Conservative Conference

Mmmm, I thought TMs applause was polite but Bojos was enthusiastic, as if that's what they really wanted but not what was likely to be achieved.

Oh God! Who's idea was the "dancing" No doubt some of the old farts in the audience thought it was really cool. Removing the cap for council housing will be good - if it ever happens! How she expects to improve cancer diagnosis when they are cutting immigration and deporting doctors is beyond me.

Paddyann with fewer and fewer voters. So many years in govt so little achieved apart from vanity projects and grievance manufacture! Read some other papers. The Scotsman for example.

Jane10 The Scotsman? The well known Unionist Labour mouthpiece and serial purveyor of SNPbad fake News?

Have you ever read the utter drivel, misogyny, racism and filth that passes as reader's comments?

I applaud her for the dancing, a woman who can respond to the mocking she received in that way. After Corbyn singing with his audience. ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’ ?

TM poking fun at herself!! brilliant! ? To those of you who sneer, not many politicians would do that!! Thought her speech was really excellent and feel much happier about the country's future prospects under her leadership.

Yes, I'm really looking forward to her no deal Brexit. Planes grounded, food shortages, medicine shortages, NHS sold off to the highest bidder, manufacturers leaving for the EU, businesses going bust, more austerity. Fabulous. I can't wait...

I think she came over well.

I have a question that I hope some of you with more political knowledge than I can answer.

TM said she was lifting the cap on Council spending to ease the situation caused by the years of austerity. Labour Party spokesman immediately announced that this was not credible. Surely that is what they have been asking for the past 10 years?

Lifting the cap on council spending was only for building more social housing. though as the Chancellor is intent on cutting money to councils I'm not sure that the two ideas are compatible.

It will be all jolly hockey stick Maizie - oh how lucky we are.

GrannyGravy13, the problem is that the councils have to raise the money to build new houses against the value of their existing stock.

The best of what was a huge council house stock has now been sold off (right to buy). Therefore the councils will find that the finance they can raise for new build will be extremely limited, certainly not enough to in any way eliminate the housing crisis.

Pie in the sky again from the Tories

Thank you MaizieD due to circumstances beyond my control I have been unable to listen to most of the CPC, and I have only heard snippets on the news.

I know that these political threads "often" get heated, but I try to appreciate and understand both sides of the political divide.

As I have stated previously I come late to politics, and I am trying to bolster my knowledge, which is why when I post it's usually more from experience.

Therefore the councils will find that the finance they can raise for new build will be extremely limited,

Even if they can raise the finance how will they be able to repay loans if they've no money? Then, of course, the tories will accuse them of being profligate with their money. It's all so illogical...

I appreciate your replies, thank you.

I am struggling to understand why The Councils will not be able to borrow / repay to finance this, when surely this is exactly what the Labour Party have said they will do.

I am not being contentious with my post.

Granny23 you live in an SNP bubble and only see what you want to see and only hear opinions that echo your own. There's a big world outside the nationalist bubble. You might not like it but it's there!

I am struggling to understand why The Councils will not be able to borrow / repay to finance this, when surely this is exactly what the Labour Party have said they will do.

First of all, there is a difference between a government, which is able to control the supply of money in the economy, and a local council which exists partly on money raised by council tax and partly by money doled out to it by the government. The local council is like a household. It has a finite (i.e. limited) amount of money to spend. If it borrows it has to repay and if its income is static (or even reduced by central government cuts) and every penny of it is being spent on running essential services where is it going to find the money to repay what it has borrowed, or even the interest on what it has borrowed?

Whereas the central government has no need to borrow any money (it is not a household and doesn't have a finite amount of money), it can increase the amount of money in the economy at will and by whatever quantity it likes. So central government could, if it so wished, increase the grant to local councils so that they can build more council housing. Which is what Labour plans, I believe.

Many Local councils did not plough the monies raised through the right to buy scheme back into building more social housing as they were supposed to do. Those that did only built a token amount, with the surplus monies going towards other projects, some of which were of no benifit to the local population.

Thank you Bridgett, I get that they have a finite amount of money, raised from council tax and government. I think I also read that a few councils lost money when they invested in a foreign bank (Iceland I believe), which lends me to believe they have the powers to use/put money where/as they see fit.

The government has not got its own money, surely it is the countries money raised from our taxes. If they put more money into circulation (by printing more), which I think is what Labour intend to do, surely that will devalue the £. Isn't that what happened in some European countries in WW2 and happening now in Venezuela.

I am not trying to be awkward, just trying to get to grips with the current situation.

Many Local councils did not plough the monies raised through the right to buy scheme back into building more social housing as they were supposed to do.

As I recall, Bridgeit they weren't actually allowed to do that under the tory government which initiated the 'right to buy'.

The government has not got its own money, surely it is the countries money raised from our taxes.

No, it isn't. The government issues the money and gets it back via taxation. Government spending stimulates the economy and taxation stops it overheating. It can't tax until it has spent.

Jane 10 so you disagree with Nurses getting 9% rise,Police getting 6% ,carers getting 13% more than the DWP pay them,the bedroom tax being mitigated ,more childcare provision .The FACT is the Joseph Rowntree foundation is very complimentary about the SNP government and thats before we even mention many of their acheivments including the biggest council house programme in over 25 years ..remember Labour built just SIX council houses when they were in power.
I do understand as an Edinburgh inhabitant you have to support the unionist council there ..oh thats the one who made a mess of the Trams too wasn't it? And it was Labour who pushed for the new building at Holyrood that went HOW many times over budget .
At least we can say the SNP have put PEOPLE at the heart of their policies ,Not in any SNP bubble ,just have eyes opened to what has been going onfor many decades here and its not good.
There will always be I'm all right Jacks ..like you .People though aren't ALL alright they need an SNP government to back them up after years of British parties I wont say Scottish because they aren't they are scottish BRANCH only.
The "SCOTSMAN " is nothing to do with Scotland its a tory paper in a tartan jacket ,it supports the union even though the union is destroying us .Of course I'm a socialist and the SNP is the most left leaning party in the UK so we will never agree .

The SNP conference isn't until Sunday
The Tory conference is the one being discussed just now

Just saying …..

Thanks Grannygravy, yes you are correct, printing more money causes devaluation, a bit like playing Monopoly ?it’s not real money , I think it works if a minute amount is produced ,but that isnt worth doing .

You are right of course BUT they wont deliver on any of their promises.my list above is the promises already kept .