# UK Back in Recession



## mcdonagh47 (Apr 25, 2012)

Back in Recession ...two Quarters of declining economic activity .....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836624

Thanks Dave and George....oh and Cleggie.


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

If labour had not created a mountain of debt it would be easy to sort, unfortunately ther did.


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## Northerner (Apr 25, 2012)

ypauly said:


> If labour had not created a mountain of debt it would be easy to sort, unfortunately ther did.



I think that's a very weak argument this far in to the new government. Countries around the world are in similar if not worse situations, and Labour can't be blamed for that. It's becoming more and more clear as each day passes that this government is incompetent and their plans aren't working. I can't think of a single policy of theirs that hasn't resulted in gaping holes in foresight and backpedalling concessions.


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

Northerner said:


> I think that's a very weak argument this far in to the new government. Countries around the world are in similar if not worse situations, and Labour can't be blamed for that. It's becoming more and more clear as each day passes that this government is incompetent and their plans aren't working. I can't think of a single policy of theirs that hasn't resulted in gaping holes in foresight and backpedalling concessions.



It's not a weak argument though is it. If this nation didn't have the debt *mountain* created by Labour the economy would be very easily managed.

It's not just the national debt either, due to their stupidity in the so called light touch regulation personal debt reached ?1.5 TRILLION they opened up bad markets with poor regulation that saw a massive rise in the purple loan/ocean finace type companies.
 How do yuo stimulat growth when the goverment is broke?
 How do you stimulate growth when the population is in so much debt?

A poor argument it isn't, without the debt everything would be rosie or solvable quite easily. But we do have the debt LABOURS debt.


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## rustee2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

I don't think that the Labour party was responsible for a global recession. However, considering that Cameron and Gideon were saying "We'll do this and that........" Bottom line it will take awhile before anything improves (in my opinion). Just interesting that there have been strikes, riots chaos - all coming under a tory (albeit in coalition government). Rewind back to the 80s, almost a carbon copy and they were in power back then....history repeating..........


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

rustee2011 said:


> I don't think that the Labour party was responsible for a global recession. However, considering that Cameron and Gideon were saying "We'll do this and that........" Bottom line it will take awhile before anything improves (in my opinion). Just interesting that there have been strikes, riots chaos - all coming under a tory (albeit in coalition government). Rewind back to the 80s, almost a carbon copy and they were in power back then....history repeating..........


The Labour party were responsible for our exposure to bad global markets. They also had increased the debt mountain BEFORE any banking crisis happened.


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 25, 2012)

Cameron views the world from his elevated priveleged position. His brother is a High Court Judge, most of the cabinet went to Eton and the recession won't touch any of them because they are all financially safe.
The recession will pass them all by without affecting a single one of them.
"All in it together", don't make me laugh.
I bet not one of them has had to tighten their belts.
They make me so angry with the ability they have to ruin the lives of so many ordinary people.
Kelly.


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

J.Y.Kelly said:


> Cameron views the world from his elevated priveleged position. His brother is a High Court Judge, most of the cabinet went to Eton and the recession won't touch any of them because they are all financially safe.
> The recession will pass them all by without affecting a single one of them.
> "All in it together", don't make me laugh.
> I bet not one of them has had to tighten their belts.
> ...



It isn't the conservatives ruining lives, they are trying to pick up the pieces of an economy ruined by labour.

I don't see what education has to do with it but lets look at labours, the party of the working man 

The shadow cabinet including Ed Milliband, Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper,Stephen Twigg,Angela Eagle, Rachel Reeves, Maria Eagle, Mary Creagh ALL went to oxford.

Andy Burnham must feel left out going to cambridge.

But looking at the education of the entire shadow cabinet there is only one I see that didn't attend university. Not necessarily a bad thing but how would they associate with the "working man" they claim to stand for?

Douglas Alexander - university
Harriet Harman - paying public school then uni
Sadiq Khan - university
Rosie Winterton - university
Chuka Umunna - university
Jim Murphy - university
Hilary Benn - public school then university
Caroline Flint - university
Tessa Jowell - public school then university
Liam Byrne - university
Jon Trickett - university
Tom Watson - university
Vernon Coaker - university
Margaret Curran - university
Peter Hain - public school then university
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon - university
Lord Bassam of Brighton - university


Ivan Lewis - normal (ish) went to grammar school <<< the odd one out.


How you can say they relate to the working man is beyond me. But your "most went to eton statement is slight wrong" some did but definitly not most.


sad to see people using their vote on age old prejudices and not policies. And how many of the Labour cabinet that broke the economy are financially safe?


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## rustee2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

J.Y.Kelly said:


> Cameron views the world from his elevated priveleged position. His brother is a High Court Judge, most of the cabinet went to Eton and the recession won't touch any of them because they are all financially safe.
> The recession will pass them all by without affecting a single one of them.
> "All in it together", don't make me laugh.
> I bet not one of them has had to tighten their belts.
> ...



I couldn't agree with you more. SCameron comes across as arrogant and rather smug. His "All in it together" is patronising to say the least


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

rustee2011 said:


> I couldn't agree with you more. SCameron comes across as arrogant and rather smug. His "All in it together" is patronising to say the least



Beat New Labours things can only get better hands down now though doen't it 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDMJHYKrHNA


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## rustee2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

On that note Ypauly  I beg to differ with you on that one. Agree to disagree.


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## Ellie Jones (Apr 25, 2012)

On some points I agree with Paul, and other aspects I don't..

I don't agree with whether somebody did or didn't go to uni makes a different, as you have to look at an individual a lot deeper than that!

Not everybody who is private educated then goes onto Uni, have privilege backgrounds My bother went to a top public boys school then onto Uni, were we privileged when we were growing up....  Not on your nelly,  we lived in a council house, and my dad was a Leading Hand (supervisor) at our local factory  The only privilege my brother had, was being blessed with a very intelligent brain, that won him a full scholarship where he took his 'O' at 14, 'A's at 16, and straight onto Uni before 17, He was offered a place at Both Oxford and Cambridge but decided against them, because they wouldn't allow him to start his degree until he was 18 and he didn't want to take a year out!

It's more what they do after Uni, now in years gone by you didn't have somebody come straight out of Uni and into Government, you became a Politician after you iked out a living working in the real world!  And that were our problems lay today,  the don't come from Uni, work in the real world then into politics!


I do agree that in some ways our currant problems we face are partly based in decisions that the Labour government made on their watch....  After all it was their policies that lead to the expansion of our benefit system, using money they didn't have!

What country in the world would you want to live to whether a recession out?

Yep, any other part of the world no money you starve!  But in this country when do people go without money?  No Job the government will provide you an house, food on your table etc...  If you happen to get a Job they still willing to fill your pocket with a benefit!

The present government just haven't got the guts to do what needed to be done...Send people who either not born in this country, have a British Passport or aren't classed as essentially required!  Then you shut the borders down, and only allow essentially needed workers through...

Oh and stop giving away money with haven't got to other organisation such as the MFI and various countries around the world who are now far better off than us!


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## ypauly (Apr 25, 2012)

Ellie it wasn't me that brought up education, it was me that said it shouldn't matter.


ETA it was J Y KELLY


But you are 100% correct in that we are still borrowing on a silly scale for silly reasons and the current level of cuts is no where near what is necessary to repair the broken economy.


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## rustee2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

Send people who either not born in this country - Does that not seem to be a blanket statement? There are many many people who came to this country in the 1950s onward, does this apply to them as well? 

While I accept that there are some problems, there was a report out a few years ago stating that foreign workers by doing the work ( many below national wage ) makes an extra ?2 billion a year for the economy. Bottom line NO government will turn that down, after all it is cheap labour. 

My issue is the wealthy who harp on about being proud to be british, yet avoid paying tax by living abroad in tax havens. Many of them seem to make donations to the main political parties. One rule for the rich, quite another for the poor. Try  avoid paying tax and you may spend time in HM prison


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## HOBIE (Apr 25, 2012)

16 YEARS of LABOUR !    Blair wanted everyone to go uni !   He created lots of appretices didnt he       Mr cameron had a 10 hour section by himself to try & KEEP the ?.  All other pms in europe to battle with. Would that be better ???   Politics !


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## mcdonagh47 (Apr 26, 2012)

Northerner said:


> I think that's a very weak argument this far in to the new government. Countries around the world are in similar if not worse situations, and Labour can't be blamed for that. It's becoming more and more clear as each day passes that this government is incompetent and their plans aren't working. I can't think of a single policy of theirs that hasn't resulted in gaping holes in foresight and backpedalling concessions.



Here's an excellent article about the "Kamikaze Chancellor " by Will Hutton ....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/25/osborne-kamikaze-chancellor-double-dip


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 26, 2012)

I think debating politics when people's opinions are so entrenched, entrenches them further. I am a Socialist and no-one will change MY opinion with THEIR opinion. Economies are built with the toil and hard work of ordinary people, and the exploitation they suffer pays for the priveleged lifestyles of the minority.
Bankers and CEO's still get their bonuses while the people whose hard work paid for them suffer redundancy and wage freezes.
Unregulated banks created this mess, and we all know who has had to bail them out.
I won't be able to see YPauly's reply as his comments are blocked.
Kelly.


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## Catwoman76 (Apr 26, 2012)

I agree with your comments. Lets hope this thread doesn't spiral out of control with peoples exceptionally strong views and come backs, it's the same with religion.   I know I have said something on the government before quote:-  lets be honest,they are all as bad as each other ,'do as I say and not as I do' so to speak, A troop of Monkeys would probably do a better job, it would make Parliment and  Question Time a lot more fun, interesting and believable    Sheena


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 26, 2012)

My issue is the wealthy who harp on about being proud to be british, yet avoid paying tax by living abroad in tax havens. Many of them seem to make donations to the main political parties. One rule for the rich, quite another for the poor. Try  avoid paying tax and you may spend time in HM prison[/QUOTE]

Spot on! Who was it that said "If you want to predict the future, simply look at the past" ?
The poorer people throughout history have always been exploited, look at any so-called civilization.
As the Dalai Lama said "The trouble with the world isn't poverty, it's wealthy people's greed". 
Kelly.


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## ypauly (Apr 26, 2012)

mcdonagh47 said:


> Here's an excellent article about the "Kamikaze Chancellor " by Will Hutton ....
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/25/osborne-kamikaze-chancellor-double-dip


A good article but some glaring omissions.

I think the title is more suited to Brown. He borrowed ?160 Billion inbetween 2002 and 2008 BEFORE any banking crisis raising our national debt to ?494 BILLION.He did this despite a strong growing economy, despite doubling taxation, despite raiding our pension funds and despite selling off all the gold. It also reduced our ability to deal with any financial problems that may occur or may be created by Brown.


George is an easy target but remember he is dealing with the WORST debt crisis britain has had since the war. He can't borrow more as other have done he can't spend his way to prosperity as other have done he just has to get on with it. He has also only been in the job two years, it took Brown thirteen years to destry the place it will take alot longer to put it back together.


During other financial problems in the past chancellors have always been able to rely on the national credit card, george is the first since the war to not have that privilage as we were allready borrowing far too much when he took office. Attempts to reduce that borrowing just attract scorn from people like yourself yet if he decided to borrow more and end up like greece it would attract scorn from poeple like yourself.

He can't win as people like yourself will always judge with your age old he's "just a toff" prujudice and not on merit.


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## ypauly (Apr 26, 2012)

J.Y.Kelly said:


> My issue is the wealthy who harp on about being proud to be british, yet avoid paying tax by living abroad in tax havens. Many of them seem to make donations to the main political parties. One rule for the rich, quite another for the poor. Try  avoid paying tax and you may spend time in HM prison
> 
> Spot on! Who was it that said "If you want to predict the future, simply look at the past" ?
> The poorer people throughout history have always been exploited, look at any so-called civilization.
> ...




How do you feel about Ed Milliband making the poor pay subsidies to the rich through their energy bills when he was energy secretary?


New labour were and still are more tory than the conservatives cosying up to banker and big business.
The conservatives can't win because they are honest about it.



Oh I forgot you can't see me can you lol


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## ypauly (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm invisible


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## Catwoman76 (Apr 26, 2012)

I can't believe some of the posts....................it's getting ridiculously personal and childish. Wouldn't some members views be  more vocalised ,by knocking on doors leading up to May 3rd?   Politics and Religion stir up too many forthright and over opinionated opinions, especially online, by people who just want to try and be top dog. As the Beatles said.......... Let it be    

Sheena


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 26, 2012)

YPauly is on my ignore list, so his replies are not visible to me, by choice.
I have no desire to enter a debate about opinions, as I said in an earlier post, my beliefs and opinions are my own, and are entrenched.
Kelly.


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## mcdonagh47 (Apr 26, 2012)

ypauly said:


> other financial problems in the past chancellors have always been able to rely on the national credit card, george is the first since the war to not have that privilag can't win as people like yourself will always judge with your age old he's "just a toff" prujudice and not on merit.



LOL - Britain has triple AAA rating and can borrow whatever it needs at very low rates with the loans to last for decades. Like we borrowed a couple of billion a few years ago at 2% and lent it to Ireland at 6% ! And of course last week the allegedly hard-up Chancellor with no money, pulled ?10 billion out of the hat like a White Rabbit to give to the IMF !
Osborne borrowed ?126 billion last year and is set to borrow twice as much as labour planned to over the course of this Parliament. So where you got this idea from that there is no money and Osborne can't borrow any more I don't know.
Osborne is borrowing plenty - the issue is what is he doing with it ???
Brown left govt with 6% growth rate, Ozzy and friends have managed to cause a recession. It is pretty clear now that Brown had the correct Economic Analysis and the correct Economic Strategy.
And no I have never said Osborne is "just a toff" and I am judging him on merit - he hasn't got any !


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 26, 2012)

mcdonagh47 said:


> LOL - Britain has triple AAA rating and can borrow whatever it needs at very low rates with the loans to last for decades. Like we borrowed a couple of billion a few years ago at 2% and lent it to Ireland at 6% !
> Osborne borrowed ?126 billion last year and is set to borrow twice as much as labour planned to over the course of this Parliament. So where you got this idea from that there is no money and Osborne can't borrow any more I don't know.
> Osborne is borrowing plenty - the issue is what is he doing with it ???
> Brown left govt with 6% growth rate, Ozzy and friends have managed to cause a recession. It is pretty clear now that Brown had the correct Economic Analysis and the correct Economic Strategy.
> And no I have never said Osborne is "just a toff" and I am judging him on merit - he hasn't got any !



Well said! I dread to think how far we'll plummet before this bunch are finished. They really have no idea how the majority of folk live.
Kelly.


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## Ellie Jones (Apr 26, 2012)

rustee2011 said:


> Send people who either not born in this country - Does that not seem to be a blanket statement? There are many many people who came to this country in the 1950s onward, does this apply to them as well?
> 
> While I accept that there are some problems, there was a report out a few years ago stating that foreign workers by doing the work ( many below national wage ) makes an extra ?2 billion a year for the economy. Bottom line NO government will turn that down, after all it is cheap labour.
> 
> My issue is the wealthy who harp on about being proud to be british, yet avoid paying tax by living abroad in tax havens. Many of them seem to make donations to the main political parties. One rule for the rich, quite another for the poor. Try  avoid paying tax and you may spend time in HM prison



No I don't mean those that came here in the 50's or anybody that came for the right purposes, those that came to make up a short fall in our work fall when we had plenty of work to offer...

But we've got a influx of Eastern European's coming into the country, basically taking jobs of those who are already here. who end up relying on social benefits to put a roof over their heads and food on the table!  But because the ones coming in droves and doing low paid work, they not only rely on social benefits to prop up their wages, they can't afford to buy a house, so require social housing or private rental, as houses become in short supply, this puts the cost of private rents up, which means a greater drain on the social benefit funds!  It also puts pressure on our NHS, because you haven't got enough people paying National Insurance to cover the cost of treatment to those who haven't got a job etc...

It's stopping these coming in, even sending some of them home...  Then you turn around to those who are unemployed and tell them straight, if you don't work then you don't get any social security!  

And then for all the businesses that claim that they have to pull workers in for skills that locals haven't got, if the company has failed to invest in training such as taking on apprentices etc...  Then they are heavily penalised!  

And when I look at the political parties I just get the feeling that non are willing to do what's needed to be done..

As it seems that, once you get into the country even if you pose a security threat etc...  The government can't deport you!


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## ypauly (Apr 26, 2012)

mcdonagh47 said:


> LOL - Britain has triple AAA rating and can borrow whatever it needs at very low rates with the loans to last for decades. Like we borrowed a couple of billion a few years ago at 2% and lent it to Ireland at 6% ! And of course last week the allegedly hard-up Chancellor with no money, pulled ?10 billion out of the hat like a White Rabbit to give to the IMF !
> Osborne borrowed ?126 billion last year and is set to borrow twice as much as labour planned to over the course of this Parliament. So where you got this idea from that there is no money and Osborne can't borrow any more I don't know.
> Osborne is borrowing plenty - the issue is what is he doing with it ???
> Brown left govt with 6% growth rate, Ozzy and friends have managed to cause a recession. It is pretty clear now that Brown had the correct Economic Analysis and the correct Economic Strategy.
> And no I have never said Osborne is "just a toff" and I am judging him on merit - he hasn't got any !


You miss the point, borrowing cost and by the end of this parliament we will be spending a whopping ?70 Billion on interest alone. that is nearly enough to fund another health service.

Even you can't think that is a good way to spend it.

You point to borrowing level of this goverment but fail to mention it is due to spending plans of the last goverment who did nothing to try and reduce it in the two years after the banking crisis.

Browns growth was no where near 6% ( now I have added data)when he left but you must also remember when he left he had had two years since the banking crisis to cut spending and despite saying it was necessary and coming up with a deficit reduction plan he did nothing. He was borrowing ?170billion a year to get. growth worth a tiny fraction of that amount. I would have had more respect if he had acted but his tactic of waiting till after the election was just plain stupid and it cost him dear.

You cannot borrow your way out of debt and at some point your credit rating will take a hit if you over borrow. Even Labour recognise that the level of borrowing is bad that's why they came up with the deficit reduction plan.

Ok at home now here are the actual figures for browns last year. all from the ONS and you can see Brown didn't leave with a 6% growth rate at all.
Q2 2010 = +1.2%
Q1 2010 = +0.3%
Q4 2009 = +0.4%
Q3 2009 =  -0.2%
Q2 2009 =  -0.6%

check yourself if you have doubt http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html




P.S sheena I believe this is a friendly discussion with an added bit of banter and is not meant to come across as personal nor is it meant to upset anybody. I believe and hope McDonagh feels the same and believe the very reason for the thread was to create healthy discussion.


P.P.S I am smiling here, it may not show with how I write but I am sure McDonagh had a grin when he started the thread aswelll lol


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 27, 2012)

I agree entirely with Rustee2011. The ordinary Joe Public pay their taxes and are chased (quite rightly) for any outstanding payments. Bankers (who are responsible for this fiasco, not just here but worldwide), and many CEO's and musicians who have made fortunes, pay accountants and lawyers to look into ways of reducing their tax bills, many by banking oversesas and paying nothing into the coffers of the country they exploit.
What really annoys me are the rich musicians who spout philanthropic ideals whilst stashing money into overseas accounts. We have the likes of Bono going on about poverty and hunger and how everybody else should do more, whilst he and the rest of the band are busy buying up hotels in Ireland. I know he's Irish, but he's just as bad as all the rest. Hypocrite.
We've got Phil Collins living with all his money in Switzerland, The Stones with all their money safely banked abroad, Rod Stewart who only spends a few months of the year here, having banked abroad.(When he's in England, he lives not far from me, in the house once owned by Winston Churchill, Copt Hall). Billy Bragg is one of just a few musicians who have my respect.
We had the likes of Dame Shirley Porter gerrymangering and then fleeing abroad, owing millions. The list goes on and on.
Kelly.


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## ypauly (Apr 27, 2012)

J.Y.Kelly said:


> I agree entirely with Rustee2011. The ordinary Joe Public pay their taxes and are chased (quite rightly) for any outstanding payments. Bankers (who are responsible for this fiasco, not just here but worldwide), and many CEO's and musicians who have made fortunes, pay accountants and lawyers to look into ways of reducing their tax bills, many by banking oversesas and paying nothing into the coffers of the country they exploit.
> What really annoys me are the rich musicians who spout philanthropic ideals whilst stashing money into overseas accounts. We have the likes of Bono going on about poverty and hunger and how everybody else should do more, whilst he and the rest of the band are busy buying up hotels in Ireland. I know he's Irish, but he's just as bad as all the rest. Hypocrite.
> We've got Phil Collins living with all his money in Switzerland, The Stones with all their money safely banked abroad, Rod Stewart who only spends a few months of the year here, having banked abroad.(When he's in England, he lives not far from me, in the house once owned by Winston Churchill, Copt Hall). Billy Bragg is one of just a few musicians who have my respect.
> We had the likes of Dame Shirley Porter gerrymangering and then fleeing abroad, owing millions. The list goes on and on.
> Kelly.



I agree with every word and I think you will find that our political ideals are not poles apart. I was for quite some time a trade union convenor and turned against the labour party as it was not the working mans party anymore in fact on the inside it is a ruthless organisation.


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## FM001 (Apr 27, 2012)

*Some of what a Labour Government achieved 1997 -2012*

1. Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.

2. Low mortgage rates.

3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to ?5.52.

4. Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.

5. Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.

6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.

7. Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.

8. Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.

9. Employment is at its highest level ever.

10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.

11. 85,000 more nurses.

12. 32,000 more doctors.

13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards.

14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.

15. Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.

16. Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.

17. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.

18. Gift aid was worth ?828 million to charities last year.

19. Restored city-wide government to London.

20. Record number of students in higher education.

21. Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.

22. Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children?s Centres.

23. Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

24. ?200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to ?300 for over-80s.

25. On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

26. Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.

27. Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.

28. All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.

29. A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.

30. 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.

31. Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.

32. Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.

33. Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.

34. Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.

35. Banned fox hunting.

36. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.

37. Free TV licences for over-75s.

38. Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.

39. Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.

40. Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.

41. New Deal ? helped over 1.8 million people into work.

42. Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.

43. Free eye test for over 60s.

44. More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.

45. Free entry to national museums and galleries.

46. Overseas aid budget more than doubled.

47. Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.

48. Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.

49. Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.

50. Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school.

*And here is the ConDem Government achievements thus far*

...............................


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 27, 2012)

Well said that man! People are too ready to judge the entire Labour Party by the standards of Mr Bliar (sic). He certainly wasn't my idea of a principled leader, but still a damn sight better than the ConDem alternative. Brown was left to deal with the unpopularity of his predecessor, and subsequently, didn't stand a chance. Mo Mowlam was a woman of immense integrity, and deserved a lot better from Blair & Co.
I had to smile at Tony Benn when he gave up his constituency, saying that he was leaving the House of Commons to dedicate more time to politics!
An honest man if ever there was one.
Kelly.


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## J.Y.Kelly (Apr 27, 2012)

toby said:


> *Some of what a Labour Government achieved 1997 -2012*
> 
> 1. Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.
> 
> ...



Run this check list again when this current lot have been in power for another year or two. How many items will have been removed or declined?
We'll have private companies who are just "in it for the money" running the NHS, private firms responsible for personal records..................I could go on but it's just too depressing!
Kelly.


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