The cuts are unfair because they will be felt more by the poor than by wealthier households
Agree: 56% Disagree: 30%

Very leading question there.

This one seems better:

The Government is cutting public spending in a way that is fair to every section of society
Agree: 32% Disagree: 52%

Oooh, vox populi agrees there should be jam today, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, all paid for by the maxed-out credit card that is Government debt, given we never truly feel the hit of it or indeed understand it. Or to put it differently, that the inevitable cutbacks should be the item in everyone’s personal Room 101, so we can all shout “Do it to somebody else! Not me! Somebody else! I don’t care what you do to them!” – much as the prats at Millbank did last week.

Let’s all vote in Mili-E in 2015 on the back of promises of double jam today, tomorrow and yesterday, with Ed Balls at number 11 rubbing his hands and promising free shite for all.

Sunny, your poll proves nothing, your argument is bullshit, and your denigration of the party you were in six months ago doesn’t fool a One Nation Tory who accepts that the state got bloated under Labour (and no, not just ‘cos “bankers did it and ran away” but during the boom years) and that we need to get people into jobs rather than hoping benefits can be as large as possible for those that aren’t.

Polls also show the public wants to leave the EU. Curious how following public opinion on both could solve the issues. No more contributions to the EU, spend that money on the poor. Perfect – we’re all happy.

@ Parasite

Interesting argument, jam and shite just what the condems would like to feed to the poor while our millionaire masters gorge themselves on tax breaks and tax avoidance but they can still find 7 billion to bail out their banker buddies?

Democracy either is or is not “that important”, you can’t pull it out as if it were a trump card unless you also accept that you can be trumped in turn. So fine, lets turn on the spending taps, leave the EU, bring back hanging and drop immigration to 3 people a decade.

That people believe a thing doesn’t have any effect on that thing’s truth value and it certainly doesn’t mean that people aren’t damn fools.

Tired and cynical tonight.

Well, from what we hear from across the pond, Great Britain has mounting
fiscal problems all the way around, and now they’re going to spend tens of billions
of GBP assisting Ireland. Gosh, the IMF and other central banks have just so much to lend.
With all its cultural, societal, religious and poitical diificulties, we are, as a decendant
of families from Ireland and Hampshire/Wiltshire, very concerned for England.
Of course we wish you well.
Good luck, England and God Save the Queen.

It’s worth checking out the website @6 just for entertainment value.

6. I wonder where the IMF gets all its money. Simples. They have a huge printing press.

It is also worth pointing out that in spite of the views on economic issues, that poll shows Labour and the Tories more or less neck and neck, and that the Tories had gained 2%, whilst Labour gained 1%…..

… hardly unalloyed good news for the left then?

“No more contributions to the EU, spend that money on the poor. Perfect – we’re all happy.”

And what do we do to make up for the huge fiscal loss as a result of leaving the EU? Despite what those UKIP leaflets say, you have to account for benefit when doing a cost/benefit analysis. Kthxbye

@ Falco 5

“Democracy either is or is not “that important”, you can’t pull it out as if it were a trump card unless you also accept that you can be trumped in turn. So fine, lets turn on the spending taps, leave the EU, bring back hanging and drop immigration to 3 people a decade.

That people believe a thing doesn’t have any effect on that thing’s truth value and it certainly doesn’t mean that people aren’t damn fools.”

Fair points, but only if the OP is making an appeal to the majority. Despite the flamboyant headline (as always), I think this article is meant to show that the left has the opportunity to win, rather than that the left is in the right.

To: Rae Merrill.
The IMF has three sources of ‘income’.
1. interest charges from debtor countries.
2. shareholders re: the U.S. and other large industrialized nations,
who pay dues and benefit from borrowing procedures.
3. The IMF currently owns gold reserves in the amount of $65 billion.
which they have received in ‘payments’ from debtor nations.
Occasionally they sell gold to make loans to needy countries.
They are NOT permitted, however, to buy gold.
Hope this answers your inquiry. Just remember that his is a world central bank;
accordingly, all of its ‘activities’ should be scrutinized.
Cheers to Great Britain from Boston, Ma. U.S.A.

To Falco:
Be aware that your government, like all of them, are propaganda machines.
Just read an article that suggests that the Bank of England is covering up the
real possibility of DEFLATION. It does not matter your politics these days.
It’s all bad news for every citizen of that once great nation.
Good luck, England.

@10 Huge fiscal loss?

Trade with EU stats are

UK: £12bn (export) / £16bn (imports) (2010)
Norway: €92bn / €44bn (2008)
Switzerland: €47bn / €67bn (2008)

Yeah, it’s clearly impossible to trade with the EU from outside it

Thank Mark M.
At least you’re paying attention.
Regrettably, paying attention is our biggest deficit here in America.
How can England afford to assist in the bailout of Ireland in the
tens of billions that she does not have???
Cheers, and as always
Good luck, Great Britain.

“Yeah, it’s clearly impossible to trade with the EU from outside it.”

How interesting. Why not find someone who’s suggesting that and tell them?

@16

Well if you don’t mean loss of trade, what is your ‘huge fiscal loss’ then? We’re £9bn better off net, plus we get to decide where we’d rather spend the rest of our gross contribution rather than Brussels deciding. You could pay for a lot of benefits that way…

@ 17

We’d still trade with the EU – we’d have to – but on less favourable terms. It’s not a case of “you do or you don’t”.

Look, why do you think all three major parties are pro-EU? Considering that EU membership is unpopular, why wouldn’t Labour or the Tories declare that they intend to leave it if it’s also this huge fiscal drain? You could win the next election outright, cut the number of immigrants to the country and save money, so why do all the parties dodge even the possibility of a referendum, at political cost to themselves?