Comments on: The Liberal Democrat post-credit crunch economic policy. A blow by blow account.

By: Foregone Conclusion

Foregone Conclusion — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:48:59 +0000

I should also like to express my dislike of the idea that wealth is ‘created’ by an elite of geniuses who deserve every single penny they can screw out of their respective inventions. Clearly, someone who creates an idea that is truly transformative (be it computer software or a new type of vacuum clearner) deserves reward, which is given to them in spades in our economic system. But so do the people who actually make the vacuum cleaner, or who do the drudge work of coding the software, or whatever. They too are vital for the creation of these goods, and are too often repayed with low salaries, poor job security, and a quality of life from which the Dysons, Gateses and Jobses of this world are completely insulated from.

We are nearly all (in differing ways and to differing extents) wealth creators! None of these tax changes proposed seriously impinge of the idea of incentive – we’re a long way (thank God) from 90% income tax. Less of the Randyan dreams of the Great Man, more of the democratic aspirations of the little one!

By: James Graham

James Graham — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:19:50 +0000

No, Anonymous, the rich people who extract the UK’s wealth are to have it taken away from them.

By: Anonymous Numptie

Anonymous Numptie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:08:12 +0000

So rich people who generate the UK’s wealth are to be punished!

Thanks Fidel, give my regards Pol Pot

By: Foregone Conclusion

Foregone Conclusion — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:27 +0000

Many people attack Clegg for being anonymous, and for not making a greater impact on our polling numbers. These same people usually have no idea about what to do better, and so can be easily dismissed. I really think that the Lib Dems are swimming against a tide of anti-Labour feeling, faint pro-Tory feeling, and, if not media bias, then certainly media indiffference.

What the leadership can be blamed for is awful, awful messaging of the sort demonstrated above. Another example: in the written copies of one of Clegg’s speeches recently, handed out beforehand to the media, he called for ’savage’ cuts. Yet, faced by a crowd at conference, this turned into ’serious’ cuts. Danny Alexander has to explain to the press what the hell Clegg means, confusion reigns. This is Clegg’s major fault; making snappy, apparently extemporaneous, soundbites (’vast bulk’, ‘far, far, far, far, far…’, ’savage’). The ‘mansion tax’ was an awful debacle as well. Why didn’t we just restate our devotion to local income tax if we wanted to show our interest in social justice? It would have been a lot less – yes, that word again – confusing.

I have no problem with changing policy per se, but I wish the leadership actually knew what it’s doing, and didn’t look so slimy in the process.