UK public borrowing higher than expected in April

Sir_Humphrey

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13519792

The UK recorded its worst April public sector net borrowing on record last month as tax receipts fell, the Office for National Statistics said.
Public borrowing, excluding financial interventions such as bank bail-outs, hit £10bn, compared with £7.3bn the previous year.

I am really having to try hard not to say [STRIKE]I told you so[/STRIKE].

ILW

And your point is?

The cuts have not come in yet.

lemonjelly

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13519792



I am really having to try hard not to say [STRIKE]I told you so[/STRIKE].

Sir Humphrey, just say it.

Then say "We are premier league!!":D

Generali

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13519792



I am really having to try hard not to say [STRIKE]I told you so[/STRIKE].

The Tories have basically stuck to what Labour were going to do so far. Fiscal policies promised at the last election only diverge significantly now.

Sir_Humphrey

lemonjelly wrote: »

Sir Humphrey, just say it.

Then say "We are premier league!!":D

Come on me babbies!

Thrugelmir

Generali wrote: »

The Tories have basically stuck to what Labour were going to do so far. Fiscal policies promised at the last election only diverge significantly now.

The true reality of the economic situation will now start to become very clear.

Thrugelmir

lemonjelly wrote: »

Then say "We are premier league!!":D

May be visiting you next season..........

How's Doyle played this year?

Kennyboy66

Generali wrote: »

The Tories have basically stuck to what Labour were going to do so far. Fiscal policies promised at the last election only diverge significantly now.

Labour "investment" versus Tory "cuts" surely .

It will however expose the folly of;

1) The pensioner triple lock guarantee.

2) "Protecting" health service spending.

3) Hugely increasing overseas aid & planning to legislate to do guarantee it. As it happens the UK is fairly generous already.

4) The fact that nothing as yet seems to have been done to increase ecenomic activity and employment. That could mean anything from scrapping the minimum wage, reducing H & S legislation, and funding small employer apprenticeship schemes without masses of paperwork.

In the case of number 3, Parliament seems increasing to want to pass laws that inevitably will mean future judicial scrutiny and then hold their hands up and say - "we didn't mean that".

You once wrote that Labour once built the Humber bridge to win a by-election, this time the tories will be building bridges all over Africa just to prove they are not the nasty party anymore (and help the Lib Dems retain a few seats).

In the case of number 4, it does seem that the current government have set tough departmental budgets (which is to be admired) but are just sitting on their hands waiting for things to improve.

What we really need is some radical reform - the 21st century equivalent of 1980's Union legislation and privatisation.
I wouldn't have been thinking that 18 months ago.


Current policy does smack of hoping for the best.

Thrugelmir

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

Current policy does smack of hoping for the best.

The Nanny state has come home to roost. As people expect problems to be solved for them. Rather than making decisions for themselves.

Kennyboy66

Thrugelmir wrote: »

The Nanny state has come home to roost. As people expect problems to be solved for them. Rather than making decisions for themselves.

Ridiculous - It wasn't what I meant at all.

I was specifically talking about improving the business environment.
To be specific it could include (and an obvious problem is the European part of some of the below).

1) scrapping some H & S legislation

2) Scrapping the working time directive

3) Not bringing in things like the driver CPC which is due from next year.

4) Scrapping the minimum wage (particularly under 18's and perhaps higher)

5) Extending VAT exemption for small businesses.

6) Reducing "green" legislation.

7) changing some employment law, which in certain areas is weighted too favourably towards employees (and lawyers).

What exactly about wanting the above is supporting the "Nanny state" ?

Lots of talk from the government about the above - very little action however.

Anyone who thinks we will cut the deficit in the long term without economic growth is deluded.

Pennywise

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

Ridiculous - It wasn't what I meant at all.

I was specifically talking about improving the business environment.
To be specific it could include (and an obvious problem is the European part of some of the below).

1) scrapping some H & S legislation

2) Scrapping the working time directive

3) Not bringing in things like the driver CPC which is due from next year.

4) Scrapping the minimum wage (particularly under 18's and perhaps higher)

5) Extending VAT exemption for small businesses.

6) Reducing "green" legislation.

7) changing some employment law, which in certain areas is weighted too favourably towards employees (and lawyers).

What exactly about wanting the above is supporting the "Nanny state" ?

Lots of talk from the government about the above - very little action however.

Anyone who thinks we will cut the deficit in the long term without economic growth is deluded.

Ever thought of standing for Parliament - you're 100% right on all the above points. It will, of course, all happen eventually. For some unfathomable reason, there seems to be a time warp in Parliament as it takes them soooooooooo long to do what needs to be done, but luckily, history shows they get there in the end. Just a matter of patience, but of course, along the way, they'll bring in even more stupid rules/regs that harm the economy and which will take several more years to back down from. The thing is that no sane person can argue that these things are inherently wrong - we all want safe workplaces and decent wages - trouble comes where common sense goes out of the window when the people bringing in these rules don't have the foresight to see the inevitable consequences, so we lurch too far and then have to rewind back to solve other problems. That's something that the likes of Gordon Brown could never see - everything he did was the "right thing" in simple theory, but most of it went badly wrong with unforeseen consequences.