Mild Rover wrote:
Containing the deficit or balancing the budget is just an aspiration. Like providing good healthcare or reducing crime. In terms of how you do it, taking steps to reduce tax avoidance is a minimum first step. That'd require a nuanced approach admittedly, but first of all you need the will, which I believe the Tories lack. Also you can adopt policies to foster growth, as a plausible alternative to austerity. And let's not forget that it was de-regulated market capitalism that caused the global economic crisis.
Johnson is a bright enough guy, but he's a bit of an empty vessel.
You really do under estimate Johnson - underneath the bluster is a guy with a deep understanding of the issues at hand. One thing is for sure he has a lot more to offer than the likes of Jeremy, John and Emily.
What policies did Labour offer that would foster growth?
All Labour offered was to take more money from the very people who generate the growth and increase the size and cost of the state?
No chance to reduce tax avoidance - this is a global issue - and their will always be loopholes that the clever can exploit. There will also be countries that see the benefit of increasing their tax take via lower rates of taxation. I come back to point that tax avoidance is all about paying the correct tax in line with the law.
It was one element - banking - that caused the global issues - normal businesses even the big ones never changed their behaviour.
