Cameron: "Cuts will change our way of life"

[stringvest]

I don't know or particularly care if it's true. What I am saying is that it being in the Mail does not make it gospel truth.

 

You realise the strain you're putting the coalition under with off message stuff like that?

 

You're a maverick, SD, and no mistake.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Oh yes, personally I put my trust in everything that "anonymous Lib Dem spokesman" says.

 

I don't know or particularly care if it's true. What I am saying is that it being in the Mail does not make it gospel truth.

 

Who said it was gospel truth?

 

I'd be shocked if it wasn't true. In fact, it'd be stupid on the part of the Lib Dems if it weren't true.

[JER]

Lib Dems call in 'brand advisers'

 

 

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been advised to take a leaf of Oxfam's book in a bid to win back voters who have deserted the Liberal Democrats.

 

The party has hired "brand advisers" in an effort to revive their flagging electoral fortunes, according to leaked documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday.

 

They were said to have suggested a less principled approach to campaigning - once a "strategic, long-term brand model" had been devised, the party should develop "shorter-term themes, straplines and soundbites" to "support short-term political expediency".

 

The advisers also recommended that the party creates an "inspirational vision that directs evolution of the brand", such as "to create the most innovative and socially mobile nation".

 

They used the example of the charity Oxfam on the grounds that it has a clear vision to "end world poverty and suffering".

 

A Lib Dem spokesman denied that the the decision to bring in outside advisers was a panic measure in the face of falling poll rating.

 

"There is no question of panic. This is work that has been going on for some months," the spokesman said.

 

"There is a general recognition that we need to work harder to get our message across. It is no secret that we have been conducting this exercise. It is part of the process of transition from being the third party."

 

 

That is one hell of a transition - drop 10% off your already meager poll rating, lose all credibility with your support base and then claim you are on course for world domination - all part of a "five year plan"

 

Is that spokesman Ged Houllier by any chance?

[Stu Monty]

Hardly suprising. You're better equiped for a life in politics if you read Veblen and study branding than if you read Marx or Smith and study politics.

[Whelan]

Hardly suprising. You're better equiped for a life in politics if you read Veblen and study branding than if you read Marx or Smith and study politics.

 

Sadly it is a criticism that is not confined to Politics!

 

We have a PM who is the epitomy of style over substance, just as this collection of Tories seem to have taken the excesses and extreme of Thatcherism as the norm, they have also taken the superficial aspects of Blair as their template for a politican.

[Karl_b]

The government may be writing off some of the Humber Bridge debt and therefore the toll may be halving to £1.50; Keith bless the coalition.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

What a colossal shower of cunts. Economically, they are both misguided (reduction of debt as a proportion of GDB is not the be all and end all) and incompetent (their current policies will not reduce debt as a proportion of GDB).

 

The sooner this illegitimate shower of arseholes is kicked as far from power as imaginable the better it will be for the entire country.

 

BBC News - George Osborne: Public sector pay rises capped at 1%

[kelster]

Have I misunderstood the new budget statement? Public sector workers are having their pay held at 1% rise per year for two year and then frozen for two more years, and this is after the current freeze lasting till 2013?

 

If that's right, I am starting to feel a little sorry for them.

[dennis tooth]

I warned sd about a year ago that the policies would lead to an increase in borrowing, an increase of the deficit not lower it. With recession not growth. Me. Again. Glad to see once again his retarded theories squashed by reality. Thing is the markets demand cuts but the market wants our deficit to increase naturally. It means they own us, if the markets demand we all become slaves the coalition would be handing out the shackles with sd nodding, after all, hes not racist, we need to therefore give the chinese our jobs and start knitting them gap jumpers. After all, as sd himself would say, why should public or private sector workers get better pension and working conditions than slave workers in chinese prisons, its unsustainable.

[Strontium]

Have I misunderstood the new budget statement? Public sector workers are having their pay held at 1% rise per year for two year and then frozen for two more years, and this is after the current freeze lasting till 2013?

 

If that's right, I am starting to feel a little sorry for them.

 

 

Bear in mind the current public sector "pay freeze" has seen my pay go up by about £600 this year and the same last. Coupled with the income tax reduction and historic low interest rates (I have a variable rate mortgage) I am honestly not that badly off.

 

I think the workers who really deserve more sympathy are the private sector workers who have experienced the same pay freezes, if not actual pay cuts (if they even still have a job, that is), and don't have a rather generous pension to look forward to.

[Vim Fuego]

Bear in mind the current public sector "pay freeze" has seen my pay go up by about £600 this year and the same last. Coupled with the income tax reduction and historic low interest rates (I have a variable rate mortgage) I am honestly not that badly off.

 

I think the workers who really deserve more sympathy are the private sector workers who have experienced the same pay freezes, if not actual pay cuts (if they even still have a job, that is), and don't have a rather generous pension to look forward to.

 

Yes, because you're indicative of every other public sector workers financial situation.

[Strontium]

Yes, because you're indicative of every other public sector workers financial situation.

 

 

I can only relate my own experiences, if others have different experiences then they should feel free to share those with us too.

[dennis tooth]

Lowest revenue figures since the 2nd world war for the government.

[Vim Fuego]

I can only relate my own experiences, if others have different experiences then they should feel free to share those with us too.

 

I take it that you'll have a similar wage structure to ourselves in the universities where you work your way up the pay band you're in. So if you're not at the top of your current band then you get an increment each year until you either reach the top of your current pay band or move to a higher one. It's a nice system as you can receive pay rises of £500-£600 until you reach the top of your band then you're stuck with whatever the national pay agreement comes up with, this year we've been offered a flat payment of £150.

[dennis tooth]

Only greece, portugal and cyprus growing slower, keep me on ignore sd. I dont want you to take a gun and embed bullets in your brain. I enjoyed my fun with mypost under hodgson and likewise you with the coalition.

[Section_31]

But I thought the private sector would be picking up the slack? I thought they were supposed to come riding over the hill with their socerers' ways of finding innovative ways of doing things and hiring the axed public sector staff en mass??? I thought the money we were printing and giving to the banks would be loaned out to said private firms and not held back to build capital. I also thought our astounding university system would be churning out graduates, none of whom have been put off by the 9k fees, who would themselves be helping the private sector to grow?

 

Also, what happened to the big society? I thought these charities ran on fresh air and were supposed to be chipping in?

[kelster]

Bear in mind the current public sector "pay freeze" has seen my pay go up by about £600 this year and the same last. Coupled with the income tax reduction and historic low interest rates (I have a variable rate mortgage) I am honestly not that badly off.

 

I think the workers who really deserve more sympathy are the private sector workers who have experienced the same pay freezes, if not actual pay cuts (if they even still have a job, that is), and don't have a rather generous pension to look forward to.

 

Well seeing as inflation is around 5% at the moment, unless you originally earned less that £12000 (or £18000 for last year's 3.5% inflation rate) then you've effectively taken a pay cut. Congrats.

 

And don't feel sorry for the private sector. If I want a pay rise I'll go and ask for one. There is no collective agreement for me.

[The Bugged Out]

Bear in mind the current public sector "pay freeze" has seen my pay go up by about £600 this year and the same last. Coupled with the income tax reduction and historic low interest rates (I have a variable rate mortgage) I am honestly not that badly off.

 

I think the workers who really deserve more sympathy are the private sector workers who have experienced the same pay freezes, if not actual pay cuts (if they even still have a job, that is), and don't have a rather generous pension to look forward to.

 

You may not be aware of this SD dog but the deal the CRB have recieved for the last two are not typical of the Civil Service.

 

You received a 600 quid pay rise because the CRB agreed to match the Home Office Pay award. The Home Office Pay award is unique within the civil service at present because it has contractual pay progression at 3.02%.

 

In reality most civil servants have not recieved anything like 600 quid extra a year. your rise it based upon a PCs negotiated settlement in the home office in 2002.

[Whelan]

So in essence Private Pensions are not that good, Private firms are not offering very good pensions for their employees, and in general the take up for Private Pensions is quite poor.

 

Clearly a case of Public Sector pensions being too good! Deal with the public sector pensions and the private sector problems will simply dissapear!

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I can only relate my own experiences, if others have different experiences then they should feel free to share those with us too.

Years of below-inflation pay rises and two years of pay freezes in a place that's shed 15% of its workforce in two years... my "experience" is not quite as jolly as yours.

[Karl_b]

But I thought the private sector would be picking up the slack? I thought they were supposed to come riding over the hill with their socerers' ways of finding innovative ways of doing things and hiring the axed public sector staff en mass??? I thought the money we were printing and giving to the banks would be loaned out to said private firms and not held back to build capital. I also thought our astounding university system would be churning out graduates, none of whom have been put off by the 9k fees, who would themselves be helping the private sector to grow?

 

Also, what happened to the big society? I thought these charities ran on fresh air and were supposed to be chipping in?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong here Section, but I'm getting a vibe from you that you're not impressed with this government?

[King Emlyn]

Vile, vile Government.

[Strontium]

Well seeing as inflation is around 5% at the moment, unless you originally earned less that £12000 (or £18000 for last year's 3.5% inflation rate) then you've effectively taken a pay cut. Congrats.

 

 

The thing about inflation is that being based on a basket of goods, it's never going to affect everyone equally. For instance, meat has rocketed in price, but I'm vegetarian. I know what inflation officially is, but I can't say I've noticed that the things I buy are any less affordable than they were.

 

Again, just my experience. Obviously if you spend a lot of money on meat or alcohol or electronics, then you will notice inflation more.

[VladimirIlyich]

The thing about inflation is that being based on a basket of goods, it's never going to affect everyone equally. For instance, meat has rocketed in price, but I'm vegetarian. I know what inflation officially is, but I can't say I've noticed that the things I buy are any less affordable than they were.

 

Again, just my experience. Obviously if you spend a lot of money on meat or alcohol or electronics, then you will notice inflation more.

 

You are right here SD the method is way out of date.

True inflation should be measured by petrol prices,rent/mortgage increases,public transport prices,clothes and such.

 

Im betting inflation has been in double figures for a long time.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

New Report: Plan B | Compass

 

Here's the report that was published last month (and that 100 leading economists signed up to). It sets out why Osborne has failed so far and why everything the dickhead has set out today will guarantee more failure.

 

It also sets out plans for getting the economy right.

 

It's worth a read.