to start a family or have more than 1 child.

Truth is, the deficit could probably be sorted tomorrow with no loss of services if all the waste, non-jobbers, benefit cheats and inefficiencies in the system were got shot off.

Hang on, what the f4ck am I talking about?!?! Spank that deficit like there's no tomorrow and make me rich!!! Oh they are, another 15 billion last month, nice one coalition, yeehaa gold price

[Mega]

They Cutting, as they printing.....so those in benafits can expect inflation & cuts eating into their "Pay"

Ho Ho Ho..........

[erranta]

They Cutting, as they printing.....so those in benafits can expect inflation & cuts eating into their "Pay"

Ho Ho Ho..........

All it does is withdraw $16 Billion out of being spent straight back into the UK economy.

It will lead to further job losses and company closures

Not so "Ho Ho Ho"

There should be a full scale attack for a number of years on the rich & super rich who as we have been told more than Quadrupled their real wealth over the last 12-15yrs.

All they do is stash their wealth and avoid paying any taxes on it - thus not contributing their fair share to the UK (Unpatriotic bastards who legalise to twist our tax laws)

[SarahBell]

All it does is withdraw $16 Billion out of being spent straight back into the UK economy.

It will lead to further job losses and company closures

Not so "Ho Ho Ho"

There should be a full scale attack for a number of years on the rich & super rich who as we have been told more than Quadrupled their real wealth over the last 12-15yrs.

All they do is stash their wealth and avoid paying any taxes on it - thus not contributing their fair share to the UK (Unpatriotic bastards who legalise to twist our tax laws)

The maths has been done. Even if you mince up the richest and squeeze the money out of them there won't be enough.

We can not exclude cuts to the socially self-excluded.

[babesagainstmachines]

Amen to that.

That wouldn't help anybody... except most people. The governments job is to keep us on the hamster wheel at full pelt, not to decide when we want to run and how fast. If you want that sort of change, you need your own party.

[leicestersq]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68L2OJ20100922

Perhaps they are starting to understand. No more child benefit for more than 2 kids, no winterfuel for millionaire pensioners, no more 100 quid a week housing benefit. etc, etc, etc,

We can not afford any more than the basics now.

I dont see how they can close the gap with just stuff like this. And I doubt if they can cut the police and prisons much.

The only area of attack that I can see, is to cut those pension benefits. Something they have said that they will increase.

That stupid decision gives them a lot less room for manoevre, they will have to cut everything else a lot harder.

[non frog]

.....

There should be a full scale attack for a number of years on the rich & super rich who as we have been told more than Quadrupled their real wealth over the last 12-15yrs.

All they do is stash their wealth and avoid paying any taxes on it - thus not contributing their fair share to the UK (Unpatriotic bastards who legalise to twist our tax laws)

Sadly they are now the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, so you will have to wait for your "attack" a while I'm afraid.

[hilltop]

All it does is withdraw $16 Billion out of being spent straight back into the UK economy.

It will lead to further job losses and company closures

Not so "Ho Ho Ho"

There should be a full scale attack for a number of years on the rich & super rich who as we have been told more than Quadrupled their real wealth over the last 12-15yrs.

All they do is stash their wealth and avoid paying any taxes on it - thus not contributing their fair share to the UK (Unpatriotic bastards who legalise to twist our tax laws)

Amen to all that. Cut and cut again is the most simplistic and negative strategy. And where is the growth?

[hilltop]

We can not exclude cuts to the socially self-excluded.

How do the cuts differentiate between the self-excluded and those excluded by our unfair educational and employment arrangements?

Where in the Libcon manifestos did they warn us that they were planning to introduce China-lite population controls?

Unacceptable prejudice and divisive to the very heart of a decent society.

[non frog]

...And where is the growth?

India

[council dweller]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68L2OJ20100922

Perhaps they are starting to understand. No more child benefit for more than 2 kids, no winterfuel for millionaire pensioners, no more 100 quid a week housing benefit. etc, etc, etc,

We can not afford any more than the basics now.

Of the three things you mention I'd guess that winter fuel payments could be added to pension credit, means tested in other words.

No child benefit for more than 2 kids? If they do this it will be for kids born after next summer or so...not those already here.

Cuts in housing benefit at that level would have to be at least partially made up by Universal credit or whatever.

Franky I don't think anyone knows or understands what's coming. There will be winners and losers though.

[hilltop]

India

The Commonwealth Games debacle is a huge blow to India. As bad as our streets full of rubbish in the Winter of Discontent.

We must concentrate on our own issues, not live in fear of competition until it is real.

[non frog]

The Commonwealth Games debacle is a huge blow to India. As bad as our streets full of rubbish in the Winter of Discontent.

We must concentrate on our own issues, not live in fear of competition until it is real.

Yeah they must be sh1tting themselves at losing such a big ticket item. Not like the UK with the Olympics that will lift it out of the mire. Still like you say the competition is not real, no jobs have gone to India, no one has had their income cut as a result of competition from low cost economies eh? Let's concentrate on our own issues, like three major banks that are bankrupt, 400% of GDP in dept and a bunch of half witted muppets running the country for the benefit of the richest 2% of the population. Things can only get better - oh no sorry that was the last moron who now works for JP Morgan.

[Reck B]

Amen to all that. Cut and cut again is the most simplistic and negative strategy. And where is the growth?

Growth will only come from borrowing and enlarging the public sector. I wish Labour were still in power, these public schoolboy 'what-o' tim-nice-but-dim, daddys-boy tory-toffs simply haven't a clue.

[euroconv]

Here's what you do:

1) Starting October 2010, start listening to the Unions

2) Following their advice, take 3 million unemployed and:

-Create 1 Million 'Bobbies on the Beat', thus cutting crime and making criminals pay.

-Create 1 Million extra Teachers, thus educating our children so we can compete with India and China

-Create 1 Million extra Nurses, thus making everyone instantly healthier and giving old people the care they deserve.

3) Now, if you pay them all a decent wage of, say £30K a year, then that's only £90Billion for salaries every year, and maybe another £50 billion for other employment costs such as pensions, uniforms, building, admin staff etc.

A mere £140 Billion every year is all it would take to get the economy going again with all those people spending, so all we do is take out a bond for £140 Billion every year, and pay it back with the taxes from the previous year's tax receipts from the 3 billion workers, which would be erm, OK less than the money needed.. Stuck now, any Labour Party/ Union members tell me how I can make the figures add up?

[LJAR]

Any money that government borrows has a net negative effect on economic growth.

Why? - the key is in the "borrow" part.

Let us assume that the govt can spend our money as efficiently and as effectively as we can for the good of the community/the nation.

If that money was borrowed they end up having to pay back more than they spent.

That means they must tax more money than they spent.

The taxes to pay back your borrowed money plus interest cause damage to growth in equal proportion to the extra expenditure plus a bit more damage to pay for the interest.

Borrowing will only work for the most basic sorts of capital investment on infrastructure (rail, roads, power, water mains, public health and basic education etc) spending on benefits is not investment.

Edited September 23, 2010 by LJAR

[euroconv]

Any money that government borrows has a net negative effect on economic growth.

Borrowing will only work for the most basic sorts of capital investment on infrastructure (rail, roads, power, water mains, public health and basic education etc) spending on benefits is not investment.

In the US, health is a 'benefit', so maybe the writing is on the wall for the NHS.

[hilltop]

Spending on benefits is one of the running costs of a civilised society.

Sick, homeless people are not a resource to the nation.

Disaffected people with no stake in the country are going to cause problems.

Above all, it is morally wrong to have an underclass without hope.

[ralphmalph]

Above all, it is morally wrong to have an underclass without hope.

This is why benefits must be cut and work has to pay.

[euroconv]

Above all, it is morally wrong to have an underclass without hope.

OK, have an underclass with hope then.

Have a slogan like "Hope for Change", you may even get elected.

[ccc]

Spending on benefits is one of the running costs of a civilised society.

Sick, homeless people are not a resource to the nation.

Disaffected people with no stake in the country are going to cause problems.

Above all, it is morally wrong to have an underclass without hope.

It's morally wrong that I work and have to pay for the underclasses' fags and cans of Special Brew.