Why is Ed Balls unliked and untrusted?

First topic message reminder :

Ed Balls, The shadow chancellor is having diffiiculty being liked and trusted by much of the population, so much so that he has recently had a survey undertaken to find out why this is. Unfortunately Ed has probably not learnt his lessons from the Expenses scandal and the tax payer will fund his little poll under the guise of 'Research'.
Embarrassingly, Labour Party sources say the polling results show that Mr Balls is still seen as a turn-off by many, both politically and personally and similar polls have found that people think he is a bully, untrustworthy, unprincipled and opportunistic.
With all the cock ups from the Coalition, the Labour party should be streets ahead of the coalition on the economy, but the Tories still lead the way, if only by a small margin when pollsters are asked 'Who do you trust on the economy?'
So what do you think? I imagine the left leaning will defend him at all costs, but the majority do not agree with you.

bobby wrote:Sorry Betty.Black , but the idea of reducing VAT is to increase consumption not reduce it. It is due to a reduction in consumtion because of reduced earnings that we now enjoy yet another Tory made recession and a double dipp recession to boot.

Opps, sorry typo on my part, over tired I'm afraid

It's also a typical Public Schoolboy jape to trash the premises as you leave them.

seems to me you can have American style taxes with American style public OR Scandanvian style Public services with Scandanavian style Taxes.

New Labour tried to have American style taxes with Scandanvian style public services, based on taxing paper money changing hands at ever increasing speed

trevorw2539 wrote:I really wonder if a VAT reduction would do a lot to help at the moment. It seems to me that it would have to be a substantial reduction to induce people to spend more than is either necessary, of possible, with the reduction in the value of the pound due to price increases. A reduction of even 5% would really be of very little interest, surely, when other bills are increasing by + 8-10%. It would certainly not push prices of larger items down by 5% as traders would absorb some of it in their profit margins....

Presumably you don't do much supermarket shopping. The majority of housewives produce a sheaf of "money-off" coupons when settling the checkout-bill. Individually the Coupons are for pennies, but collectively can be worth a couple of Pounds or more. Why also do you suppose that people carry discount cards, and "money-back" Credit Cards if not for the 5% savings?

OW. Presumably you don't do much supermarket shopping. The majority of housewives produce a sheaf of "money-off" coupons when settling the checkout-bill. Individually the Coupons are for pennies, but collectively can be worth a couple of Pounds or more. Why also do you suppose that people carry discount cards, and "money-back" Credit Cards if not for the 5% savings?


Just checked. I'm definitely not a housewife

Mostly use selfservice pay booths.
Most coupons are paid for by extra prices on other goods. Ditto 'loyalty' cards, and 'money-back' credit cards. So if you're able to have one of those, others are paying for your goods.
There's no such thing as a 'loss-leader' except to the person wanting that particular item. The rest of us pay for it.. It's a fallacy.

Believe me the Supermarkets have you and me figured out. From the moment you enter the Store you are being 'led'.

E.G. Ever checked your Loo rolls. Some have 180, 200, 220, 240 sheets. Try and work out which is the most economic given the different prices and the offers on selected ones. The different package sizes 2,4 6,9,12,18 and lately 24. Most people pick up the seemingly 'value for money' or their favourite. Often the wrong choice for them, not the supermarket.

Multiple packs of wine gums in the aisles. Single packs at the till. Just right for a 'present' for the child - for being good. And batteries for that TV remote you forgot won't work.

And let's not forget those leaflets advertising their 'Insurance and other services', strategically placed for you to consider while you wait for Mrs Jones and her 2 trolley loads to be dealt with.

Eyelevel selling of top profit items. Cheapies, less profitable, at the bottom.
Some stores have recently realised the 'own brand' labels are becoming more acceptable and are promoting them more.

There are at least to types of people the Stores like. Mum and family and the shopper who comes at busy times. Both are usually anxious to get their groceries and get out as quickly as possible.

That's why Supermarkets make huge profits, out of 'Joe public'.

Why on earth pick on Ed Balls, if the truth be known you would be lucky to find one MP as pure as the driven snow, but again I feel he is well representative of the majority of MPs and in that respect he has done a marvelous job I do not think even Blair could have represented MPs better.
so leave poor old Ed alone he at least is proving what the majority are beging to think, ALL MPs ARE PLONKERS.

And I am not politically inclined.

trevorw2539 wrote:OW. Presumably you don't do much supermarket shopping. The majority of housewives produce a sheaf of "money-off" coupons when settling the checkout-bill. Individually the Coupons are for pennies, but collectively can be worth a couple of Pounds or more. Why also do you suppose that people carry discount cards, and "money-back" Credit Cards if not for the 5% savings?


Just checked. I'm definitely not a housewife



That's why Supermarkets make huge profits, out of 'Joe public'.

Apologies for confusing you with two thoughts at the same time. You were saying that a 5% reduction in VAT wouldn't interest anyone, but my evidence is that people will carry all sorts of supermarket "Loyalty Cards" that do exactly that.

Why do they bother, do you think?

Taken from here...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/osborne-the-peoples-damning-verdict-7856645.html

Gideon really should retire to his dungeon, miss whiplash is waiting to nail his balls to the dart board with her 6 inch heels! [/quote]

Best reply for weeks Delly and I cannot agree more with you.

Gideon as his best in this Cartoon I feel

Ivan wrote:[quote

The truth is that this country was out of recession when this Tory-dominated government came to power. The truth is also that Labour had no intention of privatising the NHS and much of state education while destroying the welfare state.

100% true Ivan. but then most of the public now know its true too