Ed Balls daunted by prospect of being chancellor

[turbobloke]

98elise said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

You do have to wonder what's wrong with the conservatives.

"Dear public sector workers.

Next year your standard of living will decrease because we are going to make sure your earnings do not keep up with inflation. But don't worry, the bankers will still be getting their bonuses - even in the loss-making bank which you are lucky enough to own.

Vote for us!!

Lots of Love
Dave"

Thats an odd post. Are public sector workers tied into bank workers bonuses in some way? Are public sector workers banned from moving into the banking industry if they wanted those bonuses?

Seems like the standard moan about it not being fair that somone made better choices, or has done better. Its a free world, move on, do something else, better yourself......just don't sit there and moan about it if you've done nothing to better yourself.

Fair points but looking at this from the left side of the fence, Dan Hannan argues that there are sufficient votes in blind bigoted envy to make it worth Balls' while, as if his boss runs with the envy ticket he may well end up in a post he wants but can't cope with as a result.

Dan Hannan said:

The 50p rate was scrapped clumsily. I never liked it – I want taxes to be as low, as flat and as simple as possible – but it didn’t occur to me that the Chancellor would cut the top rate in isolation rather than as a Lawson-style simplification and lowering of rates for everyone. Presentationally, we can all agree, that was a disaster. But does it follow that the country wants vengeance more than it wants growth? That people will accept being worse off provided the rich suffer more badly? If Ed Balls is right about us, we are assuredly not the nation we were.

[Puggit]

Ozzie Osmond said:

You do have to wonder what's wrong with the conservatives.

"Dear public sector workers.

Next year your standard of living will decrease because we are going to make sure your earnings do not keep up with inflation. But don't worry, the bankers will still be getting their bonuses - even in the loss-making bank which you are lucky enough to own.

Vote for us!!

Lots of Love
Dave"

Such a simpleton - everyone knows that PS wages continued to rise during the recent economic woes, while those lucky ones in the private sector were saddled with zero wage growth and less lucky took wage cuts. The unfortunates lost their jobs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26512643

[hairyben]

oyster said:

What UKIP issue? You expect Cameron to announce he's pulling out of the EU?

How do you propose he does that? He'll need at least a Commons vote. He'd lose. Lib Dems + Labour + pro-EU Tories would win.

Or a referendum? But he's promised that already.


A referendum you won't get if people vote UKIP and let Labour in.





Here's a fact to prospective UKIP voters, if you want out of the EU then be prepared to wait. Because a Labour govt from 2015 will very very likely be re-elected in 2020 on the back of a good long period of economic growth. So you'll have to wait until 2025 or even later.

Vote Tory and you might get out by 2017.

Your call.

No we won't. cameron is a typical post-blairite, someone who tries to walk the middle line so much he achieves nothing. he shares the vision of submission to the eu kollektiv like all the plastics in westminister but his parties "market identity" dictates they must be a bit less euro happy than the others. It's a bit like how an audi A3 1.6D is a bit more "sporty" or "prestigious" than a vw golf 1.6D. Ultimately he'll spin things so we don't have to have the referendum because "things have changed" or "other criteria must be met first" or "in five years will be a better time because of xyz"

[Jasandjules]

rfisher said:

'due to the deficit that he will inherit'

Someone pass me the Oscar vom bucket please.

You mean, less than the previous self serving scum Govt left to the millionaire muppet who is currently in power?

[Gecko1978]

Jasandjules said:

You mean, less than the previous self serving scum Govt left to the millionaire muppet who is currently in power?

Same muppets who have seen our economy grow faster than any other in Europe.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Puggit said:

Such a simpleton - everyone knows that PS wages continued to rise during the recent economic woes, while those lucky ones in the private sector were saddled with zero wage growth and less lucky took wage cuts. The unfortunates lost their jobs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26512643

Thank you for that vote of confidence.

If you're nurse getting 1% next year who do you think you're likely to fret about,
a) Factory workers with no/similar increases?
b) Local MP with his generous pay rises and fat-cat pension scheme?
c) Bankers shovelling millions into their own pockets?

So I'll see your simpleton and show you a fool.

[IanMorewood]

Inherit? He was a treasury minister under winky so he can't inherit something he made.

[Ozzie Osmond]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

You continue to be the best entertainment on my PH.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if you're still quite so full of yourself after the May 2015 election.

[Stuartggray]

Balls by name, Balls by nature.

[Guybrush]

Jasandjules said:

rfisher said:

'due to the deficit that he will inherit'

Someone pass me the Oscar vom bucket please.

You mean, less than the previous self serving scum Govt left to the millionaire muppet who is currently in power?

You can call him a muppet for whatever reason, but inheriting a wrecked economy from Labour, debt that was increasing by £6000 a second, would challenge anyone. The fact that our economy has improved in such a short time is great, but what more could be done in such a short time?

[Funk]

Ozzie Osmond said:

You do have to wonder what's wrong with the conservatives.

"Dear public sector workers.

Next year your standard of living will decrease because we are going to make sure your earnings do not keep up with inflation. But don't worry, the bankers will still be getting their bonuses - even in the loss-making bank which you are lucky enough to own.

Vote for us!!

Lots of Love
Dave"

"Dear public sector workers,

Next year you'll be glad to hear your standard of living will improve ahead of those in the private sector on similar incomes as we'll be giving you a pay increase whilst they receive nothing from their employers.

Lots of love,

Dave"

[mph1977]

98elise said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

You do have to wonder what's wrong with the conservatives.

"Dear public sector workers.

Next year your standard of living will decrease because we are going to make sure your earnings do not keep up with inflation. But don't worry, the bankers will still be getting their bonuses - even in the loss-making bank which you are lucky enough to own.

Vote for us!!

Lots of Love
Dave"

Thats an odd post. Are public sector workers tied into bank workers bonuses in some way? Are public sector workers banned from moving into the banking industry if they wanted those bonuses?

Seems like the standard moan about it not being fair that somone made better choices, or has done better. Its a free world, move on, do something else, better yourself......just don't sit there and moan about it if you've done nothing to better yourself.

I think this is based on the misapprehension that the bailed out banks miraculously became 'public sector employers' when they were bailed out ...

Public sector pay stuff is based o nthe fact that the pay reform under Labour for the public sector was driven by the unions - in the NHS pay reform was sorely needed as there were dozens of paty review bodies and sets of pay scales replaced with Agenda for Change for the majority of staff ( Doctors and Dentists have their own pay scale and Director level appointments are in neither ) with it's 8 increments per band but only 3 competency /performance points ( 4 in band 5 for Health professionals) ( meaning 5 free second 'pay rises' a year in your first 8 years in a band ) - this conveniently forgets that for many Health Professionals the top increment of band 5 or band 6 is the effective pay ceiling due to the profound narrowing of the pyramid at this point and the very limited number of clinical roles above this level - same pattern in the Fire Service and the Police with the numbers / pyramid shape limitign progress beyond PC or FF/ Crew Manager gardes - the military has a far recher rank structure and the dual nature of having both NCO and Officer management paths helps with progression - as does the 'normality' of people doing 4/8/12 year commitments and coming out with a trade for civilian life ...

[irocfan]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Thank you for that vote of confidence.

If you're nurse getting 1% next year who do you think you're likely to fret about,
a) Factory workers with no/similar increases?
b) Local MP with his generous pay rises and fat-cat pension scheme?
c) Bankers shovelling millions into their own pockets?

So I'll see your simpleton and show you a fool.

ahhhh I see once again the politics of envy and stupidity... you're getting more than me so you should have it taken off you mentality. What's really piss-boiling about ish comments like the above is the constant misperception that bankers are all on millions - obviously I missed the fking memo, most people who work in banks are ordinary people struggling to get by yet we still read fkwittery like the above! I can assure you that were I to earn/be given millions London wouldn't see my arse in a working capacity ever again

[mph1977]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Puggit said:

Such a simpleton - everyone knows that PS wages continued to rise during the recent economic woes, while those lucky ones in the private sector were saddled with zero wage growth and less lucky took wage cuts. The unfortunates lost their jobs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26512643

Thank you for that vote of confidence.

If you're nurse getting 1% next year who do you think you're likely to fret about,
a) Factory workers with no/similar increases?
b) Local MP with his generous pay rises and fat-cat pension scheme?
c) Bankers shovelling millions into their own pockets?

So I'll see your simpleton and show you a fool.

take off the green tinted glasses

never mind that the factory workers gettign the similar rise have also got a new company pension scheme - many of whom won't previously had access to a company scheme as that was for 'staff' only not hourly paid scum

never mind the factory staff also get a bonus, attendance allowance, preferential prices or access to product ( the only preferential access to NHS healthcare NHS staff get is totally unofficial - trusts aren't even allowed to pay 'amentity' or 'courtesy' rates for their staff who need procedures etc even if it will get them back to work quicker)

[santona1937]

How many Public sector workers ( not those contracted by private companies) are claiming benefit.
I suspect that it is far less as a percentage than private sector workers.
The UK should be aiming to increase the pay of private sector workers not decrease the pay of public sector workers. Increasing private sector workers wages, ( especially by requiring a living wage) and taking them off benefits would drop the welfare bill substantially.

[supersingle]

santona1937 said:

How many Public sector workers ( not those contracted by private companies) are claiming benefit.
I suspect that it is far less as a percentage than private sector workers.
The UK should be aiming to increase the pay of private sector workers not decrease the pay of public sector workers. Increasing private sector workers wages, ( especially by requiring a living wage) and taking them off benefits would drop the welfare bill substantially.

What are you going to do with all the people rendered unemployed because it becomes illegal for them to sell their labour at the market rate?

[mph1977]

santona1937 said:

How many Public sector workers ( not those contracted by private companies) are claiming benefit.
I suspect that it is far less as a percentage than private sector workers.
The UK should be aiming to increase the pay of private sector workers not decrease the pay of public sector workers. Increasing private sector workers wages, ( especially by requiring a living wage) and taking them off benefits would drop the welfare bill substantially.

Given that the NHS effectively got rid of band 1 roles ( where it exists it has only three increments which are the same as the bottom 3 increments of band 2) ... that means the minimum wage for directly employed staff is :-

14294 / (52.14* 37.5) = 7.31 gbp / hour gross

that means far fewer NHS staff would be entitled to tax credits and HB than their entry level job comparators in the private sector - although with private sector pay rates you have to build in aspects of normally paid variable pay which aren't in the headline rate of pay ( attendance bonus, 'performance' bonus ...)

[santona1937]

supersingle said:

What are you going to do with all the people rendered unemployed because it becomes illegal for them to sell their labour at the market rate?

but until the state stops subsidising low wages th UK will never know the true market rate, At the moment the market rate is artificially low

[turbobloke]

There isn't such a thing as a true market rate that's different to whatever pertains in any particular sector, the balance that exists at any one time between pressure for higher and lower wages, that is the market rate.

Somebody who holds that there is such a thing needs to pick a sector, state the current rate, and explain how the true rate is calculated and what it is.

A wet finger in the air doesn't cut it.

[catso]

Personally I don't see the problem. Any defecit will be completely eradicated by the tax on bankers bonuses that he will introduce, apparently there's at least eleventy-billion-trillion pounds or enough to buy the world ten times over...