Should Labour move right or left?

[Hots on]

So called "austerity" is merely living within our means as a country, and long may it continue.

 

I heard George Osborne is wanting to legislate to ensure governments made sure that they ran a surplus in normal times. This is the most common sense idea I've heard from a government in a long time.

[MikeFrank]

So called "austerity" is merely living within our means as a country, and long may it continue.

 

I heard George Osborne is wanting to legislate to ensure governments made sure that they ran a surplus in normal times. This is the most common sense idea I've heard from a government in a long time.

 

I agree if we didn't waste lots of money on overseas wars and the EU then we would have more money to spend on the people here.

[TJC1]

So called "austerity" is merely living within our means as a country, and long may it continue.

 

I heard George Osborne is wanting to legislate to ensure governments made sure that they ran a surplus in normal times. This is the most common sense idea I've heard from a government in a long time.

 

Living within means is a sensible indivdual choice.

 

Austerity means cuts though. And this osborne surplus idea which hasnt flown is absurd. Just the dumbest thing ever. Economy doesnt work like that.

[drummonds]

Living within means is a sensible indivdual choice.

 

Austerity means cuts though. And this osborne surplus idea which hasnt flown is absurd. Just the dumbest thing ever. Economy doesnt work like that.

 

living with our means means spending the money that the country has available from taxation. austerity is when we have to use large amounts of that money to pay back the borrowing done under labour and therefore don't have it available for services.

[May Blob]

Labour should remember why it was formed and by whom.

 

---------- Post added 19-08-2015 at 14:10 ----------

 

I agree if we didn't waste lots of money on overseas wars and the EU then we would have more money to spend on the people here.

Don't forget Overseas aid to ungrateful countries.

[TJC1]

living with our means means spending the money that the country has available from taxation. austerity is when we have to use large amounts of that money to pay back the borrowing done under labour and therefore don't have it available for services.

 

Living within means is an individual decision not a collective one.

the government has squeezed budgets, and use rhetoric like 'living within means' to stop people complaining too much. Or worse revolting.

[drummonds]

Living within means is an individual decision not a collective one.

the government has squeezed budgets, and use rhetoric like 'living within means' to stop people complaining too much. Or worse revolting.

 

so who makes the individual decision that the country lives within its means and doesn't follow greece down the spiral of unsustainable debt?

 

fortunately the population of the uk have made it very clear that labour can't be trusted with the economy. the pain of austerity is the price for a decade of labour governments out of control spending; beyond our means.

[TJC1]

so who makes the individual decision that the country lives within its means and doesn't follow greece down the spiral of unsustainable debt?

 

fortunately the population of the uk have made it very clear that labour can't be trusted with the economy. the pain of austerity is the price for a decade of labour governments out of control spending; beyond our means.

 

The population didnt make it clear. 75% of people abstained or voted against the conservatives.

 

---------- Post added 19-08-2015 at 14:25 ----------

 

and 30% of the voting electorate backed labour.

 

Sorry, it looks about as clear as mud.

[Anna B]

so who makes the individual decision that the country lives within its means and doesn't follow greece down the spiral of unsustainable debt?

 

fortunately the population of the uk have made it very clear that labour can't be trusted with the economy. the pain of austerity is the price for a decade of labour governments out of control spending; beyond our means.

 

You don't think the biggest banking crash in history had anything to do with it then...?

 

Just because the Tories like to blame Labour doesn't make it true.

[drummonds]

The population didnt make it clear. 75% of people abstained or voted against the conservatives.

 

---------- Post added 19-08-2015 at 14:25 ----------

 

and 30% of the voting electorate backed labour.

 

Sorry, it looks about as clear as mud.

 

but then in the real world, or at least the world according to labour and the tuc.

 

http://labourlist.org/2015/05/untrusted-on-economy-and-competence-tuc-polling-sheds-light-on-why-labour-lost-the-election/

 

Untrusted on economy and competence: TUC polling sheds light on why Labour lost the election

 

Labour were seen as too profligate, too soft on welfare and immigration, and too incompetent, according to a major post-election poll carried out by the Trade Union Congress (TUC). There were both gender and age gaps, with men and older people more likely to vote Conservative.

 

The top three reasons people gave for not voting Labour were fears that the party could not be trusted with the economy and would spend too much, be too generous with the benefit system, and be forced to make too many concessions to the SNP.

 

Meanwhile, the top three reasons for supporting the Conservatives were to keep the economy growing, the progress that had been made with deficit reduction, and the belief that David Cameron would make a better Prime Minister than Ed Miliband. Asked how they judged Labour on a variety of topics, the party ended up with negative scores on competence (-30), honesty (-27), and being radical (-44).

 

---------- Post added 19-08-2015 at 16:06 ----------

 

You don't think the biggest banking crash in history had anything to do with it then...?

 

Just because the Tories like to blame Labour doesn't make it true.

 

and who was in charge when the banking crash happened. who set up the fsa to regulate financial services, and who overspent in the good times so the pot was empty when it hit the fan? that would be the last labour government.