The UK Politics and EU Referendum thread - merged

[doubleup]

thats the deficit not the debt

[redsimon]

David Gauke, chief secretary to the treasury, says govt's scrapped surplus target would've been met without Brexit.

(fantastic excuse in the run up to the next election though, it has to be said)

I don't get this claim. The figures suggest an extra £120 billion borrowing over next 5 years and most say £58 billion is "Brexit" , so if there was no Brexit aren't they still borrowing £60+ billion more than forecast back in March?

[Woodsey]

David Gauke, chief secretary to the treasury, says govt's scrapped surplus target would've been met without Brexit.

(fantastic excuse in the run up to the next election though, it has to be said)

I don't get this claim. The figures suggest an extra £120 billion borrowing over next 5 years and most say £58 billion is "Brexit" , so if there was no Brexit aren't they still borrowing £60+ billion more than forecast back in March?

That's extra doom and gloom borrowing  

Having thought about this a bit more, I reckon they are putting out worst case scenario numbers so they can tell everyone how fantastic they have done in a few years time when they perform better than this. They do have the perfect excuse after all....

[redsimon]

David Gauke, chief secretary to the treasury, says govt's scrapped surplus target would've been met without Brexit.

(fantastic excuse in the run up to the next election though, it has to be said)

I don't get this claim. The figures suggest an extra £120 billion borrowing over next 5 years and most say £58 billion is "Brexit" , so if there was no Brexit aren't they still borrowing £60+ billion more than forecast back in March?

That's extra doom and gloom borrowing  

Having thought about this a bit more, I reckon they are putting out worst case scenario numbers so they can tell everyone how fantastic they have done in a few years time when they perform better than this. They do have the perfect excuse after all....

You might be right, theses forecasts have not had a good track record in at least the last 6 years and probably further back, plus I understand the OBR figures are batting a bit blind as they don't know the Government's negotiating position for Brexit (Do the Government even know that?)

[TightEnd]

Martin Wolf of the FT

Project fear into government policy

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Peston's view

[TightEnd]

on Brexit, the Labour leadership offers anxious voters.... nothing.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/23/eu-brexit-labour-leadership-article-50?CMP=share_btn_tw

[TightEnd]

When the Autumn Statement shows the Tories are vulnerable, why can’t Labour hurt them?

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/11/when-autumn-statement-shows-tories-

[TightEnd]

John McDonnell’s response showed how irrelevant Labour has become, says IsabelHardman http://specc.ie/2g3wDu1

[TightEnd]

What Philip Hammond said, and what he meant.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/philip-hammond-autumn-statement-what-he-really-meant-a7433466.html

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

eyes down, look at phones...

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

incredible really

"Voters' greatest disappointment with AutumnStatement is lack of £ for NHS. 'Why not use the £350m?' Asked one in BritainThinks focus group"

[TightEnd]

an open question posed yesterday...

"Puzzle re Autumn Statement; voters usually blame govt for economic shocks. But this time voters caused the shock, against govt advice. So..."

your thoughts?

[TightEnd]

somethign else picked out of the AS

Oil revenues still dire - making finances of an independent Scotland rather awkward.

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Brexiteers rail against ‘gloomy’ and ‘worthless’ OBR economic forecasts http://bit.ly/2fa08xk

so here is another open question

if you don't accept figures in the Autumn statement (reasonably enough, a forecast is a forecast) as the cost of Brexit, what measure do you accept will show net gain/loss?