Budget 2015: Osborne vs. the Economy

[Uther]

I'm perfectly fine with employers having to pay a living wage from the day peoples tax credits are cut. About time they stopped expecting the tax payer to cover their wage bill.
Fantastic idea.

 

[Danthus]

thus the need to get the deficit under control....

which is exactly what the current govt is doing thankfully

You do realise that George Osborne missed all of his own fiscal targets while he was Chancellor under the coalition government.

 

[MrMoonX]

Yet no one here seems to realise that the welfare budget in the majority is spent on old people not working age "benefit scroungers" rich pensioners don't need a state pension or winter fuel allowance, 10s billions saved right now by slashing that

 

[Uther]

Yet no one here seems to realise that the welfare budget in the majority is spent on old people not working age "benefit scroungers" rich pensioners don't need a state pension or winter fuel allowance, 10s billions saved right now by slashing that

Otherwise known as 'voters' you mean? Yeah that's never going to happen.

 

[Danthus]

There's no single answer to that. There are countless examples of people doing it, I suppose you could pick from one of them.

I know one way they're definitely not going to do it; whining about how unfair life is and that they're not getting enough free money from the taxpayer.

Some of those people are taxpayers.

So other that stop whining, what should they do?

 

[dowie]

You do realise that George Osborne missed all of his own fiscal targets while he was Chancellor under the coalition government.

http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/7373

While borrowing over this parliament is on course to be substantially greater than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast back in June 2010 the additional spending cuts pencilled in for the next parliament are sufficient for the latest official forecasts to suggest that the fiscal mandate is being met. Indeed, it is being met by some margin, with a surplus of 1.5% of national income (or £26 billion in today’s terms) forecast for 2018–19, which is currently the last year of the forecast horizon.

Frankly Labour didn't even have a serious plan...

I think you'll find the current govt is actually doing a rather good job with the economy.

 

[Tefal]

You do realise that George Osborne missed all of his own fiscal targets while he was Chancellor under the coalition government.

better to aim high and miss than just not bother surely?

 

[silversurfer]

more than two children then fine, it is up to you to budget for that, the rest of us shouldn't have to subsidise it

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

 

[Tefal]

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

you think people have kids for the extra 80 quid?

 

[MrMoonX]

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

Exactly we need people to have babies our population is ageing, or does everyone here seriously believe the daily mail about people having children left right and centre. Just look at what a lack of births is doing to Japan

 

[balky12]

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

I wouldn't look at China's economy for inspiration.

It's on a knife edge and will probably implode in the not too distant future.

 

[Tefal]

Exactly we need people to have babies our population is ageing, or does everyone here seriously believe the daily mail about people having children left right and centre. Just look at what a lack of births is doing to Japan

we have a bludge from the baby boomers in a few decades when they all die we'll be back to a more historical balance.

 

[dowie]

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

this has nothing to do with China, no one is preventing people from having two kids

immigration will still occur

this doesn't stop population growth

 

[Danthus]

population growth is generally a positive for an economy. A labour shortage raises costs, if you want to see effects like this look at China which allows 1 child

We don't have a labour shortage.

 

[Frightful Boar]

Some of those people are taxpayers.

So other that stop whining, what should they do?

Which part of "There's no single answer to that. There are countless examples of people doing it, I suppose you could pick from one of them." did you not understand?

I suppose you are trying, and failing, to be clever though. I wouldn't bother.

 

[Tefal]

Should children suffer because their parents make bad choices?

you assume of course that the money is spent on the children?

 

[Danthus]

you assume of course that the money is spent on the children?

Some obviously isn't.

 

[Dr Jack]

NHS next I'm sick of that holy cow getting ringfenced . It's got about 7 layers of management too many

The NHS spends less of its budget on administration and management than internationally comparable organisation and private alternatives in this country. There's absolutely no justification in reality for the belief that the NHS is weighed down with too much management and administration.

 

[Dr Jack]

you assume of course that the money is spent on the children?

All the evidence shows that, yes, the vast majority of it is. In fact, most parents on low incomes give up an awful lot for their children and a significant number skip meals so that their children can eat.

I'm sure you can dig up occasional anecdotes where this does not happen but basing policy on the few exceptions is a bad way to run a country.

 

[AintNoHippie]

Yet no one here seems to realise that the welfare budget in the majority is spent on old people not working age "benefit scroungers" rich pensioners don't need a state pension or winter fuel allowance, 10s billions saved right now by slashing that

Why should 'rich pensioners' be penalised?

Fair enough about not being entitled to the winter fuel allowance but if they've worked hard throughout their working life, paid their taxes and ni contributions, and still managed to save so that they can have an easy retirement.. Why shouldn't they be entitled to a state pension + their savings in later life?