Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on June 29, 2023, 08:20:27 AM

Title: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: Nearly Sane on June 29, 2023, 08:20:27 AM
This is excellent

https://youtu.be/63irQOyLSOA
Title: Re: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: Steve H on June 29, 2023, 01:44:33 PM
Most of those pledges, eg "grow the economy" and "reduce national debt", are jut what any PM, Labour or Tory, should be doing anyway. Hoggart's law (https://remainantonymous.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-law-of-ridiculous-reverse.html#:~:text=British%20journalist%20Simon%20Hoggart%20is%20credited%20with%20coining,meaninglessness%20of%20politicians%27%20claims.%20To%20quote%20his%20examples%3A), also known as the law of the ridiculous reverse, applies here.
Title: Re: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: Gordon on June 29, 2023, 03:47:51 PM
This is excellent

https://youtu.be/63irQOyLSOA

Brilliant.
Title: Re: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: jeremyp on June 30, 2023, 02:44:28 PM
Most of those pledges, eg "grow the economy" and "reduce national debt", are jut what any PM, Labour or Tory, should be doing anyway. Hoggart's law (https://remainantonymous.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-law-of-ridiculous-reverse.html#:~:text=British%20journalist%20Simon%20Hoggart%20is%20credited%20with%20coining,meaninglessness%20of%20politicians%27%20claims.%20To%20quote%20his%20examples%3A), also known as the law of the ridiculous reverse, applies here.

There's absolutely no need to reduce the national debt. You may want to reduce the deficit but even then, it doesn't matter as long as the deficit is not growing as fast as the economy.
Title: Re: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: ProfessorDavey on June 30, 2023, 05:18:00 PM
There's absolutely no need to reduce the national debt. You may want to reduce the deficit but even then, it doesn't matter as long as the deficit is not growing as fast as the economy.
Actually the most important element is the cost of servicing the debt - and that's where the government has a particular problem as the cost of servicing debt has increased considerably.
Title: Re: Rishi Sunak and the 5 pledges
Post by: jeremyp on July 01, 2023, 11:08:16 AM
Actually the most important element is the cost of servicing the debt - and that's where the government has a particular problem as the cost of servicing debt has increased considerably.

Nope. The cost of servicing the debt is not more important than the overall deficit. Obviously the cost of servicing the debt is one of two expenses that contribute to the deficit, but the cost of providing services is a big contributor as well.