This info ain't pretty

is that in 2010 or a longer period?

None of them are going anywhere near far enough. We don't to reduce to reduce the deficit, we need to eliminate it imediately and start paying back some of the massive debt we have got. Think what we could do once get the interest payments down to a sensible level.

Or as I described it, the difference between the 3 parties public announcements is the equivilent of arguing over our household milk-bill…

I thought the Conservatives were going to scrap ID cards. So why is the "scrap ID card" bubble only in the LD bit?

I thing you're right

Cons policy on id cards

However, maybe they are planning to use the money rather than cut the deficit with it?

Distinct lack of imagination on the part of the three main parties I'd say.

The main reason the we're running at such levels of debt is because the economy stalled and needed bailing out, because of the banking sector 'crisis' …. so I don't see the bank newly-returned-to-mega-profits contributing much to that!

Albeit that it should be used to promote the green economy, and poverty relief – this is a bit more like the measures that should be manifesto policy : http://www.robinhoodtax.org.uk "The banks created this mess, they should help to clean it up"

so I don't see the bank newly-returned-to-mega-profits contributing much to that!

Since RBS and HBOS are now mostly owned by us, we get their profits.

i thought we were all going to be much better off and very happy under any party? don't tell me they're hiding medicine in the sweeties?

If you cut too fast, then the economy falters and jobs go: you offset the savings with benefit payments. If you cut too slow our credit rating will suffer and that will make things much worse.

Really who knows what the right balance is?!

none of them are working on completely eliminating the total deficit though

hasn't the uk always been in deficit? in 1988 is was £197bn, seem to remember john major's government reduced it to something £25bn in the early ninties during the last recession (selling things?) and set up the happy times for blair and brown to blow it

and those percentages on that fancy diagram don't appear to add up to the percentages reported either – 20% of £167bn is £33.4bn

guardian bullshite…