IFS Analysis of Conservative and Labour Manifesto on tax, spending, benefits etc - fair to both sides

Haven't got time to watch at the moment, but I'm curious about the outcome. Is it Conservative very good, Labour very bad?

It is quite frustrating watching an hour long special of people picking things apart but offering no alternative, although I do understand that this is their job.

I think this viewed on its own isnt enough really. They didnt provide much objective analysis of the impacts of the conservative manifesto because, as they kept having to say, they appear to be sticking very closely to their most recent budget.

It felt like the current conservative policies were used as a baseline to judge the labour manifesto without much analysis into does austerity work? Is UK growth built on sand? Perhaps this has been discussed before.

Interesting about labour not reversing a lot of the larger Tory cuts to in work benefits though, presumably linked to trying to create a higher wage society.

I also thought it was interesting how specifically doom and gloom they were about labour's income tax policies, almost going as far as saying 'taxing rich people doesn't fix income inequality'. Well what does then? Is it a bit like terrorism? You cant smash it to pieces you have to change people's minds.

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Originally Posted by Eric Cartman

It is quite frustrating watching an hour long special of people picking things apart but offering no alternative, although I do understand that this is their job.

I think this viewed on its own isnt enough really. They didnt provide much objective analysis of the impacts of the conservative manifesto because, as they kept having to say, they appear to be sticking very closely to their most recent budget.

It felt like the current conservative policies were used as a baseline to judge the labour manifesto without much analysis into does austerity work? Is UK growth built on sand? Perhaps this has been discussed before.

Interesting about labour not reversing a lot of the larger Tory cuts to in work benefits though, presumably linked to trying to create a higher wage society.

I also thought it was interesting how specifically doom and gloom they were about labour's income tax policies, almost going as far as saying 'taxing rich people doesn't fix income inequality'. Well what does then? Is it a bit like terrorism? You cant smash it to pieces you have to change people's minds.

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It's the job of experts to change people's minds.

If this bit is true

" Under the conservative spending commitments - the deficit would be down to 22 billion - roughly over 50% of what it is today.
The deficit under Labour would come down but not until much later on."

Would that not be a better position to be in, come the day Brexit really takes effect ,and how much later would it be under Labour ?

https://twitter.com/Peston/status/86...099393/photo/1

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Originally Posted by surge

https://twitter.com/Peston/status/86...099393/photo/1

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If we take the area above the line and subtract the area below the line it looks to me as if Labour generate more of a surplus over the period than the tories.

Perhaps that's what the 21bn refers to

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eric Cartman

It is quite frustrating watching an hour long special of people picking things apart but offering no alternative, although I do understand that this is their job.

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And this in a nut shell is why we need self determination. I find it incredible that you are suppose to stick your flag in 1 corner and then wait another 5 years to do it again.

Is there a bit in the interview about requiring the worst off in society to have to suffer the most because of our debt?

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Originally Posted by ninianclark

Eric - they are accountants - they are talking purely about the numbers adding up or not and the predictions based on those numbers. Emotion is not involved, you dont go to see your accountant to get therapy and you dont ask your therapist for tax advice - well I wouldn't anyway.

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Was Adolf Hitler an accountant?