So I missed the budget, but ate my lunch to the dulcet tones of Dave Cameron slamming Gordon Brown. Now I know I’m not the brightest of bunnies but I did get a bit confused when he
- Slammed the government for making cuts, then
- Slammed the government for spending too much
- Slammed the government for taxing the “everyman” too much, through booze and fuel duty, then
- Slammed the government for tax cuts to the “everyman” through VAT reduction, and
- Slammed the government for taxing very rich people to relieve the burden on the “everyman”
… Can someone please explain to me his point with the above? If you average it all out it seemed to be a rather say-nothing speech.
David Cameron is terrified that people will turn to the Tories and ask them what they propose to do. He knows that victory is garaunteed if he can keep the spotlight on the governemnt and away from the alternative.
His Mandelson quip was a jolly good hoot though!
In all seriousness I don’t think the Tories are saying much because (1) they don’t have to – they are a shoe-in and (2) they don’t even have much to say, they will just let the economy run its course and watch the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.
He probably hoped no one would notice and, anyway, he wants as many points as possible from such a big event. I wonder what they actually did in the budget and then I wonder what the Tories would have done in the same budget…
But what’s all this about flip flops?
Since all I could hear through his speech was the sound of him flip-flopping I assumed he’d brought a new pair/got one free with Cosmo and was wearing them in.
Since you lot never listen to a word we say anyway how about listening to people that speak your language:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/24/budget-labour-public-spending-cuts
.
So bucf still has nothing to say I see.
So you disagree with the link above? You disagree with every paper come out critically of the ‘budget’?…oh sorry I forgot you got a favourable headline from… the Mirror. That wonderfully respectable paper. And finally I take it you disagree with the link below?…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8015704.stm
We don’t say anything because 1) You don’t listen to a word we or anyone who disagrees with you says and 2) The facts and figures speak for themselves. Labour are finished and weve only got a year left to prove it.
Well it’s a shame that you couldn’t put that in sentences Dan. I disagree with the view that the conservative party has any answers to this countries’ problems. I can’t help noticing after the most important budget statement for a generation, BUCF and the conservative party in general have nothing to suggest in terms of policy. The most we got in terms of a ‘budget response’ from BUCF was a picture.
Don’t worry Jack the response is coming. You see I decided not to respond straight away because I have a tendency to let my passions get ahead of my reason. I get pissed off with something Labour do then rush to attack it. I know im right, I just fail to articulate it. So im taking my time with this one. This is an abomination of a budget and Im going to make sure the much deserved critique does it justice.
And there I was thinking you’d given up. But you are right: what you write often doesn’t make much sense and now we know why. The Budget is about 269 pages long, so good luck with that, though I am still intrigued at what the Conservative’s would have done differently.
Well here is a view from one of ‘your’ own:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/budget/5216307/Tony-Blair-opposes-new-50-pence-tax-rate-for-high-earners.html
Dan, what is exactly is the Tory party line on what you would have done differently on this budget?
Darling has clearly been far too optimistic, but would you expect anything else from someone desperately clinging to his job? The taxing of top earners is right in my opinion, as those who earn the most should contribute their own fair share to the recovery of this country, although the measure is clearly tokenistic, I welcome it all the same.
Also, does anyone know of a single doctor, nurse or teacher that has been made redundant by this budget? No, because Labour are protecting the services we all rely on the most.
We are in the shit, we all know that. But I think Darling did the best he could in a terrible situation not entirely of his own making.
We don’t need to say anything Chris. As I keep saying it doesn’t matter what we say as the public will look at this budget and say ‘anything is better than this’. Although you can bet your bottom dollar we wouldnt be borrowing as much as we are and mortgaging our future and we wouldn’t be taxing the most productive part of the economy. In truth this budget showed one thing: ‘New’ Labour, the kind which Tory Blair championed, is dead. Labour have vacated the ground that was traditionally ours and weve reclaimed it. Labour will fight the next election on its old-fashioned platform of wealth-destroying taxes and reckless spending and then its back to the wilderness where they belong. For now were happy to keep the spotlight on you and let you destroy yourselves and so are the public.
I haven’t been told what the Tories would have done differently. Do you agree with increasing taxes for people who earn about ten times the national average to help the rest of us, or not?
We can argue about ideaology all we like but my point remains that Cameron’s response was empty, contradictorary, and opportunistic, and does nothing to qualify him as a serious Prime Ministerial candidate.
So what you’re basically doing, Dan, is trying to say something without actually saying anything at all. Let’s see what we’re actually got amongst your above scribblings… Hm: borrow less, tax less, so basically: spending cuts. Bring privatisation to education and market forces into the NHS and prison services, as far as I understand it. Shift responsibility away from central government to local on site managers and transfer the blame when things go wrong.
Where were they when they said we should have done this, this and this? Only in hindsight trying to make us do; no: in the political wilderness opposing equal rights, supporting that elitist fox hunting nonsense and then coming out in support of John McCain of all people, in a general summary.
Basically they want to come to power on a tidal wave of fear, mostly whipped up by themselves and profiteering papers, then smash the funding of anything that catches their eye, cut a load of taxes for the popularity, then ride the economic recovery (which will in all likelihood have been as a result of Labour’s policies not theirs) to the polls. Then a reign of wild wanderings and general misdirection, leading to corruption and insanity. No wait, that last point’s already been taken, unfortunately people will only notice if they get into positions of power.
And David Cameron: a bad actor and not even a very good one at that, attempting to mimic Blair and trying to appeal to the sensitive side of voters with his high voice and feminine machinations, a complete opportunist, a liar and utterly spineless.
You’re right to keep the spotlight on us, because once it’s on your Party, then people will see how hollow their promises, defunct their ideas and fragmented and foolish their policies. If they ever do get into government, though, you should remember two things: irony is bitter and power burns.
@ oliverjackson: Bloody well-written that
Maybe to be on the safe side (assuming Dan is correct) we should all follow this chaps lead: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6169072.ece
not that we’d get such good odd now of course…
All of you need to leave Uni and get a real job before you gob off on this site. See how you feel when you see how much Labour take off your wages and pensions. None of you know sh*t from clay.
although, i might be at Uni (only two weeks left) I know what shit is like, and I know that what you say is just that.
Dave you seem very full of hot air:
1. What exactly is a “real” job? I’ve heard this term a lot from people who want to use it as a derogatory expression, but surely any job is “real” isn’t it?
2. The site is cunningly called “Birmingham University Labour Students”, ie it is a place where labour supporters at the aforementioned university can air their views. Where else would you suggest such people go?
3. I have left university, and I’m not a Labour fan, but to my mind intelligent debate is a much better approach to anything than simply blanketing the whole site in the same comment, and then not having the guts to write considered answers to the issues that are raised. The whole approach of write a derogatory comment and then run away seems so very childlike, which is very ironic now isn’t it?