Biggest crash in history on their watch. Don't let them do it again.
A Labour back bencher just helpfully asked Osborne to confirm the economy is smaller now than before the crash. Yes, because Labour crashed it harder than anyone realised
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.
The excuses for Balls performance begin... it's all the Tories fault.
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.
Is that really the best line that the Labour spinners can give Nick Robinson?
It was all the nasty Tories shouting which of course Labour have never done.
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?
I think it is his annoyance with CON mps behaviour during the response. But it is a useful Tweet for Balls in the Twitter war.
The Autumn statement doesn't really change the narrative. Can the coalition make enough voters feel part of the recovery quickly enough?
It's gonna be a very close run thing.
If we're heading in the right direction, and voters feel they will benefit as we progress, then that may be enough...
Focus groups among swing voters conducted for the Labour think-tank Progress suggest that the Conservatives are seen as "mean" - but, crucially, also "smart" for tackling the deficit, and they are given credit for doing what is "difficult" rather than "popular".
True but there are only so many times a very, very wealthy man can tell ordinary folk to keep tightening their belts because his figures are looking better.
True but there are only so many times a very, very wealthy man can tell ordinary folk to keep tightening their belts because his figures are looking better.
Ed 'Expenses' Balls is hardly on the breadline either.
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.
Unfortunately (from Labour's point of view), they rather closed off that option by spending two years leading up to the election, and the two years after, repeating in the most intemperate terms the absurd mantra that spending should not be cut, and certainly not cut as fast as Osborne was suggesting. Hard, therefore, to admit that he judged it near-perfectly all along, or to admit that they now buy into the plans which previously they had denounced as extreme and ideologically-motivated.
Is this the same Nick Robinson who was Chairman of the Young Conservatives?
And? Dan Hodges, son of a Labour MP and former aide to Blair, is repeatedly labelled a 'Tory' by many here.
Parenting is a completely different thing.
Isn't Dan Hodges a self confessed centrist whose problem is EdM being too left wing?
I would have thought most political correspondents hide their personal politics pretty well. Its silly to constantly accuse them of bias against your party while never mentioning any bias in your favour
(not "you" personally The Watcher)
Also, does anyone agree with me that the terms "PB Tories" & "PB Kinnocks" etc reduce the effectiveness of a post by 15-20%? So childish.
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.
The entire recovery is based on house prices and domestic consumption, what the PB Tories have never understood that when combined with falling real pay nobody feels better off because they aren't.
The OBR have confirmed that Trade has been weaker than they forecast and private consumption stronger - so you could think that we are a long way from a sustainable recovery.
However, why has private consumption risen now?
It is possible that the hard to predict confidence is back now, and that has a way of becoming self-sustaining. The statistics might show that living standards are falling, but if enough people believe otherwise, as appears to be the case, then it might be enough to turn the economy around. People, eh? They're weird.
Balls's response looked like he had just wandered into the chamber and not heard or read the statement. He and his spads must have analysed every single thing that was likely to have been brought up.The man had obviously not done his hiomework..Labour certainly deserve better.
Is this the same Nick Robinson who was Chairman of the Young Conservatives?
And? Dan Hodges, son of a Labour MP and former aide to Blair, is repeatedly labelled a 'Tory' by many here.
He's a self-declared 'Blairite'. They're a difficult group to pigeonhole but it's pretty clear that politically Dan Hodges is closer to David Cameron than Labour. I honestly can't see any road back into the Labour party for people like Hodges.
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.
The entire recovery is based on house prices and domestic consumption, what the PB Tories have never understood that when combined with falling real pay nobody feels better off because they aren't.
They've more than doubled their house price inflation forecast for election year since March, and cut wage growth forecasts
While I wouldn't disagree with this, it was Labour that left the economy completely based on debt and the price of houses.
The Tories could have properly sorted the economy out, but that would have made them unelectable for a generation, so they've just kept things ticking along and tried not to increase government spending too much. Clearly not great, but much better that Labour who would have just carried on spending more and more as they consider government spending the entire economy and more spending is always better.
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.
Unfortunately (from Labour's point of view), they rather closed off that option by spending two years leading up to the election, and the two years after, repeating in the most intemperate terms the absurd mantra that spending should not be cut, and certainly not cut as fast as Osborne was suggesting. Hard, therefore, to admit that he judged it near-perfectly all along, or to admit that they now buy into the plans which previously they had denounced as extreme and ideologically-motivated.
They have already said that they are pegged to Tory spending plans.
The point about Hodges is not that he's a Tory it's that he's a charlatan who got found out inventing polls. Or being too stupid and compliant to spot that he was being fed an invented poll Take your pick.
What do Labour supporters think of Balls' performance today?
Labour supporters don't think about things that they don't like. They just start pointing and shouting about everything else hoping to distract everyone from what is happening (including themselves).
That's why you won't find any of them commenting on Ed Balls today. They literally can't.
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.
The entire recovery is based on house prices and domestic consumption, what the PB Tories have never understood that when combined with falling real pay nobody feels better off because they aren't.
They've more than doubled their house price inflation forecast for election year since March, and cut wage growth forecasts
While I wouldn't disagree with this, it was Labour that left the economy completely based on debt and the price of houses.
The Tories could have properly sorted the economy out, but that would have made them unelectable for a generation, so they've just kept things ticking along and tried not to increase government spending too much. Clearly not great, but much better that Labour who would have just carried on spending more and more as they consider government spending the entire economy and more spending is always better.
@DuncanWeldon: OBR forecasts of % of growth over next 5 yrs from business investment & net trade. June 2010:Over 50%, March 2013: 30%, today: under 20%.
Five wasted years.
Government predictions more optimistic than reality after a debt bust. Stop the press.
So you honestly think that the economy was going along fine in 2010 and no changes from Labour policy were needed?
The point about Hodges is not that he's a Tory it's that he's a charlatan who got found out inventing polls. Or being too stupid and compliant to spot that he was being fed an invented poll Take your pick.
Hodges really gets under your skin doesn't he?
Not as much as our very own Scott P used to do (before the moderators intervened). How my heart used to ache for tim.
UKIP will be contesting these two strong Labour Cardiff seats in the by-elections due tonight. It will be the first time that UKIP is contesting these seats, it will be interesting to see if they make any impact in one of Labours Welsh heartlands.
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.
Unfortunately (from Labour's point of view), they rather closed off that option by spending two years leading up to the election, and the two years after, repeating in the most intemperate terms the absurd mantra that spending should not be cut, and certainly not cut as fast as Osborne was suggesting. Hard, therefore, to admit that he judged it near-perfectly all along, or to admit that they now buy into the plans which previously they had denounced as extreme and ideologically-motivated.
What planet are you on??? Osborne is a million miles away from his initial plans and growth has only returned now that the deficit plan has effectively stalled. What was Osborne's plan for deficit reduction this year in his 2010 budget? 25bn? 30bn? Whatever it was do you think the economy would be growing as much as it is if he had?
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.
Richard I am well aware of how unfair it is , and know how lucky I am , by the way I was just slagging Sean , I have a real BMW.
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.
Labour are just as bad as the Tories, they are all only interested in lining their pockets, the poor can work till they drop.
Comments
A Labour back bencher just helpfully asked Osborne to confirm the economy is smaller now than before the crash. Yes, because Labour crashed it harder than anyone realised
It was all the nasty Tories shouting which of course Labour have never done.
It's like Santa Claus; they want so desperately to still believe...
It's gonna be a very close run thing.
Focus groups among swing voters conducted for the Labour think-tank Progress suggest that the Conservatives are seen as "mean" - but, crucially, also "smart" for tackling the deficit, and they are given credit for doing what is "difficult" rather than "popular".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25238747
True but there are only so many times a very, very wealthy man can tell ordinary folk to keep tightening their belts because his figures are looking better.
Isn't Dan Hodges a self confessed centrist whose problem is EdM being too left wing?
I would have thought most political correspondents hide their personal politics pretty well. Its silly to constantly accuse them of bias against your party while never mentioning any bias in your favour
(not "you" personally The Watcher)
Also, does anyone agree with me that the terms "PB Tories" & "PB Kinnocks" etc reduce the effectiveness of a post by 15-20%? So childish.
However, why has private consumption risen now?
It is possible that the hard to predict confidence is back now, and that has a way of becoming self-sustaining. The statistics might show that living standards are falling, but if enough people believe otherwise, as appears to be the case, then it might be enough to turn the economy around. People, eh? They're weird.
He and his spads must have analysed every single thing that was likely to have been brought up.The man had obviously not done his hiomework..Labour certainly deserve better.
The Tories could have properly sorted the economy out, but that would have made them unelectable for a generation, so they've just kept things ticking along and tried not to increase government spending too much. Clearly not great, but much better that Labour who would have just carried on spending more and more as they consider government spending the entire economy and more spending is always better.
That's why you won't find any of them commenting on Ed Balls today. They literally can't.
So you honestly think that the economy was going along fine in 2010 and no changes from Labour policy were needed?
CARDIFF - Splott (Labour resigned)
UKIP will be contesting these two strong Labour Cardiff seats in the by-elections due tonight.
It will be the first time that UKIP is contesting these seats, it will be interesting to see if they make any impact in one of Labours Welsh heartlands.
Well, that worked well didn't it.
pockets, the poor can work till they drop.