Lies & Statistics

The unemployment figures are the greatest work of fiction since the bible. They have been since Thatcher started massaging them in the 80's. They might as well pull a figure out of the air. Everyone knows there are WAY more than 2.5 million unemployed. They must think we're idiots!!!

Its going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better too. I reckon we'll see 3 million (officially) pretty soon. Not that any of them seem to give a flying ****

Everyone knows there are WAY more than 2.5 million unemployed

This begs the question of how you and "everyone" know. I don't. I certainly can't be arsed to count them myself. 🙂

Far more probably that the perceived unemployment rate is much higher than actual. Either way, how does this relate to the new bunch coming in?

The unemployment figures are the greatest work of fiction since the bible

Burn him! 😉

I'm told last nights weather, at -6 was coldest may night since 1996. That's the Tories for you!

Everyone knows there are WAY more than 2.5 million unemployed

Also interested to know how you know that everyone knows this..

Give 'em chance. The ConDems are still trying to work out how this relationship is going to work.

It's a shame that the figures never show the difference between those who have full-time employment and those who only work part-time or on contract. That would be a clearer representation.

Everyone knows there are WAY more than 2.5 million unemployed

Also interested to know how you know that everyone knows this..

its easy to see it's measured on eligibility for JSA not whether you are unemployed.; for example long term (6 months) unemployed young people are never fully measured as they get sent on training courses after 6 months, whilst training they are not counted.

those under 16 are not counted at all.

see here.

They must think we're idiots!!!

We voted for them in our masses, so I'd say they're probably not far wrong

There are closer to 9m people of working age who are not working, in education or training. Over 3m of these are on incapacity benefit – a rise of 2m since labour came to power in 1997. Go figure…

WTF are you all taking about re unemployment? The current situation is nowhere near as bad as it has been in previous recessions. The figures currently are a more accurate reflection than was previously the case, and even then is still well short of the Tories record levels, even with suspect counting methods.. It is also why I suspect you will either find them getting up towards the 4 millon mark in the not too distant future, OR the counting method will get changed.

I'm told last nights weather, at -6 was coldest may night since 1996. That's the Tories for you!

But, I had sausages for tea last night. And red wine. And we have home-made cookies.

Is that caused by the steadying influence of the Lib Dems?

"Either way, how does this relate to the new bunch coming in?"

It doesn't. But if you think that is going ot stop the pathelogical hatred of the Conservatives, on this forum, you're wrong.
😉

I've been reading some of the threads on here related to the GE, and one thing seems clear to me. Theres a lot of members on here who are determined to rip into the Cons, at any opportunity, regardless.

These people seem to conveniently over look how we have got into this mess in the first place.

I just can't be arsed to join in with these twits. they'll never be told that GB/LAB got it wrong, and that a government, ANY government, can't just carry on borrowing, spending, raising more taxes, then borrow and spend even more, etc, etc.

In the end, that was GB's trick, his only trick. To borrow and spend, and when the money runs out, raise taxes.
We'd have ended up paying 100% tax at the rate LAB were spending. But thats alright, some on here want to pay more tax ?? and the MPs wouldn't mind, they were living on their EXs.
🙄

They all come on here and go: OOoh, my hospital, Oh, my school. Even before Dave's had a spare key cut for Nick.

Systematic, Con haters on here, now just reeling from seeing LAB kicked out of power

Well, the facts are that we've spent more than we can afford, and now the money men want us to GET REAL about our debt.

I almost pity Dave and Nick. They didn't spend it all, but they have stepped up to try to save us from the loan-sharks, and all the public will do is complain that the borrow and spend party can't carry on.
Dave and Nick didn't make this mess, but they're gonna have a bash at sorting it out.

Good Luck !

Dave will get things wrong, Nick will get things wrong. But it was LAB thats left us with this huge debt. And its dealing with this debt that will define this first term of this new Gov.

CC.

I'm told last nights weather, at -6 was coldest may night since 1996. That's the Tories for you!

MLC. That is great, excellent.
😀

CC

Theres a lot of members on here who are determined to rip into the Cons, at any opportunity, regardless.

**** A! But then they were only responsible for loss of :-

1) My Job (twice)
2) My Home
3) My Savings
4) My Pension
5) My Health
6) My parents dignity in their old age

Whilst at the same time feathering both their own and their cronies nests.

So fair enough, it is totally unreasonable on my part and it surely must be time to forgive and forget despite the fact that the latter half of my life, and the products of the former half have been totally ruined by them.

What a self centred unreasonable twunt I am. Please forgive me!

Long live the Baron and all who sail in him

capn crash there are just as many irrational con as lab haters on here

personally i think gordon did some good things and some bad

basically he played the thatcherite financial merrygoround brilliantly
he just happened to be PM when the music stopped
at 12% of our gdp the deficit isnt as doom and gloom as the hysteria in the press would have you believe, the debts is at least 10 years from maturity
and all it would take would be scrapping trident and shutting down all our tax loopholes, along with increased taxes to get us back in black

fingers crossed the incoming government will move us away from the current financial model, i just seriously doubt they will

its easy to see it's measured on eligibility for JSA

well, they've said that unemployment is up but those claiming JSA is down so I'm not sure how that squares

**** A! But then they were only responsible for loss of :-
1) My Job (twice)
2) My Home
3) My Savings
4) My Pension
5) My Health
6) My parents dignity in their old age
Whilst at the same time feathering both their own and their cronies nests.

What complete cack. Are you saying that none of those things were under your control at all?
Did the government literally come and say, sorry, we are taking your house? No they didn't. If it wasn't under your control then how come my parents didn't lose their house? Were you not reponsible for your own health in any way? Did someone come and empty your savings account without your permission?
No is the simple answer.
Oh, but you must be one of those people who expect the government to hold you hand over everything you do and grant you your every whim.
Get real and take some responsibility.

And no, I'm not a Conservative voter.

"these twits" – I'm sat here grinning like a barbary ape. You do realise that you used the word "twits" dont you? It's what, about a day and a half since 'Dave' (love the way you use his first name in such a familiar manner) slithered into number 10 due to 'Nick' being good enough to give him a reach around, and already, we're being whisked back to the 1980's and Thatchers Britain all over again. "twits" – classic 😆

Kimbers.

Fair post, and good to read a grown up opinion.
🙂

"What complete cack. Are you saying that none of those things were under your control at all?"

My thoughts exactly. Too many want to blame the Gov for everything.
As DC says. As well as asking "what are my entitlements", shouldn't we also be asking "What are my responsabilities".

I'm unsure about this new Gov, and I know that they aint gonna get it all right, but I'm not happy with where LAB have brought us to and I'm sooooo fed up with the LAB-Lovers on here kicking the new boys before they've even had a chance.

After all, how much worse could it get ?……

We have to pull this back. It isn't going to be nice, but we have been taken too far in a good direction.

Yes, I like hospitals, yes I like to think we've got good, new schools.
But theres only so much we can afford. And thats been ingnored int he pursuit of a political Ideal.

And now the bill has landed on the door-mat, its time to pay.

CC.

BM.

Happy to be of some use to you. Perhaps you needed cheering up.

Of course I can use stronger language, but is there really any point ?.
🙂

CC.

From ThomThumb's earlier linky:

Another disguised form of unemployment is the existence of part time rather than full time work. A person may want to work 40 hours a week. However, he might only be able to find part time work. Therefore, he is not classed as unemployed, but at the same time, he doesn’t have a full time job – we could say he is underemployed.

Well at least we've sacked the incompetent **** in office.

**** A! But then they were only responsible for loss of :-

No they were not, stop being a **** victim.

Theres nothing worse than a Loser. Except for a whining bitch of a loser.

**** off Labour supporters. You'll be blaming Bjork next 😉

Ah so we're now onto the bit when the government is not responsible for its actions and its down to us losers to sort out eh?

So can I take it from that that you won't be blaming labour for the national debt, or as per usual is it merely selective use of facts to suit your own arguments.

What complete cack. Are you saying that none of those things were under your control at all?

Yep thats right, they weren't. Tory induced recession causing two separate outfits to go under. Definately not due to any problem on the part of the business or me.

Did the government literally come and say, sorry, we are taking your house? No they didn't.

No but they did take off all sensible controls on lending encouraged people to over extend themselves and run the economy in a fashion which caused both negative equity and thousands of people to lose their jobs and thus their homes. You may note that the last governmnet chose a different tack and that has not happened this time, alongside keeping interest rates to an all time low instead of an all time high. However, I accpet the crticism, I am obviously responsible for the recession at the end of the 80's.

If it wasn't under your control then how come my parents didn't lose their house?

Their rather different circumstances perhaps?

Were you not reponsible for your own health in any way?

Yes I certainly was, however, I wasn't responsible for the health service, and its inability to perform due to the cuts in funding.

Did someone come and empty your savings account without your permission?
No is the simple answer.

No, but they did deregulate allowing their theiving chums to rob people like me blind. Refer to compensation being sort for losses incurred through savings in endowment policies. Seen at the time as "safe savings vehicles" and sold as such. Obviously I made that happen too.

Oh, but you must be one of those people who expect the government to hold you hand over everything you do and grant you your every whim.
Get real and take some responsibility.

I am actually a Company Director, have worked since I was 17, was General Manager of a company by the time I was 21. Have contributed all my life at the top end of the tax scale and suspect have taken and may continue to take rather more responsiblity for myself and others on a daily basis than you are ever likely to aspire to. Not only that I set aside savings for my old age, my childrens education, my families health care, and also that of my parents. I was also raised in a Tory household, with a strong work ethic and emphasis on self reliance. Mind you why let facts get in the way of predjudice and ignorance?

Berm Bandit FTW!

Bit quiet round here…..

Anyone hear Daves mate Anna Pasternack on 5 live this am?

Coffee on dashboard moment as she explained how although Dave and his Mrs were both aristocrats that meant that actually they were brought up properly and therefore able to relate to anyone….. Then carried on to tell how they had been to parties in marquees in the grounds of each others parents homes and so on and so on.

The best bit being that she phoned in voluntarily and was doing this to show the human side of Dave the man of the people and why us serving classes shouldn't be worried.

"Theres nothing worse than a Loser. Except for a whining bitch of a loser.

**** off Labour supporters"
Hora – this would imply therefore that David Cameron is a "winner" – except he's not really, is he? Also, you havent "sacked the incompetent **** in office." – he, (I'm presuming you meant Gordon Brown) resigned. I'll freely admit to being a lifelong Labour supporter, and yes, I'm very dissapointed with the outcome of the election. Your 'witty' comments regarding this simply serve to remind me why I find the Conservative party and some of its more 'interesting' supporters so distasteful.

Im also a lifelong Labour supporter from a poor background. The lack of money when growing up didnt affect my hearing, thought-processes and eyesight though.

So what did it then?

Excessive masterbation

may continue to take rather more responsiblity for myself and others on a daily basis than you are ever likely to aspire to

Mind you why let facts get in the way of predjudice and ignorance?

FAIL

Responsible for…

WTflyingF? You seem to be bordering on lunacy, seriously, and I am not prone to wild vitriol on this site like some.

I thought conservatism was about taking responsibility for your own sh*t? Not expecting the govt to manage everything? Help me out here.

Ah that'll get you every time…..

PS: Molgrips if I knew what you were talking about I would, but as I haven't got a clue can't help. soz