Two ways to get rid of debt, increase income or decrease spending.
On a country wide scale country decreasing spending (in any real way) can and will decrease income. So he's pulling the wrong leavers.
The cuts are ideological not economic.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:19, 4 replies, latest was 12 years ago)

But I thought he was investing in infrastructure, while cutting fat out of certain sectors?

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:21, Reply)

this spending review has included some large capital expenditure

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:22, Reply)

It hasn't really
they have just re-announced a lot of projects that they were going to do anyway, and most of which are actually long term things that won't kick in for a number of years.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:24, Reply)

i haven't looked that closely tbh
large scale projects will always be long term
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:28, Reply)

This isn't just long term, this is "not actually going to happen for ten years"
and therefore announcing it now is just pointless window dressing, it means nothing and affects nothing and can be cut without having any effect because nothing has or will happen regarding it for years.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:30, Reply)

He's planning to invest in infrastructure from 2015 onwards, he's not doing it now and hasn't since 2008

(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:23, Reply)

Ok. I read that wrong then.

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:26, Reply)

you're just sad to have lost your auto pay rise
I mean what the fuck was that about any way?*

* unless it's a pay adjustment which is fine
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:21, Reply)

Didn't have one, I'm on performance related pay as is everyone in the NHS (agenda for change rules).
And the pay adjustment is bullshit anyway, it was 0% for three years, now it'll be 1% for five, that's an effective pay cut.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:24, Reply)

this is as it should be
aside from the adjustment which sucks
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:28, Reply)

The savings of £2billion a year is plucked out of the air as well.
That's assuming everyone who gets an auto pay increase now won't get performance related bonus, and that running these pay reviews in every organisation will be free.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:45, Reply)

No one I know in public sector has had an auto payrise of any sort for a long time.
Again this is for the benefit of the Daily Heil and Express readers that think all civil servants work in London, wear bowler hats and carry an umbrella even in summer.
(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:29, Reply)

School leavers?

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:23, Reply)

He's pulling school leavers?
Oh dear. Yewtree ahoy.
( Kroney, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:24, Reply)

And also a load of bollocks, since public spending is still going up, not down
and that's even before you start with all the PFI nonsense that's "off the balance sheet".

He's just trying to keep the Daily Heil readers happy by kicking their favourite demons.
(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:26, Reply)

It's gone down as a percentage of GDP.
Only by about 4%
(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:29, Reply)

Which is a heck of a lot less than the 10% + year on year cuts he's claiming to be making

(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:36, Reply)

That's ignoring the ringfenced bits, like pensions that are like 40% of all spending.

(PsychoChomp, Thu 27 Jun 2013, 12:46, Reply)