Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
Labour source: "Labour has a very strong economic argument to make. Unfortunately it was not made well in the Chamber today." #AS2013 Retweeted by Giles Dilnot
Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
Hard to believe how bad Balls was,he seemed to lose it within seconds of starting,and the red face looks like he has very high blood pressure. The tory barracking knocked him off balance straight away,and only Bercow saved him from worse. Had to keep going outside as it has just reached high tide here,and the water reached the highest I have ever known,the road outside is about 10 metres deep in water,and the closest it has ever been to my house,another 3 or 4 metres and we would have had serious problems. People not used to this area often park on the road and go for a walk,and come back to their car underwater,despite the warning signs that the road floods at high tide.
The deficit is set to come down by £3.8bn in 2013-14. What was the plan for this year in Osborne's 2010 budget? Increasing growth is coinciding with the stalling of the deficit reduction plan (no surprise to those of us who thought deficit reduction would act as a brake on growth).
Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
That reply to the reply was truly brutal. Balls is lucky very few will ever see it.
Still quite disappointed that the deficit for this year is only down to £111bn. Really expected it to be much nearer £100bn than that. I hope this is still over cautious on the part of the OBR who were far too optimistic.
Still pretty optimistic about my bet with Tim though.
Still room for improvement from here - there certainly has been from March - Nov.
There has been a change to the phasing of CACB from the March EFO to today's forecasts but the key conclusion is as follows:
Table 5.1 shows that our central forecast is for the CACB to be in surplus by 1.6 per cent of GDP in 2018-19. This means that there is a significantly greater than 50 per cent chance of the Government achieving balance on this measure in that year and as a result it is on course to achieve the mandate. It is the first surplus in excess of 1 per cent of GDP we have forecast for a mandate year.
I can quote the paragraphs relating to the phasing changes referred to by BenChu, but neither you nor I would be any the wiser or even better informed by my doing so.
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
Wee Dougie Alexander?
A third Scottish Labour Chancellor in a row offered to the voters. That would be bold...
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Unlikely that he will be, but do you really think Arsenal are that reliant on Ozil?
1) Conservative MPs were heckling him - bad form. 2) The storm will have everyone's attention today 3) Balls and Miliband come as a pair, there will be bad days as well as good ones for them.
Any more straws I can clutch at for my Ed Balls betting position ?
Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
Wee Dougie Alexander?
Possibly. He's been pretty impressive in his current brief but I can't ever really remember him speaking on economic matters. I haven't seen the footage from the Commons but if Balls was poor and is weakened by this that might not be a bad thing for Labour. The deficit isn't really coming down and we have a recovery based on increasing debt levels and projected house price increases. The man who was chief advisor to the Chancellor 1997-2005 is probably not the best person to argue against this.
How many times will Bercow point out how bad all the shouting looks to the outside world. Maybe we should run a book on it?
What did Boothroyd used to do to settle the masses? 'Now now, children', I'd imagine ;-)
Yes, that sounds very much like her - Always thought Betty Boothroyd was a good speaker – never quite appreciated how good until we saw what came after, she was in fact exceptional.
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Unlikely that he will be, but do you really think Arsenal are that reliant on Ozil?
Have you watched them much?
It is a confidence thing, he's taken Arsenal to a new level.
Look how well the players around him have responded.
1) Conservative MPs were heckling him - bad form. 2) The storm will have everyone's attention today 3) Balls and Miliband come as a pair, there will be bad days as well as good ones for them.
Any more straws I can clutch at for my Ed Balls betting position ?
I'm going to listen to the Ed Balls speech (sorry, Prescott impersonation) again - it's right up there with Steve Davis' tumble in the jungle for LOL of the week.
1) Conservative MPs were heckling him - bad form. 2) The storm will have everyone's attention today 3) Balls and Miliband come as a pair, there will be bad days as well as good ones for them.
Any more straws I can clutch at for my Ed Balls betting position ?
1) Not enough people will see it to be damaging.
2) Labour still leads in the polls.
Sacking Ed Balls would look a bit panicky methinks.
Hopefully he can come up with a slightly dull and shit response to the March budget instead of today's effort. I think GO going on about his piano lessons or something has probably taken the sting out a bit too - nothing to do with politics whatsoever.
1) Conservative MPs were heckling him - bad form. 2) The storm will have everyone's attention today 3) Balls and Miliband come as a pair, there will be bad days as well as good ones for them.
Any more straws I can clutch at for my Ed Balls betting position ?
1) Not enough people will see it to be damaging.
2) Labour still leads in the polls.
Exactly. Labour can do pretty much what they like and their obedient voters and the dodgy boundaries will see them home.
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Unlikely that he will be, but do you really think Arsenal are that reliant on Ozil?
Have you watched them much?
It is a confidence thing, he's taken Arsenal to a new level.
Look how well the players around him have responded.
Even Giroud looks decent.
Most players looks to have improved 10% on last season.
Giroud is a fantastic hold up player, w male model looks. Goals are a bonus
But I dont think you'd get many people who know anything about football calling Arsenal a one man team.
I think our best player is Wilshere, some would say Ramsey, others Ozil etc
We looked lost without Mertesacker at Old Trafford
Ed Balls' response was wretched. And yet, he is Labour's best attack dog on the economy. He clearly needs to go - but who on earth would replace him as SCotE?
Wee Dougie Alexander?
A third Scottish Labour Chancellor in a row offered to the voters. That would be bold...
Scottish voters might like it. And it might be wise to be nice to Scottish voters. Well, until September that is.
@jameskirkup: OBR: ***"We do not expect real take-home consumption wages to reach their pre-crisis peak until late 2015."***
@chakrabortty: OBR attacks Help to Buy: "Additional mortgage lending feeds mainly into upward pressure on house prices" http://t.co/6Z9WBJ0Sem
@faisalislam: massive disappointment in trade vs March is exactly made up for by the increase in private consumption +0.9 http://t.co/XNOsw61sV2
In a nutshell, everyone worse off, recovery based solely on stoking house prices and reduction of private savings to spend on consumption..that's the entire five years summed up.
I see you've been fed your new lines by party HQ. That took a while.
Much of the media attention over the next few hours will be on the shadow chancellor’s delivery and performance. Fairly, because it was probably the worst he’s ever given in the House of Commons chamber.
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Unlikely that he will be, but do you really think Arsenal are that reliant on Ozil?
Have you watched them much?
It is a confidence thing, he's taken Arsenal to a new level.
Look how well the players around him have responded.
Even Giroud looks decent.
Most players looks to have improved 10% on last season.
Giroud is a fantastic hold up player, w male model looks. Goals are a bonus
But I dont think you'd get many people who know anything about football calling Arsenal a one man team.
I think our best player is Wilshere, some would say Ramsey, others Ozil etc
We looked lost without Mertesacker at Old Trafford
An open title race, exciting season in store
I didn't say they were a one man team, it's just a confidence thing, they've been on a different level since he signed.
Or are you saying Arsenal were this good prior to Ozil joining?
Never fails to wind me up how limited the reporting of pensions is.
You don't have to work until you are 70 - that is just the age you will get a state handout.
It is truly terrifying how the word "pension" has become synonymous with "state pension". If you are relying on the state, especially the British state, to give you income in the later stages of your life then you are an idiot.
I could have minced my words but I would be doing readers a disservice.
If you have any working years whatsoever you should be making provision for your retirement. Otherwise you should not be planning to retire. Ever.
Why would anyone actually *want* to retire? Saving ill health, surely it's just a move into a different phase (eg volunteering) rather than working for a living.
Yes Charles , fine when you are loaded and have been born with a silver canteen of cutlery in your mouth. I know you do not meet real people very often but I have to tell you lots of them hardly make enough to live on and so volunteering option means they starve. They have no option but to toil till they get the meagre state pension. I expect your next one will be that they should "eat cake", but never mind you will be just fine and can salve your conscience by a bit of volunteering, just to be sure you get your gong.
I think that's unnecessarily offensive to Charles. You don't know why he does charity work but anyone who does - whether rich, poor or on a middling income - deserves commendation not scorn. Also I think that the figures show that it is people who earn relatively little who give a greater proportion of their income to charity so we should be encouraging more of the well off to be equally - indeed more - public-spirited and looking out for their fellow citizens.
I disagree, his flippant , oh people can volunteer , typifies the rich Tory "I am all right Jack" attitude of this government. They never stop to think that some people are poor and if they do not work they do not eat, therefore stopping work before pension age and doing something jolly is not an option. It is exactly that type of attitude that gets the Tories the name of the NASTY party. Not everybody is rich enough to be able not to work.
The only flippant comment was your remark that Charles can only be volunteering because he wants a gong.
We all have to save more to make provision for our old age and life's calamities generally. Of course it is easier for the rich. But at least this government has raised the tax free allowance for those earning the least, which is a start and a whole lot better than the 100% tax increase imposed on the poorest - and in an underhand way - by the last Labour government.
What codswallop , at most a couple of hundred a year , they will be able to retire much earlier on that and go butterfly watching in their leisure time. Did you read what you posted , poor get a pittance so OK that rich people can retire when they want loaded down with money and pensions whilst the oicks have to toil till they drop to get their pittance.
Northern Ireland is to see an increase in its block grant from Westminster over the next two years.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced it in his autumn budget statement to the Commons.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said it would mean the executive would receive an additional £136m in funding through the Barnett formula.
The system governs how the devolved nations in the UK are funded by Westminster.
"The Barnett formula means that over the next two years, the budgets for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will see a net increase," Mr Osborne said.
@pppolitics: Who will be Shadow Chancellor at next GE? After #autumnstatement, Ed Balls price drifts a little to 1/5. Darling 10/1 http://t.co/JiiIqP6mUz
@TSE Flamini has been at least as influential as Ozil (though Ozil is a great signing). What makes Arsenal so good at the moment though is their teamwork and their ability not just to show individual flair - though there's a lot of that - but to work with each other and for each other. And they seem to be enjoying themselves.
Re "retirement ages" - surely most people are members of pension schemes and they will be able to take their company pensions / private pensions much earlier than the reported "retirement ages".
For example, I am 49 and my company pension scheme has a retirement age of 63. So if I'm still alive I'll get my company pension at 63 and my state pension at 67.
And for many people their company pension will be a far greater amount than the state pension.
@jameskirkup: OBR: ***"We do not expect real take-home consumption wages to reach their pre-crisis peak until late 2015."***
@chakrabortty: OBR attacks Help to Buy: "Additional mortgage lending feeds mainly into upward pressure on house prices" http://t.co/6Z9WBJ0Sem
@faisalislam: massive disappointment in trade vs March is exactly made up for by the increase in private consumption +0.9 http://t.co/XNOsw61sV2
In a nutshell, everyone worse off, recovery based solely on stoking house prices and reduction of private savings to spend on consumption..that's the entire five years summed up.
I see you've been fed your new lines by party HQ. That took a while.
The Telegraph and the OBR.
Remember the PB Tories cheered the Omnishambles on the day
We're feeling your pain today, we really are. I hope this provides you with some comfort.
@pppolitics: Who will be Shadow Chancellor at next GE? After #autumnstatement, Ed Balls price drifts a little to 1/5. Darling 10/1 http://t.co/JiiIqP6mUz
1/5 - Hmm Maybe I shouldn't be so worried. Hopefully he can do a bit better in March.
@TSE Flamini has been at least as influential as Ozil (though Ozil is a great signing). What makes Arsenal so good at the moment though is their teamwork and their ability not just to show individual flair - though there's a lot of that - but to work with each other and for each other. And they seem to be enjoying themselves.
Yup, I noticed the enjoyment, especially when you beat us 2 nil.
As one of my Arsenal supporting friends likes to point out, The Ozil signing was only possible because Real Madrid had to spend to offset the Bale signing.
So, Arsenal winning the title this year, will be in large thanks to Spurs.
@jameskirkup: OBR: ***"We do not expect real take-home consumption wages to reach their pre-crisis peak until late 2015."***
@chakrabortty: OBR attacks Help to Buy: "Additional mortgage lending feeds mainly into upward pressure on house prices" http://t.co/6Z9WBJ0Sem
@faisalislam: massive disappointment in trade vs March is exactly made up for by the increase in private consumption +0.9 http://t.co/XNOsw61sV2
In a nutshell, everyone worse off, recovery based solely on stoking house prices and reduction of private savings to spend on consumption..that's the entire five years summed up.
I see you've been fed your new lines by party HQ. That took a while.
The Telegraph and the OBR.
Remember the PB Tories cheered the Omnishambles on the day
When does anyone starting cheering for Ed Balls? Not even his backbenchers could bring themselves to?
Autumn Statement: £100m more for Welsh government over two years
The modest rise in the Welsh government budget is because English school and health spending have been protected.
The figures announced by the Treasury are in cash terms and make no allowance for annual rates of inflation.
During his 50-minute speech to MPs, George Osborne confirmed UK ministers were entering a "cooperation agreement" with Hitachi and Horizon, to agree an "in-principle guarantee" by the end of 2016 to support the financing of a new nuclear power plant at Wylfa on Anglesey
MG One day you might just begin to realise that the world is not a fair place..and it has always been that way .. and no doubt will continue to be unfair to lots of people for many years to come .. get over it. enjoy your mini BMW ..How lucky you are.
I'm just glad I was at the Arsenal match last night. Incidentally, anyone thinking that Arsenal are going to fade this season would be well-advised to have a look at that match. 2-0 did not begin to reflect the gulf between the teams and some of Arsenal's play bordered on the inspirational. For the first 20 minutes, Hull barely touched the ball.
Arsenal look good, the odd thing about this season, you win or lose a couple of games and you can go from second to ninth.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Yes, are Arsenal screwed if Ozil is out for say a couple of months?
Unlikely that he will be, but do you really think Arsenal are that reliant on Ozil?
Have you watched them much?
It is a confidence thing, he's taken Arsenal to a new level.
Look how well the players around him have responded.
Even Giroud looks decent.
Most players looks to have improved 10% on last season.
Giroud is a fantastic hold up player, w male model looks. Goals are a bonus
But I dont think you'd get many people who know anything about football calling Arsenal a one man team.
I think our best player is Wilshere, some would say Ramsey, others Ozil etc
We looked lost without Mertesacker at Old Trafford
An open title race, exciting season in store
I didn't say they were a one man team, it's just a confidence thing, they've been on a different level since he signed.
Or are you saying Arsenal were this good prior to Ozil joining?
Of course Ozil has improved the team, I just don't think we would be lost without him, or any other individual. The nucleus of the team has grown slowly over 2-3 seasons, and we have not missed Walcott, Podolski or Oxlade Chamberlain who would be competing for a place in the side when fully fit.
The defence has improved remarkably in 2013 and I put that down to Mertesacker being picked ahead of Vermaelen. If he were out for two months it would affect us more than Ozil
Its true though that we haven't beaten any of the recent seasons top 4 teams, and the only difficult away match in the league was the one we lost at Old Trafford. The fixtures have been quite easy and I would have thought our record last season against teams played this was very similar.
Wouldnt be surprised to finish 4th, albeit without the pressure of a last day roller coaster
@jameskirkup: OBR: ***"We do not expect real take-home consumption wages to reach their pre-crisis peak until late 2015."***
@chakrabortty: OBR attacks Help to Buy: "Additional mortgage lending feeds mainly into upward pressure on house prices" http://t.co/6Z9WBJ0Sem
@faisalislam: massive disappointment in trade vs March is exactly made up for by the increase in private consumption +0.9 http://t.co/XNOsw61sV2
In a nutshell, everyone worse off, recovery based solely on stoking house prices and reduction of private savings to spend on consumption..that's the entire five years summed up.
I see you've been fed your new lines by party HQ. That took a while.
The Telegraph and the OBR.
Remember the PB Tories cheered the Omnishambles on the day
We're feeling your pain today, we really are. I hope this provides you with some comfort.
Much of the media attention over the next few hours will be on the shadow chancellor’s delivery and performance. Fairly, because it was probably the worst he’s ever given in the House of Commons chamber.
Not had a chance to see Ed Balls’ budget response yet, but how bad must it have been to pip last year’s disastrous budget ‘omnishamBalls ’ ?
They say Once is a misfortune, Twice is carelessness, but Balls is making a habit of fluffing his annual budget reply, it now resembles a ritual humiliation, rather than his big event.
Curiously the main loser from the Balls up may be Osborne. He has given a star performance, but the story of the day will be Balls and not Osb.
Balls was on manoeuvres anyway (recall his attempts to distance himself from the shad. cab. over Flowers). Not sure ed m will be too upset about today's events.
Why would anyone actually *want* to retire? Saving ill health, surely it's just a move into a different phase (eg volunteering) rather than working for a living.
Yes Charles , fine when you are loaded and have been born with a silver canteen of cutlery in your mouth. I know you do not meet real people very often but I have to tell you lots of them hardly make enough to live on and so volunteering option means they starve. They have no option but to toil till they get the meagre state pension. I expect your next one will be that they should "eat cake", but never mind you will be just fine and can salve your conscience by a bit of volunteering, just to be sure you get your gong.
I think that's unnecessarily offensive to Charles. You don't know why he does charity work but anyone who does - whether rich, poor or on a middling income - deserves commendation not scorn. Also I think that the figures show that it is people who earn relatively little who give a greater proportion of their income to charity so we should be encouraging more of the well off to be equally - indeed more - public-spirited and looking out for their fellow citizens.
I disagree, his flippant , oh people can volunteer , typifies the rich Tory "I am all right Jack" attitude of this government. They never stop to think that some people are poor and if they do not work they do not eat, therefore stopping work before pension age and doing something jolly is not an option. It is exactly that type of attitude that gets the Tories the name of the NASTY party. Not everybody is rich enough to be able not to work.
The only flippant comment was your remark that Charles can only be volunteering because he wants a gong.
We all have to save more to make provision for our old age and life's calamities generally. Of course it is easier for the rich. But at least this government has raised the tax free allowance for those earning the least, which is a start and a whole lot better than the 100% tax increase imposed on the poorest - and in an underhand way - by the last Labour government.
What codswallop , at most a couple of hundred a year , they will be able to retire much earlier on that and go butterfly watching in their leisure time. Did you read what you posted , poor get a pittance so OK that rich people can retire when they want loaded down with money and pensions whilst the oicks have to toil till they drop to get their pittance.
It's you who haven't read it properly. I said it was a start. I would like the government to go further to tax poor people less, much less. I said nothing about rich people but for the record I think they should contribute more so as to help the worse off in society and if that means concentrating the state pension on those with incomes below a certain level, so be it. A bit like child benefit,say.
But, oh, it's Labour creating merry hell because benefits are being taken away from those on well above average incomes.
And you really should not be making unjustified accusations that Charles is only volunteering because he wants a title.
When we're you predicting polling crossover for again, early 2014 was it?
Tell us about Ed's Leader ratings for December.
Speak up, son.
LoL
Not seeing the poll movement you were so confidently predicting in October are we. Wonder why not.
Crossover in early 2014?
An excellent charity benefitted from your betting misjudgements with me a mere three weeks ago. Bet you're relieved that my concern for your welfare meant I didn't take the same offer for this month.
PbTories love cocktails; someday tim will learn. Possibly.
“George Osborne's response to Ed Balls” – blimey, absolutely withering; can't decide if the reference to the Rev Flowers was below the belt or just the cherry on top...!
Nick Robinson @bbcnickrobinson 1h If you think MPs shouting is merely childish, think again. It is a deliberate tactic to make @edballsmp shout & look unfit for office.
Nick Robinson @bbcnickrobinson 1h If you think MPs shouting is merely childish, think again. It is a deliberate tactic to make @edballsmp shout & look unfit for office.
Retweeted almost 400 times.
Isn't his job to report on politicians, not bail them out?
At some point very soon the media will get their teeth into the Labour front bench about their total lack of an economic alternative. Ed Balls' appearences might just provoke that, if only to see if they can make him detonate, keel over or cry.
On topic, Labour will now be hoping that today will pass soon enough. I'm doubtful we'll see any short term impact on the polls from the Autumn Statement, but we may well see a shift in what gets talked about politically, which can only be to the Conservatives' longer term benefit.
It doesn't feel like either a game-changer or a plop. Where we go from here will depend in large part on the Conservatives' message discipline. Judging by their past efforts with message discipline, I'd bet on it not being all that significant in the long run unless they can use it to find a simple stick to beat the two Eds with.
Are there any Tories on here who noticed that The OBR revised down wages growth for the next for years, living standards crisis actually getting worse.
Never mind, give it a year or two and it might sink in.
And they revised up their projection of house prices.
But the OBR are normally wrong, and we just have to hope that they are too pessimistic [for a second time in a row], and wage growth will be higher than they expect and house price growth lower.
At some point very soon the media will get their teeth into the Labour front bench about their total lack of an economic alternative. Ed Balls' appearences might just provoke that, if only to see if they can make him detonate, keel over or cry.
Do they need an economic alternative? The traditional technique is to advocate the same thing as the current government, except with a few minor, properly-funded populist tweaks.
What stopped Gordon Brown from going ahead with an autumn general election in 2007 were the astonishing polling figures for the Scottish National Party. Wee Dougie Alexander successfully persuaded his boss that an autumn UK GE would be signing the death certificate of his belovèd SLAB.
Nothing to do with a Tory conference speech.
Just wow.
Please tell me you are trolling and you don't actually believe that guff?
Comments
Sophy Ridge @SophyRidgeSky
Labour source: "Labour has a very strong economic argument to make. Unfortunately it was not made well in the Chamber today." #AS2013
Retweeted by Giles Dilnot
@SophyRidgeSky: Labour source: "Labour has a very strong economic argument to make. Unfortunately it was not made well in the Chamber today." #AS2013
Dominic Casciani @BBCDomC 3m
Michael Adebolajo tells police he hopes UKIP's Nigel Farage becomes "ruler" of Britain & Muslims can deal with him on reasonable terms.
I will miss him when we have a tory majority.
Does that apply to teams that are first as well?!
Three difficult league games coming up, Eve home, City away, Chelsea home, with Napoli away in between... I think 4-5 pts from those three will see us in good stead
Table 5.1 shows that our central forecast is for the CACB to be in surplus by 1.6 per cent of GDP in 2018-19. This means that there is a significantly greater than 50 per cent chance of the Government achieving balance on this measure in that year and as a result it is on course to achieve the mandate. It is the first surplus in excess of 1 per cent of GDP we have forecast for a mandate year.
I can quote the paragraphs relating to the phasing changes referred to by BenChu, but neither you nor I would be any the wiser or even better informed by my doing so.
What does he mean?
Labour has a very strong economic argument to make. Unfortunately it was not made well in the Chamber today
Tony McNulty @Tony_McNulty
Labour backbenchers - every time you enter that chamber you are part of the ongoing event - not the audience in good seats. Act like it.
Have you watched them much?
2) The storm will have everyone's attention today
3) Balls and Miliband come as a pair, there will be bad days as well as good ones for them.
Any more straws I can clutch at for my Ed Balls betting position ?
Look how well the players around him have responded.
Even Giroud looks decent.
2) Labour still leads in the polls.
To sack balls would be tantamount to admitting labour has lost the economic argument.
I reckon he will stay.
Hopefully he can come up with a slightly dull and shit response to the March budget instead of today's effort. I think GO going on about his piano lessons or something has probably taken the sting out a bit too - nothing to do with politics whatsoever.
Any guesses ?
Sack or move Balls would be a catastrophe for Labour. Keeping Balls in place likewise. Some choice !!
Balls is used to government plenty. I've often wondered how he would survive the famine of opposition. I guess we are now finding out.
Bloody hell its windy here.
Giroud is a fantastic hold up player, w male model looks. Goals are a bonus
But I dont think you'd get many people who know anything about football calling Arsenal a one man team.
I think our best player is Wilshere, some would say Ramsey, others Ozil etc
We looked lost without Mertesacker at Old Trafford
An open title race, exciting season in store
Or are you saying Arsenal were this good prior to Ozil joining?
Mr. Pulpstar, where are you? It's still very windy in Yorkshire.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced it in his autumn budget statement to the Commons.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said it would mean the executive would receive an additional £136m in funding through the Barnett formula.
The system governs how the devolved nations in the UK are funded by Westminster.
"The Barnett formula means that over the next two years, the budgets for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will see a net increase," Mr Osborne said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25237167
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1777671
For example, I am 49 and my company pension scheme has a retirement age of 63. So if I'm still alive I'll get my company pension at 63 and my state pension at 67.
And for many people their company pension will be a far greater amount than the state pension.
As one of my Arsenal supporting friends likes to point out, The Ozil signing was only possible because Real Madrid had to spend to offset the Bale signing.
So, Arsenal winning the title this year, will be in large thanks to Spurs.
If Bale is worth 85million, Super Luis has to be worth at least that much, if not more, closer to £125million.
What were Arsenal smoking when they bit £40million and a quid?
The modest rise in the Welsh government budget is because English school and health spending have been protected.
The figures announced by the Treasury are in cash terms and make no allowance for annual rates of inflation.
During his 50-minute speech to MPs, George Osborne confirmed UK ministers were entering a "cooperation agreement" with Hitachi and Horizon, to agree an "in-principle guarantee" by the end of 2016 to support the financing of a new nuclear power plant at Wylfa on Anglesey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-25232618
Hur hur hur.... Take the day off. You have nothing to say on the economy. Like your party.
The defence has improved remarkably in 2013 and I put that down to Mertesacker being picked ahead of Vermaelen. If he were out for two months it would affect us more than Ozil
Its true though that we haven't beaten any of the recent seasons top 4 teams, and the only difficult away match in the league was the one we lost at Old Trafford. The fixtures have been quite easy and I would have thought our record last season against teams played this was very similar.
Wouldnt be surprised to finish 4th, albeit without the pressure of a last day roller coaster
A nervous day all the same to be betting on Ed Balls though...
It could be that Ed Miliband joins Neil Kinnock as the only opposition leader not to win the Euro elections held in a non general election year.
It's going to be interesting to see what happens next.
So touching ....
George Osborne said the extra cash, part of his Autumn Statement, meant spending by the Holyrood administration would be cut by less than 0.2%.
Most UK departments will need to make savings of 1.1%, a spokesman added.
The additional £308m in funding will be divided up between the Scottish government's resource and capital budgets.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25237570
Not had a chance to see Ed Balls’ budget response yet, but how bad must it have been to pip last year’s disastrous budget ‘omnishamBalls ’ ?
They say Once is a misfortune, Twice is carelessness, but Balls is making a habit of fluffing his annual budget reply, it now resembles a ritual humiliation, rather than his big event.
Balls was on manoeuvres anyway (recall his attempts to distance himself from the shad. cab. over Flowers). Not sure ed m will be too upset about today's events.
Speak up, son.
LoL
But, oh, it's Labour creating merry hell because benefits are being taken away from those on well above average incomes.
And you really should not be making unjustified accusations that Charles is only volunteering because he wants a title.
Dear God !
PbTories love cocktails; someday tim will learn. Possibly.
The expressions of Millie and hattie are arguably more significant.
Ever the beanbag warrior.
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1777671
Better than Osborne & Balls as well as it happens
Nick Robinson @bbcnickrobinson 1h
If you think MPs shouting is merely childish, think again. It is a deliberate tactic to make @edballsmp shout & look unfit for office.
Retweeted almost 400 times.
POE(s)WAS
It doesn't feel like either a game-changer or a plop. Where we go from here will depend in large part on the Conservatives' message discipline. Judging by their past efforts with message discipline, I'd bet on it not being all that significant in the long run unless they can use it to find a simple stick to beat the two Eds with.
But the OBR are normally wrong, and we just have to hope that they are too pessimistic [for a second time in a row], and wage growth will be higher than they expect and house price growth lower.
Please tell me you are trolling and you don't actually believe that guff?