Washed up,how would you feel as a voter knowing you were voting for a candidate that other wards in the city did not want?well if i was one of those voters i would have to think hard.
Daily Archives: April 4, 2011
Car parking charges at Salford Museum
Are we seeing the short sighted labour mentality peeking over the ramparts?, or with traffic having problems getting down the main drag to it do they not feel we don’t have an issue.I feel this decision could have the effects of reducing visitors to the site and could put an end to one of Salfords assets. I was asked what i would do about four years ago to develop tourism within Salford and when i gave my answers putting on hidden charges was not top of my agenda.
Thoughts
After a period of financial restraint, National debt at a % of GDP fell to 29% of GDP by 2002. Then, national debt as a % of GDP increased from 30% in 2002 to 37 % in 2007. This was despite the long period of economic expansion. It was primarily due to the governments decision to increase spending on health and education. There has also been a marked rise in social security spending.
Since 2008, National Debt has increased sharply because of:
- Economics Recession (lower tax receipts, higher spending on unemployment benefits)
- In particular, tax receipts from stamp duty and income tax were badly hit by recession.
- Financial bailout of Northern Rock, RBS, Lloyds and other banks.
Although 60% of GDP is a lot it is worth bearing in mind, that other countries have a much bigger problem. Japan for example have a National debt of 194%, Italy is over 100%. The US national debt is close to 71% of GDP. [See other countries Debt]. Also the UK has had much higher National Debt. e.g. after the second world war it was over 180% of GDP.
Cost of National Debt
The cost of National debt is the interest the government has to pay on the bonds and gilts it sells. In the first six months of 2010, the debt interest payments were £21.6bn, suggesting an annual cost of around £43bn (3% of GDP)
Future of National Debt
It is estimated National debt will could rise close to 100% of GDP by 2012. It is way above the government’s sustainable investment rule of 40% maximum.
However, the debt situation can be improved through:
- Economic Expansion which improves Tax Revenues and reduces spending on benefits like Job Seekers Allowance
- Improved performance of banks increases prospect of regaining financial sector intervention
- Government Spending cuts and tax rises (e.g. VAT) which improve public finances.
However, there is also a danger spending cuts could reduce economic growth and therefore hamper attempts to improve tax revenues.
RAF stretched to limit, air chief warns
With the RAF playing an important role in Libya, where bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft have all been involved over the past fortnight, he admitted the service was now stretched to the limit. The country is falling apart day after day we see senior officers and managers complain of funding shortages, we are running this country on a shoe string. It’s not working folks and i hope that nothing goes wrong closer to home and we don’t have the resources to cope.
Cameron is preparing to bow to insurmountable political opposition by putting the coalition’s flagship NHS reform bill on hold beyond Easter, and possibly for as long as three months. Well at least till after the May elections
The announcement of a delay, agreed at a meeting involving Cameron and Cabinet colleagues last Thursday, is expected to come this week at a joint event involving David Cameron, Nick Clegg and the health secretary Andrew Lansley.
Some sources have told the Guardian that Cameron is no longer listening to Lansley, and is taking his advice from Sir David Nicholson, the NHS chief executive. As the walls came tumbling down?
Read this today not the best reading for Mums,what’s going wrong with a sytem that in my opinion was one of the best.
The safety of maternity care in Britain’s hospitals is under the gravest threat from an over-stretched, underresourced service which is putting mothers and babies in danger, experts have warned.
Fourteen NHS trusts have significantly raised baby death rates which are up to twice the national average. Shortages of staff, a rising birth rate, lack of training, inadequate equipment and poor leadership are leaving women in childbirth exposed to unacceptable risks.
