Do They Live In The Real World?

[BERNADETTE]

After watching David Cameron on the news tonight I am beginning to wonder if any of the politicians live in the real world. As we all know we are in a major recession but he decides to come to Manchester and start talking about getting people back into work
Don't get me wrong I am all for the "can't work won't work brigade" being dealt with but why in the middle of a recession do both parties decide they will try and tackle this issue? To me neither party knows which way to move to improve things so they try to deflect attention away from what is a serious issue. And why do they always come North to try and get the point across? Most of our major manufacturing jobs are long gone. Is unemployment not rife down South? It just riles me when they come North to try and make theirselves look as if they are trying to tackle an issue. Surely the "can't work won't work brigade" live all over the country but once again the Norths problems are high-lighted!!!!

[blazey]

From what I understand of the issue, we, as a nation, are in a lot of debt. To repay debt you need money. To get money generally you need a job. The government can't pay off all the debt we, as a nation owe, because they were already in a lot debt before this even happened and to some extent it isn't their problem that we ourselves borrow beyond our means. So it makes sense to encourage us to pay back the debt ourselves owe and at least solve some of the problem, and to do that we need jobs.

Sadly we're being encouraged to buy ourselves out of an economic crisis at the same time and there are undoubtedly going to be millions of people with access to credit who are still spending beyond their means in order to invest in the times. Obviously we all see the sales and we are a materialistic nation. I think the current climate IS encouraging poorer people to spend more money but sadly it is more money that they don't have, so whilst we may be buying the government out of their mistakes, we're just spending ourselves into more poverty.

I think it is pretty disgusting but unfortunately I'm not in a position to dictate how the government should govern.

[lancsdave]

The BBC are running a story this morning about lack of jobs so either the people responsible for the report or Cameron are wrong, I know who I think are more likely to know the facts

Demand for staff is falling at a record rate in the UK due to the worsening economic situation, according to a report by Britain's recruiters.
The outlook for job hunters continued to worsen sharply, the report bRecruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG warned.
It said demand for staff had declined in most areas and fell at its fastest rate since the report began in 1997. The number of job vacancies also fell - except in the nursing and care sectors.

[blazey]

I didn't see what Cameron said but it is obvious that jobs would decrease. People cut back on luxuries and one of the luxuries of capitalists is being able to have people do all the petty jobs for them, and at times like these jobs like these go and people do them theirself. Businesses that don't cut back on these things tend to go under!

Waterford Wedgwood is a prime example of how cutting back effects business!

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

After watching David Cameron on the news tonight I am beginning to wonder if any of the politicians live in the real world. As we all know we are in a major recession but he decides to come to Manchester and start talking about getting people back into work
Don't get me wrong I am all for the "can't work won't work brigade" being dealt with but why in the middle of a recession do both parties decide they will try and tackle this issue? To me neither party knows which way to move to improve things so they try to deflect attention away from what is a serious issue. And why do they always come North to try and get the point across? Most of our major manufacturing jobs are long gone. Is unemployment not rife down South? It just riles me when they come North to try and make theirselves look as if they are trying to tackle an issue. Surely the "can't work won't work brigade" live all over the country but once again the Norths problems are high-lighted!!!!

He was invited to Manchester by M.E.N. He got asked a question about what he was going to do about benefits cheats, by a member of the public. Too damn right benefits cheats should be tackled!

What he had to say was going ahead with improvements in public transport in Manchester, where as the government are not putting the funding in because Manchester voted against the congestion charge.

He wants government to guarantee business loans to get the banking sector moving again. He can see that the £37 billion put into the banking system is NOT working. It is not getting credit moving. We need to make it move if we want a recovery rather than a depression.

He said the Bank of England should be put back in charge of regulating credit and debt in the economy. Which Gordon Brown removed in 1998, and hence why we are in this banking mess, as they've had no regulation.

Sensible suggestions, I'm glad he is not ignoring the very important North.

[mr_flibble]

Originally Posted by andrewb

He said the Bank of England should be put back in charge of regulating credit and debt in the economy. Which Gordon Brown removed in 1998, and hence why we are in this banking mess, as they've had no regulation.

Sensible suggestions, I'm glad he is not ignoring the very important North.

For one, its just a publicity thing coming up north. He could not give a monkeys about us lot up here. Not that labour do either mind.

While the bank of england probably should be in charge of regulating credit etc it would not have done anything to help the current financial problem. The problem we are facing now is not a shortage of money in peoples pockets or the amount of debt people as individuals are in but a problem stemming from banks not trusting each other any more.

One or two american banks go under because of bad credit and it brings the entire system to a halt because every other bank starts to panic.

So no businesses cant get the loans and overdrafts they need and thus start to cut back on their spending, if businesses dont spend money with other businesses the entire economy starts rolling backwards and you get the collapse of large companys and thus a rapid increase in general unemployment.

For the moment it isnt scum bag individuals living off the back of government money that we need to worry about, its getting the system moving forward again.

England should in fact see this as an oppertunity rather than a problem, if we can get back to our feet quicker than other countrys it gives us a chance to grow overall, but to do that its the bankers that need a good kicking before we stick the boot into benifits cheats.

rant over, thats just my opinion

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by mr_flibble

While the bank of england probably should be in charge of regulating credit etc it would not have done anything to help the current financial problem. The problem we are facing now is not a shortage of money in peoples pockets or the amount of debt people as individuals are in but a problem stemming from banks not trusting each other any more.

It certainly would have helped the current financial problem massively. You say yourself this is caused by debt (then shortage of credit as banks don't trust how bad each others debts are, so stop lending). Regulating banks which was the case until the 1998 Bank of England Act, would have reduced the impact on the British economy. They were allowed to get out of control with lending.

There's no doubt we're in a global recession. But if this had been left alone, banks regulated and government had kept its own debts down, during the sunny days, we'd be much better prepared to weather the recession. Unlike today, where we remain the least prepared according to the IMF.

[Taggy]

I think its a total waste of Money to have saved these bankers hides in the way that its been done. Would have been much better to have used funds to set up a National "Peoples" Bank perhaps via the Post Office network. The Government should have Guaranteed Individuals and Companys money in the existing banks but let the Banks themselves go under if need be. Might be very painfull in the short term, but who's to say that some of them still wont fold and others have to be become totally Government owned by the time this recession eventually clears. It looks as though interest rates are coming down yet again tomorrow, but why bother, because the banks dont trust one another, (Not that anyone trusts banks anymore mind you!!), they are not going to pass this cut on and reduce lending to Buisnesses or to people who want a Mortagage. Might as well raise the interest Rates back up, give Savers who have been carefull, a decent return on their funds, and encourage people to invest in the UK again! At least then the main culprits responsible would be made to suffer for their Greed and total incompetance!


Best Regards - Taggy

[Boeing Guy]

Does the original Question include Blazey and AndrewB by any chance as well all politicians? Because in my mind the answer for both is a resounding No.

[Eric]

I'm very surprised that your banking system is as unregulated as it is. Canadian banks, regulated by the Bank Act and the Bank of Canada are rock solid ... none of the major Canadian banks got into ninja loans .... problem here, is that the banks are being a little too tight with the purse strings, and our governments are encouraging them to loosen up a little .... we are going to survive this recession with much less pain than the yanks and you guys; and when it is all over, the resources that underpin our economy ... oil, natural gas, uranium, potash, lumber, wheat, minerals of all kinds in abundance .... will still be there. If there is one thing that this meltdown has revealed, it is that businessmen can't be trusted to run business without govt. regulation ...

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

Does the original Question include Blazey and AndrewB by any chance as well all politicians? Because in my mind the answer for both is a resounding No.

nice one, heres a guy in casablanca that can see it as well.

[derekgas]

If the banks start to loan again too soon, people who are/have been out of work, and stupidly run the credit cards to the limit, will cause all kinds of problems, not being able to pay them back, this happened in the 90's, and they are well aware of it, so i dont blame them.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

Does the original Question include Blazey and AndrewB by any chance as well all politicians? Because in my mind the answer for both is a resounding No.

Your constructive criticism has been noted.

[bullseyebarb]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

After watching David Cameron on the news tonight I am beginning to wonder if any of the politicians live in the real world.

No, they don't. And that is a big part of the problem. Politicians pay scant attention to history. We have had too much government interference in the private sector and it has only exacerbated our difficulties. Things will likely get worse before they get better.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Your constructive criticism has been noted.

i truly hope so, cos it will do a world of good.