Autumn statement today ...... hero’s or villains?

[Lady Whistledown]

Turns out police budgets are only protected in cash terms, not in real terms therefore police in line for real terms cuts.

Well, from my understanding (and no, I've not read the whole thing, I admit), it appears as though he's devolving a few of the decisions in terms of police budgets to the Police & Crime Commissioners' office. These are of course elected (and political) posts, so there will presumably be a degree of toeing the party line here. Impossible to say which way that will go for now at least. I'm not really sure of Katy Bourne's position in Sussex, for example.

It's all a big smokescreen, I suspect, to ensure that if things do go tits up from a (police) spending point of view, it won't be directly attributable to a man who may well decide to stand for Conservative party leader when Cameron waltzes off at the end of the current term, isn't it?

 

[Chicken Run]

Credit should be given to those thousands of Labour Party supporters who voted for Corbyn and his anti-austerity ticket. This demonstrated to Osborne and Cameron just how unacceptable the planned austerity package would be. So they backed down.

Go Jezza!

PMSL

 

[Ernest]

Question: would you rather it all falls apart because it's the boo-hiss-nasty-Tories, or do you genuinely hope it sets the path for economic growth and recovery, for the good of the nation?

Because it is another dogs dinner mess and will need to be corrected as usual , how many details are yet to be revealed for instance ?

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Because it is another dogs dinner mess and will need to be corrected as usual , how many details are yet to be revealed for instance ?

Similar to the economy every time the Tories get elected after Labour really.

 

[JC Footy Genius]

Turns out police budgets are only protected in cash terms, not in real terms therefore police in line for real terms cuts.

Are you sure?

Police budgets in England and Wales will be protected in real terms, Chancellor George Osborne has said in his Spending Review.

The Treasury said police spending would be protected in line with inflation, which would represent an increase of £900m by 2019-20.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34922126

 

[Bozza]

Because it is another dogs dinner mess and will need to be corrected as usual , how many details are yet to be revealed for instance ?

Seriously - you come across as one of those who takes some sort of delight perversion in the Albion losing.

Would you be happy to see a prosperous UK under Conservative leadership or would you rather the country becomes a mess so you can say "told you so - f*cking useless Tories"?

 

[wellquickwoody]

Credit should be given to those thousands of Labour Party supporters who voted for Corbyn and his anti-austerity ticket. This demonstrated to Osborne and Cameron just how unacceptable the planned austerity package would be. So they backed down.

Go Jezza!

Straws.......clutched at?

 

[sten_super]

As someone with left-leaning tendencies, I thought it was a pretty reasonable spending review. Do I agree with everything that he's done? No. But he's rowed back on one of his most controversial policies (tax credit cuts), hasn't taken too much away from individuals (although I dislike that he's given a decent boost to the state pension yet frozen the income levels at which student loan repayments kick in) and has funded some giveaway by increasing business taxes. He's been helped by modelling changes at the OBR which have boosted revenue forecasts but produced a pretty populist budget in the end.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

As someone with left-leaning tendencies, I thought it was a pretty reasonable spending review. Do I agree with everything that he's done? No. But he's rowed back on one of his most controversial policies (tax credit cuts), hasn't taken too much away from individuals (although I dislike that he's given a decent boost to the state pension yet frozen the income levels at which student loan repayments kick in) and has funded some giveaway by increasing business taxes. He's been helped by modelling changes at the OBR which have boosted revenue forecasts but produced a pretty populist budget in the end.

Good post.

 

[Bozza]

Welcoming the tax credits U-turn, Work and Pensions Committee chairman Frank Field says the four million "strivers" who would have been affected can go to bed tonight not worried about what's going to happen to their finances.

But the Labour MP says George Osborne also deserves a pat on the back, saying some would have refused to change their mind "and screwed up people's lives to save their own face".

 

[Black Rod]

Credit should be given to those thousands of Labour Party supporters who voted for Corbyn and his anti-austerity ticket. This demonstrated to Osborne and Cameron just how unacceptable the planned austerity package would be. So they backed down.

Go Jezza!

Brilliant

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

Would the nasty party take aid from starving Africans?

No. But it is giving it to them.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I cant understand it.

A fortnight ago they were economically crucial.

Now they aren't.

Its almost like they never were economically crucial, but a political decision (a bad one obviously), just like the entire austerity agenda.

The OBR has calculated that today’s measures will raise gross tax take by £28.5bn by 2020.

It says: These include the new apprenticeship levy (£11.6 billion), higher council tax (£6.2 billion), and the introduction of higher rates of stamp duty land tax for second homes and buy-to-let purchases (£3.8illion).

It's all smoke and mirrors. These supposed extra tax receipts won't bring in anywhere near as much as projected but it's ok because the markets will accept them as correct and keep borrowing rates low. The borrowing figures and tax take are awful in comparison to Gideon's predictions (again) but this posturing will keep a lid on rates. And that's the game.

Does anyone here really believe that running a surplus is either possible or necessary?

If so then you're one of the many who've fallen for one of the biggest political cons ever. "We could end up like Greece!!" Er no, no we won't.

All this total nonsense that we're fed and lap up like moronic puppies makes me very angry. More cider please....

 

[Stat Brother]

Credit should be given to those thousands of Labour Party supporters who voted for Corbyn and his anti-austerity ticket. This demonstrated to Osborne and Cameron just how unacceptable the planned austerity package would be. So they backed down.

Go Jezza!

Straws.......clutched at?

I don't know if Lord B is taking the wee-wee or not, but I'm prepared to accept it at face value.

The Tories, with a clear mandate and Farage deemed to be a viable contender, could easily have jack-booted their way through the next 5 years.
Now with a bunch of communists in opposition, Farage irrelevant (thanks only to the FPTP system (god bless it)) the Tories have some wiggle room to play nice.

It would seem like today might be the start.

I like Corbyn in opposition, it could work out well.

 

[oddsonlaughter]

May apply to some on here in the small print retrospective hike to student loan repayments, morally very wrong imo

https://www.facebook.com/mrmartinlewis/posts/10153129808876540?pnref=story

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Why is it "pretty emabarrassing reversal for", why isn't it "at last, someone has listended to all the arguments and based a decision on that"? Just wondered, that is all.

I totally agree it's good to listen and form decisions. But, it's far better to do this first and not afterwards and then have to make a u-turn.

 

[lost in london]

Are you sure?

Police budgets in England and Wales will be protected in real terms, Chancellor George Osborne has said in his Spending Review.

The Treasury said police spending would be protected in line with inflation, which would represent an increase of £900m by 2019-20.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34922126

Andy Burnham on twitter was my source, in hindsight not perhaps entirely reliable!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The raid on buy to let continues, first high rate mortgage relief, now stamp duty plus an extra 3%. The the JCL's is fast become less desireable investment

What next maybe tax relief on mortgages to go completely? I would George I'd go for this can get some BTL's disposals and rake in the CGT..

Whilst i fully support this move, and it will raise some tax, I don't think this will put the brakes on B2L which is what is needed.

 

[Chicken Run]

I totally agree it's good to listen and form decisions. But, it's far better to do this first and not afterwards and then have to make a u-turn.

Your just disappointed that you haven't got anything to moan about so now you moan about a U turn, you couldn't make it up!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Your just disappointed that you haven't got anything to moan about so now you moan about a U turn, you couldn't make it up!

I'm never short of topics to moan about.