results

[kinboshi]

I think all areas are going to have to suffer indiscriminate cost cutting purely because our finances are that bad.

Why does cost-cutting need to be indiscriminate?  Surely a better way is to select the appropriate areas and prioritise where the cuts should be made first and where they need to be more damning.  Indiscriminate cost-cutting is a recipe for disaster.

[Jon MW]

I think all areas are going to have to suffer indiscriminate cost cutting purely because our finances are that bad.

Why does cost-cutting need to be indiscriminate?  Surely a better way is to select the appropriate areas and prioritise where the cuts should be made first and where they need to be more damning.  Indiscriminate cost-cutting is a recipe for disaster.

It depends how literally you take 'indiscriminate'

If you wanted to be completely literal then their would never be any indiscriminate cost cutting as that would imply they would just randomly pick areas to cut random amounts from.

Well. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't do that anyway

[kinboshi]

Well, the LibDems seem to be saying that they will refuse to allow ringfencing of NHS budget?  That's not good imo.

[Bongo]

So the left wing party want to cut the NHS and the evil cutting tories don't?

Pretty amusing Q at the press conference...

"Do you regret saying, when asked what your favourite joke was, "Nick Clegg"?

[Jon MW]

Well, the LibDems seem to be saying that they will refuse to allow ringfencing of NHS budget?  That's not good imo.

what about education, or pensions, should that spending be ringfenced?

Because didn't some economist show that the cuts needed were so large that the only budgets where enough money could be saved were either one or more of those 3?

(I think there might have been another 'big' one as well but I can't remember it)

[kinboshi]

Well, the LibDems seem to be saying that they will refuse to allow ringfencing of NHS budget?  That's not good imo.

what about education, or pensions, should that spending be ringfenced?

Because didn't some economist show that the cuts needed were so large that the only budgets where enough money could be saved were either one or more of those 3?

(I think there might have been another 'big' one as well but I can't remember it)

Just because budgets are ringfenced, doesn't mean they can't be cut.  They might decide to cut the spend by 10% for something, but the money now allocated to it will then remain ringfenced.  I'm sure the LibDems had proposed a specific tax that would be ringfenced for the NHS (before the election that is).

[kinboshi]

From the ConDemNation (© tank):

"We agree to establish a committee to bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected upper chamber on the basis of proportional representation."

Good.

[outragous76]

If i was an administrator in the NHS or middle management, id have 200 CV's out to the real world yesterday

gg toasty jobs of the last 10 years, you had a good run

[kinboshi]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1277687/DAVID-CAMERON-BECOMES-PRIME-MINISTER-Middle-classes-pay-price-Tory-deal-Lib-Dems.html

Coalition can't be all that bad.  The Daily Fail is up in arms about it!!

[Jon MW]

Well, the LibDems seem to be saying that they will refuse to allow ringfencing of NHS budget?  That's not good imo.

what about education, or pensions, should that spending be ringfenced?

Because didn't some economist show that the cuts needed were so large that the only budgets where enough money could be saved were either one or more of those 3?

(I think there might have been another 'big' one as well but I can't remember it)

Just because budgets are ringfenced, doesn't mean they can't be cut.  They might decide to cut the spend by 10% for something, but the money now allocated to it will then remain ringfenced.  I'm sure the LibDems had proposed a specific tax that would be ringfenced for the NHS (before the election that is).

Tax income goes up - spending on the NHS goes up
Tax income goes down - why should spending on the NHS go down?

Because if you only ever keep it the same or increase it, how do you pay for it?

[Jon MW]

I  haven't read it, but the headline sounds interesting.

Ring-fencing NHS budget is 'insane'

[kinboshi]

I  haven't read it, but the headline sounds interesting.

Ring-fencing NHS budget is 'insane'

I've just read it.  There's nothing in the article.

[kinboshi]

Looks like there could be some very good stuff in terms of civil liberties.  Some of these points are cornerstones of LibDem policy before the election in the eyes of many LibDem supporters (imo).

The measures they've outlined include:

• A Freedom or Great Repeal Bill.
     
• The scrapping of ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.
     
• Outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.
     
• The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
     
• Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database.
     
• The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury.
     
• The restoration of rights to non-violent protest.
     
• The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
     
• Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
     
• Further regulation of CCTV.
     
• Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.
     
• A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.

[boldie]

I think all areas are going to have to suffer indiscriminate cost cutting purely because our finances are that bad.

Very much this. Not making cuts in the NHS is simply not an option.

[redsimon]

Liberal Democrat wins:

• Referendum to bring in an alternative vote system. Coalition members will be subject to three-line whip to force legislation for referendum through, but will be free to campaign against reforms before referendum

As AV isn't a form of PR this is not really a win is it. gg LD's