'You've never had it so good' according to leading Tory - the mask slips (again)

[edam]

of course we are all in this together... especially millionaires who don't even realise or care that they have no clue how the other half lives.

So much for all that balls about how the Tories were no longer 'the nasty party'...

Pelvicfloor - are you seriously saying the Tories would have done any different had they been in power? They were even more opposed to regulating the banks and George Osborne praised the management of the Irish economy a couple of years ago. They even initially opposed the bailing out of Northern Rock.

I think this guy probably was telling the truth but it was a stupid thing to say.

Yes Riven. I think it was Lord Gowrie. At the time the ministerial income was £30,000 or so.

Pelvicfloor, fraid I can't read today's Times. I cancelled my subscription to save money.

"Bitching about nasty Tories at a time when the Coalition is having to clear up the shit that Labour left behind is farcical."

Aw diddums.. how hard life is for them.

It was the then Tory party chair, Teresa May, who said they had to stop being 'the nasty party'.

Turns out actually what she meant was 'we have to pretend not to be uncaring bastards in order to get into power, then we can reveal our true colours'.

Btw, you can bitch about the last government all you like - feel free, indeed - but it's a bit much to claim they are solely to blame for the world economic crisis. It started in the States, where one George Bush was in power. IIRC he wasn't exactly left wing...

The previous Government weren't totally to blame for the economic crisis but they are responsible for the size of the deficit that we have. We started running a structural deficit in 2004 even though times were good and we had had strong growth, this was a shocking error of judgement from Gordon Brown.

yeah Gordon Brown is of course to blame for the worldwide banking crisis.
look at the mess he made of Ireland's economy. and Iceland. and Portugal. and Greece.
naughty man.

'Lord Young, a former trade and industry secretary during Margaret Thatcher's government, added that "most people" with a mortgage found their monthly repayments had decreased by up to £600 each time.' er MOST PEOPLE?? REALLY??
My fave bit was when he described half a million job losses as 'within the margin of error' insensitive, much....

If anyone is wondering whether it's true that the Tories would have handled the boom years with the prudence their admirers attribute to them, have a look at this from George Osborne in 2006. It's quite hilarious really.

"Ireland stands as a shining example of the art of the possible in long-term economic policymaking, and that is why I am in Dublin: to listen and to learn."

Are we actually back in recession then?? How did I miss that?

But PelvicFloor, according to Lord Young the vast majority of people in this country have never had it so good, and there is a "so-called" recession rather than a real one. That rather suggests that he doesn't think that Labour left any shit behind.

Surprised he's not in more trouble with Tory HQ, TBH...

If you are referring to my post, smallwhitecat, I can assure you I have no interest whatsoever in defending Labour. But you've got to admit that George Osborne's Ireland speech is pretty funny. Or would be if he wasn't in charge.

smallwhitecat, I am sure you cannot be seriously suggesting that the last quarter's growth figures reflect the actions of the government over only the last 6 months. That would fall into the category of magical thinking.

I think they will always be the nasty party. What a twat that man is.

Well it's hard to tell yet, isn't it, smallwhitecat, although it's looking rather as though the fiscal stimulus was having positive effects. Perhaps we'd better have this discussion in a year's time after the cuts have kicked in and we've found out whether there really is enough demand from other countries (most of whom are unfortunately engaged in the same strategy) to provide the export-led growth that we are told is going to be our salvation.

The economy isn't going to be helped much in the coming years when people have so little money they will buy nothing, particularly with VAT going up to 20%.

It hasn't even started yet...

So have I missed a return to recession or not?? I thought we dipped into it and (under the Labour government) came back out of it pretty quick smart over 12 months ago?? Not that I'm not holding out much hope that we won't be back in the midst of it for a much longer run under the current con/dem government...

I don't think you can credit the recent growth figures to the coalition, it was the remnants of the Labour Governments policies.

alienbump- we're not back in recession no, we had better than expected growth figures recently.

Not that I am holding out much hope that should be!

zepherine, Even given Irelands recent troubles I still think there are somethings we can learn from them. Their low corporation tax rate has been extremely successful in getting international firms to locate there.

Yes byrel, that seems to have worked out terribly well for them.

It's rather like admiring the plumbing on the Titanic.

Irelands problems stem from their banks being heavily over-leveredged. Its corporation tax rate is one of its few saving graces which is why they given their fiscal difficultys they still have increased the rate of corporation tax.