Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

And just what have this lot been doing for the last 12 years but screwing EVRYBODY to the floor, we are now he most taxed nation in Europe and the most in debt too:mad:

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Very true and the lesson is dont let a chancellor be a PM. He caused and now that Saint Tony has left the building so to speak he aint got a doggy poo bag to clean it up.:rolleyes:

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

What about the cuts in services that will follow the freezing of Council Tax?

The only way Council Tax can stay at a 0% rise is by cutting costs - which will inevitably mean staff.

Before you accuse me of only posting to be inflammtory - I have been away on holiday for the last 2 weeks.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

You should have stayed on holiday and spared us this garbage. Why should a 0% rise result in staff cuts? Most people in the private sector have to make do this year with a 0% wage rise; others are having their wages cut, or simply losing their jobs And it is the private sector which pays for the public sector - so why the hell should they now pay more for pay rises for useless bureaucrats, time-wasters and no-hopers on inflated pensions, long holidays and any excuse to do nowt but fart around in Scaitcliff House or County Hall courtesy of the ratepayer.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Maybe you can explain how a 0% Council Tax freeze can be achieved without cutting services.

There are other costs involved in providing services as well as staff costs.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

I'd say 10 of the last 12yrs have been steady until the world wide economic slump...and in comparison to the Thatcher years they have been good.. to be frank Jaysay your memory of the last Tory Government seems a bit blurred... 17% interest rates, 15% mortgage rates.. the active slaughter of UK industries in a quest to smash unions..hundereds of patients on trollies in hospitals coridoors because of cuts in funding.. riots on a regular basis...14% national unemployment rising to 25-30% in Wales and the north.
If you think (in your own words) that EVERYBODY has been screwed to the floor under Labour I reckon not... maybe the EVERYBODY you talk of are the high wage earners that don't like the idea of paying tax for services in this country..and that would be no surprise from a life long Tory supporter.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Inflation is running at about 0% for non-staff costs - that is according to HMG's inflation statistics, taking the midpoint of the RPI/CPI. So we've nowt to worry about there.

No one gets a pay rise so that's 0% - which is better than in the private sector.

So no cuts in staff and no cuts in services.

Easy when you can do your sums, unlike most labour people.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Simple..does your calculation take account the directors and executive wage increases in the private sector? ..and there's no way you can involve the "back handers" and tax loop holes and ivansion for the already highly paid members of the board, loopholes that are beyond the working men and women in this country.. nothing will be done under a Tory Government.. because the fat cats will be the Government!

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Of course it does...I'm talking about the average pay rise in the private sector. No doubt there will be some successful companies which will pay their directors large, earned bonuses...there will be some that will pay unjustified salaries and bonuses..and many will cut their salaries and bonuses..but at the end of the day, we don't have to pay their prices or buy their products and services. Unlike public services, where we have the choice of lumping it or lumping it and paying through the nose for it.

Remember this - the average public sector payroll package is now higher than that of the private sector, everywhere in the UK, other than London and the South-East. So you tell us who the fat cats are.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

What about fuel costs for vehicles (I presume you would still want your refuse to be collected - roads to be maintained etc). What about insurance costs?

Are your personal day to day living costs running at 0% ? I know that mine are not - all my insurance premiums have increased this year and I am struggling to keep my food bills at a 0% and the cost of petrol is now about 12p a litre more than it was earlier in the year.
Try asking pensioners if they have a 0% inflation rate - they are not benefiting from lower mortgage rates as most do not have a mortgage

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

[quote=claytonender;752996]What about the cuts in services that will follow the freezing of Council Tax?

The only way Council Tax can stay at a 0% rise is by cutting costs - which will inevitably mean staff.[quote]

How about increasing productivity using the staff you have to maintain and improve services. This is something that the private sector has had to do for many years but the public sector does not appear to understand. You just take more from the tax payer.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

its bomfire night soon and what better time and excuse to put a much needed rocket up teh arses of the staff at the council

if the council employees had to answer to somone or they had any competion they would be bankrupt because no one would use them , iv dealt with some dumb firkers in my time but you can get further with an indian chasing a snake around the office thousands of miles away with a very poor grasp of the english language than dealing with anyone at the council

too much job security in council jobs , a fraction of the cockups made effecting peoples lives would get someone fired in a real world job

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

[QUOTE=Neil;753064][quote=claytonender;752996]What about the cuts in services that will follow the freezing of Council Tax?

The only way Council Tax can stay at a 0% rise is by cutting costs - which will inevitably mean staff.Actually Neil - since a report in published in July 2004 -by Sir Peter Gershon- all local authorities have had to make year on year efficiency savings. Hyndburn has made these savings every year since. I don't have the figures for the savings to hand - but I seem to think they appear on your Council Tax bill.

You might read these two reports (only had time to do a quick google search - so sorry if not relevant)
http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloads/procstratnew.pdf
http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloa...l_Strategy.pdf

Unfortuantely because Hyndburn is a very small authority there are certain areas where making even more saving would really effect the level of service the public receive.

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

There is only one government ever cut NHS spending that was good old Herold's Labour Government Mancie, as for the Unions it should always be the elected Government that runs the country not Unions holding government to ransom end of. When the Tories left office in 1997 they left the best economic forecast for any incoming government in History, now we are in more debt than ever before, borrowing is out of control a 14% of GDP, we now have the heaviest tax burden in our history, our pension system ha been decimated and this wonderful Prime Minister is about to go on a fire sale of British assets, lets just hope he does a better job than he did when he flogged off our Gold Reserves at rock bottom prices

Re: What have the Tories ever done?
 

Does that mean Labour will not be proposing a council tax freeze or cut come the next local elections?