well no, not really

benefit spending is 4 or 5 times as large as debt interest spending. So a chunky increase in unemployment - like what happens when you lose a million jobs - can be just as big as a substnatial increase in interest payments.

And like I say, health spending - which is another big chunk of government spending - is gonna be rising pretty rapidly I imagine, given it was 'protected'. (Don't have the figures to hand though.)

So if overall spending is only growing by 1 or 2% a year, but within that health spending - a big chunk - is growing by, say 7 or 8% a year (that's a guess) - then other things have to be cut back pretty aggressively.

Posted By: Tricky Hawes on November 19th 2010 at 16:01:34

Message Thread

Oh. He's gone. (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:09:55
- Good (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 19, 15:21:16
  - well, government spending is actually gonna carry on rising (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:39:04
    - Which is baffling to me (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 19, 15:48:37
      - It is confusing (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 19, 15:50:22
        
        see below for some of the reasons. (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:52:41
  - I think you can spin the cuts anyway you want really, depending on your leanings. (General Chat) - Arizona Bay, Nov 19, 15:37:44
    - Exactly (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 19, 15:47:30
      - So, like, if your tax rate went up by 10% a year (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 19, 15:55:20
      - well, in part, inflation (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:51:47
        
        Interesting, thanks (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 19, 15:56:21
        
        well no, not really (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 16:01:34
        
        But if the hike in unemployment comes from state sector jobs being shed (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 19, 16:16:55
        
        well, yes, and I guess that's part of the trade-off we're going to see (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 16:23:48
        
        Oh I see (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 19, 15:53:43
        
        yup. and we're still spending less than we 'would have' (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:57:37
      - The ?9billion put aside incase Ireland goes tits up? (n/m) (General Chat) - Huge Small, Nov 19, 15:50:54
    - And those with decent, secure jobs and tracker mortgages (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 19, 15:46:01
    - indeed. (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 19, 15:39:23

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