What is Labour's Economic Policy?

chewmylegoff

Labour, of course, don't have an economic policy other than to oppose the government's economic policy. As others have said - that's adversarial opposition politics for you. What does anyone suggest? If you're the opposition and the economy is screwed, of course you just say that the government is wrong and it should be doing something else (that something else being utterly vaguely defined). As your position is hypothetical and so vague as to be incapable of being modeled effectively, no-one can actually prove that you are wrong.

The likelihood is that Labour would be just as ineffective as the current government at dealing with the macro-economic condition. The reality is that the Labour government 1997-2010 did not create the global financial crisis and ensuing recession any more than the current government can resolve the eurozone debt crisis or weak global demand by tinkering with UK public spending.

Labour are liars for suggesting that the government have caused the double/triple/quadruple dip recession, but the Tories would be saying the same things that Labour are (maybe dressed up in a different way) if they were in opposition.

Frankly, I don't believe we can do anything much to improve growth (at least not real growth - obviously we could borrow money, spend it, and add that spending to GDP, but that would not make us richer...).

BertieUK

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Frankly, I don't believe we can do anything much to improve growth (at least not real growth - obviously we could borrow money, spend it, and add that spending to GDP, but that would not make us richer...).

Maybe we can only hope that the winners of the next Election become known as the party of...

...The lesser of two evils principle (or lesser evil principle) is the idea in politics and political science that of two bad choices, one is not as bad as the other and should therefore be chosen over the one that is the greater threat.

We can only hope.

chewmylegoff

BertieUK wrote: »

Maybe we can only hope that the winners of the next Election become know as the party of...

...The lesser of two evils principle (or lesser evil principle) is the idea in politics and political science that of two bad choices, one is not as bad as the other and should therefore be chosen over the one that is the greater threat.

We can only hope.

trouble is - how do you know which path is the lesser evil. it is possible that the current government's policies are better for the current circumstances than the alternative proposed - it looks like they are doing a botch job because the GDP stats say so - but we will never know whether labour would have actually created an even worse mess in the same circumstances (unless someone travels back in time in a modified delorian and offers nick clegg a 2020 sports almanac if he agrees to form a government with gordon brown).

BertieUK

chewmylegoff wrote: »

).

I just hope that sanity reigns within the Electorate in that miracles just do not happen in the short time that the Cons have been in power, it may look to some that there is no progress in our economy but long term solutions take time, in this case what has had to be cleared up, which was a major disaster caused by many political blunders, it will take a long time, in fact well into the next Parliament at least before we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Deleted User]

Graham_Devon wrote: »

This is all very convinient isn't it!

When they don't win an election, were told by supporters "ahh, but they didn't want to win, so they actually suceeded".

When they don't have any policies its because "ahhh, they don't need any and you only want to nick them".

Yet time after time, without a single policy of their own, it's fair play to shout from the rooftops that the tory and lib dem policies are wrong.

How very very convinient. No doubt if they don't win again this time round, it's because they don't want to again and they have played an intelligent blinder of a game?

So much for doing the best for the country eh.

so why did the tories between 1997 and 2010 except at elections have NO policies?probably because they couldnt hold onto their leaders?
as it happens labour do have policies and have consulted widely within the party on them,but their job atm is to oppose
come the next election the voters will have 2 choices 1)the coalition parties that have made one big mess of everything or 2)the labour party
my guess is that they will opt for number 2,and the opinion polls seem to agree with me,you guv giving labour the biggest lead since 2002 at the start of this week of 15 points
the tories are running scared,in govt,across the country and on forums like these
just one final thought;people vote with their wallets and many of them are empty in this country and will remain so until 2015....job done !

[Deleted User]

BertieUK wrote: »

I just hope that sanity reigns within the Electorate in that miracles just do not happen in the short time that the Cons have been in power, it may look to some that there is no progress in our economy but long term solutions take time, in this case what has had to be cleared up, which was a major disaster caused by many political blunders, it will take a long time, in fact well into the next Parliament at least before we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

and yet in june 2010 gideon promised to end the deficit by 2015 :rotfl:
he also promised growth last year :rotfl:

Thrugelmir

woodbine wrote: »

and yet in june 2010 gideon promised to end the deficit by 2015 :rotfl:

At least get your facts right.........;)

Fella

An interesting (& depressing) aspect this forum demonstrates is how absolutely ecstatic the moron class warriors are at the poor performance of the UK economy. They have this in common with nulabor who also can't contain their glee at every rotten set of figures.

I'd hate Miliband to be PM but if he ever was I'd still hope like crazy that the economy did well.

Miliband & Balls of course, couldn't give a sh*t about the UK public & would gladly choose to watch them suffer for 5 years if it meant they could get their hands on some power at the end of it. If the UK economy turned around tomorrow & everyone, especially the poorest, were much better off, Miliband, Balls & their class-warrior (but suddenly better off) supporters would all be crying into their cornflakes.

Jennifer_Jane

woodbine wrote: »

with very little growth forecast for 2013 it looks like they are buggared then :j

Fella wrote: »

An interesting (& depressing) aspect this forum demonstrates is how absolutely ecstatic the moron class warriors are at the poor performance of the UK economy. They have this in common with nulabor who also can't contain their glee at every rotten set of figures.

I'd hate Miliband to be PM but if he ever was I'd still hope like crazy that the economy did well.

Miliband & Balls of course, couldn't give a sh*t about the UK public & would gladly choose to watch them suffer for 5 years if it meant they could get their hands on some power at the end of it. If the UK economy turned around tomorrow & everyone, especially the poorest, were much better off, Miliband, Balls & their class-warrior (but suddenly better off) supporters would all be crying into their cornflakes.

The glee is despicable. I voted Conservative last time because :

a) Labour were tired and had been in power just too long
b) Gordon Brown was.... well, fill in the gap yourself.
c) I believed that the Country would be better with the Conservatives.

If it had been the other way around, I would have voted LibDem or Labour. I voted Conservative because I thought it was in the best interest of the Country to have a change, and the economy, education, etc were in a huge mess. I always thought it was a poisoned chalice for the Conservatives.

I will make my voting decision next time in what I believe is the Country's best interest. Not with the moronic ecstasy of some of the posters on this board.

StevieJ

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

I will make my voting decision next time in what I believe is the Country's best interest. Not with the moronic ecstasy of some of the posters on this board.

In support of the post by Chewmylegoff, many Tory supporters on this board were orgasmic at the damage the GFC was wreaking on the the UK economy in 2007 and the 'we told you that Labour borrowing would bring the country to its knees' had them cheering to the rafters, (sickening it was) when of course it was a Global crisis that Labour could do little about.