Comments on: Why Budget Deficits are Bad for the Economy and Why Sir Samuel Brittan is Wrong http://www.cobdencentre.org/2009/10/deficits/ For honest money and social progress Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:29:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Happy days are here again? Another view from the City » The Cobden Centre http://www.cobdencentre.org/2009/10/deficits/comment-page-1/#comment-92 Happy days are here again? Another view from the City » The Cobden Centre Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:21:35 +0000 http://www.cobdencentre.org/?p=1223#comment-92 [...] Why Budget Deficits are Bad for the Economy and Why Sir Samuel Brittan is Wrong [...] [...] Why Budget Deficits are Bad for the Economy and Why Sir Samuel Brittan is Wrong [...]

]]> By: Baxendale on Deficits | Austrian Economics Blog http://www.cobdencentre.org/2009/10/deficits/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Baxendale on Deficits | Austrian Economics Blog Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:20:55 +0000 http://www.cobdencentre.org/?p=1223#comment-47 [...] Baxendale takes on Sir Samuel Brittan to explain that deficit spending creates no new jobs or [...] [...] Baxendale takes on Sir Samuel Brittan to explain that deficit spending creates no new jobs or [...]

]]> By: Steven Baker http://www.cobdencentre.org/2009/10/deficits/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Steven Baker Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:22:35 +0000 http://www.cobdencentre.org/?p=1223#comment-45 Well said. As the Conservatives meet this week in Manchester, it is a good time to be reminded that Manchester Liberalism -- the Liberalism of Cobden -- was free market capitalism in the interests of everyone, particularly the working man. What passes today as free-market capitalism bears little relation. <a href="http://www.cps.org.uk/cps_catalog/Benefit_simplification.html" rel="nofollow"><img class="alignright" src="http://www.cps.org.uk/cps_catalog/Benefit%20simplification.png" border="0" alt="" width="75" height="109" /></a>On benefits, see also <a href="http://www.cps.org.uk/cps_catalog/Benefit_simplification.html" rel="nofollow">Benefit Simplification</a>, in which David Martin explains the horrendous nightmare that is the benefit system today. Having worked on computer systems for HMRC, it comes as no surprise to me, but forced to survey the whole system, I am astonished anyone tolerates it. Martin proposes: <blockquote>An integrated system will allow much of the current complexity to be eliminated – and for the level of spending on the main benefits to be more amenable to democratic control. An integrated system would involve creating a single agency to offer a localised and complete service in which many claimants would become personally known.</blockquote> It all seems to go with the grain, including the work of <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/3704883" rel="nofollow">Carswell and Hannan</a>, <a href="http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">The Centre for Social Justice</a>, <a href="http://www.reform.co.uk/Research/Welfare/WelfareArticles/tabid/111/smid/378/ArticleID/631/reftab/72/t/Reforming%20welfare/Default.aspx" rel="nofollow">Reform</a> and others. Well said. As the Conservatives meet this week in Manchester, it is a good time to be reminded that Manchester Liberalism — the Liberalism of Cobden — was free market capitalism in the interests of everyone, particularly the working man. What passes today as free-market capitalism bears little relation.

On benefits, see also Benefit Simplification, in which David Martin explains the horrendous nightmare that is the benefit system today.

Having worked on computer systems for HMRC, it comes as no surprise to me, but forced to survey the whole system, I am astonished anyone tolerates it.

Martin proposes:

An integrated system will allow much of the current complexity to be eliminated – and for the level of spending on the main benefits to be more amenable to democratic control.

An integrated system would involve creating a single agency to offer a localised and complete service in which many claimants would become personally known.

It all seems to go with the grain, including the work of Carswell and Hannan, The Centre for Social Justice, Reform and others.

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