Dave's cuts are going be deep and they will hurt

[FellatioNelson]

I've been hearing this all day on the radio. I can't take the suspense any longer. They are going to affect the lives of 'every one of us'

I feel like a person wincing and clenching my teeth in anticipation of the big fuck-off needle the school nurse is wielding, and I'm next in the queue....

Come on then, what's it going to be?

I may be a cynic but I think he really like to over-egg the situation. The old "setting low expectations" classic, where he is predicting that he will come out all shiny ( shinier? ) and rosy, having saved the day from those horrid labour policies, and he will be crowned King of all Ham, and we will all worship and bow to his shininess.

Problem is, he is talking us into a double dip/depression.

My dad has just said he thinks DC is playing it hard so that we all think "holy fuck" and then when the budget comes out we will all think "it wasnt that bad" - i told him he was delusional

I may quickly refer you here, and you can take a look for yourself

Is Hambo over-egging?

critical analysis required since we know all the media are Tory Whores

Surely he can't do anything toooo controversial/harsh etc as there will be calls for an end to the coallition/a general election ?

..its the fact the debt will still be growing...

if you run a business that functions with an overdraft that is stable - and serviceable - not a problem, many businesses trade for years with negative net value - if it is increasing, that is not a sustainable situation

continuing as was, the defecit was set to double in 5 years - so really drastic cut backs are needed. i think the publics appetite for it will wear out well before the fiscal necessity passes though.

i don't see anything like enough in the way of cuts/freezes so far.

I remember hearing after the election that a re election could be called if this wasn't working out.Maybe that meant if they couldn't agree on policy.

I bet the cuts that actually happen aren't as bad as people are expecting.
No government is going to starve people or put them on the streets otherwise there will be civil unrest and they won't get voted back into power, so it's never as bad it ought to be could be.

LadyBlaBlah - That chart doesn't include the financial interventions made by the last government during the recession. As a result it shows the national debt as 53.5% of GDP. According to the Office for National Statistics report that came out just before the election it was 62.1% of GDp at the end of April, up from 53.9% in April 2009. However, the important point is that the debt is rising rapidy - up from around 36% of GDP two years ago.

However, the most important point is that this chart is looking at total debt rather than the deficit. The media seem to confuse these two regularly, which doesn't help. The deficit is the rate at which the debt is growing. The government is currently spending £4 for every £3 it receives in income. The rest is funded by borrowing.

The cuts this government are talking about will slow the rate at which the national debt is growing but it won't be enough to hold the debt level or start it going down.

funding for the arts is unfortunately one of those areas where it has to be admitted, it acts as a subsidy for things enjoyed by the UK's wealthier people....

subsidies for Opera and ballet - audiences not full of the poorest!

Art gallery goers - same again

community theatre and art projects - possibly better, depending on the project...though many of the ones round here (particulary those without ties to, say, adult-ed) were still mainly accessed by those educated enough to be interested in theatre/ art.)

don't get me wrong, i think there's a great value in art..but unfortuately i thin kit is hard to justify government expenditur on the basis of need.

Agree with EnglandAllenPoe re: the arts.

Well ok Riven we'd all agree that's not good but where shall we make the cuts then because no turkey is going to vote for Christmas, there will be tax increases but it won't be enough, cuts are going to happen, who do you think should take the hit ?

I laughed at that throwaway comment, too, moondog.

It's so 'When I hear the word 'culture', I reach for my Browning.'