British Politics: Coalitions, Cuts and AV

[Egbert]

Sounds like a budget with something for everyone to complain about.

[MOBIUS]

They always are...

[OneFootInTheGrave]

here are the first effects of the cuts... looking forward to more

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110330-706548.html

-A surprise profit warning from electrical retailer Dixons Retail PLC (DXNS.LN) Wednesday added fuel to the high-street bonfire which has already burnt several U.K. chains, and will likely be a precursor to more bad news from Dixons' rivals.

With consumer confidence at a very low ebb, Dixons Wednesday lowered its full year profit forecast, blaming a sharp slowdown in consumer spending for a 11% slump in same-store sales in the U.K. and Ireland over the past 11 weeks.

The U.K. retail sector has been concerned for some time that government-imposed austerity measures, such as public spending cuts, as well as January's rise in value-added-tax, would hit discretionary spending and consumer sentiment.

Dixons, the U.K.'s largest electrical retailer, confirmed these fears, citing the VAT rise as a key contributor to a slump in sales of big-ticket items since the rise came into effect in early January.

The decline in spending has already hit Home Retail Group (HOME.LN)-owned general retailer Argos, the second-largest electrical retailer in the U.K.

But the warning from Dixons came as a surprise because the company has been outperforming its peers in the U.K., and CEO John Browett said Wednesday the company continues to perform ahead of the market in the U.K. and Ireland.
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It's not just the electrical retailers who are suffering though. Fuel price rises have started to eat into even non-discretionary spending habits, with supermarket Sainsbury reporting lower-than-expected sales last week.

[C0ckney]

thank heavens there have been no cuts announced in hyperbole

[OneFootInTheGrave]

I am sure you will enjoy the fruits of your gov mastery soon enough

some faster than others

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8429847/Two-thirds-of-universities-want-to-charge-9000-fees.html

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “The Government’s fee regime is in complete disarray and its sums clearly do not add up.

“Rushing through a vote on higher fees and then going into detail at a later stage was always a recipe for disaster.”

Under the Government’s higher education reforms, almost all direct state funding for teaching has been cut from 2012.

To plug the gap, universities can charge up to £9,000, compared with the current cap of £3,290.

Financial modelling carried out by the Treasury has been based on universities charging an average of £7,500. If this is exceeded, the upfront cost of paying for student loans will balloon.

But according to latest figures, almost all universities want to charge more than £7,500.

Of the 31 publishing plans so far, 22 have opted for maximum £9,000 fees.

from torygraph no less

[Krill]

IIRC, the Government was smart and added rules that allow them to enforce lower fees. More likely that all of the universities choosing higher tuition fees is part of a negotiating strategy.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

from what I read is that they only threatened to do some other cost cutting measure if the fees are set to high, one option mentioned is to reduce 10% of places ... and the universities understadably put their bets on max funding per student vs max student numbers. All in all - a disaster for the public and future students.

[C0ckney]

it looks like they will have to change the system in some way, possibly by cutting places. however there are other things they can do, like changing to funding formula to discourage universities charging maximum fees.

[MikeH]

This government is so ****.

Not just because I disagree with them ideologically, they just haven't got a clue about how to get policies done.

This one is **** and needs review, their proposed health reforms are **** and need review. The selling off the forests they've already backtracked.

[molly bloom]

This government is so ****.

Not just because I disagree with them ideologically, they just haven't got a clue about how to get policies done.

This one is **** and needs review, their proposed health reforms are **** and need review. The selling off the forests they've already backtracked.

What can you expect from a government led by someone whose only field of expertise appears to be in public relations ? Now we have other ministers blaming working class male unemployment on feminism (!) and another Conservative who lets slip in private what he really thinks about 'the common people' (who appear to begin only north of Watford Gap) :

The row started when it emerged Mr Letwin had apparently told London Mayor Boris Johnson that he did not want to see more families in Sheffield able to afford cheap holidays...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...in-person.html

I'm usually inclined to doubt or take with a sack of salt most of what Boris Johnson says, but given his own track record on commenting on life outside the Home Counties, I'm just about ready to believe this.

Of course it would fit in with what the millionaire Letwin thinks of comprehensive schools- unsurprising I suppose, given his education at Eton and Cambridge, and his role as a merchant banker.

[C0ckney]

looks like the lib dems are getting a pasting at the local level, welcome to mid term elections as a governing party! some of its northern councilors (or former councilors) are calling on nick clegg to quit. labour is doing well but were starting from a relatively low base. the tories were defending more seats than all the others put together and will lose some, but less than many were predicting. wales could be heading for a majority labour government, with the lib dems and nationalists losing seats. scotland on the other hand could be heading for a majority SNP administration for the first time ever, with potentially big consequences for the union. for the minor parties, the green have made some very small gains and the BNP some small losses, UKIP isn't really that competitive at a local level.

overall. a bad night for the lib dems (expected). a good night for labour (expected). the tory vote seems to be holding up, which is somewhat surprising for a governing party who are reducing a deficit in difficult economic times.

av referendum count will start later today, but if the polls are accurate it looks like a 'no' vote.

personally, i'm not especially surprised by the council results in england, although i thought the tories would fare less well. if the the tory strategy was to use the lib dems as a shield, then it appears to have worked.

i'm sad about wales, it seems to be typical of the "i've never had anything, i haven't got anything now so i'll vote for the same shower who've got me where i am today" mentality that i saw when i lived there.

the scottish result could mean a referendum on independence in the not too distant future, which would be interesting. i don't think it's winnable for the SNP but it's hard to be sure.

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah, the Lib Dems received a pasting in my home city and it is now back under Labour control. This is quite surprising because Labour were f**king terrible running the council and hence they got booted. I am surprised that they got back and that the Lib Dems lost almost all the seats they were defending...but that's Hull for you. Idiots.

[Provost Harrison]

Scotland can f**k off in that case.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Scottish independence

They only need to take a look across to Ireland to see how that worked out... and if they got most of what is left of North Sea oil, all the better

[C0ckney]

you mean the ireland which is mired in recession, facing real cuts (things like public sector wages actually being cut, instead of just not increased) with unsustainable debts, a collapsed housing market and a banking sector which is like a giant milestone around the country's neck. to which the spectre of emigration has returned, 100s every week. that ireland?