Cameron defends economic policy [Archive] - Win2Win UK Horse Racing Forum. Free Tips. Staking Advice.

barneymather

1st October 2011, 21:59

I'd have said cuts were necessary whether or not there was such a gargantuan budget deficit, as Gordon Brown spent money as if there was no tomorrow, which of course there wasn't for him as Prime Minister.

I'd like to think Brown didn't continue spending recklessly as he knew in his heart that the Tories would win the last election, however I'm not convinced. Ditto Alistair Darling laying an economic land mine by signing a guarantee to bail out EU countries who cannot control their spending.

Gordon Brown was strongly advised by his in-house experts that the money splurging had to stop, but he carried on nonetheless. A Prime Minister who won't listen to advice and uses an autocratic style of governing is fatally flawed, whichever party is in power.

Of course, a PM of all people has to have authority, however they're only as good as the other people in their team and leading a country isn't a one man job, a concept Gordon Brown spectacularly failed to grasp.

The tax and spend policies of Labour in the 1970s turned the UK into a seriously weakened economic entity and was 100% responsible for Margaret Thatcher taking power and retaining it for more than a decade. Although there was the sheen of a 21st century makeover under Blair and Brown, it was the same old story with New Labour, a party obsessed with increasing taxes and wasting much of the receipts on vanity projects.

There are those in Britain who feel we should follow the economic model of Denmark and Sweden, if you could term it a model - a Swedish worker only keeps 40% of their salary after tax. However, I feel we should reject this approach, as although supporters of the Danish/Swedish system point to better healthcare, I disagree that this can only be achieved by heavy-handed governments.

To me, the citizens of Denmark and Sweden have been battered into submission by sky high taxation and a ridiculously large civil service, with nannying governments convinced they and not their people know what's best for them.

I think it's unhealthy for governments to take such control over the lives of its people to the extent which Danish and Swedish politicians do, and is an example of democracy regressing, not maturing. One thing in Sweden's favour though is that in a rare moment of government generosity, its people were allowed a vote on joining the Euro, which they were sensible enough to say no to.

Whatever the grand thoughts of politicians, even the well-meaning ones, the reality of handing governments increased taxes is that they more you give them, they more they'll fritter away, and I can't see any country remaining competitive in the world economy by continually expanding the non-essential areas of the public sector.

David Cameron should look at reducing the burden on small(er) businesses, including their being fleeced by town councils. I really don't think businesses get a fair return for handing over these large sums to councils, and I see it as comparable to parking tickets - easy money to fill the coffers of underworked public 'servants'.