Liz Truss Prime Minister

[xeny]

skwdenyer said:

“Best value” is a wide measure, and should include the wider benefits to the economy - not to mention how hard it is to persuade export buyers to buy British when our own Government won’t! The short-termism inherent in buying a slightly cheaper overseas option is a part of how our economy ended up in a mess.

I saw an analysis of the US armed forces on this basis - essentially tax from the companies making the weapons acts as a discount to the US Defence budget, as well as amortising development costs. The firms then sell the product overseas, generating more tax take for the US Gov't. They get decent weapons at a huge discount when all the cash flows are included.

[skwdenyer]

xeny said:

skwdenyer said:

“Best value” is a wide measure, and should include the wider benefits to the economy - not to mention how hard it is to persuade export buyers to buy British when our own Government won’t! The short-termism inherent in buying a slightly cheaper overseas option is a part of how our economy ended up in a mess.

I saw an analysis of the US armed forces on this basis - essentially tax from the companies making the weapons acts as a discount to the US Defence budget, as well as amortising development costs. The firms then sell the product overseas, generating more tax take for the US Gov't. They get decent weapons at a huge discount when all the cash flows are included.

Yup. Which is precisely why “austerity” was so stupid. You can’t cut your way to a higher tax take. Thatcher did everyone a disservice by allowing people to pretend that the national accounts are like a household budget.

[Wombat3]

skwdenyer said:

xeny said:

skwdenyer said:

“Best value” is a wide measure, and should include the wider benefits to the economy - not to mention how hard it is to persuade export buyers to buy British when our own Government won’t! The short-termism inherent in buying a slightly cheaper overseas option is a part of how our economy ended up in a mess.

I saw an analysis of the US armed forces on this basis - essentially tax from the companies making the weapons acts as a discount to the US Defence budget, as well as amortising development costs. The firms then sell the product overseas, generating more tax take for the US Gov't. They get decent weapons at a huge discount when all the cash flows are included.

Yup. Which is precisely why “austerity” was so stupid. You can’t cut your way to a higher tax take. Thatcher did everyone a disservice by allowing people to pretend that the national accounts are like a household budget.

Funny that, the same people who say that Austerity was stupid (as a means of trying to control a massive unfunded structural deficit) are usually the same ones that berated Truss-onomics for promising unfunded public spending......

[Legacywr]

Derek Smith said:

Legacywr said:

It’s not as easy as that, though.

Paying low wages and having the tax-payer prop up businesses isn't as easy as paying a proper wage.

They’re subsidising the cost of living. The majority of businesses are generating huge profits,

[Mr Penguin]

Kwasi Kwarteng did an interview on Leading with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Part 1 released yesterday, part 2 next week. Part 1 is about his background and beliefs and part 2 is presumably going to be about his time as Chancellor. Campbell said it is going to be uncomfortable listening for Truss, probably because he accepts blame for what happened while she blames it on Ocado and other elements of the deep state.

He fluffed it a bit when he was Chancellor but he's very intelligent and a very good communicator and I expected him to become PM at some point. He's a rare politician who comes across as being straightforward and open.

[Wombat3]

Mr Penguin said:

Kwasi Kwarteng did an interview on Leading with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Part 1 released yesterday, part 2 next week. Part 1 is about his background and beliefs and part 2 is presumably going to be about his time as Chancellor. Campbell said it is going to be uncomfortable listening for Truss, probably because he accepts blame for what happened while she blames it on Ocado and other elements of the deep state.

He fluffed it a bit when he was Chancellor but he's very intelligent and a very good communicator and I expected him to become PM at some point. He's a rare politician who comes across as being straightforward and open.

He was incredibly naiive.

[CoolHands]

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

[hidetheelephants]

All send and no receive, he knew it all and everyone else was wrong.

[Mr Penguin]

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

[mikeiow]

Mr Penguin said:

Kwasi Kwarteng did an interview on Leading with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Part 1 released yesterday, part 2 next week. Part 1 is about his background and beliefs and part 2 is presumably going to be about his time as Chancellor. Campbell said it is going to be uncomfortable listening for Truss, probably because he accepts blame for what happened while she blames it on Ocado and other elements of the deep state.

He fluffed it a bit when he was Chancellor but he's very intelligent and a very good communicator and I expected him to become PM at some point. He's a rare politician who comes across as being straightforward and open.

A bit?
A BIT?

He completely fked things up massively in those few days, as did the gormless lettuce.

I had thought prior to that he appeared to be a smart guy, but his time in office was utterly unbelievable. Clueless fking idiot!

I’ll try to listen to the podcasts though: they often make for interesting listening. Even made Angela Rayner sound a reasonable option for deputy PM

[WestyCarl]

This podcast did a 3 part analysis of Truss's month in power, it was follwed up with a 2 part interview with her.

The rest is money

[James6112]

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

[S600BSB]

James6112 said:

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

You could well be right.

[turbobloke]

S600BSB said:

James6112 said:

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

You could well be right.

Crossing the floor has taken off and Starmer takes 'em all. The drop in pay would be offset by a growing false sense of moral superiority. After the election, there's a well-worn path from Labour to the BBC.


The Labour Party
Digital Engagement Officer, Wales
https://labour.org.uk › About Us › Work with us
Salary: £40,974.13 (gross) per annum, with a fixed sum allowance of £1,127. Duration: A fixed-term contract to the next UK General Election.

[Mr Penguin]

A digital engagement officer sounds like a very normal position for a political party to have, what am I missing?

[Castrol for a knave]

turbobloke said:

S600BSB said:

James6112 said:

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

You could well be right.

Crossing the floor has taken off and Starmer takes 'em all. The drop in pay would be offset by a growing false sense of moral superiority. After the election, there's a well-worn path from Labour to the BBC.


The Labour Party
Digital Engagement Officer, Wales
https://labour.org.uk › About Us › Work with us
Salary: £40,974.13 (gross) per annum, with a fixed sum allowance of £1,127. Duration: A fixed-term contract to the next UK General Election.

As pleasant and interesting Kwarteng came across in the interview, morality and integrity were not on his list. He was oddly unable to engage in the concept that there should be such in politics. I could hear the exasperation in Rory's voice. Politics for Kwarteng was to pursue an ideology, not pubic service.

Not sure what the job advert has to do with anything.

[S600BSB]

Castrol for a knave said:

turbobloke said:

S600BSB said:

James6112 said:

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

You could well be right.

Crossing the floor has taken off and Starmer takes 'em all. The drop in pay would be offset by a growing false sense of moral superiority. After the election, there's a well-worn path from Labour to the BBC.


The Labour Party
Digital Engagement Officer, Wales
https://labour.org.uk › About Us › Work with us
Salary: £40,974.13 (gross) per annum, with a fixed sum allowance of £1,127. Duration: A fixed-term contract to the next UK General Election.

As pleasant and interesting Kwarteng came across in the interview, morality and integrity were not on his list. He was oddly unable to engage in the concept that there should be such in politics. I could hear the exasperation in Rory's voice. Politics for Kwarteng was to pursue an ideology, not pubic service.

Not sure what the job advert has to do with anything.

It’s TB, so nothing to do with very much really.

[President Merkin]

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

Straight to the heart of the issue there. If Kwarteng had chosen history teacher instead of politics, millions wouldn't be facing cliff edges on their mortgages. If you boys are even vaguely representative of what passes for debate in Tory circles, then it sure is a mystery how they've ended up 20 points behind in the polls forever & a day.

[turbobloke]

Castrol for a knave said:

turbobloke said:

S600BSB said:

James6112 said:

Mr Penguin said:

CoolHands said:

He’s quite a nice bloke to listen to, a bit like Michael portillo

He'd also do very well on TV. Both are eloquent, confident, intelligent, charismatic. I bet Kwarteng would make some fantastic history documentaries.

You could have been right..

But trashing the economy & laughing at the queens funeral has finished any media aspirations.
Too toxic.

You could well be right.

Crossing the floor has taken off and Starmer takes 'em all. The drop in pay would be offset by a growing false sense of moral superiority. After the election, there's a well-worn path from Labour to the BBC.


The Labour Party
Digital Engagement Officer, Wales
https://labour.org.uk › About Us › Work with us
Salary: £40,974.13 (gross) per annum, with a fixed sum allowance of £1,127. Duration: A fixed-term contract to the next UK General Election.

As pleasant and interesting Kwarteng came across in the interview, morality and integrity were not on his list. He was oddly unable to engage in the concept that there should be such in politics. I could hear the exasperation in Rory's voice. Politics for Kwarteng was to pursue an ideology, not pubic service.

Not sure what the job advert has to do with anything.

It's getting a bit more O/T at this stage but OK. There's an O/T icon for times like this after all.

Did the discussion not involve next-steps for Kwarteng? A role on TV was mentioned. BBC hiring political types and ex-Labour people in particular is a known habit, so he'd have to start somewhere. The fall in pay that comes with the advertised job would be in keeping with, and atone for, his fall from grace on social media.

The well-worn path from Labour to BBC is more of a trench, trodden over time at all levels from Robert Kilroy SIlk through James Purnell to Oscar Bentley. Micro-rebalancing the BBC with a turned Tory would do no harm. He'd do OK at the interview, probably, if they held one.

HTH

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/bbc...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/05/24/bbc-ac...
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/x-bbc-launches-...

[Mr Penguin]

President Merkin said:

Straight to the heart of the issue there. If Kwarteng had chosen history teacher instead of politics, millions wouldn't be facing cliff edges on their mortgages. If you boys are even vaguely representative of what passes for debate in Tory circles, then it sure is a mystery how they've ended up 20 points behind in the polls forever & a day.

What issue? He obviously won't be getting a ministerial job again but he does have the skills and time for another career. TV presenter is merely one that he would be good at.