Osborne looking for ideas

[Deleted User]

Wheezy wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/04/chancellor-crowdsources-budget-ideas-george-osborne

Is this for real?

I think now is the time for leadership. This smacks of desperation.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Oh.

Here is the link if anyone wants to share their opinion with Gideon

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget_representation.htm

Wookster

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Politician asks us what WE want.

Labour supporters.......ATTTTACCKKKK!!!!

Politician DOESN'T ask us want.

Labour supporters.......ATTTTACCKKKK!!!!

Yes, Labour have become the Tea Party of the UK, and embody most of the worst Tea Party qualities - belligerence being authoritarian.

Graham_Devon

Wheezy wrote: »

Your 2 options are not mutually exclusive.

Maybe it's just me, but I expect a government to...erm....govern? The consultation with Joe Public was done last May.
And I must have missed the consultation when they decided to hike VAT, lower corporations tax, slash university funding, treble tuition fees, etc....



No

Do you honestly have an issue with our government asking the populace for their input?

Everyone knows full well they will not be able to carry out everything, and I;m sure there will be people suggesting scrapping all taxes etc.

But I find it bizzare that in a democratic country, someone would take issue with the government asking for our input.

I'm trying to find the reason for your issues, i.e. why you find it wrong, but you haven't given any, neither can I see a reason you may have issues with this.

Maybe you could tell me why you find this wrong?

I..e instead of you just stating "is this for real", I'd like you to tell us why you take offence to it.

blueboy43

Wookster wrote: »

Yes, Labour have become the Tea Party of the UK, and embody most of the worst Tea Party qualities - belligerence being authoritarian.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

blueboy43

Generali wrote: »

If you want business to expand to take on more labour it seems sensible to ask them what rule changes would encourage them to do that.

It's either a great idea or a laughable gimmick dreamt up by someone who read "The Wisdom of Crowds" or "Freakenomics" on holiday.

Mind you, I was surprised to see the first suggestion was;

Please tell your mate at DCMS to let me take over Sky.

signed Rupert Murdoch.


We are all in this together.

[Deleted User]

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Do you honestly have an issue with our government asking the populace for their input?

Everyone knows full well they will not be able to carry out everything, and I;m sure there will be people suggesting scrapping all taxes etc.

But I find it bizzare that in a democratic country, someone would take issue with the government asking for our input.

I'm trying to find the reason for your issues, i.e. why you find it wrong, but you haven't given any, neither can I see a reason you may have issues with this.

Maybe you could tell me why you find this wrong?

I..e instead of you just stating "is this for real", I'd like you to tell us why you take offence to it.

We are in the middle of the worst economic situation the country has experienced since possibly the great depression. This is not news, so we should expect our leaders, especially the chancellor, to have an idea as to what he's going to do about it. Looking for ideas at this stage is a bit late don't you think?

I'd have been all in favour of this prior to the election or at the start of the financial crisis but to do it now underlines that Osborne is clueless or at best more interested in popularity than resolving the issue.

[Deleted User]

I suppose one other possibility for going down this route would be to blame the least popular parts of the budget on the respondents :-)

Wheezy_2

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Do you honestly have an issue with our government asking the populace for their input?

Everyone knows full well they will not be able to carry out everything, and I;m sure there will be people suggesting scrapping all taxes etc.

But I find it bizzare that in a democratic country, someone would take issue with the government asking for our input.

I'm trying to find the reason for your issues, i.e. why you find it wrong, but you haven't given any, neither can I see a reason you may have issues with this.

Maybe you could tell me why you find this wrong?

I..e instead of you just stating "is this for real", I'd like you to tell us why you take offence to it.

I have no issues nor take offence, my dear Graham.
But can you really not see the funny side?
1) Government pushes through a whole list of legislation without consultation nor asking us for input.
2) Opposition says it's the wrong policies at the wrong time
3) Government says opposition has no policies nor ideas
4) Government opens portal to ask for ideas

It's a gimmick, Graham...

Jennifer_Jane

It may be a gimmick, but when Trevor Manuel, the Finance Minister in South Africa used to do it*, I think he really got a feel for what was required in the Country. At Budget time, he would mention some of the things requested and whether or not he could include them in the Budget. He mentioned names of individuals, which I know politicians in the UK like to do, too (judging from my watching the pre-election TV broadcasts, and Parliament Live)!

Of course, Trevor Manuel is a man of great charm, charisma, and humour (I know that probably no-one here knows of him naturally), so this may not work so well with our Georgie.

PS - I think he did it for all the years he was Finance Minister - so 10 years or so.