Dear God - when will Politicians stop being f*ckwits

[Bing o]

So I'm reading teh Times this morning. 2 things stand out to me:

1. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/art...

Times said:

Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary, is to announce today a freeze on funding for “awareness-raising” projects in Britain.

Excellent thinks me, how sensible.

Times said:

Mr Mitchell said that the savings would be redirected to aid abroad. Among projects to be cancelled immediately is £146,000 for “a Brazilian-style dance troupe with percussion in Hackney”, the Department for International Development (DfID) said.

Mr Mitchell told The Times: “I’m surprised that Labour ministers thought these projects were the best use of British aid. That’s why my first act at the DfID was to cancel these projects and order the money to be redirected immediately to the front line of the war on global poverty.”

So no money actually saved at all. Way to go.

2. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/art...

Times said:

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will create more than 100 peers to ensure that controversial legislation gets through Parliament.

Great - how much will this cost to have yet more unelected people in a position of power?

FFS, we are skint. What is the point of cutting the size of the Lower House if you increase the size of the Upper House??

I really despair, the only spending cuts I've seen have been the police, and everything else is tax based as usual.

[AndrewW-G]

Isn't the 100 new faces in the Lords, simply trying to even out the balance of power in the H.O.L?

[Bing o]

AndrewW-G said:

Isn't the 100 new faces in the Lords, simply trying to even out the balance of power in the H.O.L?

It's based on the percentage of votes received in the GE - I've been in favour of it, but not when they get £200+ a day just for signing in - we're supposed to be cutting the size of government not expanding it. Still as a top rate tax payer, my pockets are limitless when it comes to forking out taxes to pay for all this st.

[don4l]

Why the surprise? They made it clear before the election that foreign aid was one of their priorities.


What surprises me is that people expect old style Tory policies when Cameron promised no such things. He went to the electorate with a slightly left wing and green manifesto. Don't be surprised when he implements it.

Don
--

[Bing o]

don4l said:

Why the surprise? They made it clear before the election that foreign aid was one of their priorities.


What surprises me is that people expect old style Tory policies when Cameron promised no such things. He went to the electorate with a slightly left wing and green manifesto. Don't be surprised when he implements it.

Don
--

Oh, I'm not too surprised. So far they seem to have addressed pretty much fk all of the deficit. Let's all take a 5% pay cut so we look good, and then spunk any savings on 100 more unelected tts to even up the cronyism in Westminster. And guess who's going to end up paying for it.

The UK is royally fked - Camoron and the ConDemnation have done nothing to reassure me that it will be nothing but tax rises and continued wastage, apart from them no doubt hacking teh Police force to death at a time you'd expect crime to rise even more.

[HundredthIdiot]

Bing o said:

So no money actually saved at all. Way to go.

Your expectations are unrealistic.

It is both politically expedient (to prevent accusations of aid cutting) and practically useful (because the money will be more like to be spent where it can do some good).

[XJR40]

Let's give 'em a chance, they've only been in government for a week. They've said that £6bn of cuts are going to be made plus have scheduled a so called emergency budget.

Also, I think if the government cuts too hard, too quick then the double dip is almost a certainty.

[OnTheOverrun]

Bing o said:

FFS, we are skint. What is the point of cutting the size of the Lower House if you increase the size of the Upper House??

MPs get a salary, peers don't. The reductions in the commons are designed to equalise 13 years of gerrymandered boundaries that denied the conservatives a majority with 36% of the vote but would've given labour a 60 majority with the same 36% vote. You're intending to introduce some really scary legislation that will terrify the electorate but has to be done and you need to make sure it gets through the lords first time.

Sorry, can't help with the wasting money on foreign aid question.