Is the government imcompetent

[newwave]

They're only incompetent from a certain perspective.

From the perspective of the bondholders, a right-wing government which seeks to privatise the NHS is doing a good job.

From the perspective of the arms industry looking to boost sales, a right-wing government which outmuscles Washington in the War on Terror 3 is doing a good job.

From the perspective of the bankers, a right-wing government which cuts corporation tax while cutting benefits is doing a good job.

From the perspective of the tax cheats, a government which announces that it will not seek to challenge the basis of domicile in an era in which non-doms in the City have fucked up the country, is doing a good job

Mellowfruitfulness:"However, they are stalling. Is this because they are actually listening to what people say? Imo that's the most important job of government. No government should be afraid to back down if they have been shown that their policies are unworkable. Or - more likely, imo - have they been forced into abandoning/changing their policies? If so, then they will just wait, regroup, plaster over the cracks, repackage the policies and present them to us again in a few months' time."

In the case of the N.H.S. "listening" exercise, I suspect they just want a pause to get through the May 5th elections, planning to carry out their plans afterwards in the way you describe.

Yes, a depressing thought mellowfruitfulness, I am scared about that. Terrified about the NHS more than anything.

Muminlondon - the non-doms who don't like it will just leave the UK. The bankers seem to realise things had to change - but if it suits them better elsewhere, they will leave. (I don't take those threatening loudly to leave seriously though - I think they'll stay).

Business people just tend to get on with things IME. I suspect they find most governments a bit incompetent .

Completely and utterly depressing.
There is little foucs on real growth.
As a small business owner I feel he does nothing for us, just the opposite. I do not agree with giving workers less rights and making it easier to sack people without appeal. Too many companies hire and fire in this market and he has just make it alot easier to do so.
As for the war :=( he we go again.

It was really interesting listening to James Dyson on the radio last week. He was obviously really angry that the government was making a pointless gesture cracking down on work visas for foreign graduates that could include shortage skill areas. He gave lots of concrete examples of post-grad research students in engineering who go on to start companies and create jobs here. And the big shortage in UK engineering graduates. Another incompetent move.

MiL

James Dyson started his company and developed his products in the UK and then when he found that he had to pay his staff properly he moved production to the far east and stopped manufacturing in the UK.

He is the last one to lecture anybody

muminlondon I agree with James Dyson entirely.

We should not have caps on the number of science PhDs or bright engineers.

Immigration is a problem is because Labour let in hundreds of thousands of peasants who couldn't speak English. Banning a brain surgeon or physics professor isn't going to help with that.

We should let highly skilled, highly educated, highly entrepreneurial, and highly accomplished people in without any sort of quota at all. We should be even firmer in rejecting those who do not fit into such categories - but perhaps most of all, we should make life as uncomfortable as possible for the Labour immigrants - legal and illegal - who choose to scrounge on benefits, so that they are encouraged to leave.

That is a shame newwave but he still has an R&D company here.

That is a shame newwave but he still has an R&D company here.

True but he should also have his production here but he would rather maximise profits from cheap labour than give his fellow UK citizens a job with decent pay. I would like to know how many he made redeundant

Sad to say there are many in business like him.

newwave "he would rather maximise profits from cheap labour than give his fellow UK citizens a job with decent pay."

Yeah, that is called c.o.m.p.e.t.i.t.i.o.n.

Had he taken your advice, his cost would shot up, wouldn't be able to sell his overpriced product, he would have to close his production line and R&D and join the dole queue. Great!

I am hiding this thread because ignorance here is just off the scale.

Yeah, that is called c.o.m.p.e.t.i.t.i.o.n.

No it's called explotation and profiteering.

I am hiding this thread because ignorance here is just off the scale.

If you dislike the sight of ignorance I suggest you avoid mirrors

well actually, I think everybody should just get off the fence and say what they really feel. No - don't hold back, come on, let's share the love.

waving happy fluffy bunnies at everybody and running away

Ahhhh, politics. No entrenched opinion too radical. Lovely.