The Politics Thread

[Lord Kangana]

Labour didn't inherit a bad set of economic circumstances.

In fact, they were quite good.

What most people struggle to understand is that continuing those policies through a global financial crisis inevitably lead to downturn and recession.

Just in the same way as the Keynsian policies pursued from 45-79 were "disproved", the Smithsonian/Freedman policies of the last 32 years are starting to prove that there are no panaceas when the world is in the midst of an energy and a financial crisis.

I realise this is unpalatable for the majority of people who wish to pick a team. But its the way it is.

[BWFC_Insane]

That there Gordon Brown's doing nowt apart from scratching his arse at the moment. We could bring him in to sort it out.

Oh, hang on...

Is this going to be the Tory argument for years?

It ain't going to wash I'm afraid.

Stable and working NHS, decent set of public services, growth in the economy, and a deficit that was no different to the deficit Labour inherited in the 90's, that was in large part down to a global banking crisis.

VS

NHS in absolute crisis, rising unemployment, destruction of public services, slowing of economic growth and a marginally reduced deficit.

I know which scenario I prefer.

You're Ed Balls aren't you? You psycho-eyed freak.

No but you're clearly Oliver Letwin and I'll claim my £5 now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... idays.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wouldn't be going to Sheffield anytime soon if I were you!

And lets face it this sums up this Tory government, elitist, snobbish, arrogant and completely in it for themselves and their elite minority "friends" and when I say friends I mean funders.

[TANGODANCER]

Its every parties excuse, how many times do you hear them blaming the other lot (either party) and telling us what they did wrong and the mess they got us into but never how they are going to sort it, start doing this and answering questions properly then I might start listening to them but at the moment they all need lining up against a wall.

Not even pretending to know very much about politics or high finance, this seems to be the view that fits for a lot of folk including me. Too much "opposition" element to everything and not enough "one heart, one way".

[Prufrock]

Eton-educated Mr Letwin has developed a reputation for straight talking

That seems to be the papers' new go-to euphemism for 'being a cnut'.

[thebish]

That there Gordon Brown's doing nowt apart from scratching his arse at the moment. We could bring him in to sort it out.

Oh, hang on...

I'm not at all sure what Gordon Brown has to do with an ill-thought-out policy on tuition fees - you've lost me.

Cable seems to be admitting they got it badly wrong and now won't be able to afford it.

It was a tory/lib-dem plan - implemented by the tories and lib-dems - and now they seem to be admitting they misjudged it badly.

not even THEY are blaming Labour for this misjudgement.

but you are....

[William the White]

This is the absurd situation on tuition fees... the fees were announced at the same time as cuts for a huge number of Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects... in the case of London South Bank uni this meant they lost 92% of their funding!!!

The net result of cuts and fees is that pretty much no university in England can function unless it charges a fee currently estimated as between £7300 and £7600... This after making redundancies, cutting courses etc...

The differentiation in market terms between £7500 and the max £9000 is so little in terms of market competition that there is no advantage whatsover in charging a lower fee... so pretty much every university will seek to charge £9000...

And the government will be paying a huge amount more for delivery of third tier education that is narrower, more poorly delivered and resented by students angry at the way they are treated compared to previous generations...

Very, very fine piece of decision making... you could not have devised a better lose-lose situation if you had put the finest brains in the land to the task... never mind the finest brains of the tories and lib dems...

[Harry Genshaw]

All this stuff on education would be tragic enough without the knowledge that Cameron has just gifted Pakistan £650 million in education aid by way of apologising for his remarks about their alleged inactivity at tackling terrorism. As the Beeb said - It's not clear how the UK will benefit from this arrangement.

I'm all for supporting developing countries but I can see no justification for this given our current circumstances

[keveh]

Not anything of any input, but would people like the poll removing?

[Lord Kangana]

Leave it for me. It's of interesting historical record.

I wonder how many people have changed their minds from their pre-election choices?

[superjohnmcginlay]

No leave it.

[superjohnmcginlay]

That there Gordon Brown's doing nowt apart from scratching his arse at the moment. We could bring him in to sort it out.

Oh, hang on...

Is this going to be the Tory argument for years?

It ain't going to wash I'm afraid.

Stable and working NHS, decent set of public services, growth in the economy, and a deficit that was no different to the deficit Labour inherited in the 90's, that was in large part down to a global banking crisis.

VS

NHS in absolute crisis, rising unemployment, destruction of public services, slowing of economic growth and a marginally reduced deficit.

I know which scenario I prefer.

You're Ed Balls aren't you? You psycho-eyed freak.

No but you're clearly Oliver Letwin and I'll claim my £5 now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... idays.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wouldn't be going to Sheffield anytime soon if I were you!

And lets face it this sums up this Tory government, elitist, snobbish, arrogant and completely in it for themselves and their elite minority "friends" and when I say friends I mean funders.

That's brilliant. Made me chuckle when I read that the other week.

[Horza]

Leave it for me. It's of interesting historical record.

I wonder how many people have changed their minds from their pre-election choices?

I would like to disaffiliate from Planet Hobo....

[keveh]

No leave it.

Please!

[superjohnmcginlay]

Pretty please with a cherry on top.

[Hoboh]

Leave it please!
Slowly I'm eating away at the main stream looney party's then we will see proper reforms and a substantial rise in the quality of living and brass in pocket.
Walking down streets with money still in your pockets after a late night out and the only noise you hear is the laughter of others also enjoying the night, bliss! Filling up your car at 50p a litre and if you happened to forget to lock it/ the car and contents will still be there (little warning though only if you ain't been drinking).the list is endless,vote planet hoboh, you know it makes sense

[Lord Kangana]

That sounds remarkably like a socialist utopia to me Hoboh.

Comments?

[TANGODANCER]

That sounds remarkably like a socialist utopia to me Hoboh.
Comments?

Sounds like were back on Big Rock Candy Mountain to me.

[Hoboh]

That sounds remarkably like a socialist utopia to me Hoboh.

Comments?

Could be thats the ultimate goal yer lordship but it will not be achived with the wishy wobbler bunch of politicians and partys we have now and have had for the last 100 years. Folk mis judge planet hoboh it is a means to an end not an ultimate dictatorship.

[Bruce Rioja]

Is this going to be the Tory argument for years?

It ain't going to wash I'm afraid.

Yeah, because the previous government didn't blame "18 years of Tory misrule" for its entire 13 years worth did it, Insaney? No. Not at all.

[Prufrock]

And you're saying they were knobs for doing so right? Which presumably makes the Tories knobs now. One bunch of shithouses replace another bunch of shithouses with the same excuses and this is a good thing?