Torsten Bell

The only things I know about Torsten Bell are that he is in favour of tax, tax and more tax.

Quiet frankly if RR thinks more tax on fuel, higher council tax and taxing our homes is the way out of the mess she is making considerably worse than she is more delusional than I thought.

You have read (or not read) the OP and answered a completely different question GrannyGravy13.

I'm sure that's okay under GN rules but where does it get us? You could (and have) given your opinion elsewhere. Why not let those who want to discuss a different aspect of "politics and news" do so instead of running it off the road?

If no one is interested that's fine.

How rude you are PoliticsNerd and then you ask why others attack you. GG13 is perfectly within her rights to answer as she sees fit.

Spinnaker

How rude you are PoliticsNerd and then you ask why others attack you. GG13 is perfectly within her rights to answer as she sees fit.

Spot on. PN frequently gives his/her opinion on many different threads but God forbid anyone disagrees

GrannyGravy13

The only things I know about Torsten Bell are that he is in favour of tax, tax and more tax.

Quiet frankly if RR thinks more tax on fuel, higher council tax and taxing our homes is the way out of the mess she is making considerably worse than she is more delusional than I thought.

If that's all you know about Torsten Bell, you should watch the video.

He is extremely articulate and optimistic. He discussed a number of ideas and issues and hardly mentioned taxes.

Even if you don't agree with his ideas, it's worth knowing what he's saying as a basis for rational discussion.

He's an enemy of ordinary, hardworking people and of pensioners.
He is more rightwing than many Tories.

I don't think the word "rude" has a definitive meaning Spinnaker. Maybe that's why it's do often used by those who think their opinion matters more than facts, orcthe opinion of anyone else if it seems it may disagree with theirs.

However, if I was required to give an example of "rudery" (bad manners) it would be not replying to the actual question asked but going off on your own, alternative subject. I certainly wasn't brought up with the "manners" of some on GN but like most try to make allowances unless it is blatant.

Allira

He's an enemy of ordinary, hardworking people and of pensioners.
He is more rightwing than many Tories.

Why?

Allira

He's an enemy of ordinary, hardworking people and of pensioners.
He is more rightwing than many Tories.

Eh? How is Torsten Bell rightwing?

Have you read his book, followed him when he was at the Resolution Foundation, listened to any of his podcasts or even watched this video?

growstuff

Allira

He's an enemy of ordinary, hardworking people and of pensioners.
He is more rightwing than many Tories.

Eh? How is Torsten Bell rightwing?

Have you read his book, followed him when he was at the Resolution Foundation, listened to any of his podcasts or even watched this video?

Good grief, no! 😂
Why on earth would I want to do that?

But I can read balanced newspaper reports (in precise firm) , from different sources, of what his thoughts and ideas are.

précis
Gremlins at work again.

PoliticsNerd

You have read (or not read) the OP and answered a completely different question GrannyGravy13.

I'm sure that's okay under GN rules but where does it get us? You could (and have) given your opinion elsewhere. Why not let those who want to discuss a different aspect of "politics and news" do so instead of running it off the road?

If no one is interested that's fine.

Your doing it again 🤬

sundowngirl

Spinnaker

How rude you are PoliticsNerd and then you ask why others attack you. GG13 is perfectly within her rights to answer as she sees fit.

Spot on. PN frequently gives his/her opinion on many different threads but God forbid anyone disagrees

I have no problem with anyone anyone offering structured disagreement but:

Is it untrue that Torsten Bell is working along Rachel Reeves on the next budget?

Do I not have thd option to think it worth looking back on what he has said in the past?

Did the interview not take place nearly a year ago?

Did it not give a very good idea of his thinking?

Am I not allowed to ask others who may be interested to discuss what he had to say in this interview, in his book or in any other source they can share with us?

petra

PoliticsNerd

You have read (or not read) the OP and answered a completely different question GrannyGravy13.

I'm sure that's okay under GN rules but where does it get us? You could (and have) given your opinion elsewhere. Why not let those who want to discuss a different aspect of "politics and news" do so instead of running it off the road?

If no one is interested that's fine.

Your doing it again 🤬

You mean that as well as you have your say in a way that culturally suits you I'm requesting that others, including me, should be able to discuss in our way without being railroaded?

Then yes, I am "doing it again", and I am doing it because I thought GN welcomed all those over a certain age without discrimination.

Not all threads are for me or I may join it in, say, a more chatty mode if its that type of thread (I recently did on mascara). Some may not be what others want. Surely that's how it work - we are not interested in the same things, in the same way.

But that should not, surely, mean railroading a conversation that isn't about what you want to talk about or how you want to talk about it - or is that exactly how GN works - with people posting angry faces because someone else isn't their mirror image?

sundowngirl

Spinnaker

How rude you are PoliticsNerd and then you ask why others attack you. GG13 is perfectly within her rights to answer as she sees fit.

Spot on. PN frequently gives his/her opinion on many different threads but God forbid anyone disagrees

Personal attack. Yet another bullying post, aimed at a group of posters with whom this poster disagrees.

Allira

growstuff

Allira

He's an enemy of ordinary, hardworking people and of pensioners.
He is more rightwing than many Tories.

Eh? How is Torsten Bell rightwing?

Have you read his book, followed him when he was at the Resolution Foundation, listened to any of his podcasts or even watched this video?

Good grief, no! 😂
Why on earth would I want to do that?

But I can read balanced newspaper reports (in precise firm) , from different sources, of what his thoughts and ideas are.

Do you have any examples we could read? personally I'd rather go back to first hand sources, but if you have examples of objective newspaper reports, I'd be very interested.

petra

PoliticsNerd

You have read (or not read) the OP and answered a completely different question GrannyGravy13.

I'm sure that's okay under GN rules but where does it get us? You could (and have) given your opinion elsewhere. Why not let those who want to discuss a different aspect of "politics and news" do so instead of running it off the road?

If no one is interested that's fine.

Your doing it again 🤬

But she has a point.

If you watch the video, Bell hardly mentions taxes, so it is a different question/answer.

I was about to ask that growstuff.

Don’t do utube.

Googled Torsten Bell but didn’t get anything current about his thinking.

I will read your link later, PN ( currently enjoying the company of a two year old!) . I think that it is useful to learn about our policy makers.

I have only listened to the first few minutes due to lack of time at the moment, but he seems to be an optimist about our country and a patriot about our country, which was nice. He also seems to care about inequality and understands that inequality is bad for a country's economics, which is also good to hear. I hope to listen more later today.
Thank you for starting this post PoliticsNerd I hope it can lead to an interesting discussion.

Chocolatelovinggran

I will read your link later, PN ( currently enjoying the company of a two year old!) . I think that it is useful to learn about our policy makers.

Much more fun, Chocolatelovinggran! 😀
currently enjoying the company of a two year old!

Very brief summary of the video:

Bell talks about lack of growth in UK (true), increasing inequality (true), lack of investment in long-term infrastructure (true) and the influence of Alistair Darling on his thinking (can't know if that's true).

As the video was the starting point for the OP, it would be interesting to know what people think about those issues.

I think the lack of investment in our infrastructure and the rising inequality is what has lead to our lack of growth.
More equal countries have higher growth than we do.
Poorly maintained infrastructure puts off businesses from locating here, particularly in poorer areas of the country.

The previous and current Governments don't seem willing to make the investment required in either our infrastructure or in our people.
I don't know enough about Alistair Darling to comment on that, maybe when I have listened a bit more.

Torsten Bell is in favour of cancelling the pension triple lock, just saying…