“In a speech intended to address Tory claims that Labour cannot be trusted with the economy, the Labour leader will stress that balancing the books will be a key element of the party’s plans for the five years after 2015.”
The article goes on to quote extracts of Miliband’s speech which contains this passage:
“You and I know we won’t have the money. For all of the cuts, for all of the pain under this government, Britain still has a deficit to deal with and a debt to pay down. That’s why our programme starts with a binding commitment to balancing the books in the next government.”
You might ‘know’ that Ed, but I and an increasing number of people know that is bullshit. There is always as much money as is needed. That’s not to say Labour should go mad, but the money will never run out. It’s stuff – people, physical resources and our ability to innovate and create new technologies – which sets the bounds of the possible, never money.
Britain has a deficit, but the things it has to ‘deal with’ are its unemployment problem, its low wage problem, its housing problem. Miliband’s focus on things that are irrelevant, but which undermine attempts to deal with things are relevant, doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in what a Labour Government under his leadership could achieve.
The Tories deserve to lose next year and the Lib Dems deserve to be wiped out, it’s just that Labour don’t deserve to win. Expect low turnout records to be broken again next May!
alittleecon 
The key word for me is “resource”. So so many people mistake money for a resource when it’s just a token. Balancing the books can help keep inflation cool (though it’s stupid to rely on that, even then, as there are so many different factors that can influence prices), but that is in fact the ONLY reason ever to do it.
And with the economy still sluggish in most areas, Milliband has to realise that spending commitments should INCREASE. It’s when the economy is ticking over well in most areas that cuts should be implemented.
“Balancing the books can help keep inflation cool ”
No it can’t. If you ‘balance the books’ in the UK you *will* cause a depression.
If one does not vote for Labour then how does one vote?
If Ed just grew a set, along with the rest of the opposition, then I’m sure they would win the next election with a huge majority. But I think, along with many, many others that he is not the right leader for the Labour party, it should have been his brother David who led the party. Now that will never happen so it’s back to the growing of balls!
If only the Labour party realised that the easiest way to make the country turn around and MAKE money, is to SPEND first – we need huge amounts of social housing, build it and give proper wages to the men and employ youngsters to learn the trades, with proper wages as well and no Workfare at all. Building social housing will mean that the shops nearest to the sites would be getting a lot more business from the workers, so would therefore be able to expand a little and take on an apprentice or two as serving in a shop is not just how a shop is run.
More social housing would mean more furniture being bought, again this would bring up businesses and again more apprenticeships. More schools would need to be built, the areas around the new housing would need the shops that had been being used by all the workers, more internet and phones would be required for new homes, along with various types of energy to supply said homes.
Its a huge thing that can grow and will make the economy better all the time. You could have the homes being built in various towns and cities throughout the UK at around the same time and with all of this, the economy would be fixing itself.
Think Mr Milliband, think, and listen to the people, not the kind of people who have never known about the lifestyle of the millions that are supposed to represent.
” it should have been his brother David who led the party.”
But Brother David, like Blair before him, dumped his safe North East seat in order to chase the money. To be honest, I think he’d have just been more of the same.
Reblogged this on Jay's Journal and commented:
Will labour listen?
Reblogged this on Vox Political and commented:
I don’t agree that Labour don’t deserve people’s vote, but I do agree that any focus on cutting the deficit that is likely to impact on the poorest will be wrong. We have seen over the last four years that cutting the amount of money going through the economy can only increase poverty and misery, and the only way out is targeted investment. This is what Labour should be promoting.
Reblogged this on sdbast.
Reblogged this on amnesiaclinic and commented:
Of course there’s money … it’s just going to the wrong people! Building houses would revitalise the economy in so many ways!
x
If Milliband is that worried about the money supply, perhaps he should commit to returning the UK to a SOVEREIGN Currency, where money is issued and retired by the state, through the Bank of England, rather than a Fiat one when’re the private banks create money OUT OF THIN AIR, in the form of Credit which must be repaid with interest
http://www.positivemoney.org
Reblogged this on chunkyfunkymunky.
So let’s all vote Tory then. That will help won’t it?
The question isn’t about who to vote for, it’s about what’s wrong with the current stock of politicians we have as a “choice”, in all of our parties. We’re stuck with all sides pandering to the dictats of the banks and corporates! This WILL lead to a fall in numbers willing to vote because the endgame will always be the same! People are becoming disillusioned and angry with the state of politics as they currently stand which is opening doors for more radical (and predominantly right-wing) extremists to aire their frustrations. Yes, vote Labour, but beyond that, try to get more people involved in changing things, before more blood is spilled!
If Labour don’t win the GE then there’s one thing you can be sure of – the Tories will be back, and probably with a majority. (Assuming UKIP do fizzle out as predicted – I’m not entirely convinced.)
Historically, the Greens have shown they can’t even make much of an impression, let alone win a GE (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_of_England_and_Wales ). If the left fritters away its votes on parties that can’t win, or on spoiled ballots, we’re doomed. 2015 is no time for a protest vote.
I agree, Ed is a dreadful waste of blood and organs but, for now, at least, if we want to consign the Tories to oblivion – and we must – he’s all we have.
God help us all.
Reblogged this on UNEMPLOYED IN TYNE & WEAR.
On the question of who to vote for, and assuming no viable alternative suddenly materialises… Official Monster Raving Looney Party.
A couple of reasons why they’d make for a viable protest vote –
They tend to put up quite a lot of candidates, therefore a fairly wide spread of constituencies.
They have a fairly good media profile, albeit of a “lets laugh at the loonies” kind.
Should they attract enough protest votes – and possibly beat the Lib Dems in some constituencies ? – it would be noticed by the media and commented on. It’d be nice to see Lab/Con/Lib spokespersons blustering about why a large section of the elecorate would rather vote for the loonies than for them.
Quite possibly the major impact if this scenario played out would be on Labour. But then, they need a big kick up their collective arses if they’re ever going to be more than Tory Lite again.
Personally, if no Loonie candidate, I’ll probably vote Green again.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Milliband did really think like the most of us do? That he did follow his fathers political thinking. He knows he has to keep the truth from the rest of the parasites in the house of the privileged, simply to stop the corporations and vast amounts of bought and paid for corrupt politicians, even in his own party from putting the kibosh on his game plan. Then once in power actually delivering a game to put us back on top. Imagine that, the robber barons the spivs we have now would never get back in power. He could create a new job market, house building and modernization of all old stock, brought up to date with new energy saving electrical systems, all created in local factories, bringing new jobs all round. Design, Engineering, Building, Joinery, Plumbing, Electrical etc. Plus a decent living wage for everyone to spend in our economy. He has got to put this country and its people first,
If he could pull that off, he would leave a legacy that would totally wipe out Thatcher’s and cement his place amongst the great Post-War Prime Ministers.
His first step must be to ditch the’Advisers’ who lead him from one PR Disaster to the next
He must also resist the urge to suck up to Murdoch – The few votes he’d gain would be offset by those he’d lose from traditional Labour supporters
Nice to see it’s not just me living in cloud cuckoo land. But it could be done, I agree the first ones to go, his advisors those corporation suck ups, then all the wannabe Tories. The Labour Party is full of fifth columnists who have been intent on destroying the only political leverage the working man has had in this country. Political leverage that wasn’t born out of Greed but out of want of fairness, and concern for ones working compatriots, and the health and wellbeing of all. Good Education means a well informed workforce, Good Health, Good food, A Good well maintained Home, and a decent Wage to help keep it as such is all anyone wants and is entitled to.
Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
Alittleecon here remarks on Milliband’s continued desire to stress a future Labour government’s policy of fiscal restraint, rather than actions to combat poverty, unemployment and the general economic mess created by Cameron, Gove and co. Alittleecon’s views is controversial, as other bloggers have shown that MIlliband’s support for austerity isn’t quite what has been claimed in the press. Nevertheless, the article does highlight Miliband’s continued pursuit of the middle class vote, rather than appeal to and protect their core voters, the people they were set up to fight for. Before the last election Labour had greater support than the Tories by the middle classes, who believed that Labour would be better at managing the economy. And they were right. But this is Ed trying to recover their support, at the cost of alienating everyone else by not tackling the bread and butter, and frequently, life and death, issues that matter to them.