[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

But with the wages going up, you either get the nike shoe makers becoming equivalents of millionaires in their nation, or everyone from private car mechanic to civil servant has to get an equal increase in pay, where's that money coming from?
And sure, people earning more means they pay more taxes, but the things those taxes get spent on also would cost more, so it negates the benifit.

I see where you're coming from, but how can these countries be expected to compete in the "world market" thats been created with the tiny amounts of money they have?

But they weren't thrown out of power by the great unwashed because of their policies, they were thrown out because of their sleaze and people had lost confidence in them thanks to the media.
I'm hoping labour will be out next election so they can't do any further damage.
Since they came in, I'm worse off, everyone I know is worse off, even my ex, who is a working single parent is worse off!
We've had umpteen dozen strikes.
The fuel blockades.
Safe conservative councils having their gov council tax contributions reduced to rediculous amounts.

I guess you can't please all of the people all of the time :pease:

edit I wonder what the x million who are back in work think?

Yes you can. That's the point of having a minister. They are responsible for what their department does. If a member of their department does something like this, in breach of department and gov policy, and at risk to the nation, then the minister obviously has allowed incompetancy within the dept managment. A good manager knows what his staff is doing and so would be aware of such a breach.
A few years back, when politics was done with more honour, ministers would resign for such incompetance, but with tony, it just isn't happening.
He won't even accept his own responsibilities and deal with the whislte blower who's being punished (but wait, isn't this gov supposed to be pro wistle blower?)

If a teacher slaps a student in a school in Manchester at 9.00am while the minister for Education is in a meeting in Southampton, how on earth can you hold that minister responsible for the incident? I just cant see the direct link