HOOD ROBIN
There has been a view that the credit crunch has done wonders for Gordon Brown’s standing with the public and this was temporarily reflected in Labour’s standing in the opinion polls. It appeared that they might regain sufficient support that they could even win the next election - especially given all the vote rigging tricks they have pulled.
Labour at some stage in the 1990s decided to develop Marx’s concept of false consciousness and rely upon spin. Solving a problem was not the issue, convincing the public that the problem was being solved was all that mattered. Whether the problem was actually being solved or not was irrelevant. Managing the news headlines were all that counted and the Labour spin machine concentrated on that with policy gimmicks and spin.
Labours’ attempt to con the public with a £20billion giveaway package, the centrepiece of which was a piffling 2.5% cut in VAT - albeit costing the taxpayer £12billion - to lure shoppers into spending once again. Plain commonsense, it seems, played no part in Labour’s economic policymaking. When prices are being slashed by 20% and more already, then what relevance is another 2.5% cut in prices - even assuming the cut is actually passed on.
This £20billion package comes at the same time as Labour is showering £100billions on the same greedy bankers who are responsible for the economic crisis. Labour’s largesse towards these bankers has simply allowed them to increase their profit margins. Interest base rate cuts are not being passed on and mortgage rates are actually increasing. One rule for the bankers and another for everyone else. The banks can call in overdrafts with only a few hours notice, before appointing receivers. Neither they nor the receivers can be sued for negligence. They have their own special judges [often those who have been employed by them as barristers], who are very helpful in ensuring that they remain above the law.
The wave of closures and redundancies which we are now experiencing is in contrast to the never-ending expansion of the growth of the quangos. The quangocrats enjoy high salaries and inflation proof pensions unavailable to the taxpayers who have to fund all these non-jobs.
Meanwhile, the looming tidal wave of tax increases and government debt [forecast to reach £1trillion] is there for all to see.
The 2.5% cut in VAT is the gimmick that will cost Labour the next general election.
Labour at some stage in the 1990s decided to develop Marx’s concept of false consciousness and rely upon spin. Solving a problem was not the issue, convincing the public that the problem was being solved was all that mattered. Whether the problem was actually being solved or not was irrelevant. Managing the news headlines were all that counted and the Labour spin machine concentrated on that with policy gimmicks and spin.
Labours’ attempt to con the public with a £20billion giveaway package, the centrepiece of which was a piffling 2.5% cut in VAT - albeit costing the taxpayer £12billion - to lure shoppers into spending once again. Plain commonsense, it seems, played no part in Labour’s economic policymaking. When prices are being slashed by 20% and more already, then what relevance is another 2.5% cut in prices - even assuming the cut is actually passed on.
This £20billion package comes at the same time as Labour is showering £100billions on the same greedy bankers who are responsible for the economic crisis. Labour’s largesse towards these bankers has simply allowed them to increase their profit margins. Interest base rate cuts are not being passed on and mortgage rates are actually increasing. One rule for the bankers and another for everyone else. The banks can call in overdrafts with only a few hours notice, before appointing receivers. Neither they nor the receivers can be sued for negligence. They have their own special judges [often those who have been employed by them as barristers], who are very helpful in ensuring that they remain above the law.
The wave of closures and redundancies which we are now experiencing is in contrast to the never-ending expansion of the growth of the quangos. The quangocrats enjoy high salaries and inflation proof pensions unavailable to the taxpayers who have to fund all these non-jobs.
Meanwhile, the looming tidal wave of tax increases and government debt [forecast to reach £1trillion] is there for all to see.
The 2.5% cut in VAT is the gimmick that will cost Labour the next general election.
posted by erc @ 1:43 pm
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