How Can George Osborne Still Be In His Job?

[Guest]

Proven inability to predict results with anything resembling accuracy? Check!
Proven inability to reach even unambitious targets? Check!
Proven ability to make a bad economic situation worse? Check!

How come this buffoon hasn't been fired for incompetency, or at least sidelined to some menial task, counting paper clips or some such?

You'd've thunk Cameroon would do it, if only for damage limitation with an eye to re-election!

[scottycelt]

I'll have to take your word for it as I've never heard of the guy ...

[Richard Tarleton]

Pedant's Corner - he spells his name without a "u". Quentin Willson and co presented a petition to No 11 on fuel duty a year or two back addressed to "George Osbourne" which I'm sure meant it got off on the wrong foot.

Ozzy spells his name with a "u" though.

[teamsaint]

Pedant's Corner - he spells his name without a "u". Quentin Willson and co presented a petition to No 11 on fuel duty a year or two back addressed to "George Osbourne" which I'm sure meant it got off on the wrong foot.

Ozzy spells his name with a "u" though.

And could probably run the economy better. At least he wouldn't be paranoid about things like workers getting paid properly !!

[Ferretfancy]

In the Guardian today, Simon Hoggart reports on a meeting of the political and constitutional reform committee, which among other things is discussing the mechanism of ministerial reshuffles with Sir Jeremy Haywood the cabinet secretary. On the whole he thinks things work fairly well, but he does concede that perhaps it might be a good idea to give new ministers just a bit of training before they take on their posts ! Not too arduous of course !

[DracoM]

Because he's a bosom mate of DC, because they are Etonians sticking together, because he's the Tory strategist [ or so it is said], because if he goes the bricks start coming out of the wall as everyone knows.

How any Chancellor of Exchequer, knowing up close and in detail what EU money does for various disadvantaged parts of the UK [which said C of E knows full well he could not finance], how much trade we enjoy with the EU, how many businesses camp here to get at EU markets who would move their biz if we were not in EU, can assist at the possible withdrawal of UK from Europe, I simply do not know. One day, someone with real expertise needs to grill this bloke and get him to spell out how he can let his leader even contemplate such a move, let alone promise it in an election manifesto.

Is this a suicide note, or have I missed some crafty ruse somewhere along the line?

[cloughie]

[/B]

And could probably run the economy better. At least he wouldn't be paranoid about things like workers getting paid properly !!

He probably couldn't but I'd back Sharon to do the job!

[Barbirollians]

He was quite correctly described as an economic pygmy .

He is a buffoon , who cannot admit he is wrong . The world's governments, banks and in particular the EU whipped themselves up into a deficit cutting frenzy - obsessed with the idea of defaults and losing their credit ratings( from the discredited agencies that gave AAA ratings to securitised sub prime mortgages from the US) that is now coming home to roost .

It was of all people , the late Milton Friedman's monetarist sidekick - who died last year - who said that rampant deficit reduction in a time of credit squeeze is a disaster and that public spending and economic stimulus programmes and that long term slow deficit reduction programmes should follow once economic growth was re-establishe

It is unfortunate that it has an unattractive messenger but time and time again Ed Balls is being proved right by events and Gideon Osborne wrong .

[eighthobstruction]

Extra Extra Ah OOO Less than extra in fact ....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21193525

[Serial_Apologist]

The world's governments, banks and in particular the EU whipped themselves up into a deficit cutting frenzy - obsessed with the idea of defaults and losing their credit ratings( from the discredited agencies that gave AAA ratings to securitised sub prime mortgages from the US) that is now coming home to roost .

Well said, Barbirollians - this fact should be drilled over and over again into people's heads, displayed in huge billboards beside railway lines and main roads, or, failing that, graffitoed large onto motorway bridges.

[teamsaint]

i would love to know how the olympics boosted the economy.
It slaughtered it in our business.

[teamsaint]

Well said, Barbirollians - this fact should be drilled over and over again into people's heads, displayed in huge billboards beside railway lines and main roads, or, failing that, graffitoed large onto motorway bridges.

and well said S_A.

the ratings agencies. the ultimate con trick.

[BBMmk2]

DC must love George!!

[eighthobstruction]

The worst is over for Who!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21193701

[teamsaint]

DC must love George!!

to paraphrase Del from "Planes , trains and Automobiles".....

"love....... is not a big enough word for what he feels ".......