General Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25841570
More good news, the Government's economic strategy is working.
Just shows those who think the cuts are harsh and unnecessary are wrong.
I doubt that has had much affect. This news clearly shows the UK economy is on the mend (as do many other recent articles) and that the policies are correct.
It's more than likely a large number of people on JSA have just finished their 6 month limit and now are no longer UNEMPLOYED. As far as those dimwits in power are concerned.
@OLD FART. can you please tell me what you mean by that. i have recently gone from contribution based jsa to income based jsa. how come i am have got no job but i am employed!!!!!!
It's surprising that the fig is only .1% over the 7% threshold for the decision on interest rates to be discussed by the Bank of England under their Forward Guidance policy! Smells as bad as most of the manure that spews from the governments septic blackhole.
OK, the majority won't benefit straight away. Hopefully we'll get a tax cut in the future which will makes us all a bit better off.
@stephen contribution JSA comes from your national insurance contributions. Income based JSA comes from Income support when your time limit expires on that you will be taken off the unemployment register and get straightforward income support, confused yet, Paul is
Well, anyway unemployment is down and the UK economy continues to improve. Don't understand how some can moan about such good news.
Hmm......well now, here's the thing.
If the unemployment rate keeps dropping (howsoever that drop is arrived at............) then at some point the Bank of England is gonna have to raise interest rates (or find some reason for readjusting the % unemployment rate before an interest rate rise is triggered) given as its Governor has said interest rates will rise only when unemployment falls to something like 7%.
So.........what to do re interest rates by the 'independent' Bank of England? Raise 'em as the economy dictates they should or keep 'em as they are as the politicians would wish?
There is a General Election scheduled for May 2015. Many people are finding it difficult to cope financially now so just imagine what effect even a teensy weensy increase in the interest rate would have on those struggling to make ends meet. Can't see 'em wanting to thank the government, can you?
Paul its not moaning its seeing through the false lies created by these lying politicians, its been proven before that the DWP has falsified statistics to suit
@roberta. so that means when i go on is i dont have to look for a job. i dont like the sound of that. my jsa advisor has not told me that.
Seems that not one person is happy with good news.... Is Dawlish now an all Labour town?
I suppose people would have been happier if unemployment was up lol.
@ stephen 15 http://www.npt.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=426 check this out @Paul you might like to look at it as well
Mortgages: apparently just a 1% rise in the interest rate would result in an extra £1,000 a year outlay for the average household.
£19 extra a week for people already on a stretched income. A family memeber has just bought and they are already stretched, if that happened it would make it very hard for them. The gov encourages home ownership instead of promoting more social housing
It's dropping because of part time contracts. How many people can live on part time contracts?
Of course, the average covers a multitude of circumstances from a modest terrace to a £million+ property. And on the other side of the coin, people who have managed to scrimp and save have seen those savings seriously eroded by near zero interest rates.
So the economy is improving eh, the NHS in crisis, police cuts, local government cuts, the state of the roads, lack of affordable housing, zero hours, part time and temporary cotracts, the list goes on. Sucessive governments throw out figures only to serve their purpose. Those figures are manipulated for their own ends. The figures given are not real world figures and once again the partisan posts on here prove sucessive governments are suceeding in brainwashing elements of the UK.
Here's a suggestion, how about governments telling it as it really is and start acting in an honest and open way for the benefit of all elements of our society, instead of this manipulating and misleading nonsense that we have tolerated for too long.
@burneside - re mortgages. I was quoting from Mel Stride's (Conservative MP) column in the Dawlish Gazette. And whilst I agree with you about savers losing out (I'm a saver you see) I agree even more with what Verbatim has written.
Wages are rising slower than prices. Wages rising at 0.9%. Inflation is at 2.00%. (source: Channel 4 news)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/22/employment-uk-jobs_n_4642422.html
Yes Paul I agree the ONS is independent. Did you note the opening paragraphs of that Huffintong Post link I gave? Here they are:
"British workers are still seeing their wages eaten into by soaring inflation as the latest figures showed salaries increased by 0.9% over the last year, while inflation rose by 2%, over double the amount.
The latest news from the Office for National Statistics confirmed that the economic pain is still going to affect workers' pay packets, as this graphs shows. This means that since May 2010, wages have fallen by £1,600 as inflation has continued to bite."
How does anyone expect everything to be perfect because the economy has started to improve. It's great news that things are improving and eventually we may all have a tax cut.
So be happy about the good news.
Or inflation may rise and so could interest rates.
Either one could easily eat up any monies gained from tax cuts. And tax cuts do not necessarily mean an increase in disposable income - if, for example, an increase in income results in a drop in Housing Benefit/Tax credit entitlement.
Do you think people were happier when their mortgage interest rate was 12%-15% that was some repayment per month ...but the savers were getting an interest rate of 10 to 12%? ..so they were well happy.
.
IDS says benefit changes are working but can you trust these employment figures, anyone on benefit sanctions are not classed as unemployed,anyone on workfare is not classed as unemployed but employed,and there are 10s of thousands of these people,this would easily account for the sharp rise in employment and the drop in unemployment and also more people working but less productive.
@Paul -- while everything and everyone on a low salary see the cost of living continuing to sprial out of control. when mp's can be given an £11,000 increase in their yearly salary ( yes, i know it is supposedly given them by an independant body and yes i know this was supposed to be in lieu of some of their troughs priveleges). when every year the foriegn owned utility companies, in the u.k, increase their bills by 10 to 20%. it reinforces my belief that the media is used by those in power to sway the masses. if the papers say we live on mars not earth you will always get a percentage of them believing it is so. even when all that is around disproves it.
So if the figures are correct why is the benifit bill increasing, is it because those obtaining work are part time with low wages and therefore eligable to claim benifits that where not available when they where unemployed just a thought maybe someone will know.
Saw some joker on the news last night representing the Subway chain, saying they were going to open another 360 branches creating 1,000s of jobs.
How do they class a 20 hour/week part time contract on minimum wage for being a brain dead sandwich maker in a stupid uniform a JOB.
The unemployment fiqures are a complete joke by the way, they are just manipulated to suit whatever the current agenda happens to be. The country is in unrecoverable debt, we import far more than we export , Our utilities are owned by foriegn companies. Our banks continue to rip people off ,and our beloved NHS is on its knees due to the same incompetent management personel that our local authorities employ
The retirement age keeps going up so more jobs are going to be needed, but if your lucky enough to have paid 35 years NI contributions you are not included as being unemployed.
The whole system needs to be changed. Mortgage rates should be fixed by government at an affordable rate, and the intrest on credit cards and personal loans should be increased accordingly to make up the difference.
FredBassett you should be ashamed of yourself for implying that people who work at Subway are brain dead and that the work they do isn't worthy of being called a job. If they are in work and doing the best that can in that job, why shouldn't they be proud of it and why should they have to put up with those kind of insults? It helps no-one.
@DJ.
Subway, Mc Donalds, Burger King, KFC etc all piss in the same pot.
Low paid, unskilled, dead end exploitation of people with no choice but to serve thier overpriced, unhealthy food options to people with money to waste.
As well as being proud, service and retail staff should strive for better jobs with ongoing training, prospects of promotion, improved skills.
If nobody took up these so called jobs on the terms offered then wages, conditions and training would have to improve
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/23/george-osborne-interest-rates_n_4650143.html?utm_hp_ref=uk Dont worry, hes not. Lies and lies again
hope PAUL & DJ with their con/dem governed happiness have read the above link from roberta. how can anyone with an ounce of common decency and concern for others less well off believe a word from these lying london rated arseholes we call a government.
As above written by Verbatim when are we going to be told the truth, or is it that bad that even themslves they dont know the real truth.
I personally believe the fiqure that this country is in debt to the tune of 1.5 Trillion USD and has no plan or practical way of paying back this debt. The countries total assets do not cover this debt, therfore the country on a whole is bankrupt. Therefore if the interest rate was to rise on the countries debt how is this lying, cheating, backhanded government going to pay.
@FredBassett, I'm not sure what you're geting at. I'm saying it is good that less people are unemployed, which should reduce the deficit.
UK National Debt, which shows we've been in worse debt in the past and got it under control. Also this shows that the debt is less than 100% GDP.
Image source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_GDP.png
Sorry Paul but what the rest of us are getting at is that the unemployment figures are not true. The basis for this is that many people who are actually unemployed are taken out of the total and the number of groups not included is on the increase, not that these people are finding work.
We need the truth and the truth is simple to work out. Basically anyone under retirement age not in paid employment for at least 37.5 hours / week is in effect unemployed. If you then subtract the ones that have retired early on private pensions and are not claiming any state beifits you have the true figure.
Another issue is that the figure is always shown as a percentage and this leaves it open to other manipulations.
Anyone want to bet on interest rates staying low until after May 2015?
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/23/interest-rate-rise-bank-of-england
Oh and apparently wages have been keeping up with the cost of living (well....according to the government) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25869001#
Hands up all those who feel better off now than they did four years or so ago?
UK pay rising in real terms, says Coalition.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25869001
So if you haven't already had a pay rise one is probably on the way.
Now that is good news for sure.
People pay out to have expensive mobile contracts ..someone on the radio was saying he pays for his mobile, wife and his children and that lot costs £200 per month = £2,400 a year. Mulit media certainly comes first ...just travel on a train and see all the new tablets and laptops. Everyone on the phone!!! I saw a 5 year old playing with a 'smart phone' ..these kids are going to miss out on so much...like colouring books...thanks to todays mums.
....people complain of costs but got these 'must haves' and cant afford food to live etc...so are things really that bad.
Your pet hates cars and mobile phones. Im suprised you have a computer / phone and wifi as you hate it so much
Paul@ In responce to the garbage this goverment is making puplic the I.F.C this afternoon have said that the average worker is £841.71 worse of than when this goverment took power and if there is a real term rise in wages if being the operative word it is no more than 0.1% come on Paul@ you must agree this Torie goverment is just a big joke
If you would rather have a Labour Government I suggest you have gone mad.
The Tories do get somethings wrong, but they are sorting out the economy. Which is very difficult.
We would be in a much worse situation if Labour were in power.
Good old Maggie for selling off the Gas, Electric, Railways, BT, Water.
The shareholders dividends are far more important than public interest.
@Carer ont forget selling off council houses, so her rich sidekicks could become buy to let landlords
Thanks for reminding me (and everyone else) about that.
People do have (convient and selective) short memories.
Paul@ What is it that the Labour goverment did wrong in my view they made a mistake bailing out the Banks and leaving the country to pay of said banks debt. So lets say they hadnt bailed out the Banks your argument would be the Labour goverment didnt have the guts to bail out the banks and look at the mess we are in. The problem is you to have selective memory and fail to look at the whole story the truth is if the banks had behaved themselves we wouldnt be where we are now. The other things you fail to grasp is every country in the western world is in the same boat is that all due to the Labour party or could it possibly be something to do with the BANKS.
Labour dont want anyone to get on in life...if you do have get up an go and start a business and employ staff they will do all they can to discourage you. Yet people want jobs dont they. People cant trust them anymore.
However Labour will probably be voted in again bring back Gordon lol ...and everyone can have just what they want and after 5 years they will say again ........ 'there is no more money'. ..then its back to the Tories to sort out the mess.
I hope that none of you true blues complain about the cost of (Privately owned) Gas bills, Rail fares, Water rates, Telephone bills, and Electric bills, and not forgetting the lack of social housing.
Now, who was that down to again!!!
Some of the sweeping statements made by some on here are seriously alarming. I run a business employing 22 people, much as I would have liked to, I have not been able to give them a pay rise in four years and in order to keep them in jobs I have cut my own pay to the extent that I take home less than my staff. Comments blaming Labour or praising the Tories are simply not relevant, fact is they have all made life difficult and let down the small business, the working man, the sick and infirm to name but a few because they are simply out of touch with the real world. I work longer and harder now to make the same as I did some years ago, the red tape I deal with now is greater than it was four years ago. For anyone to suggest that the economy is improving and we will all be better of is talking utter tosh, most other business people I speak with share the same view - It will take years for any real terms improvement to be evident. The political ping pong on here is, to some extent, the same as what happens in Westminster, people or political parties spouting nonsense but ultimately it gets none of us anywhere. View things from a more neutral and open minded position without the political blinkers and you will see things for what they really are !
Verbatim@ I have been listening to a Tory minister this afternoon who tells us that small busineses are doing well and the future is bright so dont worry things will be ok a Torry minister said so.
@leatash, as i am about to leave home for another 14 hour day (note the time of this post!) i feel reassured and confident that a government minister says the future is bright, after all, if a government minister says this then it must be true ! i must be one of those 'hardworking' people that they keep patronising.
and THAT verbatim(wonderings comment) says it all!!! I aplaud you for what you are doing and should think if your employees know how you are suffering will give you the greatest respect
@verbatim my apologies my post was not meant to be patronising and from your posts it seems you are a harworking individual and probably deserve more. i cant imagine the problems with running a business as i have always been in the goverments employ and have reaped the benifits of perks that the job offered great pension etc etc anyway good luck with your buseness and lets hope things improve in the future.
On the news at 5pm Ed plans to tax people who run a business more.....this is so not going to help or encourage anyone to do well, start a business up, build it and employ staff. WHEN will they get a grip.
Do we really want another 13 years of what we just had?
Such a bad idea, as we all know high taxation is very bad for the economy.
Anyway everyone should pay the same rate of tax, why should someone who is doing well be penalised?
so you 2 think that the 1% of the population, the SUPERRICH shouldnt have to pay it, whilst us lowly HARDWORKING serfs should. Did you read the rest of it or only what suited, Cameron and Osborne benifited from that tax cut in April far more than I did. Im fed up with these very high earners getting away with it most are wealthy landowners who also besides tax avoidance get subsidies
Well I think one rate for all is fair, the more you earn the more you are taxed, so should keep everyone happy.
50% tax is totally horrendous and will stop high flyers coming to this country to set up business and provide the jobs that everyone wants.
Labour should be banned for being constantly cluesless, useless and a danger to this country's wellbeing.
As Ive said before... Labour people always revert to slagging people off when they dont have any sensible solutions.
home at last, only 13 hours today. sorry @wondering as i know you have worked 14 hours a day 7 days a week, i had a moment to look at your post earlier wondered why you removed it. i never suggested that my work was not my choice, of course it is but as an employer it's more than that, it's a responsibillity. responsibillity to 22 employees and their families. if i did as you suggested in your withdrawn post that would be 22 more people claiming benefits, so your comments are ill informed. oh and i have not had the term duh, used in either a verbal or written way toward me since i left primary school ! i have started a business, built it up and employed staff but regardless of what political party are in power the burden on small business from any government is immense, i have run my business under both governments and, quite honestly, they are both incapable of reducing that burden or pushing through any sort of positive policy to encourage growth. if you run an energy company or a multi national it's a whole different story.
The pm and his ministers keep using the word Hardworking at every opportunity, this is called auto suggestion, look it up and you might just undertand why I find it patronising, just more evidence of the manipulative tactics used in the political arena.
It's too easy to comment from a distance, we are all affected in different ways by the actions of politicians some will see a positive some a negative but what is clear to me a a small business owner, long term single parent, and average man on the street is that the political system we have in place is failing us and will continue to do so.
Intelligent debate is always a good thing, sweeping, ill informed and contradicting comments serve no purpose whatsoever!
I agree V.
Every Government whatever colour should support anyone who is prepared to start a business. I think of Sir Alan Sugar ...starting on market stalls, then Amstrad etc. Richard Branson...Holidays, Media and Trains etc...what I so hate is when people better themselves, you get people full of envy because they do well.
@roberta @leatash thank you for your kind comments in earlier posts.
@wondering yes, every government should support everybody as best they can. the petty bickering and attempts to out do each other between the parties has gone way to far and to the detriment of the british people. the constant releasing of misleading information from both sides to win votes, create fake empathy or demonise a section of society is becoming increasingly unnacceptable. i wish the time spent by the politicians bickering and creating misleading info for their own advantage could be spent on creating policies that would move this country forward.
Jealousy will always rear it's ugly head be it the teen at school with the new trainers or the millionaire with the ferrari it's just human nature.
Good point @verbatim. If the whole of Parliament was in a coalition we might make some real headway.
Paul, do you want more and more low waged insecure private sector jobs taking the place of the more well paid public sector ?
Also do you want the NHS privatised ?, with more and more insecurity felt by all NHS workers, including nurses and doctors ?
""Well I think one rate for all is fair, the more you earn the more you are taxed, so should keep everyone happy.
50% tax is totally horrendous and will stop high flyers coming to this country to set up business and provide the jobs that everyone wants.
Labour should be banned for being constantly cluesless, useless and a danger to this country's wellbeing""
Paul, ive quoted you above. Do you realise that we havent had a "Labour" Government since the 1970's. ?. Also the way you attack Labour, I assume you never use the NHS ?, born of a Labour Government way back in 1945-48, thanks to the great Labour man, Nye Bevin..
""If you would rather have a Labour Government I suggest you have gone mad.
The Tories do get somethings wrong, but they are sorting out the economy. Which is very difficult.
We would be in a much worse situation if Labour were in power.""
Paul, again ive copied and pasted above. I believe you have been hired by the "Have I got news for you"". team. Your postings simply cannot be taken seriously.
""Such a bad idea, as we all know high taxation is very bad for the economy.
Anyway everyone should pay the same rate of tax, why should someone who is doing well be penalised?""
Paul, once again copied and pasted.
No we dont all know anything of the sort. Western Europe is a high wage high tax economy culture and they lead the world in industry and manufacturing.
@warrior - the possible reason for western europe doing better is that they have governing bodies who are not all incompetant fools. only interested in filling their own pocket's at the expense of everyone and everything else!
Allems, as much as I loathe the right wing Tory's this country has nurtured for over 30 years, the very last thing they are is incompetent.
Theirs is an agenda to roll back the State and everything connected with it. Including privatising the NHS. And all under cover of reducing the deficit. And they have got the BBC media on their side.
""How does anyone expect everything to be perfect because the economy has started to improve. It's great news that things are improving and eventually we may all have a tax cut.
So be happy about the good news."""
Paul, again ive copied and pasted your utterings.
"We may all have a tax cut". Yes while working and non working people endure foodbnks. While pensioners struggle on a below par State pension, and people sleep in doorways due to the lack of housing. And all you can think of is a tax cut. geezzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee??????????
OLD FART referes to the Tory's as dim wits, this could not be further from the truth. The Torty's have a simple agenda to roll back the state and take the country back to victorian exploitation in working conditions and pay.
It has been right wing arroagance running this country since Thatcher, and so the sooner people like our friend OLD FART realise this, the better.