So.... the beautiful new school building that we were promised

[OrmRenewed]

for DS#1 and DD's school? Are they going to be built or not? The ones that all the pupils had a hand in designing. The one that is going to solve all the problems with leaks and draughts in winter, and sweltering heat in summer, and excessive distances to travel between classes, and horrible old toilets and horrendous heating costs.

Is that now gone for a burton? And how can I find out. Anyone know?

niondondad, I live in the kind of area where bankers live, and I get the impression that there is still plenty of money in the UK (albeit not in public hands).

On the other hand, apparently there is still money in public hands too, as the local conservative MP has reiterated the opinion of the council that the new school will still go ahead, just not under the BSF initiative.

New government rubbishes old government. Opposition rubbishes incumbents. Plus ca change.

stresshead eric 1,500 children in a 'learning space' without walls? that's awful!

merrymouse: exactly my point.

The banks were bailed out, otherwise they would have failed. This means that the Government put enough money into them to plug the huge hole in their finances. This has now created a hole in public finances.

What I find extraordinary is that there has been no reform of the banking system. For them it is business as usual. It is the state that is changing its behaviour. So of course in the kind of area Bankers live there is indeed plenty of money, but not in public hands...

'...no reform in the banking sector'

Well Osborne has announce a Bank Levy worth £2bn pa. And there was also Darling's bonus tax (which raised £3bn or so). And his 50% tax rate which reduces top bankers take home pay.

Of course, true banking reform is not just about raising money- but about minimising the impact of future failures in the banking industry. To do this properly takes time.

Brown's spending plans made no allowance for the reality of a recession and assumed continous growth, and that's unforgivable.

Economic swings have a negative impact the poorer and most vulnerable in society - a fact Mr (no more boom or bust) Brown was very aware of.

Agree with Jackstarbright.

Also, the idea that the bank bailout has created a huge hole in public finances is wrong. There was a big hole long before the bank bailout was needed. The last government spent more than its income every year since 2001. Throughout this period, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling's budgets said they would run a deficit, so this was clearly deliberate policy. Alistair Darling's budget for 2010/11 showed that we would still be spending £3.90 for every £3 income. That is why there is a problem.

If Gordon Brown had genuinely abolished the laws of economics so that there would be no more recessions as he claimed, this might have been sustainable. However, any sensible government runs a surplus when the economy is growing so that it can then cope with the problems when there is a recession.