Spend or Cut? The graph that suggests austerity isn't working

As the UK enters recession again and politicians in Westminster argue about austerity versus Keynesian investment for growth, it is worthwhile reflecting on the graphic below that charts quarterly growth and decline in UK GDP.

Of note is how, after five periods of decline that marked the 2008-09 recession, the economy picked up and experienced five quarters of growth, peaking with a 1.1% change in the second quarter of 2010.  At that moment Labour lost power to the Coalition Government and it is all too obvious from the graphic that the age of austerity cannot lay claim to any great relationship with growth. 

The Coalition Government position appears to be that keeping the money markets happy through an austerity package is far more important than taking deliberate actions to stimulate growth.  This is contrary to the actions of the last Labour Government, and as the graphic demonstrates, the economy was moving in the right direction when Labour lost power.

A full interactive map of the EU recession, providing a country-by-county overview of the past few years, is well worth a visit at http://t.co/PQcgMUoV

Sign the petition to Save Derbyshire Youth Services

A public petition has been set up calling on Derbyshire County Council to abandon its proposals to cut youth service funding and to maintain its direct universal youth services provision. 

The Petition states:

We the undersigned oppose Derbyshire County Council's plans to close its Youth Centres and make up to 157 Youth Workers redundant. Under the Conservative led government young people are at risk of becoming a lost generation, being the target of national and local spending cuts. Young people are facing the highest unemployment levels in decades, the trebling of tuition fees, the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance and in Derbyshire are having to pay more for public transport because of the b_line cuts. They now face the loss of youth services which provide access to a wide range of social and cultural activities, health advice and general support. We call on Derbyshire County Council to retain the current directly provided universal youth service.

To sign the petition go to:

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/have_your_say/Petitions/details/default.asp?PetitionID=190

The petition will be open until 10 April 2012. 

Cameron's NHS plans will cost £45 million in Derbyshire alone

Labour has revealed the hidden cost of the Government’s wasteful NHS reorganisation in Derbyshire. New guidelines will force the local NHS to put aside £45.2 million from their budget this year and next to pay for a costly NHS restructure that David Cameron repeatedly ruled out. 

These shocking new figures show the Government’s reorganisation is costing the NHS even more than we first feared. It is scandalous that they are telling our local NHS to hold back millions of pounds for their own reckless plans while thousands of nursing jobs are being axed. 

Derbyshire has already seen a 109% increase in the number of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment since Cameron became Prime Minister.

Before his plans are even fully through Parliament, David Cameron's reorganisation is hitting the NHS hard and costs are now topping £3.4bn across the country for the first time. Spending this amount on an unnecessary reorganisation is totally unjustifiable when every single penny should be focused on maintaining standards of care.

At the election Cameron ruled out top-down NHS reorganisations. But only weeks after entering Number 10, he ripped up his own words and  ordered the biggest and most dangerous upheaval of the NHS since it began.

The financial request is buried in the Government’s new NHS 'Operating Framework' document and takes the nationwide cost of the NHS reorganisation above  previous   estimates of £2-3bn, with Primary Care Trusts now holding back £3.44bn over two years. 

Show you have faith in the NHS. Take part in the Drop the Bill campaign by signing the petition at dropthebill.com and by signing the Government e-petition calling on the Government to drop its Health and Social Care Bill. 

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