Could a Lib Dem Govt. be good for the country?

[10 Pence Short]

Me? Socialist? When your political heroine is Margerate Thatcher I don't think you can accuse me of being socialist.

Prick? Very possible.

[JacksHereR]

love is a drug

[hidetheelephants]

10 Pence Short said:

The whole f'cking EU project is a corrupt gravy train for politicians (well, crooks masquerading as politicians (see Mandelson)) to disappear out of public view whilst siphoning away as much tax generated cash into their own pockets as possible. The more the UK integrates with the EU the more we become a fantastic cash cow at the mercy of nations who hold very little historical affection for us.

Indeed, see how the EU mandarins treated Hans Martin Tillack when he tried to blow the whistle on the corruption. Did OLAF thank him and investigate the allegations? No, they got him arrested and had his computer seized. To date, the EU still has no audited accounts; no-one knows how much corruption there is because the accounting system has more holes than a lump of Gruyere.

[s2art]

hidetheelephants said:

s2art said:

grumbledoak said:

IMF rescues come with strings attached. A quick check of the history books might help you here.

Or, you could work out which African country never took such loans...

Any bail-out will come with strings attached. Check out what happened to the UK the last time Labour ruined our economy, the IMF dictated public spending un the UK for years.

Point of order; we never got an IMF loan. The severe budget cuts enacted by Denis Healey in order to meet the demands of the IMF averted the crisis sufficiently on their own, so no loan was required.

Not true. Labour made two drawings of the IMF loan. So they didnt take the full loan, but they did take some.

[hidetheelephants]

s2art said:

Not true. Labour made two drawings of the IMF loan. So they didnt take the full loan, but they did take some.

Do you have a source for that? I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that in his autobiography Healey stated that the austerity measures worked so well the loan was never drawn on.

[s2art]

hidetheelephants said:

s2art said:

Not true. Labour made two drawings of the IMF loan. So they didnt take the full loan, but they did take some.

Do you have a source for that? I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that in his autobiography Healey stated that the austerity measures worked so well the loan was never drawn on.

IIRC Labour had already taken a $1 billion unconditional IMF loan prior to requesting the conditional $4 billion one in late 76. See below.

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2008/09/...

'Wass describes the agreement as a "huge personal achievement" for Healey and also for Alan Whittome, the leader of the IMF team. Announcement of the agreement quickly had an "extraordinarily favorable" effect on sterling, permitting the reserves to be replenished and interest rates to be reduced. The United Kingdom needed to make only two drawings on the IMF, out of the eight allowed, and it soon began repaying.'

[hidetheelephants]

s2art said:

hidetheelephants said:

s2art said:

Not true. Labour made two drawings of the IMF loan. So they didnt take the full loan, but they did take some.

Do you have a source for that? I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that in his autobiography Healey stated that the austerity measures worked so well the loan was never drawn on.

IIRC Labour had already taken a $1 billion unconditional IMF loan prior to requesting the conditional $4 billion one in late 76. See below.

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2008/09/...

'Wass describes the agreement as a "huge personal achievement" for Healey and also for Alan Whittome, the leader of the IMF team. Announcement of the agreement quickly had an "extraordinarily favorable" effect on sterling, permitting the reserves to be replenished and interest rates to be reduced. The United Kingdom needed to make only two drawings on the IMF, out of the eight allowed, and it soon began repaying.'

Cheers; every day is a schoolday. I guess Denis was just indulging his ego a bit in the biog.