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[Coriolanus]

Cameron already adopted the posture that Turkey and Russia should talk it out, which is what one feels Corbyn would propose, so there was nothing to be done there.

 

[Jezbollah]

I think diplomacy is the only way to be honest - we're already seeing Putin label Turkey as a willing stage-post for terrorism going into Syria, telling people not to visit Turkey and demonstrations at the Turkish embassy in Moscow. This over one shot down jet fighter that was breaching sovereign airspace - the reactional balance compared to what has been going on in terms of both Ukraine and with the dubious targeting in Syria is skewed to say the least.

As I type that - question re this in PMQs...

 

[Jezbollah]

Spending review starting now.

 

[Par Score]

War in Syria, a potential for disaster between Russia and Turkey, a still on-going migrant crisis and Corbyn leads with... renewable energy.

As big as all those other problems are, Climate Change is the biggest issue facing the world today short of imminent nuclear armageddon.

Renewable energy should be at or near the top of the agenda, that it's not is a failure of our species as a whole.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Tax credit plans scrapped altogether!!! Something else will need to be cut...

 

[Jezbollah]

OK, first biggie, due to an improvement of 28bn in finances, no need to implement the proposed tax credits break. A big U turn, if you will.

 

[Nicktendo86]

OK, first biggie, due to an improvement of 28bn in finances, no need to implement the proposed tax credits break. A big U turn, if you will.

I don't see how he can still implement £12billion of welfare cuts and leave tax credits without cutting something else, it makes no sense.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Tax credit plans scrapped altogether!!! Something else will need to be cut...

Not really. They're still going to be scrapped when universal credit is implemented. This just means it gets delayed by ~3 years. This is just another one of Osborne's pieces of sleight of hand.

EDIT: Also bringing housing associations back onto the public balance was another one. Most of the housing associations are in positive balance at the moment because Osborne made them sell off all their housing stock anyway, so it looks like an improvement in the government's debt when really it's just an accounting trick. Osborne is just so slippery sometimes.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Not really. They're still going to be scrapped when universal credit is implemented. This just means it gets delayed by ~3 years. This is just another one of Osborne's pieces of sleight of hand.

Well I think we knew they were going to be anyway, but I would have thought cuts elsewhere would be needed but maybe not as they are just going to ignore the benefits cap anyway.

Edit:

Osborne is just so slippery sometimes.

He sure is. Gotta love the coked up scallywag.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Hmm, a 2.1% real rise in pensions. Gee whizz, the government is just overflowing with money today. We sure are all in this together,

 

[kmag]

Ah the OBR, forecasting what ever number is needed to allow Osborne to say whatever is politically expedient at the time. If the Government is truly looking for something to cut how about the body which is yet to get a forecast anywhere near right

 

[Nicktendo86]

As was rumoured, council can add 2% to their council tax bills on the condition that the money be used for social care.

 

[Uzzy]

Selling property to sustain current spending doesn't exactly sound sustainable.

I also get the feeling Hull's only getting that money because it let Osborne make a joke.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Selling off your interest-bearing assets to reduce your debt. Clever, that.

 

[Nicktendo86]

McDonnell's response will be fascinating. Don't forget, he promised to make no political capital out of a tax credits U-turn, let's see if he sticks to that.

 

[Coriolanus]

Selling off your interest-bearing assets to reduce your debt. Clever, that.

Still the best way to push "Sell => "oh shit, our medium and long term income went down" => Sell even more.".

 

[Jezbollah]

No cuts in the Police Budget at all.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Still the best way to push "Sell => "oh shit, our medium and long term income went down" => Sell even more.".

It's so frustrating. I don't know how any can be pleased by this. I can understand not wanting Labour because you think they're incompetent or whatnot and therefore the Conservatives are the best of a bad lot; but I just can't understand thinking that this budget is good. It's almost objectively terrible.

 

[Nicktendo86]

No cuts to police budget. Burnham am cry.

 

[kmag]

I've got a bit of a feeling even taking into account the OBR's inflated growth forecast, the IFS will find the sums don't add up.

Of course that'll take until late Thursday by which point Osborne will have gotten through the news cycle.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

No cuts to police budget. Burnham am cry.

Labour falls for that rope-a-dope every time. Osborne says that X sector can take a 30% cut, Labour says "no, no, it can only take a 20% cut!", Osborne actually implements a 10% cut, Labour look like morons. Fuck me is the party talentless at the moment.

 

[Saiyar]

I've got a bit of a feeling even taking into account the OBR's inflated growth forecast, the IFS will find the sums don't add up.

Of course that'll take until late Thursday by which point Osborne will have gotten through the news cycle.

Peston has already called him out on that. There is no way these numbers add up.

 

[Jezbollah]

Bit of a weak-sauce response from McDonnell here.

Doesn't sound like someone who has been able to instantly assimilate the bullet-points from the speech and directly counter it.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Labour falls for that rope-a-dope every time. Osborne says that X sector can take a 30% cut, Labour says "no, no, it can only take a 20% cut!", Osborne actually implements a 10% cut, Labour look like morons. Fuck me is the party talentless at the moment.

Yep, you would have thought they would learn the lesson by now.

 

[Feorax]

Labour falls for that rope-a-dope every time. Osborne says that X sector can take a 30% cut, Labour says "no, no, it can only take a 20% cut!", Osborne actually implements a 10% cut, Labour look like morons. Fuck me is the party talentless at the moment.

It's incredible really. Terrifying to think how limited our leadership options actually are in this country.

Just look at them. It's like a fucking zoo in there.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Yep, you would have thought they would learn the lesson by now.

The worst part is Labour knows that 20% cuts is not actually sustainable from the start, but they just move to that position anyway to try and weakly paw at the centre ground. It's just such a shitty strategy, no wonder people were desperate to try anything else (e.g. Corbyn).

 

[Nicktendo86]

Fucking hell, McDonnell has actually gone insane.

 

[kmag]

Christ, McDonnell actually pulled out a copy of Mao's Little Red Book. While the point he was making was sound (about Osbornes renationalisation of various industries to publicly owned Chinese companies), he must know what the optics are. Surely.

 

[Jezbollah]

That was "taking the fight to the Tories"?

Good lord.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

If deselections do happen, my vote is to deselect the entire Labour Party and start again.

Dan Jarvis can stay.

 

[Jezbollah]

If deselections do happen, my vote is to deselect the entire Labour Party and start again.

Dan Jarvis can stay.

I can back this plan.

 

[CCS]

This is making me miss the two Eds.

That's how tragic this is.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

This is making me miss the two Eds.

That's how tragic this is.

Miliband was genuinely Labour's best leader in a long time; he just didn't have any talent to work with. If Alan Johnson hadn't been dethroned so early and in such an unfortunate manner, things might have gone differently.

 

[CCS]

Miliband was genuinely Labour's best leader in a long time; he just didn't have any talent to work with. If Alan Johnson hadn't been dethroned so early and in such an unfortunate manner, things might have gone differently.

I was sure the next Chancellor couldn't possibly be worse than Balls.

How wrong I was.

 

[War Peaceman]

Miliband was genuinely Labour's best leader in a long time; he just didn't have any talent to work with. If Alan Johnson hadn't been dethroned so early and in such an unfortunate manner, things might have gone differently.

People hopping on the Millibandwagon far too late. I was there from the beginning.

Seriously though McDonnell is a joke. What on earth?!

 

[Nicktendo86]

Rememebr kids, Milliband was the one who implemented the new leader election rules that allowed Corbyn to win and in turn appoint McDonnell which should surely discredit him from any top ten leader lists.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Rememebr kids, Milliband was the one who implemented the new leader election rules that allowed Corbyn to win and in turn appoint McDonnell which should surely discredit him from any top ten leader lists.

That's a very silly way of looking at it. Miliband made the party more democratic and accountable to the members, which is a good thing. The reason Corbyn won was because all of the other candidates were seen as depressingly terrible; the fact Miliband changed the electoral system had nothing to do with how terrible they were. Yes, Burnham would have won had the system not been changed, but let's be honest - do you really think things would be better under Burnham? At the very least, the Labour party at a local level is looking healthier with higher membership which means more ground troops.

 

[War Peaceman]

Rememebr kids, Milliband was the one who implemented the new leader election rules that allowed Corbyn to win and in turn appoint McDonnell which should surely discredit him from any top ten leader lists.

The rules are good. The outcome hasn't been great, but that was inevitable when the potential leaders were Andy 'Midstaffs' Burnham, Yvette 'Mrs Balls' Cooper, a Tory and Jeremy Corbyn.

Crab said it better!

 

[Nicktendo86]

I was obviously joking. Cheer up, it can't get much worse surely.

 

[CCS]

When Corbyn is eventually forced out, can we have Dan Jarvis? Pretty please?

 

[War Peaceman]

When Corbyn is eventually forced out, can we have Dan Jarvis? Pretty please?

Everyone wants him. Except maybe Chuka.

He is waiting. Best not to rush imo. Let the next election be a rebuild job then bring him in.

 

[CCS]

Everyone wants him. Except maybe Chuka.

He is waiting. Best not to rush imo. Let the next election be a rebuild job then bring him in.

True, I'm wondering if coming in after Corbyn is a death sentence or an opportunity to capitalise by distancing as much as possible.

 

[Kuros]

True, I'm wondering if coming in after Corbyn is a death sentence or an opportunity to capitalise by distancing as much as possible.

Its the Michael Howard after IDS job. ie get the party going forward in one direction with a semblance of unity. Howard did a decent enough job with a toxic asset.

That is assuming Labour don't go completely insane and Corbyn is merely the equivalent to Hague.

 

[CCS]

Its the Michael Howard after IDS job. ie get the party going forward in one direction with a semblance of unity. Howard did a decent enough job with a toxic asset.

That is assuming Labour don't go completely insane and Corbyn is merely the equivalent to Hague.

Sadiq Khan for Labour leader 2020?

 

[kmag]

The OBR has revised up its forecast for income tax and national insurance contributions this parliament by almost £15bn.

Which is what allowed George to spend like a drunken sailor on leave today. Unfortunately the OBR's accuracy at forecasting revenues is just as bad as their accuracy at forecasting everything else.

Funny how they almost always "over estimate" isn't it.

Edit: They've also 'just' 'found' more £400m (rising to £3.3bn a year in 2020) in VAT due to forecast modelling changes. In total over the parliament they've magically found £29.1bn extra in tax receipts from "modelling changes"

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Being better than a random prediction at best for 2 years into the future is pretty poor, but in fairness, I'd be tempted to predict whatever keeps the paychecks coming too.

 

[Saiyar]

Which is what allowed George to spend like a drunken sailor on leave today. Unfortunately the OBR's accuracy at forecasting revenues is just as bad as their accuracy at forecasting everything else.

Funny how they almost always "over estimate" isn't it.

Edit: They've also 'just' 'found' more £400m (rising to £3.3bn a year in 2020) in VAT due to forecast modelling changes. In total over the parliament they've magically found £29.1bn extra in tax receipts from "modelling changes"

Fair to say Osborne's chances of winning the Tory leadership are now riding on the OBR being accurate. Congrats Boris.

 

[pulsemyne]

So in another U-turn Hunt has finally decided to go to ACAS to settle the Junior Doctors dispute. Good day to hide such humiliation.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

...and the threshhold for student loans was frozen for two years; presumably to partway to covering the rise in pensions.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Cuts in short money, GO is brutal.