Autumn statement

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/11/25/nothing-left-but-start-again-to-build-a-country-in-which-we-all-can-share/

Good statement from Osborne, very poor response by McDonnell.

I was fascinated watching the Labour benches, at least they didn't all skiddaddle and leave him sitting on his own like they did Corbyn the other day.

When McDonnell pulled out a copy of The Red Book and quoted from Chairman Mao I thought some of them looked on in utter despair. It was another classic . McDonnell has tried to pass it off as a joke, not., if it was then his face would not have been so fixed and most certainly would not have literally thrown the copy of his Red Book over the table to Osborne. What was he thinking, he gave Osborne the opportunity to make him look infantile and remind everybody of his 'political persuasions' that so many on his side and who think he is a genius try and refute, indeed put down anybody who dares to utter the 'big C word'.

It has certainly shut down those who had hoped to be attacking him over tax credits and the police today .

Certainly did POGS though some here are having a go anyway, on the other thread! the little red book 'joke' was puerile.

I think it's very good of Osborne to admit he made mistakes and listen to the opposition over the tax credit cuts and cutting police numbers, and change his mind.
Hopefully they can get him to do the same next year and the year after, etc.
If Labour wins in the ideas stakes, it does not matter how.

Still would not like to be a minimum wage single person under 35, having housing benefit cut.

It certainly was very good of him Durhamjen.

zelo-street.blogspot.com/2015/11/dan-hodges-sees-red.html

About McDonnell's statement.

Osborne is actually a con artist.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tax-credit-cuts-not-been-6898940

McDonnell is a fool!!!

Blimey what was all that about? McDonnell with his little red book? Just proves whats really going on in his head doesn't it? I did have to laugh at George Osborne's comment when he said "Oh look its your own dedicated copy too" (or something along those lines). The rest of the Labour Party looked VERY embarrassed.

What do you think about the fact that student nurses will now have to take a student loan rather than receive a bursary. To my uneducated mind that will make the nursing shortage worse with those qualifying opting to work for agencies rather than the NHS.

I find the decision about nursing students difficult to justify.
Most students, with or without loans, have the opportunity to work and earn during university vacations. Given that nursing students are for much of their time on placements in hospitals when not at uni, they won't have that chance.
Also, most students could hold down a weekend or evening job, but as nursing students have to work shifts, they don't have that opportunity either.
From what I've seen they have a fair bit of responsibility on wards and are not there simply as observers.
I bèlieve they earn their bursaries and will be seriously disadvantaged by this change. Many young people who choose a career in nursing don't come from families who can subsidise them financially and rely heavily on their grants to get through.
Seems unlikely that nursing careers will become the prerogative of better-off families so I believe we are indeed looking at a real shortage in future.

mcem: IMO, you've raised some very good points there.

Totally agree mcem.

I too agree with mcem.

There will be fewer taking up a career in nursing and we have nurses leaving because they are stressed and overworked because of shortage of nursing staff

So isn't a student nurse more like an apprentice than an academic student?