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Not much of a boast

Nick Robinson | 12:36 UK time, Wednesday, 12 March 2008

"We are better placed than other economies to withstand the global economic slowdown". That is the key claim at the heart of Alistair Darling's budget today. He boasted at the top of his speech that the economy will grow this year and next - not much of a boast.

Comments

  • 1.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • Gwynne Kelly wrote:

Boring Alistair Darling will not be able to tax any more as his predecessor has already done that and borrowed up to the limit as well - as usual with Labour it is a big black hole.

  • 2.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • wrote:

Not much of a boast but you have to work with what you've got. Brown is an amazing ventriloquist, I can hardly see that chin waggling.

  • 3.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • Charles E Hardwidge wrote:

Alistair Darling's moderate words suggest that there is a clear and developing future opportunity for the nation to size against a background of economic turmoil and global conflict. As Lao Tzu suggests: "When politicians look depressed and inactive people are satisfied and happy. When politicians look happy and active people are dissatisfied and depressed. Bad times come after good times, good times after bad." The more hasty and impatient man would be blowing trumpets and making populist appeals but this would only raise expectations to unsustainable levels and impair judgement. Better, really, just to accept this gentle entrepreneurial opportunity for what it is.

All hail Blessed Leader!

  • 4.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • D Dortman wrote:

Well with all those £25+ a bottle teenage whiskey drinkers off our streets and an sustainigreen-eco-prudo-economy, I should think so too.


At least when you're being mugged, the muggers usually don't try and pretend they are actually doing you a favour.

  • 5.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • terry hastings wrote:

Great - the big corporates get a tax reduction from 38 to 28% subsidised by small business like mine going up 1% a year

I think small business needs to network more to take on the giants!!!

Businesses are not encouraged to invest anymore - everything is leased!!

  • 6.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • Michael wrote:

That strikes me as wishful thinking... Surely the UK is much more exposed than Germany, where consumer confidence is doing surprisingly well, or the BRIC countries, which may yet be supported by a degree of decoupling. In fact, isn't the UK one of the most vulnerable?

  • 7.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • D Dortman wrote:

Well with all those £25+ a bottle teenage whiskey drinkers off our streets and an sustainigreen-eco-prudo-economy, I should think so too.


At least when you're being mugged, the muggers usually don't try and pretend they are actually doing you a favour.

  • 8.
  • At on 12 Mar 2008,
  • Martin wrote:

Says who? Krusty the Clown....

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