Tory conference.George Osborne's speech

[Tangled up in Blue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19865692

I didn't know G.O. was a Marxist(Groucho tendency presumably).:winking:

 

[Benfleet A1]

So tell me, what proposals don't you agree with.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

So tell me, what proposals don't you agree with.

Ha! Where were the proposals for growth?

 

[Neil_F]

No one has a plan for growth, be it the UK or anywhere else in Europe.

I know you want to raid the magic money tree, but just imagine that the UK could borrow more in the short-term without threatening economic stability, what would you spend it on? Everybody agrees that more houses need to be buolt but finance is only part of the problem; it is incredibly difficult to build anything given the restrictive planning laws and local opposition. Everybody wants to grow the economy through construction but they don't want construction anywhere near them.

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

 

[blues_r_best]

No one has a plan for growth, be it the UK or anywhere else in Europe.

I know you want to raid the magic money tree, but just imagine that the UK could borrow more in the short-term without threatening economic stability, what would you spend it on? Everybody agrees that more houses need to be buolt but finance is only part of the problem; it is incredibly difficult to build anything given the restrictive planning laws and local opposition. Everybody wants to grow the economy through construction but they don't want construction anywhere near them.

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

Build a new county.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Ha! Where were the proposals for growth?

That wasn't what I asked. Neil F would be the far superior man to tell us all about that where I prefer to be more simplistic with things. I asked what you didn't agree with.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

Yes, Neil.The usual suspects.Spend money on affordable housing,infrastructure projects etc.By creating jobs income tax revenue will rise and we'll be in a better postiton to cut back on the deficit.(Btw,UK debt is rising under the Tories and is expected to have doubled-according to Government forecasts- by the time of the 2015 election).

 

[Pubey]

No one has a plan for growth, be it the UK or anywhere else in Europe.

I know you want to raid the magic money tree, but just imagine that the UK could borrow more in the short-term without threatening economic stability, what would you spend it on? Everybody agrees that more houses need to be buolt but finance is only part of the problem; it is incredibly difficult to build anything given the restrictive planning laws and local opposition. Everybody wants to grow the economy through construction but they don't want construction anywhere near them.

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

Build HS2, a couple of new motorways, a 3rd Heathrow runway and a better 'BASILDON' sign.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Build HS2, a couple of new motorways, a 3rd Heathrow runway and a better 'BASILDON' sign.

I could do with a new kitchen.

 

[Hotman]

Yes, Neil.The usual suspects.Spend money on affordable housing,infrastructure projects etc.By creating jobs income tax revenue will rise and we'll be in a better postiton to cut back on the deficit.(Btw,UK debt is rising under the Tories and is expected to have doubled-according to Government forecasts- by the time of the 2015 election).

Everybody agrees that more houses need to be buolt but finance is only part of the problem; it is incredibly difficult to build anything given the restrictive planning laws and local opposition. Everybody wants to grow the economy through construction but they don't want construction anywhere near them.

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

 

[Neil_F]

Yes, Neil.The usual suspects.Spend money on affordable housing,infrastructure projects etc

Every politican in the UK agrees with that. The problem is identifying the projects and making them happen.

Pubey mentioned the biggest such infastructure projects: HS2 and airport expansion. These aren't going anywhere quickly because of local political difficulties and the planning regime. Now you could argue that the government should just plough on regardless of local opinion. Why not just tear up the planning regime and build HS2, two new airports and 500,000 houses? The government tried to do relax the planning regime and then interest groups mounted a campaign of screaming dissent that effectively killed it. How do you overcome the practical difficulties of implementation?

This is before we get on to the limits of central planning and the long-term effects of poor infastructure spending (see Japan).

Do let us know how to overcome these difficulties, Barna. We'll pas it on to HM Treasury.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

.

Any ideas for growth, Barna?

See Pubey's contribution above,C.:smile:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Do let us know how to overcome these difficulties, Barna. We'll pas it on to HM Treasury.

Vote Labour in 2015.:smiles:

 

[Neil_F]

I take it you don't have any serious ideas then?

I haven't seen Labour advocate any ideas for growth or realising capital spending. I'm off the opinion these days that UK governments are powerless to achieve anything. The world is too fast and the manchinery of government too slow to make a meaningful impact on the economy.

 

[Napster]

The world is too fast and the manchinery of government too slow to make a meaningful impact on the economy.

Not in China.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Build HS2, a couple of new motorways, a 3rd Heathrow runway and a better 'BASILDON' sign.

I'm yet to be convinced by HS2. That could partly be due to me being a former resident of an area that would be massively affected (so I've had more exposure to the 'no' argument) but I still don't quite get why it would be such a good thing. And I say this as someone who is a big fan of rail travel too.

I like the new motorways idea; one between Cambridge and Oxford has been mooted several times.

As for the Basildon sign, sooner that gets sorted the sooner this country will be back punching its weight.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I'm yet to be convinced by HS2. That could partly be due to me being a former resident of an area that would be massively affected (so I've had more exposure to the 'no' argument) but I still don't quite get why it would be such a good thing. And I say this as someone who is a big fan of rail travel too.

'Cos the WCML is already virtually at capacity. Freight is forecast to grow tangentially by 2030 and there is nowhere to fit them, not to mention the forecast growth in passenger service. There's just 4 lines in and 4 out at Birmingham New Street which is insane as it's a huge station where many services cross from north,south, east and west.

HS2 will happen, I'll hang my ShrimperZone reputuation on it.

 

[Uncle Leo]

'Cos the WCML is already virtually at capacity. Freight is forecast to grow tangentially by 2030 and there is nowhere to fit them, not to mention the forecast growth in passenger service. There's just 4 lines in and 4 out at Birmingham New Street which is insane as it's a huge station where many services cross from north,south, east and west.

HS2 will happen, I'll hang my ShrimperZone reputuation on it.

That I get. I've just never been sold on the importance of cutting journey times from London to Brum by 20 minutes (or whatever it is). Is the time it takes people to travel between cities such a big deal? Or is the WCML capacity the killer argument.

Apologies for going off topic y'all.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yes, Neil.The usual suspects.Spend money on affordable housing,infrastructure projects etc.By creating jobs income tax revenue will rise and we'll be in a better postiton to cut back on the deficit.(Btw,UK debt is rising under the Tories and is expected to have doubled-according to Government forecasts- by the time of the 2015 election).

WTF - are you taxing people 102%?

Or have you converted to trickle down?

 

[Pubey]

That I get. I've just never been sold on the importance of cutting journey times from London to Brum by 20 minutes (or whatever it is). Is the time it takes people to travel between cities such a big deal? Or is the WCML capacity the killer argument.

Apologies for going off topic y'all.

It's about connecting the north to the south, Birmingham is just the first step