Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
11 January 2009
11:2712524
The BBC and Andrew Marr visited David Cameron at home this morning. They did Gordon Brown at Downing St last week, and now to West London to the residence of young Dave. It was all very amiable and went swimmingly apart from the connection to the studio breaking down a number of times at crucial moments.
The most interesting thing to emerge was the fact that David Cameron has more or less agreed in principle to the 'spend out of the recession method' employed by Gordon Brown. Marr asked DC if there was anything wrong with the Barack Obama plan to inject huge amounts of cash into the US Economy when he comes to power next week. He is, as Marr said, about to do the same thing as Gordon Brown. Does DC think there is anything wrong with doing this?
David Cameron agreed in principle but said whereas the US can afford to do it we cant. So apart from the minor details of the process the principle is a good one. So the voters out there can rest assured that the right method is being engaged by Gordon Brown for the current economic situation.
For my money this is the second time he has said such, but I know BarryW wont see it this way. DC also said he is ready for an election and feels the time has come for a change of government. It would "wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start". He seems to be banking his hopes on change for change sake.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
11 January 2009
11:4512526a bit like the adams famly then.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
11 January 2009
15:4212542Ah now tut tut Brian Im failing to grasp the similarites between and betwixt the Camerons and the Addamses based on what Ive written above. Dont you know this is the deeply deeply intellectual Politics section so am needing a wee bit more.
Perhaps you are comfortable in the knowledge that Gordon Brown has got the grand plan just about dead right?
11 January 2009
15:5012543Ah, I love the smell of Irony in the morning...........
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
11 January 2009
17:0712544now now just a passing thought,as for g brown more like the clampetts ramberlings.irony works better than caffine.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 January 2009
19:3812554PaulB - Apparently the BBC were furious that DC expected the same considerations that were given to Brown so it is hardly surprising that there were 'technical diffficulties'.
As I have said before I believe DC should be a lot bolder about what needs to be done. I am in support of real and substantial cuts to public expenditure and not merely spending less that the present Government.
You should note that there are big differences between the route proposed by Obama to stimulate the US economy and that taken by Brown. The VAT reduction was and is an expensive flop, so much that the Government are now considering what I said should have been done instead, an increase in the starting rate of income tax to £10,000 (the cost would be the same as the VAT cut).
Why, oh why, has Brown also not taken the advice of Cameron and brought in a loan guarantee scheme to get banks lending again? That addresses the core of our problems. This was first proposed back in November by Cameron, who has made 11 calls now for the Government to act and it has still not done so. Not yet anyway, there is word leaking out that they are planning to do it!!! Too late and under pressure. No doubt the real reason for Brown not acting yet is purely political, placing party politics at a higher importantance than keeping people in work.
The fact is we have a tired Government which is unwilling to take the decisions needed. Their biggest crime so far, apart from failure to take effective action, is to leave the whole burden of the recession piled on the private sector, something that will deepen and lengthen the recession. It is only the private sector that can pull the economy back up again so to overburden it in the way this Government is mad. That is why real cuts are needed in public spending.
Sid Pollitt
11 January 2009
20:4812558I think the trouble for Cameron is that he spent the first year of his leadership ditching the baggage of his predecessors and now because Brown has bounced back the past is Tories only diection to take.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 January 2009
23:1112569Brown is the man who is 'Back to the Past' the 1970's. That was the last time we had a spending slurge leading to nearly bankrupting this country, the time of the last Labour Government.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
12 January 2009
09:4412583Although the vat may not have been the huge hit expected it nevertheless will have given many of us savings over Christmas. It will have made our few miserable pounds stretch that bit further. There is no doubt it helped me with my few extravagant purchases.
But apart from the vat business there have been a whole raft of measures that no doubt Barack Obama will duplicate in the US, so the government appears to be on the right track.
It was interesting that many of the headlines yesterday picked up on the "wipe the slate clean" bit of this interview, as highlighted in my post above, which seems to indicate a new tactic in the poll wars. Almost acknowledging that Gordon Brown has made the ground in the short term so pinning hopes on a tired and exhausted public longing for change.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 January 2009
10:0012585PaulB - the problem is it is the Government that is 'tired and exhausted' and needs changing. As for Obama, as I said he is not planning any kind of duplication of the UK position. Here is Fraser Nelson's article on this.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3224836/obamas-stimulus-looks-nothing-like-browns-whatever-our-pm-might-say.thtml
The 'clean start' approach is a sensible one and a good tac for Cameron to take. Brown carries a very large amount of responsibility for the trouble the UK economy is in, his misjudgements got us here and more of his misjudgements will not speed our way out of it. Indeed, the actions he has taken so far are either largely ineffective (VAT cut and bank bail-out) or counter productive in a way that deepens the recession (failure to cut public spending, extra borrowing splurge, more red tape on businesses, higher taxes on small businesses). Only a few items are helpful, delays to tax/VAT payments for instance.
Sid Pollitt
12 January 2009
12:3012592In contrast to Gordon Brown's summit on jobs this morning the oppostion dished up a press conference and unveiled a poster of a baby. Cameron spoke very briefly [you'll be surprised to find out that it was only spin] and then took questions which were, in part, staged.
It will be interesting how the two events are reported in the media later in the day.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 January 2009
12:3512594Sid - I see that the Government has today pinched yet another Tory idea, help for employers who employ someone who has been unemployed. How long now is it before they also pinch the debt guarantee scheme? There is talk that they will do so, much belated as Cameron has been calling for this to be adopted for months.
Sid Pollitt
12 January 2009
14:2012597As I have said before, the Tories are now a pressure group. If the government adopts some of their proposals they should be pleased with themselves.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
12 January 2009
14:2512599Barry it has always been the case that if the opposition come up with a semi resonable idea you wait a while then slant it differently and call it something else and bring it in as your idea.This I did on Dover Town Council,and I am sure it is done at DDC as well as in Parliment,that the advantage of being the majority.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 January 2009
15:1312602Excuses. Thta fact is this Labour Government is tired and out of ideas and that is why they have to lean on the Opposition for ideas all the time....
As for being a pressure group, you really are a comedian Sid. So when Labour lose the next election within 18 months they will merely become a pressure group? A big enough defeat and maybe there will be some hope of a complete re-alignment in the political system leaving Labour out in the cold as a third (or fourth) party forever more, well we can hope. A pressure group is all Labour are good for.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 January 2009
20:2612633i listened briefly to david,s speech, nothing new there, he spoke about conservative philosophy.
people saving up for a rainy day, that sort of thing.
the electorate are really not interested about that sort of thing at this time, the ones that can save get a derisory interest rate, the rest who cannot want to hear what he would do to safeguard their jobs.
barry
if what you say about gordon nicking david's idea is true, then gordon should be congratulated.
it is about time that politicians across the board pooled their ideas for the good of the country.
the last thing that the man/woman in the street are interested in at present, is party dogma.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 January 2009
21:0712645There is no if about it Howard.
The point is, surely, that we have seen the same pattern for some while. Conservatives announce a policy, its gets attacked and rubbished by Labour and then soon after it is adopted by Labour.
Labour are claiming we are the 'do nothing' Party. Labour really are not credable.
Just think more on what it says about the Labour Party? You might also consider what it is saying about the Conservatives.
Its time for a change to get into power a Party that has some ideas of its own.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
15 January 2009
12:5412860There is a serious concern over that young Tory dressing like he did.
How can that be funny???????
shows the face of conservatives not changed
(oh yes i hear,,, hes an individual not party policy!!)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
15 January 2009
23:2612918Pointless posting Keith - stirring it again.
Roger
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
16 January 2009
09:3512926maybe pointless posting to you roger but to the wider audience and the mc cains themselves it was heartless
barryw
as i keep saying thankfully labur and gwyn will be returned to govt and hopefully all this will stop and we can get back politics without elections in mind
