Yesterday during the budget debate, Minister for Children Ed Balls MP managed to encapsulate in two words how arrogant and out-of-touch the Labour Party are in power. Louise Bagshawe picks up the story:
In David Cameron’s excellent Budget reply, he said at one point (I paraphrase):
“Under Labour, Britain is more taxed than at any point in its history”.
On the front bench, Ed Balls – The Man Who Would Be King (part II) heckled:
“So what?’
This astounding statement was met with hoots of shock and disdain from the Tory benches and surprised Cameron sufficiently for him to come back: “So what, says the minister for children. I know he wants to be Chancellor so badly it hurts. I have to tell him another Budget like the one we have just heard and he won’t have to wait very long.”
I’m reminded of a Council budget meeting two or three years ago. During the budget debate, Cllr Maureen Lea (Labour, Pendlebury) - then Lead Member for Environmental Services stood up to speak and said something like “well if I had my way, I’d put the Council Tax up even more“. Cllr Merry turned white as a sheet.
Anyway I am very grateful to Mr Balls for summing up for voters both nationally and here in Salford the attitude that the Labour Party takes towards the views of those people who elect them.
Our Council Tax in Salford has risen nearly 80% in the last decade. ”So what?” says the Labour Party to hard-working taxpayers and pensioners on fixed incomes who struggle to make the payments.
St George’s RC High School, one of the best schools in the City, is being closed down without good reason. “So what?” says the Labour Party to the local community in Walkden and Little Hulton.
Hope Hospital’s maternity unit is being shut down despite being one of the top performing units in the country. “So what?” says the Labour Party to expectant mothers and families across the City.
It’s time for a change in Westminster, and it is time for a change in Salford.
So/so what!! A phrase I loathe. I regard anyone using this answer as ignorant, deliberately argumentative and incapable of an intelligent answer. Why is someone like this allowed in government?
God help us.
I’m on State Pension. This month electric bill £209, Council Tax £120, 3/4 of my pension. Penalty fee charged by BT for not paying by Direct Debit due to lack of money in bank. Oil costs now £400+ to fill heating tank. 10% tax band abolished.
Councillors getting vast pay rise hence increase in Council Tax !!
SO WHAT ?? This country is on the brink of a revolution by pensioners and the poor.
The record shows the man said “So weak!” which is one of his stock phrases actually. It is scandalous that you are believing partisan spin over Hansard, the mother of all journals of record.
‘The record shows the man said “So weak!” ‘
And we all know that Hansard is an exact account of exactly everything said in Parliament and is never changed to suit the needs of specific politicians – NOT!.
There is the case of the minister (Bob Ainsworth) who swore in a parliamentary debate on kit shortages for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (he was clearly heard to say “absolute b****cks”) in February. He then put pressure on Hansard after the debate to remove the szwear word – saying he never uses language like that (yeah right!). Gorbals Mick then agreed and Hansard amended its version of events to remove the swear word. However, televisual recordings of the debate clearly show Mr Ainsworth using the swear word.
Now I would love to be able to believe Mr Balls’ version of events but Bob Ainsworth’s comments keep coming to mind – “absolute b****cks”.
Perhaps Mr Paul is, in his own words, “believing partisan spin”.