Plan B for the hopeless George Osborne

by **Ivan** Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:45 pm

First topic message reminder :

This Tory-dominated government claims there is no alternative to austerity. Below, nine leading economists, including a Nobel Prizewinner and one of the Chancellor's own advisers, say that's wrong - and offer a different path:-

Cut VAT back to 17.5%
Christopher Pissarides
Agree financial transaction tax
Jeffrey Sachs
Reduce NI contributions
David Blanchflower
Print money for the public
Sushil Wadhwani
Start a national investment bank
Robert Skidelsky
Lift the cap on immigration
Jonathan Portes
Lend directly to small businesses
George Magnus
Launch a green new deal
Ann Pettifor
Set up a recovery fund
Christopher Allsopp

For the details of each of those suggestions, click on the links on this page:-
http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2011/10/alternative-coalition

by oftenwrong Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:37 am

Britain will probably never see a Chancellor who simplifies the tax system. The Tolley's Yellow Tax Handbook now stands at 10,134 pages over four volumes, up from 4,998 pages in two volumes in 1997.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/george-osborne%e2%80%99s-labour-market-policies-%e2%80%98will-backfire-and-hit-pay-growth%e2%80%99/ar-BBo2iWo?li=AA54rU

by Mel Wed Dec 30, 2015 2:33 pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR OW.

by oftenwrong Wed Dec 30, 2015 10:35 pm

Grácias. Igualmente, amigo. Wonder if Gideon intends to wear hard-hat-and-high-viz throughout the Leap Year?

by **astradt1** Thu Dec 31, 2015 11:36 am

Yet again Gideon has used his favorite word "Could"..This time on Airport shops....He is setting up a 'Review' in to the practice of the shops keeping VAT rather than passing it on to the customer......

This comes on the day the FSA has announced that it is ditching its 'Review' in to the practices of the big banks, prior to and following the Crash........The reason given being that each bank faces different challenges.........Strange how all hospitals are treated the same no matter what the differences in its patients needs are......

by **Ivan** Thu Feb 04, 2016 12:28 am

It's heartening when a local school throws its doors open to adults who struggle with arithmetic...... Idea

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 Osborn10

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CaEQKPIW0AEMuMI.jpg

by **Phil Hornby** Thu Feb 04, 2016 8:37 am

That little fellow over Osborne's left shoulder looks like a budding Michael Gove. Hopefully he can be statemented and the problem resolved before he leaves school...

by **Ivan** Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:49 am

George Osborne would fail his economics GCSE – he can’t even get the basics

From an article by Will Hutton:-

The sequence of remarks Osborne made in a BBC interview at the G20 meeting in Shanghai are just plain wrong. “The country can only afford what it can afford”, he declared. Wrong. Governments may have budget constraints, countries are different. And, in any case, affordability is not an absolute but contingent on interest rates and expected growth. Affordability at near zero interest rates is different from affordability at 10% interest rates.

Then came “storm clouds” and the “economy is smaller than we thought” and “we’ve got to root our country in the principle that we must live within our means” in order to ensure “economic security”; Osborne felt he had to cut government spending again towards the end of this parliament. Wrong. This will make the storm clouds more threatening, only partially mitigated by his promise to soften the blow through focusing on “efficiency savings” and perhaps reducing or deferring the target for the budget surplus.

To cap it all, Osborne declared that “the last time we didn’t live within our means we were right in the front rank of nations facing economic crisis”. Wrong. The banking crisis developed independently of government fiscal policy. It had nothing to do with public expenditure and public deficits and everything to do with the way global banks had extended vast amounts of credit to dodgy borrowers with very little core capital of their own to act as a buffer. Osborne is busy relaxing the already not very onerous proposed reregulation of our banks. It is a City commonplace that sooner or later there will be another financial crisis because the system’s failings have not been addressed.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/06/george-osborne-right-europe-wrong-economy

by **Phil Hornby** Sun Mar 06, 2016 1:58 pm

For the Tories, no lie is too big to tell, and for the Daily Mail and The Sun no lie is too big to repeat or support.

But we already knew that...

by oftenwrong Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:26 pm

Weimar Germany after the Great War of 1914-1918 was forced into extreme austerity by the victorious allied powers, and inter alia suffered massive unemployment. In the early 1930s, a change of government scrapped austerity measures and the German economy quickly became the powerhouse of Europe.

Will the British Tory Party ever come to the realisation that keeping all the money for their pals is counter-productive?

by **Ivan** Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:08 am

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdhNIpPW8AA8WHu.jpg

by oftenwrong Thu Mar 17, 2016 7:39 pm

But to those people who say that they can't live on the Benefits they receive, the question must be,
WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 BBqyVH8

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 BBqyVH8

by **Ivan** Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:41 am

Anyone who has the slightest doubt that George Osborne is a truly repulsive and obnoxious individual should read this article by Suzanne Moore:-

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/03/you-find-out-who-your-friends-are-when-you-re-following-william-hague-and-ffion

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 Osborn11

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 Osborn11

by sassy Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:13 am

Where is George they all cry.

To send a deputy to speak for him today was the complete act of a coward. How he can continue as Chancellor with his budget ripped to shreds already is beyond me.

As Dennis Skinner said, the Chancellor has messed up 8 times already, only a cat has 9 lives.

by Handy Andy Tue Mar 22, 2016 5:23 am

Waiting for Gideon's car crash statement from the HoC this afternoon. I hope the Labour wolves are ready to rip him apart.

by sassy Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:33 am

Me too HA. They have had to backtrack on so many things, he'll be twisting and turning so much they'll be able to name a new dance for him.

It's amazing how many of the Tories who voted for the disability cuts are now saying they are against them, obviously they don't vote for their constituents in the HOC, just do as the party tells them. Either that, or they are lying through their teeth and we wouldn't want to think that, would we!

by **Phil Hornby** Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:10 am

" I hope the Labour wolves are ready to rip him apart."

Alas ! Recent experience seems to suggest that opposition from Labour to any Tory crime is all too weak and ineffective, resulting in the perpetrators of the offending policies believing that they can press ahead with ever more disgraceful steps with impunity.

It seems to me that if one wants a good articulation of true opposition, accompanied by a suitable choice of fluent, biting and highly-effective chastising words, then look no further than the SNP...

by **astradt1** Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:16 am

Call me cynical, but today is a good day for Gideon to face MP's in the HoC.........With what has happened in Belgium this morning and it's wall to wall coverage the events in the HoC are unlikely to get much reporting..........

by oftenwrong Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:55 pm

Oh come now, astradt, Gideon can't have scripted the Brussels outrage too can he?

by sassy Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:28 pm

Phil Hornby wrote:" I hope the Labour wolves are ready to rip him apart."

Alas ! Recent experience seems to suggest that opposition from Labour to any Tory crime is all too weak and ineffective, resulting in the perpetrators of the offending policies believing that they can press ahead with ever more disgraceful steps with impunity.

It seems to me that if one wants a good articulation of true opposition, accompanied by a suitable choice of fluent, biting and highly-effective chastising words, then look no further than the SNP...

Nothing weak and ineffective about this:

Watch Jeremy Corbyn tear apart George Osborne's Budget as culmination of 'six years of failures'

The Labour leader has described the Budget as the culmination of "six years of failures"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/watch-jeremy-corbyn-tear-apart-7568384

Corbyn calls on PM to let go of Osborne over budget turmoil

Labour slams chancellor for refusing to respond in person in Commons over budget that ‘fell apart within two days of being delivered’

Jeremy Corbyn has urged the prime minister to tell his “great friend” George Osborne to “find something else to do” in the House of Commons, as he tried to turn the civil war at the heart of the government to Labour’s advantage by calling for the chancellor’s head.

The Labour leader said on Monday that for the first time in his long experience of parliament, “a budget has fallen apart within two days of being delivered”, and it was up to Cameron to explain to the chancellor that he should consider his position.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/21/labour-slams-george-osborne-dodges-budget-urgent-question

by Handy Andy Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:27 pm

astradt1 wrote:Call me cynical, but today is a good day for Gideon to face MP's in the HoC.........With what has happened in Belgium this morning and it's wall to wall coverage the events in the HoC are unlikely to get much reporting..........

Spot on.
Osborne will be toasting the dead and injured.
The bombings worked out perfectly for Gideon.
Good day to hide bad news.
He has to get the budget passed by HoC first though.
The Brexit boys may vote against it - only needs 6 or 7 to defeat the Govt.

by oftenwrong Tue Mar 22, 2016 7:38 pm

The Tory version of "Three wise monkeys"

Never explain.
Never apologise.
Never accept responsibility.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/osborne-refuses-to-apologise-for-disability-benefits-cut-plan/ar-BBqMobL?li=BBoPRmx

by sassy Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:35 pm

This made me want to slap his face for him, he's a disgrace

Watch: Osborne’s disgraceful response when asked to apologise to disabled people (VIDEO)

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell asked George Osborne to apologise for his treatment of disabled citizens in a parliamentary budget debate on Tuesday. He followed numerous MPs, including Yvette Cooper, who argued that the Chancellor should apologise for his budget decision to cut the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) support for disabled people.

The government has since made a U-turn on this core budget policy.

Yet Osborne was much more interested in something he found amusing on Michael Gove’s phone than in the concerns of disabled people across Britain

It felt like watching a couple of schoolboys disrespect a teacher by ignoring and laughing at them. But with these schoolboys, it is not just homework at stake. It is the wellbeing and independence of the most vulnerable people in our country.

http://www.thecanary.co/2016/03/22/watch-osbornes-disgraceful-response-asked-apologise-disabled-people-video/

Video on link.

I'm quite sure that Georgy Porgy and Gove had set that up before hand.

Does everyone here know about this:

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 CeBDHgQWwAA9-Ta

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 CeBDHgQWwAA9-Ta

Because it's about time direct action was taken against these arrogant .......!!!!!!!

by oftenwrong Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:48 am

Thinking of getting behind this?

https://www.facebook.com/Strike4thjuly2016/

by sassy Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:54 am

Absolutely! I'm quite sure that many of our Labour Party members around here thinking about arrangements for it already.

by sassy Thu Mar 24, 2016 5:03 pm

George Osborne's ratings have plunged, according to exclusive polling taken before and after his disastrous eighth Budget.

The full scale of the damage is revealed in Ipsos MORI research showing public hostility has grown towards the Chancellor, his policies and even David Cameron.

Among the findings that will agonise Mr Osborne’s supporters:

Six in 10 people are dissatisfied with Mr Osborne, including a third of Conservative supporters, compared with 46 per cent of the public in the month before the Budget.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who led opposition to cuts in disability benefits, has enjoyed a surge in his ratings, overtaking David Cameron.

Mr Osborne’s Budget was the most unpopular since 2010 for the country, with majorities saying it was bad for the country and bad for the next generation.

The biggest negative gap since 2010 has opened between the proportion of people who think government policies will improve the economy in the long-term and those who think they won’t.

The Conservative lead over Labour has narrowed to just two points, at 36 per cent — down three points — to 34 points, up one point.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/osborne-s-ratings-plunge-after-budget-and-corbyn-is-more-popular-than-pm-a3210916.html

I think Corbyn's tactics of remaining calm, telling it as it is and not resorting to the nastiness indulged in my Cameron, is paying off. People are seeing him as a steady pair of hands who wants the best for the most, continues to stand up for what he believes in regardless of the shit the media throw at him and doesn't play the establishment game.

by **Ivan** Thu Mar 24, 2016 6:28 pm

The previous post, before editing, contravened the guidelines which we follow to ensure that the forum is not in breach of copyright laws:-

https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t137-copyright-concerns

The subject of the message didn’t really merit a new thread, partly because we already had one about George Osborne, and partly because the shelf-life of the thread would be very short. We also have a thread for discussing the latest polls:-

https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t769-latest-polls

Members are welcome to start new threads, but they should read the guidelines before doing so. The proliferation of similar threads just dilutes discussion and makes the forum less user-friendly.

https://cuttingedge2.forumotion.co.uk/t110-starting-new-threads

Thank you for your understanding.

by sassy Thu Mar 24, 2016 6:52 pm

Really sorry, put it in quotes and put the link on, It's what I have been doing on other forumotion sites Will have to get used to your particular rules, you are obviously much stricter, good for you.

Will certainly put all polls on that thread, really need to read all the sections I think.

Again, apologies.

by Handy Andy Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:33 pm

You are better off here Sass - stricter rules are fine -our other place has gone to the dogs with racists and far right extremists.
Corbyns quiet calm is really starting to unsettle Dave - when he gets riled he turns lobster red which is becoming more common.
Osborne is his main liability - although May is making a good attempt as well with here inaction in the face of adversity.
"Lets shuffle Border Force staff to hotspots".
"We can't -you reduced their numbers by 8000"
"Ok tell our friends in the rw press that we are"
"The Mail and Express hate us"

by sassy Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:30 am

Absolutely agree Andy. Off for a week now, no internet at Dads.

by **Ivan** Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:29 am

sassy. You have nothing for which to apologise; I suppose all forums have different ways of doing things. Thank you for not taking offence! Very Happy

At what point a quotation becomes a breach of copyright is a grey area, but our policy has always been that about 15 lines is the safe maximum length. Rather than just post a link, it’s probably better to post a few lines of an article (in italics, to show that they’re not your own words), in the hope of whetting the appetite of readers. Then add the link, so that people can read the rest of the article if they wish. Something like this…..

Osborne needn’t say sorry – after all his Budget was just a suggestion

From an article by Mark Steel:-

We all make mistakes. Some of us put cardboard packaging in the wrong recycling box. And some of us try to take £4 billion off the disabled. We can’t say sorry for everything, can we? In any case, Osborne’s explained the reason for these cuts is to build a strong economy, and there’s no greater sign of a strong economy that someone with spina bifida laying in their pyjamas for three years because we’ve made redundant the carer that used to get them dressed. And, to be fair, there was an element of genius about his Budget. Because up until last week, it was believed to be impossible to come up with benefit cuts so appalling that Iain Duncan Smith would oppose them. Osborne should receive the credit due for overturning such a natural law.

His problem was the reaction from everyone else as well as Duncan Smith. The Conservatives seem to believe their own newspapers and assume they have no opposition, so they can do whatever they like, as most people will think “I don’t mind that the Tories have stopped my disabled aunt going to the toilet, because at least their leader sings the National Anthem”. But on this issue, so many people were furious that the government had to abandon huge chunks of their plans, and Nicky Morgan adopted the imaginative line that the entire Budget was “just a suggestion”.

For the whole article:-
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/osborne-needn-t-say-sorry-after-all-it-was-just-a-suggestion-a6950736.html

by oftenwrong Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:59 am

A lot of grown men love to play with a trainset. The Tories got to play with the financial situation of an entire Nation, thanks to a yellow Lib-Dem coalition. Let's not forget that.

by **Ivan** Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:38 am

Osborne clearly wasn't kidding Theresa May. This comes from Gary Gibbon's blog:-

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 Osborn10

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cnvwb93XEAA1eZM.jpg

by boatlady Thu Jul 21, 2016 1:02 pm

About time

by **Phil Hornby** Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:21 pm

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 9k=

" So, George - who only got a Grade Seven in his O-level maths...?"

by oftenwrong Thu Jul 21, 2016 5:12 pm

Now we can only hope that Gideon stays "yesterday's news" for a very long time.

by oftenwrong Mon Aug 22, 2016 7:25 pm

"Treasury and banks could face legal action over Help to Buy Isa scandal"

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/homeandproperty/treasury-and-banks-could-face-legal-action-over-help-to-buy-isa-scandal/ar-BBvUwJw?li=BBoPMmp&ocid=iehp

Where's Wally?

by oftenwrong Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:12 am

Since departing government, Gideon has apparently scored half-a-million from giving talks to businessmen.

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 AAll0FK

Who does Gideon Osborne think he is kidding? - Page 15 AAll0FK

What's the dynamic of that? Is he giving away Treasury Secrets? Helpful hints on tax-avoidance? How to make half-a-million by telling expense-account Captains of Industry what they want to hear? Or just humiliating all the stand-up comics who only get standard Equity rate?

I think we should be told.

by boatlady Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:44 am

I would have preferred it if he'd just crept away to die of shame - but preaching to the converted perhaps he can't do too much harm

by oftenwrong Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:28 pm

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/buy-george-worlds-largest-fund-manager-hires-osborne-as-adviser/ar-AAm43pB?li=BBoPRmx

by boatlady Fri Jan 20, 2017 8:06 pm

well - just shows 21st century politics is just a new form of prostitution

by oftenwrong Thu Jan 26, 2017 10:32 am

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