Chancellor's Autumn Statement

Moby

GeorgeHowell wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20606382

No real surprises other than perhaps the total cancellation of scheduled 3p fuel duty increase.

Osborne described Balls's response as the worst ever, and so it was. No surprise there then either.

Some are so gullible. There were no suprises because they'd already leaked the fact that they were off course. They then offer something small in the speech itself to make it look like its not quite so bad. Osborne describing Ball's response as the worst ever is neither here or there. Firstly do we care what an upper class priviledged pasty faced idiot thinks? and secondly laughing at Ball's speech impediment says more about the 'flashman' Etonian types across the chamber than anything else! The sooner we are rid of the privileged tory scum the better. They care nothing for the issues of ordinary people. They live in a different world and are propped up by the bigotted Daily Mail types who can't see beyond the red flag issues of immigration and benefit scroungers!

BertieUK

Its about time that Governments should learn by their mistakes and show they have the leadership to lead and thus gain the confidence of the electorate and the respect of the country.

The time has run out, to keep using the 'inherited' card as an excuse. They have held the reigns long enough now to be showing positive signs of progress, but no doubt someone will again try and baffle me with conjectured figures.

May I say to our leaders:- A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying.

Moby

Osborne is being challenged about the G4 money being used to lower the borrowing figures on Radio 4 now and he is all at sea!

grizzly1911

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Absolutely. Nothing has changed. This government lies as much as the government before it, which lied as much as the government before it etc etc. The opposition lies and misleads too (their favourite lie during this administration is that David Cameron is personally writing a cheque for £40,000 to ever miliionaire in the country).

Politics is lying and hoping that the number of morons who believe you outweighs the number of people who know that you are lying through your teeth.

As a footnote there isn't really that much wrong with including the estimated revenue from the 4G auction in the projected borrowing figures.

The government is not giving final figures it is saying how much it expects to borrow during the financial year ended 5 April 2013. The auction is in March 2013. Would be odd to excluded expected income during the period. This is not Enron esque accounting but a normal financial projection as far as I can see.

Or are you suggesting it is also wrong for the govt to include projected tax revenues which will be received between now and the year end in its borrowing projection? Presumably it's also wrong to factor in estimated public spending which hasn't happened yet?

It's right that the 4g revenues are a one off and will make the figures look better than they are, but it's also right to include them in the forecast. That's what a forecast is - estimated future income and expenditure.

I accept what you are saying but it is an exceptional item. I wonder if a business applying for a loan would get the same acceptance.

BTW why is it so much lower than 3G? Is it such a poor upgrade relatively.

grizzly1911

Moby wrote: »

and secondly laughing at Ball's speech impediment says more about the 'flashman' Etonian types across the chamber than anything else!

Daily Mail types who can't see beyond the red flag issues of immigration !

Until I heard the news today I didn't know he had a stammer, when I was told he did. I don't condone any ridicule of such a weakness. It was still an unusually flustered performance.

Are you saying there is no issue with immigration, the accommodation shortage or the impending onslaught on our welfare system and NHS?

Graham_Devon

Balls didn't stammer, he just made an error. Simple as that. If Balls has tried to suggest that that was a result of his speach impedement, that it's a bit of an insult to those with speech impedements.

Listening to both sides, I think what we have a case of here is pure out political war. It's absolutely right that the 4G payments are included, and Ed Balls was this morning back to "listen, the point is not that but" everytime he was asked if labour would have included them. It's just constant round and round in circles.

I've listened to both George Osborne and Ed Balls on the radio today. Both are playing a game, but Osborne has at least answered direct questions. Eveytime Ed Balls was asked a question, it was suggested they have to wait as they don't know the details......and then he goes to attack on the details.

He even ended up attacking the presenters he got so annoyed with being asked the simpleist of "yes or no" questions.

paulmapp8306

BertieUK wrote: »

Andrew Neil at lunchtime pointed out that we are actually borrowing the same amount as last year, but the way they are now calculating the figures has changed to make it appear as if we are actually borrowing less

Nothing changes, if you don't like a stat, just change how the stat is calculated, doesn't change the reality but seems to fool a lot of people

Even so - if were borrowing the same as last year - isnt that a "real term" fall in borrowing? Or are there different rules when it comes to house prices and public borrowing.

Its certainyl true that borrowing hasnt gone up - which it did in most years under Labour.

Wookster

lemonjelly wrote: »

Ever get the feeling you're being lied to?

Its all lies, dammed lies and statistics.

And you need to remember that the Tories wake up at night to drink babies blood.

daveyjp

I notice Mr Osborne didn't fully answer the best question I have heard him asked over the last few days and of course it came from an e-mail from a viewer which went along the lines of.

"How have you been affected by any of these budget cuts?"

The best he could come up with? He has had a "drop in his salary", he of course failed to mention it was a small drop in the Ministerial element of the salary.

Fact is he hasn't suffered at all.

BertieUK

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

Even so - if were borrowing the same as last year - isnt that a "real term" fall in borrowing? Or are there different rules when it comes to house prices and public borrowing.

Its certainyl true that borrowing hasnt gone up - which it did in most years under Labour.

I may be barking up the wrong tree but when you borrow and invest the capital and get a return for it, like getting a mortgage/house you have an investment.

So if you have not borrowed capital to invest then you achieve nothing but a debt, which is where we are now, only in my opinion of course.