[Osem]

It'll take years to get the economy back into shape - just servicing our massive debt is a big problem. Falling tax receipts and rising unemployment (hence social security expenditure) exacerbate it considerably. I'd like to think that those who evidently weren't in the least bit worried about all the spending and uncontrolled lending/debt of the last decade or so might have learned an important lesson but some people will never learn. A politician's definition of 'long term' is the next election so don't be too surprised if 'spend now, pay later' is their favoured mantra. Of course shiny new hospitals are popular but these things have to be paid for and stacking up vast debt in order to provide such facilities merely shifts the burden and delays the inevitable. The truth is that we'll all be paying for this profligacy for years!