How is the Tory government doing?

boltonbonce wrote:Yes Lusty, I know what a barn owl looks like. Been an avid birdwatcher from the age of 15. Did you think I actually whittled?
You're in grave danger of taking me seriously. Even worse, of believing what I post.

I'm shocked you don't whittle .
I'm even more shocked that you now claim that not everything you write isn't true. This earth-shattering news now has me doubting my very existence. I may be a figment of my own imagination but I've no way of knowing if that's true or not. Hope you're happy that you've imposed an existential crisis on me you non-whittling turncoat.

wanderlust wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:Yes Lusty, I know what a barn owl looks like. Been an avid birdwatcher from the age of 15. Did you think I actually whittled?
You're in grave danger of taking me seriously. Even worse, of believing what I post.

I'm shocked you don't whittle .
I'm even more shocked that you now claim that not everything you write isn't true. This earth-shattering news now has me doubting my very existence. I may be a figment of my own imagination but I've no way of knowing if that's true or not. Hope you're happy that you've imposed an existential crisis on me you non-whittling turncoat.

Sorry Lusty. Or am I?

As Abraham Lincoln said, 'No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar'.

Nat once accused me of being a figment of Breadman's imagination, but she was way off.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-51737116

Can't believe people care that much about the colour of a passport. 'Iconic blue'?

boltonbonce wrote:Can't believe people care that much about the colour of a passport. 'Iconic blue'?

I prefer the iconic red - if it is red.

wanderlust wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:Can't believe people care that much about the colour of a passport. 'Iconic blue'?

I prefer the iconic red - if it is red.

I like a nice stripe.

Oil price crash brings down the markets.
Obviously pensions and investments will be hit, but wondering if the Chancellor will wind in his neck in the budget on Wednesday so that it will reflect the reality of the market and our zero growth economy - or will he plough on with costly tax cuts and infrastructure projects to consolidate the vote and fulfill party promises?

wanderlust wrote:Oil price crash brings down the markets.
Obviously pensions and investments will be hit, but wondering if the Chancellor will wind in his neck in the budget on Wednesday so that it will reflect the reality of the market and our zero growth economy - or will he plough on with costly tax cuts and infrastructure projects to consolidate the vote and fulfill party promises?

We will get over the present financial crisis, but if we stop infrastructure projects, already well overdue, they may well be pushed so far back they would be forgotten.

Big budget announcements from Sunak underpinned by the largest level of borrowing for donkey's years and at a time when the economy has flatlined.
Tactical budget designed to take the wind out of Labour and shore up the working class Tory vote - so much so that I don't think Labour would have promised to invest so much in services.
Some huge gaps e.g. in education, low wage working, pensions  etc so it will be interesting to see the details and analysis but at first glance it looks to be in line with the vision of a high employment low wage economy.

Reaction to the budget.
Key points are that with global growth shrinking, interest rates are low so it's theoretically a good time to borrow. If the borrowed money is spent on investment - and it may not be as Sunak actually said "up to" £x - it will be the biggest increase in national debt and at a time when the economy is least able to make repayments which we will be saddled on future generations.
It is a short-termist and populist budget with many omissions and contradictions so make of it what you will.

The most important omission is spending on social care.

NFU considers flying in up to 90,000 fruit and veg pickers from Bulgaria and Romania.

But do they want to come now that the pound has devalued against the Euro?

Pickers are currently classified as key workers and whilst we remain in the EU are eligible to come here.

NFU and ALP are seeking guidance from the Government to avoid food shortages.

Perhaps another appeal a la NHS supporters could get Brits out into the fields to save our crops although all attempts to get Brits involved in this kind of work to date have failed.
The Government certainly needs to set up a British agricultural labour force for when we do finally leave - whenever that is going to be

If only there were some way to conscript brexit voters for this, after all it is what they voted for.

Fuck off XM (nothing personal)

i would dearly love to see how you eternal critics would run the country and how you would manage the virus problems. I genuinely believe you wouldn't get past the first hurdle, as you'd be too busy nitpicking and arguing.

TBH, I think Boris should extend the Brexit talks by a year.

gloswhite wrote:Fuck off XM (nothing personal)

But it is what you voted for.

I was expecting a kicking, (which in fairness I would have deserved). We didn't vote for this at all. I really don't see how you can come to this conclusion. I would say non attendance now would be down to the virus much more than any political decisions, especially taking into consideration that the government has acknowledged the problem and will allow these people in.

gloswhite wrote:I was expecting a kicking, (which in fairness I would have deserved). We didn't vote for this at all. I really don't see how you can come to this conclusion. I would say non attendance now would be down to the virus much more than any political decisions, especially taking into consideration that the government has acknowledged the problem and will allow these people in.

Quite right Glos. Nobody voted for it as our dependence on international trade, EU supply chains, EU and other foreign workers in our hospitals/other institutions and seasonal migrant workers was downplayed in the referendum and I don't believe many leave voters had a clue about the ramifications of what they were voting for.

Conversely, if they did fully understand what the impact on our key sectors would be it was incredibly irresponsible so it's probably best just to say they didn't know.

Personally I blame the Remain campaign for not adequately pointing out the benefits of membership. Huge parallels with the Monty Python "what have the Romans done for us?" sketch.

The government's doing alright according to Dale Vince.

This is what he posted earlier this week on Twitter.

''This is a positive and effective measure from the government - it will enable us as a club to get through this.''


Next he's telling the government they can have the magnificent facilities at the New Lawn to fight COVID-19.

Why would anyone suspect that somebody might be worried about where their next, virtually tax-free, million is coming from post-coronavirus?


Let the plebs eat cake and pay for the NHS, you know it makes sense. I have other priorities.