Cyclone   10 #121 Posted June 23, 2017 But has it gone up in real terms? Or has it gone down in relation to the increased PFI payments?  It's gone down by any sensible measure except absolute like £/patient, £/capita. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
onewheeldave   22 #122 Posted June 23, 2017 Is this what Supertramp is referring to? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_Alternative_Vote_referendum,_2011 Only Supertramp can answer that.  But, if it is, then it bears very little resemblance to the Icelandic referendum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
hobinfoot   25 #123 Posted July 2, 2017 Like most people I would love to see an end to austerity. But to end it means more and more borrowing above the eye watering amounts we are already doing. We are paying about £45,000,000,000 a year in interest each year. If we don't reduce it now my children and grandchildren will have to and that worries me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
El Cid   220 #124 Posted July 2, 2017 But has it gone up in real terms? Or has it gone down in relation to the increased PFI payments?  Overall health spending has fallen by £12 per person but there are variations between the different countries of the UK.  https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/chart/health-spending-per-head-by-country-of-the-uk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
banjodeano   31 #125 Posted July 2, 2017 well, it looks like the Tories are listening to Labour and agreeing with them, they will be calling themselves far left soon... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/damian-green-university-tuition-fees-conservative-minister-bright-blue-think-tank-a7818891.html Tory minister says review of university tuition fees needed as party needs to 'change hard' to attract younger voters http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40471474 Pay review bodies' recommendations for public sector jobs should be respected by ministers, Michael Gove has said..... hahahaa...what a shambles this government is. more evidence of weak and wobly not strong and stable... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Michael_W Â Â 11 #126 Posted July 2, 2017 If 'any' British government can afford to give free tuition to students at say around 27,000 quid a pop, why not offer every 18-21 year old in the country 27,000 quid then those who don't go to Uni could apply for say a business loan or something that could advance their career another way, or maybe get them on the property ladder ? That way we are not just privileging those who choose Uni as an option .... Viva La working class Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Cyclone   10 #127 Posted July 2, 2017 There are good reasons for society to fund higher education, not such good reasons to just give money away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Guest sibon   #128 Posted July 2, 2017 There are good reasons for society to fund higher education, not such good reasons to just give money away.  But we gave huge sums to the banks. In turn they converted quite a bit of that cash into bonuses. That money ended up in the pockets of the privileged few. I don't see why ordinary young people should get a share.  There are strong reasons for doing as Michael suggests. A £27k start in life might just be the kick start our economy needs. It needn't be in cash. A voucher system would ensure that the money was spent productively. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Anna B   1,414 #129 Posted July 2, 2017 But has it gone up in real terms? Or has it gone down in relation to the increased PFI payments?  I suspect PFI is behind a lot of our financial problems.  ---------- Post added 02-07-2017 at 20:26 ----------  Like most people I would love to see an end to austerity. But to end it means more and more borrowing above the eye watering amounts we are already doing. We are paying about £45,000,000,000 a year in interest each year. If we don't reduce it now my children and grandchildren will have to and that worries me.  The baby boomer generation have only just finished paying off the enormous debt from the Second World War. I can't say I even knew about it untill they announced we'd paid it off.  All this about leaving our children and grandchildren in debt is just Politician's rhetoric. - Since when have they cared?  We've always been in debt and always will be. It's how the system works. What matters more is what politicians prioritise in their spending. When they cut back on Trident, then I'll believe they're serious about debt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Staunton   18 #130 Posted July 3, 2017 We must not be fooled by the tory party's silence on tax abuse as they bluster and splutter over public sector pay restraints. It does not and should not mean a choice between increased borrowing or increased taxation. If HMRC did the job that we pay them to do there would be no such dichotomy, and no excuse for the ideological cash-grab they call austerity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
banjodeano   31 #131 Posted July 3, 2017 We must not be fooled by the tory party's silence on tax abuse as they bluster and splutter over public sector pay restraints. It does not and should not mean a choice between increased borrowing or increased taxation. If HMRC did the job that we pay them to do there would be no such dichotomy, and no excuse for the ideological cash-grab they call austerity.  Michael Gove, and now Borris Johnson have both come out and said the cap of 1% on pay restraint for public sector workers must be looked at...........even though they both voted to keep it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Hairyloon   10 #132 Posted July 3, 2017 The baby boomer generation have only just finished paying off the enormous debt from the Second World War. I can't say I even knew about it untill they announced we'd paid it off...  Now I did read that that was somewhat of an accident: they'd set up the payments and forgotten about it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...