Can anyone summarise what the conservatives plan to do (with the economy) if they win the next election?

[hopefully]

Wow, most boring/geeky thread title ever. If anyone even clicks on it I think they deserve a small prize.

Do we know if the conservatives are committed to, for example, a low inflation rate, or a low interest rate, or a certain rate of economic growth, or anything?

Just interested really, I have no pressing need to know - too poor to buy a house, but no debts to worry about!

i clicked but don't have much to say on the matter. do i still win a small prize?

I expect lower taxes more privatisations in education and health cuts in public spending that is generally conservative policy

They'll fuck it up.

well yes there is that, but it is not like lot did not have a good go at it

There is a whole page on prospective policies (not a lot in concrete terms was the size of it) on the bbc news website, I'll see if I can find it (am at work, I have it bookmarked at home, chiz)

Found it!

i have not really got a clue about economics but i do wonder whether any party could address our current economic problems given they seem to be down to the operation of the worldwide financial markets and the effects of problems in the US. is there much a UK government could do?

Fuck the working poor and poor, get all the sheep to accept their archaic belief that that's what the poor and working poor deserve for being lazy and fuck everything up by privitising essential services anymore.

If you want to see how it will all wind up, go for an exteneded visit to America and see what 8 years with a totally Conservative government has done.

Southeastastra a small prizre is winging its way to you in the post as we speak. Honest.

Thanks for the link wendyweber!

Ooh, and I wasn't suggesting I thought they could 'cure' the economy, as so many of current problems (although not all, economic policy has definitely played a role) are due to global problems.

Expat was not suggesting I thought they would be an improvement, was just interested in what they said they could do, as they are so critical of labour for 'getting us into this mess' (my words, their sentiment)

Part of the reason we're in such a mess at the moment is because Labour has been borrowing huge amounts when they really should have been trying to save for the rainy day that we're now experiencing. Traditionally in times of recession governments have tried to lower taxes to boost the economy but that option is not open because we are in such debt that there is no room for tax cuts

And it seems to me that as a country we have very little to show for all the money they've been spending.

as we don't need an election till (I think) 2010, they haven't told us

because if they tell us now, we'll shoot holes in it - so we'll get dripfeeds of policy I expect

I like him and I do hope he gets in. He seems to have traditional values and believes in families so hopefully that will come through in his policies. Labour very much weighs things in favour of single parent families.

I also think he will cut benefits so that people support themselves rather than relying on the state, he's mentioned this a few times so its obviously high on his agenda.

Money raised from raised from income tax is mainly spent on benefits, would be nice to see our schools, health service and more childrens activities and clubs benefit instead.

Screw it up, just like Labour. They'll find a different method, of course, but the result will be the same.

The reality is that whichever political party is in power, they'll have limited room for manouevre.

Demand for the health service is greater than income, so unless healthcare is rationed or taxes go up or it's semi-privatised it'll never meet everyone's expectations..of course no politician seeking power will be realistic about that.

Ditto the economy - the global picture is affecting everything and when America sneezes, Britain catches a cold.

And it's impossible to get a balance between being sufficiently green to help the planet and keeping big businesses happy and allow them enough growth.

It's easy to be taken in by promises, but those of us who remember the last Conservative government and saw thousands thrown onto the dole queue aren't likely to be taken in I'd think.

Thanks for views everyone, it's really interesting to read.

And now I may go and do something more productive than sitting around wondering about a hypothetical future government's economic policy.