Johnson’s speech

Businesses have a huge amount on their plates from the affects of covid and the collapse in trade to the EU. To ask them to now invest to increase productivity is an almost impossible task at this point.

Businesses just have to work a bit harder, don't they?

After all, isn't collapse in trade with the EU a direct result of them not preparing well enough to work with the worldbeating last minute deal with the EU (the TCA)? And of them utterly failing to take advantage of the splendid opportunities offered by making it difficult, or impossible, to trade with a huge market sitting on their doorstep?

I think the problem really is that they simply don’t understand Johnson economics and his grand plan.

Johnson has an economic plan? Pity he didn’t spell it out.

I’ve had a light bulb moment.!

Johnson’s plan is that people should work harder, in fact as hard as he does.

I have just been reading this

and this

But I really do need to start cleaning/organising my kitchen today

How long have the Tories been in power? Over a decade I think. So where have they been going wrong and what happened to their previous promises given at various conferences and hustings?

JaneJudge

I have just been reading this

and this

But I really do need to start cleaning/organising my kitchen today

Your first link didn't work, JJ

Reading the first of JaneJudge's links. This link is to the Economist's view of the speech. Under the summary heading of "Economics" it concludes:

The problem for the prime minister is that “for many people life feels a bit uncertain”, said the BBC’s Eardley, with “fears in the Conservative Party too about the cost of living over winter” clashing with his economic optimism.

“While Johnson sells his economic plan for the future, many will want assurances about the next few weeks and months,” he added.

Under the second heading "NHS and Social Care" it concludes:

His comments on tax rises were met with “stony silence”, according to The Telegraph. But his statement immediately afterwards that “Margaret Thatcher would not ignore the meteorite that has crashed through our economy” was “met with nods of approval”, the paper added.

(Could someone tell me exactly what meteorite he is refering to - I'm assuming Covid - to and why and in what way Margaret Thatcher, long dead, would be concerned?)

Ladyleftfieldlover

How long have the Tories been in power? Over a decade I think. So where have they been going wrong and what happened to their previous promises given at various conferences and hustings?

You have to understand that Johnson had nothing at all to do with those previous tory governments. Despite being an MP since 2015, and Foreign Secretary in May's government, he loathed every minute of their destructive rule and couldn't wait to wrest power from them so that he could implement his liberal, caring and far seeing ideas about how the country should be run.

(Am I doing this right?
When Priti Patel's thought police come searching GNet for signs of dissenters from worship of Our Glorious Leader, will I slip through their net?)

Under "Levelling UP" the conclusion is:

In the only policy announcement in the speech, the PM also announced a “levelling-up premium” worth up to £3,000 to encourage science and maths teachers to head to different areas of the country.

The prime minister attempting to paint his landmark policy as an effort “take the pressure off parts of the South East while offering hope and opportunity to areas that have felt left behind”, said Sky News.

But writing in The Guardian yesterday, Labour Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham attacked Johnson for failing to “make ‘levelling up’ mean something”, a complaint unlikely to have been resolved by this speech.

"Vaccine capitalism" concludes:

Actually it doesn't. It seems they put forward no opinion - just Johnsonisms.

"Crime" only has points of the speech and no conclusion. In the Econimists defence, these are not directly econonmic areas and we were given no economics (costs) in the speech.

Just listening to R4 and business leaders.

Blimey! It is worse than I really appreciated.

The article ends with an attempt to capture the speech under the heading "Bluster". It doesn't give any conclusive facts.

It seems that some businesses have hedged on energy. So what they are doing is cutting production to the hedge as they simply can’t afford to pay more.

In some cases they will be stopping production entirely and mothballing.

The 'levelling up' premium for teachers isn't a new idea. It's been done before.

Defenders on twitter were saying that there are lots of new policy announcements in the pipeline. You just don't 'do' policy announcements in a leader's end of tory conference speech...

So I continue to wait with bated breath.

MaizieD

Ladyleftfieldlover

How long have the Tories been in power? Over a decade I think. So where have they been going wrong and what happened to their previous promises given at various conferences and hustings?

You have to understand that Johnson had nothing at all to do with those previous tory governments. Despite being an MP since 2015, and Foreign Secretary in May's government, he loathed every minute of their destructive rule and couldn't wait to wrest power from them so that he could implement his liberal, caring and far seeing ideas about how the country should be run.

(Am I doing this right?
When Priti Patel's thought police come searching GNet for signs of dissenters from worship of Our Glorious Leader, will I slip through their net?)

Only if you were not a teacher or a member of the legal profession Maizie. These things follow very well known steps. If you were there is probably no escape.

A governments job is to provide food security, energy security etc

It is doing none of these

Whitewavemark2

Just listening to R4 and business leaders.

Blimey! It is worse than I really appreciated.

More details please?

Sorry, whilst I was writing and making tea all was explained.

ayse

Whitewavemark2

Just listening to R4 and business leaders.

Blimey! It is worse than I really appreciated.

More details please?

They also said that the cost of production even before they factor in energy costs have risen so much that their profitability is under severe pressure as they don’t think that they will be able to pass on the entire rise is price rises.

This will mean that our businesses will not be so attractive inward investment.

A perfect storm.

Listening to R4 - minister - clueless.

Very very worrying indeedn

It would be a pity to try and explain the second link JaneJudge gave us as it is a really comprehensive collection of front pages of today's newspapers and their comment from The Week.

Worth the click for those who don't mind reading outside their bubble.

Just a taste to encourage:
The Times heading is; "PM hit by business backlash"
The Telegraph "PM pledges no homes on green fields."
The Gardian "Business anger at 'vacuous and bombastic' PM speech.
The Financial Times main heading is "Gas markets whipsaw after Putin offers to stabilise energy prices" with a smaller "Finger pointing Johnson sticks to migrant line".
The Daily Mirror "Senseless Slaughter" (with a picture of a pig and a picture of Boris).
The Daily Mail "Queen's Sheikh Friend Hacked Peer's Phone" with a smaller "Booster Boris's Tory Love In"

Appologies for saying the first lot were quotes from the Economist. Both were from The Week. They have similar typefaces.