Osbourne Announces Benefit Changes for manifesto

Osbourne Announces Benefit Changes for manifesto

Author
Discussion

sidicks

25,218 posts

221 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
edh said:
Yes - I proposed a £50bn pa cut the other day, but oddly enough you were against it
I explained why the figure you quoted was only part of the picture, but oddly enough you didn't want to believe it.

crankedup

25,764 posts

243 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Whichever Parties form the next coalition in Government I want to see much more on Policies that will promote growth through industry and exports. Its not all about cuts in benefits to get this Country back on track. We must have infrastructure expansion and incentives for the U.K. based Corporations to invest here.

petemurphy

10,122 posts

183 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
crankedup said:
Whichever Parties form the next coalition in Government I want to see much more on Policies that will promote growth through industry and exports. Its not all about cuts in benefits to get this Country back on track. We must have infrastructure expansion and incentives for the U.K. based Corporations to invest here.
i was in shoreditch yesterday and couldnt get a decent wifi signal. i'm home today and cant get any o2 signal. 1/2 the time in london yesterday i couldnt get 3g. we need the basics sorting.

XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
crankedup said:
Whichever Parties form the next coalition in Government I want to see much more on Policies that will promote growth through industry and exports. Its not all about cuts in benefits to get this Country back on track. We must have infrastructure expansion and incentives for the U.K. based Corporations to invest here.
Firstly you need to remember that the global free market economy is all about the race to the bottom in terms of wages and resulting social and health cost provision.

It would be a better idea to forget about exports and just sort out creating a situation whereby the domestic market is dominated by domestically produced goods.As it stands it is the trade deficit and the import bill and the costs of subsidising unemployment and low pay in the service and retail sectors dominated labour market that's left that is sinking the economy.

As for 'infrastructure' that is a net cost to the economy not a wealth creator.In addition to which there is a point where you can saturate a place with so many rail lines,roads and airports etc etc as to make the quality of life untenable.Which is more or less where the South East is heading.

Rovinghawk

13,300 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
XJ Flyer said:
Firstly you need to remember that the global free market economy is all about the race to the bottom
It might be more accurate to say that it's letting things find their own level.


XJ Flyer said:
As for 'infrastructure' that is a net cost to the economy not a wealth creator.
So if we get rid of all future infrastructure we'll be better off? Let's not build any more power stations & see how long the lights can stay on.

Hackney

6,841 posts

208 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
petemurphy said:
i was in shoreditch yesterday and couldnt get a decent wifi signal. i'm home today and cant get any o2 signal. 1/2 the time in london yesterday i couldnt get 3g. we need the basics sorting.
This. We're at least a decade behind South Korea.
We even lag behind countries like Finland on this stuff.

XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25944653

Knock yourself out.

As for Unemployment http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27410917

Even the BBC forced to report Unemployment at a five year low

I am not saying it is perfect, there is plenty still wrong. But to cut spending AND achieve growth is not easy. You can look at plenty of other countries who slashed public spending and killed demand in the economy.

At least the Tories are aware there is still a deficit problem, unlike the two Ed's for whom it seems to have totally skipped their minds.
There is too much concentration ( diversion ) on the trend when it is the actual figure that's the important bit which is still in the millions.That is even with all the unemployment figure avoidance scams like increasing the school leaving age and people at 'university' studying for non jobs like art and sociology etc etc etc all living on 'student loans' which will probably never get paid back.

However the idea of an over supplied/cheap labour market has been a deliberate policy by all parties to keep wage rates artificially low anyway for decades.It is just that the global free market economy takes that idea to new levels.



XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Rovinghawk said:
XJ Flyer said:
Firstly you need to remember that the global free market economy is all about the race to the bottom
It might be more accurate to say that it's letting things find their own level.


XJ Flyer said:
As for 'infrastructure' that is a net cost to the economy not a wealth creator.
So if we get rid of all future infrastructure we'll be better off? Let's not build any more power stations & see how long the lights can stay on.
The only people who'd want to let things 'find their own ( lowest ) level in terms of wages are those few who benefit from that in terms of personal profit.Like Communist Party officials and their new found allies amongst the so called 'Capitalists'.The fact is if it isn't Fordism then it isn't Capitalism.

No one is saying we don't need infrastructure but first you need the wealth created in high wage employment in industry to pay for it.Hopwever there is a point where it changes from a case of building what we need,to one of a mistaken job creation scheme that takes money out of the economy not puts it in.Or in which too much 'infrastructure' is concentrated in too small an area like the South East for example.

Rovinghawk

13,300 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
XJ Flyer said:
The only people who'd want to let things 'find their own ( lowest ) level in terms of wages .
Who says that the natural level is the lowest? Ever hear tell of a strange phenomenon known as supply & demand?

XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Rovinghawk said:
XJ Flyer said:
The only people who'd want to let things 'find their own ( lowest ) level in terms of wages .
Who says that the natural level is the lowest? Ever hear tell of a strange phenomenon known as supply & demand?
Supply and demand is just fine just so long as it isn't rigged in the form of exporting jobs to places like Mexico or China etc in the global free market economy or importing labour in the form of immigration.That would certainly produce a situation in which the 'natural level' wouldn't be the lowest.

Gargamel

14,988 posts

261 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
XJ Flyer said:
However the idea of an over supplied/cheap labour market has been a deliberate policy by all parties to keep wage rates artificially low anyway for decades.It is just that the global free market economy takes that idea to new levels.
Honestly ? Is this really the kind of conspiracy stuff that you beleive. Don't you think that Policitians like many people actually want the citizens of the country to prosper and thrive. Given the focus on Education, training and opportunities that can be provided and ARE provided in this country, don't you think it is a disgrace that we have such a rump of unskilled and at times unemployable people.

It is in no-ones interest to have unemployment. Our country would be much better off if everyone who could work, worked. it would reduce benefit spending, reduce housing benefits, reduce immigration, improve life opportunities including medical benefits, the list goes on and on.

Various Governments have tried all kinds of schemes to get people working, but there are some for whom alas the idea of a steady, developing, meaningful job is just too much of an effort, or they lack the basic determination to make it happen.

Personally I believe that almost every child is capable of achieving five GSCE's and learning a lifelong employable skill. Governments have tried and tried to make this Country a high skills base and knowledge economy, and some progress has been made.

Hackney

6,841 posts

208 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
petemurphy said:
i was in shoreditch yesterday and couldnt get a decent wifi signal. i'm home today and cant get any o2 signal. 1/2 the time in london yesterday i couldnt get 3g. we need the basics sorting.
This. We're at least a decade behind South Korea.
We even lag behind countries like Finland on this stuff.

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
wsurfa said:
Mojocvh said:
"We have the highest economic growth in the Western Economies. Unemployment has fallen substantially, the deficit is reducing, our total Debt remains below 80% of GDP "

says WHO?
I'd go for EU/IMF, ONS/Eurostat, IFS

And you'd go for.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25944653

Knock yourself out.

As for Unemployment http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27410917

Even the BBC forced to report Unemployment at a five year low

I am not saying it is perfect, there is plenty still wrong. But to cut spending AND achieve growth is not easy. You can look at plenty of other countries who slashed public spending and killed demand in the economy.

At least the Tories are aware there is still a deficit problem, unlike the two Ed's for whom it seems to have totally skipped their minds.
Erm kind of my point, that the EU/IMF, ONS/Eurostat and OECD all support the statements made

XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
XJ Flyer said:
However the idea of an over supplied/cheap labour market has been a deliberate policy by all parties to keep wage rates artificially low anyway for decades.It is just that the global free market economy takes that idea to new levels.
Honestly ? Is this really the kind of conspiracy stuff that you beleive. Don't you think that Policitians like many people actually want the citizens of the country to prosper and thrive. Given the focus on Education, training and opportunities that can be provided and ARE provided in this country, don't you think it is a disgrace that we have such a rump of unskilled and at times unemployable people.

It is in no-ones interest to have unemployment. Our country would be much better off if everyone who could work, worked. it would reduce benefit spending, reduce housing benefits, reduce immigration, improve life opportunities including medical benefits, the list goes on and on.

Various Governments have tried all kinds of schemes to get people working, but there are some for whom alas the idea of a steady, developing, meaningful job is just too much of an effort, or they lack the basic determination to make it happen.

Personally I believe that almost every child is capable of achieving five GSCE's and learning a lifelong employable skill. Governments have tried and tried to make this Country a high skills base and knowledge economy, and some progress has been made.
Are you seriously suggesting that we've actually got a government policy of a labour market that is biased towards keeping the demand for domestic labour higher than the supply.With an immigration and trade policy that is consistent with that.As opposed to a deliberate policy of vice versa.

While exactly 'who' does the non 'high skills base' and 'knowledge' jobs that will still need to be done in this brave new elitist utopia.

Why not the type of well paid jobs in industry which were available for those who chose to leave school at the age of 16 or earlier with no need for any elitist irrelevant acedemic 'qualifications'.I'm guessing that there's no place for indigenous factory workers or truck drivers in this brave new world.Let me guess that will all be done by immigrant labour or exported to cheap labour countries like China I suppose.

The fact is the labour market is mostly about supply and demand and assuming the impossible situation of every person being a university graduate,then you'll just be in an even worse situation,of too many over qualified workers,looking for too few of the so called 'knowledge' jobs that they are all qualified for.So yet more downward pressure on wages in that sector of the labour market too.With the added problem of default on student loans.

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cardsloans/article-232...


Edited by XJ Flyer on Wednesday 1st October 16:30


Edited by XJ Flyer on Wednesday 1st October 16:32


Edited by XJ Flyer on Wednesday 1st October 17:13

Rovinghawk

13,300 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
XJ Flyer said:
Why not the type of well paid jobs in industry which were available for those who chose to leave school at the age of 16 or earlier with no need for any elitist irrelevant acedemic 'qualifications'.I'm guessing that there's no place for indigenous factory workers or truck drivers in this brave new world.
Why don't you employ a few such people, if it's such a good idea?

XJ Flyer

5,526 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Rovinghawk said:
XJ Flyer said:
Why not the type of well paid jobs in industry which were available for those who chose to leave school at the age of 16 or earlier with no need for any elitist irrelevant acedemic 'qualifications'.I'm guessing that there's no place for indigenous factory workers or truck drivers in this brave new world.
Why don't you employ a few such people, if it's such a good idea?
Because it takes large established industrial employers employing millions of workers.In a trading environment where the competition can't undercut the highly paid workforce by importing cheaper made products or cheaper labour from cheaper labour countries.Or for that matter importing higher priced goods from places like Germany to keep the German population happy for fear of them kicking off another war.




Edited by XJ Flyer on Wednesday 1st October 16:42

smegmore

3,091 posts

176 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all

edh

3,498 posts

269 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
sidicks said:
edh said:
Yes - I proposed a £50bn pa cut the other day, but oddly enough you were against it
I explained why the figure you quoted was only part of the picture, but oddly enough you didn't want to believe it.
Yes you said we'd get it back at some time in the future, well some of it anyway. I believe that much. Doesn't mean we shouldn't have the money now instead.

sidicks

25,218 posts

221 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
edh said:
Yes you said we'd get it back at some time in the future, well some of it anyway. I believe that much. Doesn't mean we shouldn't have the money now instead.
Unless it would have adverse consequences in the future, much worse than £50bn now...

Rovinghawk

13,300 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
XJ Flyer said:
<reasons>
So you won't do it, you just think others should do it.

Are you perchance a socialist?