Monday, 7 March 2011
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Hard times
These are difficult times for everyone. We know that Labour politicians are sick of us saying that they left us with a disaster to clean up but, as sick as it makes them, we have to keep on saying it. They would like everyone to forget the massive debts they built up and the deficit they left behind.
As a way of explaining it imagine a family where the weekly income is £400 per week, not unknown in Longbridge. Now imagine that the weekly outgoings are £500 per week, it would not take long for debts to mount up. First the bank loans, then the credit cards. after a while the amount having to be paid back mounts ever higher and no more borrowing is available, drastic steps have to be taken, you can decide your own course of action but first of all luxuries have to stop, cheaper food has to be bought, old clothes have to last longer. Most parents would make sacrifices for the sake of the children but eventually expenditure would be brought under control, debts would be reduced and a more stable financial state would be attained. Unless of course you were a Labour politician. In which case you could put off making the savings, continue borrowing and live the high life until your creditors pulled the plug and you find yourself without a home, without a car and without the ability to obtain credit
We know that all this debt has to be controlled at the same time prices all over the world are increasing. Oil, food, metals and raw materials are going up in price, largely through demand from China whose economy depends on them buying the world's resources, manufacturing goods from them and then exporting them to us at a time when our currency is weak due to the printing of money carried out under the Labour Government. To be fair they probably had little option due to the state their finances were in at the time.
So beware of the socialists peddling easy options and crying "Tory cuts!" They got it wrong then, they are getting it wrong now and they will continue to get it wrong because they don't know any better.
This month the Conservative/ Lib Dem partnership will present a budget that aim to save £330 million over the next 4 years, most of it in the first year. This has presented real dilemma s to all of us but it had to be done. Unlike Manchester's Labour Council it will not be a slash and burn budget but it will mean a lot of jobs will go and other staff will face reductions in their total incomes. Despite what Labour will say to paint us as cold hearted capitalists this is not a process that any of us have enjoyed and we all regret it's necessity but let us never forget who made it so necessary when we hear them talking so much Balls, Ed Balls that is.
As a way of explaining it imagine a family where the weekly income is £400 per week, not unknown in Longbridge. Now imagine that the weekly outgoings are £500 per week, it would not take long for debts to mount up. First the bank loans, then the credit cards. after a while the amount having to be paid back mounts ever higher and no more borrowing is available, drastic steps have to be taken, you can decide your own course of action but first of all luxuries have to stop, cheaper food has to be bought, old clothes have to last longer. Most parents would make sacrifices for the sake of the children but eventually expenditure would be brought under control, debts would be reduced and a more stable financial state would be attained. Unless of course you were a Labour politician. In which case you could put off making the savings, continue borrowing and live the high life until your creditors pulled the plug and you find yourself without a home, without a car and without the ability to obtain credit
We know that all this debt has to be controlled at the same time prices all over the world are increasing. Oil, food, metals and raw materials are going up in price, largely through demand from China whose economy depends on them buying the world's resources, manufacturing goods from them and then exporting them to us at a time when our currency is weak due to the printing of money carried out under the Labour Government. To be fair they probably had little option due to the state their finances were in at the time.
So beware of the socialists peddling easy options and crying "Tory cuts!" They got it wrong then, they are getting it wrong now and they will continue to get it wrong because they don't know any better.
This month the Conservative/ Lib Dem partnership will present a budget that aim to save £330 million over the next 4 years, most of it in the first year. This has presented real dilemma s to all of us but it had to be done. Unlike Manchester's Labour Council it will not be a slash and burn budget but it will mean a lot of jobs will go and other staff will face reductions in their total incomes. Despite what Labour will say to paint us as cold hearted capitalists this is not a process that any of us have enjoyed and we all regret it's necessity but let us never forget who made it so necessary when we hear them talking so much Balls, Ed Balls that is.
Friday, 24 December 2010
Seasons Greetings
Keith, Ken and Sue would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Cristmas and a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.
Christmas is a time for family but also a time to look back and think of those we have lost over the last year. A special thought for all our servicemen and women serving abroad and away from their families whilst putting themselves in danger. As the parents of a serviceman who served in both Gulf Wars and the Falklands Sue and Keith know what it is like to have a loved one in harm's way. God bless you all!
Christmas is a time for family but also a time to look back and think of those we have lost over the last year. A special thought for all our servicemen and women serving abroad and away from their families whilst putting themselves in danger. As the parents of a serviceman who served in both Gulf Wars and the Falklands Sue and Keith know what it is like to have a loved one in harm's way. God bless you all!
Monday, 11 October 2010
Frankley Centre work begins
Work has started on the refurbishment of the Frankley Centre at long last.
Last week Keith joined with Cllr Tim Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transport & Regeneration, to pose for some photos for the Birmingham Mail. These photos are always posed for, they show Tim & Keith lifting a paving slab. This should not be seen as showing that we spent all day lifting slabs but is symbolic of the fact that work is commencing.
We have some of our own photos of Tim & Keith and also of Keith with Ian Brookshaw, Chairman of New Frankley in Birmingham Parish Council. Again Ian's presence is as an illustration of the commencement of work and not, of course, any political affiliation to this blog.
Last week Keith joined with Cllr Tim Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transport & Regeneration, to pose for some photos for the Birmingham Mail. These photos are always posed for, they show Tim & Keith lifting a paving slab. This should not be seen as showing that we spent all day lifting slabs but is symbolic of the fact that work is commencing.
We have some of our own photos of Tim & Keith and also of Keith with Ian Brookshaw, Chairman of New Frankley in Birmingham Parish Council. Again Ian's presence is as an illustration of the commencement of work and not, of course, any political affiliation to this blog.
Deficit deniers
There do seem quite a number of Labour Members who are still in denial about the seriousness of the economic situation that they left this country in. Of course when you have left behind the biggest debt mountain in living memory and condemned the people of this country to penury for years to come the best option may appear to cover your ears, shut your eyes and sing na, na, na na, na rather than face up to what you have done. There seems to be two strands of thought within the comrades' party at the moment, the "moderate" wing think they should follow Alistair Darling's plan and try to halve the deficit within the next five years. This means we will still be living beyond our means, borrowing money and adding to our debt mountain for years to come. The other lot, epitomised by Ed and Mrs Balls, think that we should not worry about the debt or the deficit and continue to borrow as before. Either one is the economics of the spendaholic. At this time we are paying interest on our debt to the tune of £43billion per year, yes £43BILLION!
There have been enough lists of what this could be spent on but suffice to say we get NOTHING in return and this is not even paying off the debt. If we cannot pay anything off the debt we will be saddled with this payment for ever let alone increasing it.
The Labour Party is in hock to the unions, this is why they are defending public service jobs so vigorously. That is their job of course but the country has to be governed for the good of everyone and not for a special interest group.
There have been enough lists of what this could be spent on but suffice to say we get NOTHING in return and this is not even paying off the debt. If we cannot pay anything off the debt we will be saddled with this payment for ever let alone increasing it.
The Labour Party is in hock to the unions, this is why they are defending public service jobs so vigorously. That is their job of course but the country has to be governed for the good of everyone and not for a special interest group.
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