Austerity Anyone?

mike_field

mike_field

Vital Football Legend
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41444415

Repair costs for the Elizabeth Tower in the Palace of Westminster have now doubled to an estimated £61m, parliamentary authorities have said. The project is more complex and extensive than originally thought, when the estimate of £29m to £45m was made. While there were "unique challenges" in working on a historic site, Parliament said it was disappointed at the rising bill and would launch a review.

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Launch a review, waste even more money - makes sense.
 
Add in the 300 odd million earmarked to renovate Buckingham Palace and it show just where the priorities lie doesn't it ?
 
Didn't know that was Buckingham's estimate chap.

So absolutely. Food banks on the rise, nah let's take care of ourselves.

Growing poverty, take care of Big Ben.

Oh and we can complain we won't hear the 'bongs' so we'll spend more money so on key occasions it still bongs like any normal person actually gives a flying Harry Redknapp.

Have they heard of MP3 players for the tourism industry? Quite why nobody had the brains to build a new Parliament in a more accessible part of the country instead of trying to rebuild and refurb a building that should've been semtexed decades ago is beyong me.

Christ for tourism alone, you can refurb for a far lower cost to maintain it, and then charge for entry.

But no, MP's know best.

Maybe that's what they thought the £350million from the EU had been earmarked for???
 
Yes £369 million to be precise, I bet that will go up and up as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38025513

That's one expensive council house.
 
That'll be easily £450m come snagging, if not more.

At least in the case of the Royals they create more than they take but I imagine this job will severely hit that claim for anti Royalists moving forward.
 
sounds a bargain tbh
social housing for german fugees
frankly you're racist etc if you don't support the housing needs for this vulnerable group
prob summat to do with brexit as well

:14:
 
Looking at it constructively (see what I did there).... Repairs have been neglected for some time I'd suggest. Old building can't last forever, specially with air pollution as it is these days.

Tourists from across the world won't come to see buildings falling down, so for me it is needed. Tourists still bring a hell of a lot of money into this country and will continue to do so. Repairs done now, will last many, many years.

I can understand the other views, but lets have a balanced view eh?

 
Had something on this a while ago. Can't find it though!

There would never be a good time for these repairs but they are iconic and important buildings and have to be sorted as they are falling into disrepair.

Whether you support the monarchy or not (for the Buck palace bit) isn't really the point I don't think.

Shouldn't be an either or though... there is no excuse in a country like ours that we have all but a tiny percentage of homeless (the very few who truly choose it) or that we need food banks.
 
If the Tories hadn't mismanaged the economy so badly, there wouldn't be so many homeless or needing food banks.
 
Wurzel - 3/10/2017 16:55

How should they have managed the economy?
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The simple answer is by not implementing the flawed ideology of austerity.

The longer answer is that they should have invested in a massive public works programme to spur economic growth. The low hanging fruit in the UK economy is tax dodging which they have turned a blind eye to. There are certain industries which are more efficiently run as monopolies; transport, utilities, etc. Those industries should be nationalised in the national interest. Green energy is an area which should have been prioritised and subsidised by the government. The UK could be the world leader in green energy if the government prioritised it. The government should have prioritised electric vehicles too.

I feel that successive governments (not just the Tories) have been too laissez-faire when it comes to directing the economy. It has resulted in the City becoming the be-all-and-end-all of the UK economy.

Economics isn't an exact science (it isn't really a science) but there are mathematical principles behind it that the Tories ignore in favour of class warfare.
 
They have enough money to make any repairs themselves yet the taxpayer is expected to pick up the bill?

Behead the lot of them and take back the lands I say

 
How much does Buckingham palace make for the economy in tourism? I think that'd at least tell us if its value for money to repair. No?

Crown estate has paid billions into the treasury over the last decade.

https://fullfact.org/economy/paying-buckingham-palace-cost-refurbishment/

It pays for itself and is an profitable assert unless I'm completely wrong.
 
lewis1980 - 4/10/2017 01:11

How much does Buckingham palace make for the economy in tourism? I think that'd at least tell us if its value for money to repair. No?

Crown estate has paid billions into the treasury over the last decade.

https://fullfact.org/economy/paying-buckingham-palace-cost-refurbishment/

It pays for itself and is an profitable assert unless I'm completely wrong.
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Buckingham Palace and Westminster should be maintained. They are national monuments. The issue is that there is an endless supply of money for those projects but the pot is always empty for projects to help the working class.
 
Yes, thanks for the reply, but I'll not be investing in your ideas on economics as your figures don't add up, and for that reason I'm out.
 
Wurzel - 4/10/2017 02:17

Yes, thanks for the reply, but I'll not be investing in your ideas on economics as your figures don't add up, and for that reason I'm out.
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That argument doesn't hold any water because macro economics and micro economics are totally different. The British Government can invest £205bn in a new Trident programme because they can borrow money at will or even print as much as they need if necessary. Comparing national economics with household economics is false and deliberately deceptive.
 
You do remember what happened in 2007? Borrow money off who at what rate? Print your own cash? Simples why worry? Do you remember the state the economy was in in 1978? Who is going to lend us money if there is absolutely no chance we will pay it back? How high would you like interest rates? 25%- 30%? Is four million unemployed an OK prices to pay, maybe 6 million? How high is income tax going to go 70% or even upto 1978's level of 89%?

Interesting documentary here from 2008 worth a look if you like sleepless nights

[youtube=O_TjBNjc9Bo]
 
Buckingham palace is profitable. So it isn't about the tax payer footing the bill or finding an endless supply of money for these types of projects. It has and will pay for itself, and provide profit that'll be paid into the treasury.

Its profit goes to the treasury and has made more than 10 X the renovation costs in the last decade.

Without the renovation, it wouldn't be as profitable would it?

So less money to spend on other projects. And we'd be neglecting a profitable asset, cutting off our noses to spite our faces.

And why would we do that? because the Queen lives here?

I really can't see what the issue is.

It isn't about privilege or social class, or any of that nonsense. It's about maintaining a profitable asset that's profit benefits all of us.

Am i missing something?
 
Wurzel - 4/10/2017 03:24

You do remember what happened in 2007? Borrow money off who at what rate? Print your own cash? Simples why worry? Do you remember the state the economy was in in 1978? Who is going to lend us money if there is absolutely no chance we will pay it back? How high would you like interest rates? 25%- 30%? Is four million unemployed an OK prices to pay, maybe 6 million? How high is income tax going to go 70% or even upto 1978's level of 89%?

Interesting documentary here from 2008 worth a look if you like sleepless nights

[youtube=O_TjBNjc9Bo]
Click to expand...

Come on, man. A crappy YouTube video? That stuff belongs in the conspiracy thread.
 
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