Is austerity working- and will it ever end?

[El Cid 214]

I'll believe Austerity is over when all our Libraries are fully stocked, staffed, and fully working again.

 

That was a time when people read books and bought them from a local bookstore; you need to move with the times.

Yes, we should encourage books, but libraries will not be like the old days.

[Bob Arctor 11]

Here's a good example of austerity not working at all: harsh cuts to early years services to help families of young children where they face difficulties = greater spending on taking children into care, where early help can prevent that. Also, in the longer term, greater spending on mental health, criminal justice, substance misuse services because children from families with problems grow up as less functional adults

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/12/early-years-cuts-pushing-more-children-into-care-in-england

[Anna B 1,401]

That was a time when people read books and bought them from a local bookstore; you need to move with the times.

Yes, we should encourage books, but libraries will not be like the old days.

 

IMO the written word is arguably the greatest achievement of the human race, and Libraries are a mark of a civilised society. That doesn't mean they are set in aspic - they have always moved with the times, and will continue to do so. They are part of the community hub, a meeting place, a place for information, story telling, computing, swapping ideas, debating, writing and communicating, a place for groups of every age and many talents.

 

Oh... and books.

 

We are coming up to Sheffield's annual 'Off the Shelf' festival, which will focus on library events around the city. I urge people to attend some, and see the variety that Libraries have to offer. And what we will lose if they are forced to close.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

IMO the written word is arguably the greatest achievement of the human race, and Libraries are a mark of a civilised society. That doesn't mean they are set in aspic - they have always moved with the times, and will continue to do so. They are part of the community hub, a meeting place, a place for information, story telling, computing, swapping ideas, debating, writing and communicating, a place for groups of every age and many talents.

 

Oh... and books.

 

We are coming up to Sheffield's annual 'Off the Shelf' festival, which will focus on library events around the city. I urge people to attend some, and see the variety that Libraries have to offer. And what we will lose if they are forced to close.

 

Some are now being run as community facilities. My local library is still council run, I use it regularly, but I never see many people there. As more people use Kindles and other tablets, the demand will keep reducing. Sad for me, libraries have always been part of my life, I prefer books, but recognise that preferences will keep changing.

[steved32 55]

Here's a good example of austerity not working at all: harsh cuts to early years services to help families of young children where they face difficulties = greater spending on taking children into care, where early help can prevent that. Also, in the longer term, greater spending on mental health, criminal justice, substance misuse services because children from families with problems grow up as less functional adults

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/12/early-years-cuts-pushing-more-children-into-care-in-england

Oh but Mrs May has told us that austerity is over. I hear she likes ABBA. Then she does orbit "The rich man's world" to quote a line from their song.

 

So now food banks will disappear ... schools will be better resourced ... the police will increase recruitment .........

And pigs will fly.

[El Cid 214]

Some are now being run as community facilities. My local library is still council run, I use it regularly, but I never see many people there.

 

Now that austerity has passed, maybe Wetherspoons will be the new meeting place, somewhere to replace the dying popularity of the church.

 

But seriously, a community meeting place, along with things that are good for us, like tea and books, should be encouraged.

[lil-minx92 10]

Oh but Mrs May has told us that austerity is over. I hear she likes ABBA. Then she does orbit "The rich man's world" to quote a line from their song.

 

So now food banks will disappear ... schools will be better resourced ... the police will increase recruitment .........

And pigs will fly.

 

No need for the police to recruit because we are constantly told that the increase in crime is not due to reduced police numbers

[woodview 10]

Austerity means spending the same or less than you have got coming in. It's what we all have to do at home or in business. If you don't, you have a long term problem.

If we want to spend more, we have to have an honest debate about what we actually want, and how we are going to pay for it.

At the end of the day it comes down to how much tax we are going to pay.

That emcompasses taxing Amazon etc a real amount, and also how much you and me are going to pay out of our wages.

[Anna B 1,401]

Austerity means spending the same or less than you have got coming in. It's what we all have to do at home or in business. If you don't, you have a long term problem.

If we want to spend more, we have to have an honest debate about what we actually want, and how we are going to pay for it.

At the end of the day it comes down to how much tax we are going to pay.

That emcompasses taxing Amazon etc a real amount, and also how much you and me are going to pay out of our wages.

 

We also have to prioritise. And that's what this government seems particularly bad at.

 

For example, do we really need HS2 when we are cutting back on community care? We could upgrade the existing rail lines for a fraction of the cost, do we need a vastly expensive state of the art nuclear defence system which will never be used, while at the same time cutting back on other regular defence systems and troops?

 

Other examples abound, but you get the idea.

[woodview 10]

We also have to prioritise. And that's what this government seems particularly bad at.

 

For example, do we really need HS2 when we are cutting back on community care? We could upgrade the existing rail lines for a fraction of the cost, do we need a vastly expensive state of the art nuclear defence system which will never be used, while at the same time cutting back on other regular defence systems and troops?

 

Other examples abound, but you get the idea.

 

I agree. Different governments / parties will have different priorities. Whatever those priorities are need funding. I personally would scrap HS2 and fund health care etc. But even in that instance, I don't think what people want e.g an NHS that can treat everything possible, can be paid for under the existing tax system.

I suppose the word 'austerity' just grates me a bit, because it means living within your means. To spend more, then more needs to be coming in, and in the case of government, that means tax.

[truman 10]

We also have to prioritise. And that's what this government seems particularly bad at.

 

For example, do we really need HS2 when we are cutting back on community care? We could upgrade the existing rail lines for a fraction of the cost, do we need a vastly expensive state of the art nuclear defence system which will never be used, while at the same time cutting back on other regular defence systems and troops?

 

Other examples abound, but you get the idea.

 

Sounds interesting Anna ... give us the figures ..

[El Cid 214]

That emcompasses taxing Amazon etc a real amount, and also how much you and me are going to pay out of our wages.

 

I don't think any company gets preferential treatment, they are taxed depending on their status.

Headquarters abroad means they are a foreign company, our Government cannot tax a foreign company in the same way it would tax a UK based company.

 

It was good to see a large foreign company like Amazon announce that they will be paying all their UK staff a minimum of £9.50 per hour, £1.77 higher than the UK minimum wage.