R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Ken Clarke said " That people who are middle class don't know how much they will be effected with the cuts" Oh so the upper class people who earn £££££££....... will be better off. I think the Government should have thought about the cuts first.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12438091

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Mr Clark you be ok, don't worry about the middle class Wink

. His comments reminds me of this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0DUsGSMwZY

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Mark I think you are misunderstanding the point of Clarke's comment.

All he's doing is warning the middle classes not to be complacent about the cuts, and the affect on businesses, because THEY might feel the worst of it in terms of job losses, loss of services that they rely on, inflation etc

Many of my customers are builders, some might go out of business this year, and I could lose up to half my business income as a result
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John W

Mark Mayhew · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 2897

I think Mr Clarke is spot on-there is a lot of pain to be felt yet.

I can see the unemployment , inflation and interest rates all rising.

Things will not start to get better until 2013 at the earliest.

ColinB · Guest

I think Clarke is right to say what he's saying. Of course, he's now been marked as being a bit of a loose cannon in the Cameron cabinet which means that he might be elbowed sideways in the next reshuffle (rumoured not to be far off).

I too believe that it's the middle classes who risk copping for the biggest headaches in the coming year and it's probably the middle classes who will pose the biggest threat to this appalling coalition.

You can't get blood out of a stone, but the Eton Old Boys in the Cabinet (none of whom have ever done a real job in their lives and have certainly never had to keep even the smallest of businesses afloat) have much of an idea of that.

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

I have always thought Ken Clarke to be a man of principle (well for a toff)
I was surprised that he was given a position in the government because he was likely always to say what he thinks rather than tow the party line. As a voter i'd like more politicians like this
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I don't think it's accurate to describe Ken Clarke as a 'toff'

Whilst I'm certainly not one of his greatest fans mainly because of his extreme pro EU views as far as I know he came from a fairly standard middle class family and did quite well for himself as a barrister before going into politics

He's certainly not in the same category as Cameron or Osbourne and possibly some others in the present Government when it comes to the 'toff' stakes
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ColinB · Guest

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

I would say MPs and David Cameron are middle class. They will have a shock later in the year when it hits hard.

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

ColinB · Guest

I see that Cameron has made another attempt to explain what he means by the expression "Big Society" this morning - and still we're none the wiser!

I'll explain it for you Dave: "Big Society" is another way of saying "Big Con".

There. Simple.

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

I'm not so cynical Colin, I quite like the idea.
We can all help with improving our neighbourhoods, but what he fails to see is that it doesn't come free as certain things need funding, so an already efficient local council is having to cut the services that a "Big Society" needs and all they get from Central government is it's just a political gesture.

It's not going to work, you can't shrink government, scare small businesses into thinking there is another recession on it's way and expect them to both expand AND pay for what local government used to pay for.
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You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

ColinB · Guest

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

Maybe he is just feeling guilty about what Mrs T said about there being no such thing as community.

Well there wasn't much after she'd left
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You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

She actually said

'There's no such thing as Society' but like often happens with the Press that was a selected phrase from a longer sentence which went on to qualify that particular statement'

Cameron's Big Society thing is not really quite the same and clearly will not work unless funds are available to make it work and even then there are no guarantees
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ColinB · Guest

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

Dear Ken

I'm working class what about us?Things are not rosy for us either or is it because you and your party don't give a **** for us?

Regards

Lp
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I think you're probably right there Colin
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mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

These big words Prime Ministers have said in the past - tend to come back and haunt them.

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

yes Mark,

The worse one by miles was Major's Back to Basics, nice as he was back 2 basics with Edwina at the time
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You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.