7 ms·

It's not a "leftist idea", it's official UK government policy.

nbevans 11y ago
See Greece as an example of what a governmental policy of austerity looks like in Europe. The UK government has a policy of saving costs where possible and improving efficiency of public services.
- geographomics 11y ago
  I agree that Greece is another example of austerity, and one with more extreme measures than the UK. The current UK government hasn't done anything substantial to improve the efficiency of public services. Instead they've generally reduced the level of service. It's not more efficient, just worse.
  - vixen99 11y ago
    The poor of Greece are picking up the bill for its past actions which have been very well documented. The as-yet-unborn in the UK will pick up a future bill for today's party - with many not invited. Sadly all this is an anthropological problem linked to the unending appeal of bread and circuses as offered by politicians who enjoy being in power and know how to achieve that end. People get hurt as a result; tragic but much of it inevitable and saying it isn't doesn't make it so.
  - nbevans 11y ago
    So we've gone from "outright austerity" to just "reducing the level of service". That's okay by me and by the UK public that secured the current government an overwhelming majority in the recent election. Those people experiencing the reduced level of service never deserved the red carpet and gold plating anyway. A 4 star hotel is still good; but yes I can see why one might be upset if they were forced to downgrade from a 5 star hotel. Running out of analogies now.
    - geographomics 11y ago
      No, reducing the level of service (rather than maintaining it and increasing efficiency) has been part of the government's austerity measures. Which 'undeserving' people are you talking about exactly?
    - nbevans 11y ago
      @geographomics Give an example of a public service where service levels has declined, as clearly you have some in mind? The only obvious one I can think of is welfare, which of course involves handing physical cash to the claimants. The only reasonable measure of welfare service level is of course the £ value of those hand outs. So yes, the welfare service level has declined. But it is within public expectations; it is after all what the UK public voted this government into power for. Indeed, the UK public opinion intensified as before that they were only happy with having a Con/LibDem coalition.
      - DanBC 11y ago
        > Give an example of a public service where service levels has declined A&E departments missing max 4 hour limits Entire towns not having any but locum GPs; people having to wait more than 48 hours to get GP appointment; people not being able to see GP of choice; junior doctors choosing to leave UK. Social care being delayed, causing people who could be discharged from hospital having to stay there Social care being delivered by people on zero hour contracts, and making flying 5 minute visits. I could go on.
        nbevans 11y ago
        The NHS is ring fenced from the cost saving measures. So yeah, please go on ;)
        anon1385 11y ago
        Social care isn't part of the NHS budget, it's delivered through local authorities who are facing massive cuts.

See Greece as an example of what a governmental policy of austerity looks like in Europe. The UK government has a policy of saving costs where possible and improving efficiency of public services.

geographomics 11y ago
I agree that Greece is another example of austerity, and one with more extreme measures than the UK. The current UK government hasn't done anything substantial to improve the efficiency of public services. Instead they've generally reduced the level of service. It's not more efficient, just worse.
- vixen99 11y ago
  The poor of Greece are picking up the bill for its past actions which have been very well documented. The as-yet-unborn in the UK will pick up a future bill for today's party - with many not invited. Sadly all this is an anthropological problem linked to the unending appeal of bread and circuses as offered by politicians who enjoy being in power and know how to achieve that end. People get hurt as a result; tragic but much of it inevitable and saying it isn't doesn't make it so.
- nbevans 11y ago
  So we've gone from "outright austerity" to just "reducing the level of service". That's okay by me and by the UK public that secured the current government an overwhelming majority in the recent election. Those people experiencing the reduced level of service never deserved the red carpet and gold plating anyway. A 4 star hotel is still good; but yes I can see why one might be upset if they were forced to downgrade from a 5 star hotel. Running out of analogies now.
  - geographomics 11y ago
    No, reducing the level of service (rather than maintaining it and increasing efficiency) has been part of the government's austerity measures. Which 'undeserving' people are you talking about exactly?
  - nbevans 11y ago
    @geographomics Give an example of a public service where service levels has declined, as clearly you have some in mind? The only obvious one I can think of is welfare, which of course involves handing physical cash to the claimants. The only reasonable measure of welfare service level is of course the £ value of those hand outs. So yes, the welfare service level has declined. But it is within public expectations; it is after all what the UK public voted this government into power for. Indeed, the UK public opinion intensified as before that they were only happy with having a Con/LibDem coalition.
    - DanBC 11y ago
      > Give an example of a public service where service levels has declined A&E departments missing max 4 hour limits Entire towns not having any but locum GPs; people having to wait more than 48 hours to get GP appointment; people not being able to see GP of choice; junior doctors choosing to leave UK. Social care being delayed, causing people who could be discharged from hospital having to stay there Social care being delivered by people on zero hour contracts, and making flying 5 minute visits. I could go on.
      - nbevans 11y ago
        The NHS is ring fenced from the cost saving measures. So yeah, please go on ;)
        anon1385 11y ago
        Social care isn't part of the NHS budget, it's delivered through local authorities who are facing massive cuts.