The Budget

Yup, Whitewave that is what Ed Balls wanted to do. Stimulate the economy.

Yup, Whitewave that is what Ed Balls wanted to do. Stimulate the economy
and look what happened to him.

The votes he will loose if the "soundness" disappears and they seem incompetent may be fewer but will loses from previous voters
But who would they vote for - or abstain?

Well it worked in America. Fiscal stimulus is atried and very well tested formula.

Yes, but usually you have to be in government to try it.

Poor Ed.
He was great on the Bakeoff.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2016/03/20/who-grew-the-economy-most-its-not-as-clear-as-youd-think/

This is an interesting article. Not what you would expect from the newspapers.

Why oh why have government after government bought into the neo-liberal clap trap.

3 u-turns so far. It would probably be best if they scrapped it and started again - trying a bit harder

It might not have been Ed Balls fault that he lost his seat.
Might have been something to do with all those Tory lies and the people who believed him when he said he was on the side of "hard working families".
I think Ed's policy was a good one.

Isn't it parliamentary tradition that the budget is agreed in a gentlemanly way?

This government ignores parliamentary traditions and their behaviour in the house is not one expects of gentlemen

JessM, there's an enquiry into Tory party expenses at the last election.
If they are found to be at fault in all the seats like Ed Balls', where the battlebus went, there could be an election in all those seats.
That could cause a new general election - as well as a few MPs going to court.

Djen, somehow I suspect that won't happen!

But we can always hope.

More hopeful now than for a long time, henbane.

Oh yes Durhamjen It's alleged that they were spending money on the Mark Clarke "road trip", bussing in lots of young activists into marginal constituencies and not declaring the spend. One of the great things about our democracy is the limits on spending. The USA is a horrible of example of a country where there are no limits. It will be the Electoral Commission doing the enquiry?
That could be very interesting if they have to re-fight those seats... Given they were marginals...

It was an election ruled by fear, Cameron does fear well

Been out all afternoon so missed GO in the commons.

How did he say how he intends to produce a balanced budget?

I really cannot believe that they have just voted for the budget with a 35 majority.

Here's some cheerful photos.

speye.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/cam-pain-and-compassionate-consrvatism/

I think he was evasive whitewave judging by the bits I've seen. Get shouty, include the word "compassionate" and if in doubt, attack the person asking the question.

John McDonnell gave an excellent speech.

Osborne criticised Rachel Reeves for not saying thanks for the £35m for flood defences in Leeds where she is MP.
When she spoke she said that she didn't feel like thanking him as his government had taken away £135m in 2012.
Then when the chief secretary gave his winding up speech, he repeated the fact that she had not thanked Osborne and hadn't mentioned the flood defences. He obviously had not been in the chamber when she made her speech, and nobody thought to tell him.

Whitewave, he couldn't say how he intended to produce a balanced budget; they just said they would sort it out in the Autumn statement.
You did not miss much on the Tory side. It was just a load of soundbites all afternoon, from what I could see. I recorded a lot, but my recorder ran out!

If you can, watch McDonnell's speech.

www.welfareweekly.com/osborne-refuses-to-apologise-for-disability-benefits-cut-plan/

Welfare Weekly's take on the budget speeches today.

An interesting Yougov poll, considering that MPs are voting on these matters at the moment.

yougov.co.uk/news/2016/03/18/least-fair-budget-omnishambles/

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/new-yorks-millionaires-call-for-higher-taxes-for-the-wealthy-to-target-poverty-a6944346.html

I wonder how many London millionaires would say the same.
I also wonder what Osborne or Boris would do about it if they did.

35 majority, wonder where the 23 came from, must find out

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/osborne-s-ratings-plunge-after-budget-and-corbyn-is-more-popular-than-pm-a3210916.html

Another u-turn on its way! Tory councillors criticise academy schools 'diktat'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35897430

I don't even know why schools were in the budget. Wholesale academisation and abolition of parent governors weren't manifesto policies.