economic situation is dire

[Risso]

I personally don't believe it's idealogical, but even if it was, so what? What matters is that the right thing is being done, and IMO it is.

So what...?

2.5 million unemployed your Ok with that....?

How many people were unemployed before the election?

Not 2.5 million people thats for sure...?

Love that "sure" followed by a question mark! I think you might want to go and check.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

the rate is around 8% now, it was around 8% in feb 2010, but around 7.7% just before the election.

according to a quick google.

it's a pointless debate, however, as both parties just use slightly different means to achieving the end that is shafting the middle/lower classes.

the sooner people realise the better.

[VILLAFC2000]

I personally don't believe it's idealogical, but even if it was, so what? What matters is that the right thing is being done, and IMO it is.

So what...?

2.5 million unemployed your Ok with that....?

How many people were unemployed before the election?

Not 2.5 million people thats for sure...?

Love that "sure" followed by a question mark! I think you might want to go and check.

Whats your point ?

Unemployment is decreasing

Unemployment has stayed the same - its not going to get worse

Unemployment is getting worse...?

[VILLAFC2000]

I personally don't believe it's idealogical, but even if it was, so what? What matters is that the right thing is being done, and IMO it is.

So what...?

2.5 million unemployed your Ok with that....?

How many people were unemployed before the election?

Not 2.5 million people thats for sure...?

Love that "sure" followed by a question mark! I think you might want to go and check.

Unemployment rate was 7.6% (2.51 million) before GE, 8.1% (2.57 million) latest

The point is its increasing

The unemployment total for 16-24 year olds hit a record high of 991,000 in the quarter, a jobless rate of 21.3%.

The claimant count, the number of people out of work and claiming benefits, rose 17,500 to 1.6 million in September.

Cheers Tories keep up the fantastic work wont you.

Ta Di Ho.

[Risso]

Ah, so in actual fact, it WAS 2.5 m before the election. That's for sure.

[VILLAFC2000]

Ah, so in actual fact, it WAS 2.5 m before the election. That's for sure.

Again whats your point....?

What are your views on youth unemployment ect ect...?

Is unemployment getting worse or better...?

[VILLAFC2000]

Ah, so in actual fact, it WAS 2.5 m before the election. That's for sure.

Again whats your point....?

Unemployment is not getting worse and its under control...?

Is unemployment getting worse or better...?

[peterms]

I don't actually think that peterms understands the difference between deficit and debt, as shown by his statement that the deficit isn't unusually high. If it isn't, I'd be interested to see when it was previously this bad. Repeating a load of ill thought out nonsense from left wing blogs isn't going to convince anybody of anything, let alone that the deficit needs to get bigger.

You seem to be confusing the terms 'deficit' and 'debt'.

I did say the deficit was not high in historical terms - that should be debt, which may be what you mean. The point stands - neither are a concern. I mention both because the concern of those who fret about the deficit is that it increases the debt - unless they are in the camp that seems to think a government deficit is some sort of moral failing.

I think the deficit is too low, not too high, and the debt is pretty unremarkable in historical context.

What is your concern about the deficit? Is it because you think it means we incur debts which can't be repaid? Or because you think we should operate the national economy like a household budget? Or what?

Do you think we can and should reduce the deficit when the private sector is saving, and if so, why?

I think Risso is pretending not to have seen my post where I acknowledge my previous post contained an error, and ask him a couple of as yet unanswered questions.

I'd be interested in him answering them, rather than playing silly buggers.

[thetrees]

And the population has risen by about 3m since the EU expanded to 25, and Tony "Leslie Crowther" Blair said "come on down" to all those hard working, god fearing and generally pleasant Poles and Lithuanians.

I blame Brussels and Tone for the unemployment problem :winkold:

[VILLAFC2000]

of course any one but the tories...?!!!

[peterms]

And the population has risen by about 3m since the EU expanded to 25, and Tony "Leslie Crowther" Blair said "come on down" to all those hard working, god fearing and generally pleasant Poles and Lithuanians.

I blame Brussels and Tone for the unemployment problem :winkold:

If you're not keen on the EU, but are generally in tune with tory views, it may be worth remembering that Heath took us into the EU, Thatcher signed the Single European Act, and Major signed the Maastricht Treaty.

This is perhaps why Europe will forever be an open, festering wound for the Tory party. Most of them loathe it, and would rather we kowtowed to the yanks; yet their party has done more than any other to integrate us into Europe and pass powers over to them which we once held ourselves.

[thetrees]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

Please don't confuse my hatred of Blair and Brown, the plunderers of our nation's gold and pension reserves, with a sense that I am 'in tune with Tory views' as I am not.

[peterms]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

Please don't confuse my hatred of Blair and Brown, the plunderers of our nation's gold and pension reserves, with a sense that I am 'in tune with Tory views' as I am not.

Apologies; I clearly misread that.

[peterms]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

The US is in hock to the Chinese, in the sense of having issued IOUs. I'm not sure what happens next if the US says they can't make these good. Invasion doesn't seem a practical option, neither does legal action.

We have given away our sovereignty to the US in a far deeper sense, from letting them base their weapons and radar stations on our land, to subjugating our popular culture to their advertising agencies.

It's bizarre. If we instead prostituted ourselves to the Franco-German alliance, we would eat better, and our trains would run on time. Though we wouldn't have better telly. That's one area where we clearly outrank all of them.

[VILLAFC2000]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

Please don't confuse my hatred of Blair and Brown, the plunderers of our nation's gold and pension reserves, with a sense that I am 'in tune with Tory views' as I am not.

Why did they sell Gold?

Pensions - ask the Torries about public pensions.

[tonyh29]

and our trains would run on time

The latest punctuality data shows 18.8% of TGVs and Corail trains reached their destination late

A study of 20 German railway stations published by the consumer advocacy group Stiftung Warentest found that only 32 percent of long-distance trains arrived on time. To make matters worse, three out of four high-speed ICE trains were delayed.

meanwhile :

The number of trains on time in the period March 6 to March 31 reached 92.9% compared with 93.5% in the same period last year, Network Rail (NR) said.

:winkold:

[peterms]

and our trains would run on time

The latest punctuality data shows 18.8% of TGVs and Corail trains reached their destination late

A study of 20 German railway stations published by the consumer advocacy group Stiftung Warentest found that only 32 percent of long-distance trains arrived on time. To make matters worse, three out of four high-speed ICE trains were delayed.

meanwhile :

The number of trains on time in the period March 6 to March 31 reached 92.9% compared with 93.5% in the same period last year, Network Rail (NR) said.

:winkold:

That just shows the folly of allowing democratic interference with the infrastructure. It would be far better if we had one clear direction from a supreme leader. The head of Goldman Sachs, perhaps?

Still, I'm sure we could manage better timekeeping outside Europe. It was better in 1973, wasn't it?

[peterms]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

Please don't confuse my hatred of Blair and Brown, the plunderers of our nation's gold and pension reserves, with a sense that I am 'in tune with Tory views' as I am not.

Why did they sell Gold?

Well, why wouldn't you?

There seems to be some idea developing that gold is a real store of value, something that everyone should hang onto. In fact, it's just another thing you can buy, which might go up and might go down. Over time, it's been a relatively poor investment, which is why it's still available for purchase, despite the total amount ever being produced in the whole entire history of the world being equivalent to about one swimming pool.

If you think the selling price is good, you sell it. Otherwise you buy it.

Seems our government (presumably acting on advice - haven't seen any accounts otherwise - sold, and the price then went up). Cue bloggers with hindsight saying they shouldn't have sold. Well excuse me. Did you say so at the time, at that exact moment? If not, then those who complain about the gold sales should shut the **** up.

[tonyh29]

Seems our government (presumably acting on advice - haven't seen any accounts otherwise - sold, and the price then went up)..

Brown was advised by just about everyone he consulted not to sell .

If I recall he announced the sale in advance thus ensuring we managed to get a rock bottom price... Now the man was an idiot but I dont think he was (totally)stupid and so one has to wonder what the real reason was for offloading the gold... Maybe there was something in the "carry trade" rumours around that time concerning gold ... And maybe Brown had no choice ?

[colhint]

I thought that we (Europe) were kowtowed to the yanks anyway. Or is that just the Russians and the Chinese?

Please don't confuse my hatred of Blair and Brown, the plunderers of our nation's gold and pension reserves, with a sense that I am 'in tune with Tory views' as I am not.

Why did they sell Gold?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know the answer, but anyone under 34 wont have known a lower price in their lifetime, you know when beer was 28p a pint . if you could find a good answer I'd be interested to know. It does make Beye and Balaban seem like good buys though.