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It looks as though Trump won’t press ahead with a Supreme Court nominee this side of the election –

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  • Mortimer said:

    Freeze benefits and freeze state pay, lets see how Rishi's popularity is after that

    I suspect it might go up amongst Tory voters....
    Red wall voters?
  • Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome
  • No doubt that will come next
  • Scott_xP said:
    that's different. he's not one of the little people who have to obey the law.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,510

    I very much hope there will be some kind of emergency debate in Commons next week on what has been announced tonight.

    £10K fines for those who do not self-isolate when test positive or when told to do so by track and test staff.

    Incredible.

    Surely some of our MPs are prepared to at least debate this before allowing the executive this level of power.

    I'm reaching for my Ben Franklin quote tonight...

    "The art of acting consists of keeping people from coughing."?
  • good for him. at last an mp is standing up for parliament.
  • Brady will amend the covid regs renewal coming next week:

    "The move will effectively impose a “Parliamentary lock” on any future restrictions, amid widespread fury among senior MPs and peers that restrictions have been imposed on Britons without a vote."

    Telegraph.

    At last. Parliament starting to do its job wrt the executive.

    Good for Brady.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,510

    Brady will amend the covid regs renewal coming next week:

    "The move will effectively impose a “Parliamentary lock” on any future restrictions, amid widespread fury among senior MPs and peers that restrictions have been imposed on Britons without a vote."

    Telegraph.

    At last. Parliament starting to do its job wrt the executive.

    Good for Brady.

    I wonder if he's written a letter to himself?
  • Sadiq better make sure Graham Brady's secured enough Parliamentary time for a vote on this on Monday.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,797

    IanB2 said:
    The issue with "Test on arrival" is you miss 100% of those infected in transit.

    Test at Day 7, you miss 12%.
    Test everyone on a flight, and you’ll know if anyone was infectious on the flight.

  • Can he explain why? Save the NHS? Flatten the curve? Eliminate covid altogether? Save Xmas?

    Thought not.
  • The BBC is "credulously green" which presumably means, not arguing for climate change denial. God help us
  • I guess we must now be at the point in the covid response cycle when Johnson goes to a office on Monday and exhorts everyone to get back to work and the office immediately to save the great british economy.



  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,151

    Brady will amend the covid regs renewal coming next week:

    "The move will effectively impose a “Parliamentary lock” on any future restrictions, amid widespread fury among senior MPs and peers that restrictions have been imposed on Britons without a vote."

    Telegraph.

    At last. Parliament starting to do its job wrt the executive.

    Good for Brady.

    There is clearly real disquiet on the back benches over this.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,780
    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.
  • When we come out Lockdown 2.0 will there be a Eat Out to Help Out 2.0 in order to persuade us it is safe to go back to eating out and visiting the pub?
  • Mortimer said:

    Freeze benefits and freeze state pay, lets see how Rishi's popularity is after that

    I suspect it might go up amongst Tory voters....
    Red wall voters?
    Austerity has NEVER gone over well with this group . . . just ask Oliver Cromwell's ghost . . .
  • Jesus Christ, Charles Moore left the CoE because they started having women as priests. Is he playing the role of a pantomime villain?
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207
    edited September 2020
    Not sure why my missing post then showed up after posting replacement

    DELETED

  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,797
    Dem donors smash ActBlue's daily record after Ginsburg's death
    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/19/dem-donors-smash-record-ginsburgs-death-418355

    Not the most convincing evidence that the SC is an issue which energises disproportionately the Republican electorate.
  • moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    What punishment do you think is appropriate for that idiot from Bolton that seems to be the source of most of that town's problems because he failed to self isolate. A slap on the wrist maybe?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 43,114

    ydoethur said:

    SandraMc said:

    Is Sean T around in one of his many forms? In the "Telegraph" magazine today Martin Amis is quoted as saying: "There are no other examples of a writer child from a writer parent. It makes me feel freakish". Any thoughts?.

    Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft say hi.
    Jules and Michel Verne.

    Alexandre Dumas pere and fils.
    Martin Amis obviously meant people in his league: the Shakespeares, the Goethes, the Tolstoys...
    ☺ - although Money is better than anything by those 3.
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
  • I guess we must now be at the point in the covid response cycle when Johnson goes to a office on Monday and exhorts everyone to get back to work and the office immediately to save the great british economy.



    With fabulous added incentive, of being entered in lottery for available COVID testing schedule slot in Penzance, Wick OR Rockall!
  • moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    I would expect anyone trying to register as Mickey Mouse will be turned away
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
  • Jesus Christ, Charles Moore left the CoE because they started having women as priests. Is he playing the role of a pantomime villain?

    It's called Anglo-Catholicism
  • Who are the two individuals pictured? Cabinet undersecretaries? COVID testing inspectors? OR new members of the House of Lords?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849
    kinabalu said:

    ydoethur said:

    SandraMc said:

    Is Sean T around in one of his many forms? In the "Telegraph" magazine today Martin Amis is quoted as saying: "There are no other examples of a writer child from a writer parent. It makes me feel freakish". Any thoughts?.

    Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft say hi.
    Jules and Michel Verne.

    Alexandre Dumas pere and fils.
    Martin Amis obviously meant people in his league: the Shakespeares, the Goethes, the Tolstoys...
    ☺ - although Money is better than anything by those 3.
    Well, that a view I guess. I'm inclined to think though that Money will be a little-known curiosity in 400 years, while Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet etc. will still be playing to live audiences. And with good reason.
  • BluestBlueBluestBlue Posts: 4,556

    Jesus Christ, Charles Moore left the CoE because they started having women as priests. Is he playing the role of a pantomime villain?

    It's called Anglo-Catholicism
    And we all know what Cousin Jasper had to say about them :wink:
  • 13,500 new infections today in France. All that mask wearing outdoors as well as indoors is clearly working well.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 72,084
    edited September 2020

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity now is an act of economic stupidity. Last thing you want to do is pull down aggregate demand as we head into a massive recession or even depression.

    Another lockdown as Johnson is now clearly planning for the end of the month will kill any green shoots dead. And the furlough is ending.

    How many massive mistakes can one PM make in a parliament?
    He reminds me of a rather acid remark I was obliged to make to Mr Kevin O’Connor of the SLC during a dispute where his staff proved incapable of reading calendars, simple forms or writing declarative sentences.

    ‘You bear responsibility for the stupidity, dishonesty and incompetence of your staff. You have been head of repayments since 1992. In that time, not only is it impossible to think of a year where everything has gone right, it is exceedingly difficult to think of a time when anything has gone right.’
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 72,084

    moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    What punishment do you think is appropriate for that idiot from Bolton that seems to be the source of most of that town's problems because he failed to self isolate. A slap on the wrist maybe?
    An eye test in Barnard Castle.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849

    moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    I would expect anyone trying to register as Mickey Mouse will be turned away
    Which is presumably precisely what they were hoping for.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 72,084
    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,510

    13,500 new infections today in France. All that mask wearing outdoors as well as indoors is clearly working well.

    They are still allowing gatherings of up to 5000 though.
    Which seems like madness from here.
  • ladupnorthladupnorth Posts: 93
    edited September 2020
    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    With all due respect, planning on the basis that "there's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future" is remarkably complacent. If 2020 has taught us anything it's that the foreseeable future is not foreseeable at all.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 72,084
    dixiedean said:

    13,500 new infections today in France. All that mask wearing outdoors as well as indoors is clearly working well.

    They are still allowing gatherings of up to 5000 though.
    Which seems like madness from here.
    Good news for SeanT if he moves to France though. It would mean he wasn’t breaking regulations merely by existing.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849
    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    What do you forecast inflation is going to be over the next couple of years?
  • dixiedean said:

    13,500 new infections today in France. All that mask wearing outdoors as well as indoors is clearly working well.

    They are still allowing gatherings of up to 5000 though.
    Which seems like madness from here.
    Yes. The scenes from the TDF this week are unbelievable, especially Macron himself joining the crowds at one of the stages.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    With all due respect, planning on the basis that "there's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future" is remarkably complacent. If 2020 has taught us anything it's that the foreseeable future is not foreseeable at all.
    But squeezing the economy dry by austerity for fear of potential inflation at some unforeseeable point in the future is worse than complacent - it's insane.
  • Jesus Christ, Charles Moore left the CoE because they started having women as priests. Is he playing the role of a pantomime villain?

    Surely only one of them left.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
  • #poorboris is trending on twitter.
  • #poorboris is trending on twitter.

    Well Twitter is a great representation of the country as Corbyn found
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 72,084

    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    What do you forecast inflation is going to be over the next couple of years?
    Not worth the effort of trying. Too many possible variables.

    But for a number of reasons it’s improbable that it will stay low.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,082
    Any new polls tonight?
  • ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    What do you forecast inflation is going to be over the next couple of years?
    Not worth the effort of trying. Too many possible variables.

    But for a number of reasons it’s improbable that it will stay low.
    I think it'll be low for next couple of years, in fact could well be very low. After that, who knows. Pretty sure at some point the covid debt will be inflated away.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    What do you forecast inflation is going to be over the next couple of years?
    Not worth the effort of trying. Too many possible variables.

    But for a number of reasons it’s improbable that it will stay low.
    In the absence of a prediction from you I'll go with this one from Tradingeconomics.

    "Inflation Rate in the United Kingdom is expected to be 0.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Inflation Rate in the United Kingdom to stand at 1.80 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Inflation Rate is projected to trend around 2.00 percent in 2021 and 1.70 percent in 2022, according to our econometric models."

    https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/inflation-cpi
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
  • eekeek Posts: 28,763

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    What's left to cut - apart from pensions?
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,792
    edited September 2020

    moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    I would expect anyone trying to register as Mickey Mouse will be turned away
    What if someone’s name was Michael Mouse?

    Harsh to turn him away.
  • eek said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    What's left to cut - apart from pensions?
    Yeh, like that's gonna happen under this lot.
  • #poorboris is trending on twitter.

    Despite Boris mountain of problems I doubt he worries about twitter

    His backbenchers are something else
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
    Just taking demand out of the economy when its in recession. If the private sector isn't spending cos its retracting then the public has to step up.

  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726
    edited September 2020
    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    Yes you are correct. They are in your imagination.

    Inflation last month was at a near five year low.

    https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-economy-inflation/uk-diner-discounts-push-inflation-to-near-five-year-low-idUKKBN2670OO
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849
    edited September 2020

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
    How does freezing public sector pay and selective benefits save any private sector jobs? Quite the opposite - a lot of those private sector jobs rely on money being spent. You can guarantee that virtually every penny of benefits will go straight back into the economy to support those private sector jobs. (The only exception being housing benefit much of which ends up subsidising private landlords - freeze that by all means.)
  • eek said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    What's left to cut - apart from pensions?
    Pay and some benefit freezes are very likely
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726
    edited September 2020

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    With all due respect, planning on the basis that "there's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future" is remarkably complacent. If 2020 has taught us anything it's that the foreseeable future is not foreseeable at all.
    There is much more risk of deflation.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,510

    moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    I would expect anyone trying to register as Mickey Mouse will be turned away
    What if someone’s name was Michael Mouse?

    Harsh to turn him away.
    I think he'd probably be very used to it by now.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849

    moonshine said:

    That £10k fine for failing to self isolate is ridiculous and will lead to more people refusing to comply with the tracking system altogether and leaving their name as Mickey Mouse.

    I’ve just self isolated for the third time since January. Every time out of a sense of good citizenship, rather than because I was ordered to because it was the sensible thing to do. The first time when most here were only vaguely aware of what was happening out in Asia.

    Something worth bearing in mind for those here that think anyone who thinks the government‘s response to covid is bullshit automatically means they don’t care about spreading the virus to others. Was the analogy of smokers causing passive smokers cancer? Give me strength.

    I would expect anyone trying to register as Mickey Mouse will be turned away
    What if someone’s name was Michael Mouse?

    Harsh to turn him away.
    I wouldn't put it past this micky mouse government.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    It’s good to know the steep increases in food prices, and the impending rise in fuel prices, are all in our imagination.
    What do you forecast inflation is going to be over the next couple of years?
    Not worth the effort of trying. Too many possible variables.

    But for a number of reasons it’s improbable that it will stay low.
    For a number of reasons it's probable it will stay low.
  • The problem is that perhaps in 2010-2015 world public sector freezes and so on were popular with the Tory base but I can't think that's the same situation in the new Red Wall.

    I did say all of this a while ago, fundamentally Johnson successfully united Tory and Labour voters over a very limited issue which he went on about. Outside of that, they have different outlooks on life that aren't compatible. It was called the Red Wall for a reason.

    Right now they're still with the Tories as Labour hasn't sorted itself out. But Labour has got rid of Corbyn, that was step one. Let's see what the next steps are.
  • Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome

    When the country is in a recession and has no money would you rather a pay freeze or job losses?

    This is the opportunity to show if you really have "got it" or if you still think Corbyn-style money-tree spending is possible indefinitely and not just during an emergency.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
    It isn't.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,503
    Scott_xP said:
    Excellent choice, he is the high priest of intellectual Toryism though his parents were Liberals
  • A party needs to articulate a proper plan of investment.

    Investment in infrastructure, housing, FTTP.

    Johnson articulated this kind of before he became leader and then forgot about it all. I am disappointed Keir has not yet done so either.
  • I see the Sundays are all about Lockdown Harder....Its coming folks....
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,849

    Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome

    When the country is in a recession and has no money would you rather a pay freeze or job losses?

    This is the opportunity to show if you really have "got it" or if you still think Corbyn-style money-tree spending is possible indefinitely and not just during an emergency.
    Lol - do you think the emergency is over?
  • Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome

    When the country is in a recession and has no money would you rather a pay freeze or job losses?

    This is the opportunity to show if you really have "got it" or if you still think Corbyn-style money-tree spending is possible indefinitely and not just during an emergency.
    Let's see how your choice of policy goes down in the Red Wall.

    The idea we need to freeze the pay of doctors and nurses to sort this out is for the birds. That money will come nowhere close to getting us out of this hole.

    Invest first.
  • I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
    How does freezing public sector pay and selective benefits save any private sector jobs? Quite the opposite - a lot of those private sector jobs rely on money being spent. You can guarantee that virtually every penny of benefits will go straight back into the economy to support those private sector jobs. (The only exception being housing benefit much of which ends up subsidising private landlords - freeze that by all means.)
    The more lost jobs in the private sector the less tax and less to pay the public sector
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,546
    edited September 2020
    Scott_xP said:
    I didn't think Rugby players took any tests, otherwise there might be some awkward questions about the kind of "vitamins" in their system.
  • Now is the time to invest, not cut.

    You cannot cut your way out of a hole. It has never worked and it will never work.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 124,503

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Apart from overseas aid and maybe a bit of defence there is not going to be much austerity under Boris
  • If Labour supports austerity 2.0 I am going to have to consider resigning from the party.
  • HYUFD said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Apart from overseas aid and maybe a bit of defence there is not going to be much austerity under Boris
    I think you're wrong.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726

    Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome

    When the country is in a recession and has no money would you rather a pay freeze or job losses?

    This is the opportunity to show if you really have "got it" or if you still think Corbyn-style money-tree spending is possible indefinitely and not just during an emergency.
    You need to get up with the programme. Modern Monetary Theory.
    [I know I'm risking a terrier like exchange with Philip but I'll resist]
  • Now is the time to invest, not cut.

    You cannot cut your way out of a hole. It has never worked and it will never work.

    NO, you let businesses free .
  • Barnesian said:

    Thanks Nurses and Doctors for your help, BTW here's a pay freeze, you're welcome

    When the country is in a recession and has no money would you rather a pay freeze or job losses?

    This is the opportunity to show if you really have "got it" or if you still think Corbyn-style money-tree spending is possible indefinitely and not just during an emergency.
    You need to get up with the programme. Modern Monetary Theory.
    [I know I'm risking a terrier like exchange with Philip but I'll resist]
    It's not even about MMT, it's about being a hole.

    You don't cut yourself out of a hole.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 72,797
    .
    Isn’t it traditional for the voters to decide that ?
  • Barnesian said:

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    Quite so. Even Starmer says tax rises now are off the agenda so the deficit needs to be tackled somehow.
    It doesn't. We can live with it. The Bank of England can create the money to fill the gap. There's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future - the reverse in fact.
    With all due respect, planning on the basis that "there's no risk of inflation in the foreseeable future" is remarkably complacent. If 2020 has taught us anything it's that the foreseeable future is not foreseeable at all.
    inflation is a problem soon .
  • Spending on housing, that's what the Government should do. Get to it.

    It's about the world post this crash, interest rates are at a historic low, invest properly.

    Renewables.

    Why is nobody in the political mainstream arguing for this?
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,726

    I do think austerity 2.0 is inevitable with the Tories but who it falls on, well that's for them to decide

    Austerity is inevitable under any party of government
    No it isn't BigG. Printing money and taxing wealth are both viable approaches.

    Freezing benefits and public-sector pay just means less money going into the economy to drive the recovery.
    With millions of private sector jobs on the line freezing public sector pay and selective benefits like annual 2.5% pension increases is inevitable
    How does freezing public sector pay and selective benefits save any private sector jobs? Quite the opposite - a lot of those private sector jobs rely on money being spent. You can guarantee that virtually every penny of benefits will go straight back into the economy to support those private sector jobs. (The only exception being housing benefit much of which ends up subsidising private landlords - freeze that by all means.)
    The more lost jobs in the private sector the less tax and less to pay the public sector
    The BoE prints the money and lends it to the government. It remits the interest on the debt back to the Treasury. MMT.
This discussion has been closed.