What would you do if you were Chancellor?

Duke · 9 Mar 2011 at 17:51

Thought this was worth posting... have a go and submit your results

Chancellor George Osbourne delivers his Budget on March 23rd. The Government has said its most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record deficit in order to restore confidence in our economy and support the recovery. A package of public spending cuts have been announced and more are likely to follow. The Budget will reflect this.

What would you do if you were Chancellor? What are your priorities? YouChoose gives you a chance to have your say.

YouChoose allows you to adjust spending to reflect your priorities and spells out the consequences of your choices. You don't just have to make cuts; you can increase budgets in any areas that you feel are important. However, you must reduce the overall deficit by £80 billion before you can submit your choices.

The results of this consultation will be publicised nationally so this is a real opportunity to have your voice heard.

http://youchoose.yougov.com/centralgov/

craptakular · 9 Mar 2011 at 17:56

I would ban money and go back to the trading of goods and services.

Cosimo · 9 Mar 2011 at 17:56

That looks interesting. I'll have a look later.

MrMoonX · 9 Mar 2011 at 17:57

scrap trident, reduce funding to abroad, bank levy and 50% income tax over £100k solves it, but oh no the tories cant have the precious bankers harmed cos they fund their disgusting party

[TW]Fox · 9 Mar 2011 at 17:58

MrMoonX said:
scrap trident, reduce funding to abroad, bank levy and 50% income tax over £100k solves it, but oh no the tories cant have the precious bankers harmed cos they fund their disgusting party

Why dont you actually read the post, stop ranting and have a go yourself?

If you had bothered to read the post and have a look at the website you'll note that the simulation allows you to do all the things you say would fix it - you can even scrap trident if you want.

Why not go and put your plans into action and tell us the results?

Or is that too difficult because The Daily Mail wont tell you how to do it?

Duke · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:04

Well said. It is quite difficult. Will post my results a bit later.

Moley · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:11

[TW]Fox;18635321 said:
Or is that too difficult because The Daily Mail wont tell you how to do it?

Hey that's a bit unfair on Moony, he doesn't just read the Daily Fail you know - he reads whatever paper he can confiscate off the lags he guards.

LordSplodge · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:13

You have made the necessary cuts. £104b

This treasury lark is easy. Scrap Trident, cut wasted money on education and other government departs especially DSS spending. Give transport and the NHS a bit more money (just so it isn't all cuts)

Add a bank levy an a 50% tax for those earning 100k+

Tell the unwashed masses to shut the *** up. Supreme Overlord LordSplodge is in charge now. Send out the Enforcers and Liquidators...

All hail LordSplodge.

* The first part of this post was serious.

dbov22 · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:13

had a look at this.... WHY does the deficit NEED to be reduced by 80bn?? why not 40bn etc and take twice as long? I'd stop all benefits to the lazy ********* who KNOW they're better off never getting a job and who never have/never will, why can't they only claim dole if for example they do 20 hours a week sweeping streets/cutting grass...
rant</>

Duke · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:16

dbov22 said:
had a look at this.... WHY does the deficit NEED to be reduced by 80bn?? why not 40bn etc and take twice as long?

Because it would cost more in the end.

[TW]Fox · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:21

It does oversimplify things.

Cut Department of Work and Pensions = problem solved.

scorza · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:24

Got £81bn of cuts, including a 10% increase to the education budget meaning that new, better schools get built.

Unfortunately it means a 50% cut in the MOD budget but I think they're the worst run government department and so probably do need a bit of a bloodbath. Surprisingly the consequences of this weren't too bad - pull out of Afghanistan, which we'll be doing anyway soon - the Americans are doing a much better job than we are

and scrap Trident. I could easily live with both of those.

What made me lol was when I reduced the "Other Government" funding one of the consequences was "More economic and social harm". Bit woolly isn't it? and true of all the other budgets basically

Hitman_Leon · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:27

restart a gold backed currency that wont fall over at the drop of a share price, might take a long time but worth it in the long run.

Scrap nuclear weapons.

Leave NATO.

Commit to a UK and Eire defense force, England, NI, Wales and Scotland and Eire, we are a group of islands lets stay out of war mongering. We could improve our navy army and airforce to what they should be and still save money.

Alternative energy top of the political agenda, get out of the oil drain on our economy, get a foot in th door on development, future profit from export.

All long term but things I think we need to do.

Ergates · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:28

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail".

In this "simulation", the only means you have to reduce the deficit is to cut public spending. There's no option to borrow* money and invest. It lists expenditure on the HMRC as a deficit - there's no option to increase their budget to enable them to go after the £120Bn in uncollected tax.

It's basically been put in place to validate the Govt's policy of slash and burn. "See how difficult it is for us"

* It's very cheap for the government to borrow money at the moment as investors are looking for safe places to put their money so government bonds are an attractive option.

MrMoonX · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:28

[TW]Fox;18635321 said:
Why dont you actually read the post, stop ranting and have a go yourself?

If you had bothered to read the post and have a look at the website you'll note that the simulation allows you to do all the things you say would fix it - you can even scrap trident if you want.

Why not go and put your plans into action and tell us the results?

Or is that too difficult because The Daily Mail wont tell you how to do it?

I did, did u see the bit where I listed what I cut out and put in using that very website, daily mail lol do I sound like someone who reads that lol try the morning star or guardian, your leftydar is way off, right wing fanboy!

ps3ud0 · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:37

I saved 610billion, stole a few and ran off to a non-extraditing country...

I was an awesome chancellor for those few minutes...

ps3ud0 :cool:

z3r0 · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:37

I got £150 billion.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:44

MrMoonX said:
scrap trident, reduce funding to abroad, bank levy and 50% income tax over £100k solves it, but oh no the tories cant have the precious bankers harmed cos they fund their disgusting party

Serious LOL here, when it was the Labour government who allowed the bankers to get as far out of control as they did.

The tories are trying to sort the country out, after the typical labour years of spend more than we can afford. Not just the last labour government but the one before that, and the one before that, and the one....

Ergates · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:49

robskinner said:
The tories are trying to sort the country out

No, the tories are using the shock of the global economic crisis as an excuse to destroy the welfare state, make the rich richer and the poor poorer. At least Labour are just incompetant meddling idiots rather than indisious machiavellian schemers.

Oh, and it was a labour government that dug the economy out of the last global slump (post WW2), they did it by increasing spending, not cutting it.

Strife212 · 9 Mar 2011 at 18:53

Took an axe to foreign aid and reduced child benefit to people aged 16 and under only

Bank levy and 50% tax band. Quangos cut.

Sorted, 81bn saved and practically lost nothing.

Unfortunately, they have actually ringfenced foreign aid of all things.