The austerity lie

[mjdgreg]

All you lefties that are moaning about austerity need to cop yourselves on. There is no austerity - fact. Those of you calling for a stimulus what do you think this is? The government are currently spending £500 million a day more than they are taking in. How any of you can call this austerity is unbelievable.

[RobTheRover]

Spending in the right areas, or wasting?

[mjdgreg]

There are certain posters on this forum that peddle the austerity 'lie' (and one in particular). How much more do they want the government to borrow? We all know governments waste money. That's not ever going to change.

That's why it's best to give them as little as possible to spend so we can keep more of our own money and spend it far more wisely.

[avfcsam]

Correct the government have failed to close the deficit. But your analysis is flawed because after 1992 we were able to close the deficit without recourse to the swingeing cuts we are getting now. What was the answer then? Growth. Not an easy thing to conjure, I will grant you but the coalition's policies certainly aren't doing it. We need plan B not Plan A on speed.

[mjdgreg]

The problems Labour left behind are going to take decades to sort out. Borrowing £500 million a day or even more is not the solution. Tax cuts are.

[avfcsam]

The problems labour left behind? Pre-crash the Tories committed to the Labour spending plans. the 'problems' would have been the same had Michael Howard been elected in 2004. That is a fact.

[mjdgreg]

The problems labour left behind? Pre-crash the Tories committed to the Labour spending plans. the 'problems' would have been the same had Michael Howard been elected in 2004. That is a fact.

Don't think so. Gordon Brown de-regulated the financial services industry and spent like a drunken sailor expanding the public sector to become bigger than the private sector. The tories would not have done that.

Anyway what does it matter? The government that was in power has to take the blame. Labour you are guilty as charged. It's not the first time they've messed up the country's finances. They do it every time they get power.