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Politics
Original poster

Which is more important now: political reform or the economy?

264 replies

FrakkinTheReturningOfficer · 08/05/2010 16:18

Political reform is going to be bad for the economy, in the short term at least.

Sorting out the economy probably means putting political reform on hold.

Which would you choose?

OP posts:
jackstarbright · 08/05/2010 20:09

PW - the Paul Mason chart I links shows a wobble when Gordon Brown makes an offer to Clegg!

policywonk · 08/05/2010 20:06

TDiddy - yes, Brown played a blinder there (and hasn't received much credit for it. Still don't see what's wrong with outright nationalisation though.) I read somewhere today that the reason he's not standing down as LP leader is that his international reputation is a great deal higher than his national reputation, and his absence at a time of political uncertaintly really would start a speculative raid on sterling. (Which kinda brings us back to the market-dictating-policy thing.)

jackstarbright · 08/05/2010 20:05

Lenin - Yes, but why do banks pay them (and why so high?)

edam · 08/05/2010 20:05

You wouldn't be saying that if you had actually heard me singing, claig, I sound like a cat being strangled.

I can't remember the words to the Internationale, anyone got a crib sheet?

claig · 08/05/2010 20:03

edam
I also like Kinnock and co. singing Bandera Rossa, "Avanti o Popolo ..."
they are good tunes

LeninGrad · 08/05/2010 20:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TDiddy · 08/05/2010 20:00

From here every 1p rise in RBS shares gives taxpayer 1BN or so !!!

edam · 08/05/2010 19:59

Just for claig...

The peoples' flag is deepest red
It's shrouded oft our martyred dead
And ere their limbs grow stiff and cold
Their life-blood's dyed it's every fold

So raise the scarlet standard high
Beneath its shades we'll live or die
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here.

TDiddy · 08/05/2010 19:58

" concentration on finance is too great in this country. "

Yes but since we made/make so much from Finance and it is a very scalabe industry we shouldn't kill it off but try to develop other industries in parallel.

Ploticians have been too scared to explain that the UK ebnefits greatly from the Financial sector and that it would be madness to give it away.

And before anyomne says that the banks lost us money, just look at the fact that the UK govt is already making a profits from bank bail out concentration on finance is too great in this country. [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/26/profit-taxpayers-bailed-out-bank-shares here...And there is more to come

jackstarbright · 08/05/2010 19:58

Claig - "Our finest minds still go into the City, due to the astronomical salaries, whilst our other industries are neglected."

So agree with that. Working out why total renumeration is so high and regulating it properly (and not by some half-baked plans to cap bonus caps) would be a step forward.

LeninGrad · 08/05/2010 19:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:55

im looking forward to a positive coalition in the name of national unity

constructs secret gulag/rendition centre

Original poster
FrakkinTheReturningOfficer · 08/05/2010 19:55
OP posts:
Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:53

good pic of cherie here

www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00038/LordsDavidAshdown_38212t.jpg

policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:53
EdgarAllenPoll · 08/05/2010 19:52

...and yet they managed to get 35% of the public vote? "

a bit pednatic of you hear! Murdoch carries the ignorant 5pc for them

the area i live in is not, as the South coast goes, particularly wealthy (high proportion of retired people and starter families,) - but it is a conservative safe seat. i think you need to change your preconceptions abot why people vote Conservative.

claig · 08/05/2010 19:52

agree with you LeninGrad,
but what about the lawyers like Cherie Blair?
Why does no one talk about what they earn?

Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:50

i think the claig geezer is on board as well.

see, wisdom of crowds...

claig · 08/05/2010 19:50

in hock

LeninGrad · 08/05/2010 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:48

hey, what about me!? im coalescing!

claig · 08/05/2010 19:48

EdgarAllenPoll, you're right, I meant the financial sector rather than finance.

This country has always been controlled by the financial sector, ever since the industrial revolution. It was engineers from the North of England and Scotland that gave us the railways, the bridges and so much else. The City, even then, invested so much of the money abroad instead. Our finest minds still go into the City, due to the astronomical salaries, whilst our other industries are neglected. We are in hoc to the City and so was Gordon Brown. It is not healthy, but I don't think it will change.

policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:45
EdgarAllenPoll · 08/05/2010 19:43

policywonk I agree with you, the concentration on finance is too great in this country.

the economy is the one deciding factor in everything -

want to do something about health? you need money!
want to do something about education...you need money!
want to do something about crime, or poverty, or anything else you care to mention...it takes money..

a healthy economy generates the money to fund all these things. without one, the nation just digs itself into a hole of debt, or stops attempting any of the above.

This is why Labour embraced the free-market in the end - as a means to the wealth necessary to drive its social reform agenda. And then it borrowed as well....(oh, and it wasn't electable whilst still embracing a socialist agenda.)

TDiddy · 08/05/2010 19:42

EdgarAllenPoll

"The Tories just haven't found a formula that appeals to more than the well off 30pc

...and yet they managed to get 35% of the public vote? "

a bit pednatic of you hear! Murdoch carries the ignorant 5pc for them