The Recession Megathread

[Titanic99]

What makes both of you think I'm a Tory. Which one of you two am I talking to at the moment by the way?

 

It is definitely Titanic here, Mrs T is out spending some of this extra money we seem to have got of late.

 

Anyway, regarding your politics I cannot say which party you support, your support and sympathy for the unemployed indicates a Socialist leaning, however your dislike of Labour (unjustifiably) indicates a Tory leaning.

 

So I suspect you are a Socialist that votes Tory.

 

But I don't really care, if we can all pull together to help the unemployed then you've got my support.

[Urien]

Good job we've got an economic genius at the helm, that's all I can say. We wouldn't want to be in this mess with a complete to$$pot in charge.

 

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23625337-details/Brown+failed+to+spot+the+dangers+of+credit+boom/article.do

 

[SHYTOT]

It is definitely Titanic here, Mrs T is out spending some of this extra money we seem to have got of late.

 

Anyway, regarding your politics I cannot say which party you support, your support and sympathy for the unemployed indicates a Socialist leaning, however your dislike of Labour (unjustifiably) indicates a Tory leaning.

 

So I suspect you are a Socialist that votes Tory.

 

But I don't really care, if we can all pull together to help the unemployed then you've got my support.

 

So you aren't the identical twins who are trying to get the job singing in the Eurovision Song Contest.

 

Well I don't vote Tory. There are a couple of Labour MPs that I call friends, and perhaps half a dozen councillors about 50/50 Lab and Lib/Dem. You will have to work it out from there.

 

Oh. I forgot to add that I think Gordon Brown is the most useless Prime Minister this country has ever had. He was promoted after being the country's most useless Chancellor.

[Titanic99]

So you aren't the identical twins who are trying to get the job singing in the Eurovision Song Contest.

 

Well I don't vote Tory. There are a couple of Labour MPs that I call friends, and perhaps half a dozen councillors about 50/50 Lab and Lib/Dem. You will have to work it out from there.

 

Oh. I forgot to add that I think Gordon Brown is the most useless Prime Minister this country has ever had. He was promoted after being the country's most useless Chancellor.

 

Well it seems that we are both in agreement in our desire to get unemployment levels low.

 

So on what basis do you believe him to be the most useless Prime Minister, surely we both recognise that Unemployment levels were far higher under Thatcher and Major so isn't that a tick in his box on that issue.

[SHYTOT]

Well it seems that we are both in agreement in our desire to get unemployment levels low.

 

So on what basis do you believe him to be the most useless Prime Minister, surely we both recognise that Unemployment levels were far higher under Thatcher and Major so isn't that a tick in his box on that issue.

 

It is what unemployment will be in 18 months that will be a comparison figure. And let's face it even someone who is blinkered and can't see anything that isn't red must concede that GB made a total dos's breakfast out of the 10p tax rate.

 

Anyhow enough of this idle banter. I have an economy to prop up and the pub beckons

 

Just think about the Winter of Discontent..

[Titanic99]

It is what unemployment will be in 18 months that will be a comparison figure. And let's face it even someone who is blinkered and can't see anything that isn't red must concede that GB made a total dos's breakfast out of the 10p tax rate.

 

Anyhow enough of this idle banter. I have an economy to prop up and the pub beckons

 

Just think about the Winter of Discontent..

 

Enjoy your Beer!

[SHYTOT]

Enjoy your Beer!

 

Thank you. I did enjoy my beer, although the whisky night cap might have been a mistake.

 

I was reflecting on your assumption that I was a Tory. As I said, I am certainly not a Tory. I have an open mind. I can see that what is happening in this country is highly damaging to our future and it has been made far worse by the actions of one man. You appear to be indoctrinated into the Socialist mould and will ignore the evidence to defend the politics that you probably inherited from your parents. I appologies if I am wrong here, but I don't get the impression that you are Margaret Thatcher's love child. My political position could change if the current Government had a new leader who didn't suffer from tunnel vision.

 

The point is that there is a world recession that had been predicted for several years. Years in which our Government made no provision. As a consequence we are in a worse position than we needed to be and a far worse position than any other country in the G7.

 

It is no use reciting party dogma like things were worse under Thatcher. That is history and it simply doesn't wash. In the current cycle we haven't hit the bottom yet. When you fall off a cliff you don't experience the full pain until you hit the ground. I hope your laptop doesn't get smashed when we do.

 

What frightens me about Gordon Brown is his inability to admit his mistakes. The 10p tax fiasco was a perfect example. The building up of more and more debt is another. The financial burden on the country will send many viable companies to the wall and cost hundreds of thousands of people their jobs. Our overseas debt is running into £trillions, and as the £ sinks further that (foreign currency) debt just keeps getting bigger.

 

Still I don't suppose anything posted on SF will alter the situation. If this country still has enough electricity to fire up a computer in 2 years time I will log on and say who was right.

[Mathom]

The public sector is safe? Riiiight...

 

The Civil Service are still laying off staff and will probably carry on - programmes will be cut back as there is less in the pot and less staff are needed.

 

Local councils are already cutting back - Nottingham have just cut a couple of hundred posts.

 

The education sector already know there will be a funding crisis and are preparing for cutbacks in teachers and lecturers. As less people will have jobs there will also be the inevitable child care closures too.

 

You can also expect to see cutbacks in the NHS no doubt, especially in office staff.

[Shef_Fitness]

 

The education sector already know there will be a funding crisis and are preparing for cutbacks in teachers and lecturers. As less people will have jobs there will also be the inevitable child care closures too.

QUOTE]

 

 

 

 

 

Education has always been a victim of funding, recession or no recession. I know of many fellow lecturers who lost their jobs over the boom years simply because their subject areas were no longer funded.

 

Indeed, virtually all the funding over the past few years has been thrown at the 16-19yrs age group, with almost no funding for the over 19s.

 

Certain subject areas are literally booming, for example key skills (numeracy/literacy) and over the next couple of years, I would expect a sharp increase in Computer Training, as many people especially more jobseekers over 35yrs have poor IT skills (compared to an 18yr old), and these people will be competing for jobs against a generation who have grown up with Computers.

 

I do think, education for the over 19's will need a drastic increase in funding, as many victims of this recession will be people over 25, who have probably never been out of work in their lives and will find the system (the education system) bizaree.

 

It also will remain to be seen, if the focus of education will change. For the past at least 15 years (since the last recession) it has simply been a tool for government to massage the unemployment stats, with millions of pounds being spent simply to keep the lists down.

 

Perhaps now the focus of education will have to be about, actually educating people which for the country in the long term can only be a positive thing. I do speak from experience about adult education, the focus is all wrong and hopefuly that will change.

[Dave650]

we're all doomed