Comments for Social Liberal Forum

Comment on Message to Nick Clegg: spread the pain, don’t just cut services by James Graham

James Graham — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:02:14 +0000

Neil,

What you say is true but you can only cut so much in public spending before eating into services.

Our main concern is that Clegg has emphasised that the Lib Dems would focus only on spending cuts and not consider tax rises, something even the Tories don’t rule out. I’m not sure that’s the line agreed by the manifesto group and it certainly isn’t one we would agree with.

Comment on Message to Nick Clegg: spread the pain, don’t just cut services by Liberal Neil

Liberal Neil — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:28:07 +0000

I don’t think you are right to describe the policy as ‘rely on spending cuts’. The Lib Dem manifesto is a combination of reductions in spending COMBINED WITH a significant shift in the burden of taxation from poor to rich and on to pollution.

It is also the case that cuts in sending do not necessarily mean cuts in services.

For example, if we axed OFSTED tomorrow it would be a spending cut but would not reduce public services one iota. Indeed the immediate improvement in the morale of teachers might mean an improvement in service!

Personally I am all in favour of cutting public spending which adds no value to the services people get, particularly if it is part of a package that hands money to the low paid.

Comment on Spring Conference News by Neil Stretton

Neil Stretton — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:14:14 +0000

As with Andrew Hickey, I won’t be at the Spring Conference; but I would love to know what’s planned for the Forum, how you’re going to set up membership and activities and find out generally how to get involved. I’d also be fascinated to find out what (if any !) relationship you’re going to have with the Beveridge Group, if that Group is likely to continue with the formation of the SLF (obviously there are likely to be many ‘joint’ members – in Parliament if nowhere else !) and how the Forum will link with other Lib Dem organisations (or ‘non-aligned’ groups such as Compass and Unlock Democracy).

Comment on Spring Conference News by James Graham

James Graham — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:55:09 +0000

Great! We’re not planning on having the actual elections at the meeting, so there will be plenty of chances to get involved.

Comment on Spring Conference News by Andrew Hickey

Andrew Hickey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:46 +0000

I won’t be able to make it to conference this year, but am definitely interested in becoming a member…

Comment on Manifesto Priorities – A Statement from the Social Liberal Forum Executive by Aubrey Meyer

Aubrey Meyer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:00:47 +0000

Neil suggested some explanation of Contraction and Convergence [C&C].

Here are links to a couple of C&C related documents that may help this: -
http://www.tangentfilms.com/C&C29sept.pdf
http://www.tangentfilms.com/GCIEAC10nov09.pdf

Comment on Robin Hood Tax? Beware the men in tights by Marc

Marc — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:41:41 +0000

The original purpose of the Tobin Tax was to stop speculative financial transactions, like when George Soros sold sterling short leading to Black Wednesday. Normally such speculators are working on very small margins so they have to buy and sell vast quantities of currency. The movements in the market caused by such speculation can lead to panic selling and the speculation that a currency is going to collapse becomes self fulfilling. With a Tobin tax that initial speculative selling becomes uneconomical meaning the currency has far more chance of remaining stable.
As a method of preventing markets from overheating through speculation the Tobin tax seems a good solution.

Comment on Robin Hood Tax? Beware the men in tights by James Graham

James Graham — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:27:32 +0000

Joe,

It isn’t clear from your comment if you’re in favour of a Tobin Tax or the Robin Hood Tax, something which its own website states would have the exact opposite aim of the former (ie raise a lot of money and not change behaviour as opposed to raise a small amount of money and change behaviour).

Comment on Robin Hood Tax? Beware the men in tights by Joe

Joe — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:25:15 +0000

I’m all for a tobin tax but I think the claims of the amounts that would be generated by this tax are greatly exagerated, it appears that they have said X traded and if we took 0.05% of X we would make Y however they dont take into account the fact that the tax would change X, its kinda like a buisness expecting to double their prices and double their profits

That said I’m still all for it, it would still make a reasonable amount of tax and the only area that it would really hurt is automated high frequency trading which arguably serves no socialy usefull purpose a all, probably the greatest waste in the banking sector is that many of the greatest minds are trying to work out algorithm’s to work out what a stock will be worth in a few seconds rather than what is a good genuine investment, a tobin tax would definately change that

Comment on Robin Hood Tax? Beware the men in tights by The Robin Hood Tax « Freethinking Economist

The Robin Hood Tax « Freethinking Economist — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:15:00 +0000

[...] with the advert. It seems to imply: “this is infinitessimally small, this tax. 0.05%! Compare that to [...]