@countmein

I agree..

The massive public sector of worthless jobs with no career development/prospects is one of the reasons why the deficit is so high. The Tories are trying to reverse this back down to manageable levels albeit in the worse period of all time. If they didn't the deficit would only accumulate even quicker.

So in this article it says the state has a duty to employ people. Wouldn't that mean more borrowing? we know what that leads to...

This is now the narrative of the Nasty, Lying Tories, let`s blame everything on the Euro Zone and the Labour party?, All we need now is a bit of snow and BINGO!!, the Tories will have all their excuses til 2015!!, they are pathetic!, Gideon and Flashmans competence is non existant!, 18 months of non stop excuses, with another three years worth to come?, most of the UK domestic problems are solely down to the "Devil take the Hindmost" ideology of an increasingly out of touch, uncaring Tory party!, people are losing their jobs NOW!!, people have no jobs NOW!!, the Nasty party has been, and is putting people out of work with the presumption that the private sector would absorb all these job losses!, but yet again they`re way off the mark!, even though they were told this before hand!, and to those who say well they`ve got to cut spending, and it`s what they inherited, i bet you wouldn`t be saying that if it`s your job that`s lost?, and you would be pissed off if you heared it`s a price worth paying?, but what else should we expect from an out of touch bunch of Condescending Multi Millionaires like Gideon and Flashman!!, and their groupie apoligists on here?, Pathetic!!.

We have to borrow to fund all the JSA that is getting paid. How does the Exchequer benefit if people stop paying Income Tax and PAYE and have to live on benefits.

People forget, Public sector workers actually spend money which benefits the private sector.

With the private sector shedding jobs, Luddite is correct, Osborne has created an environment for business.

Matthew fox: good morning.. but in your case it will be good afternoon.. Doctors, Nurses, I don't mind paying Doctors, but i do mind paying some £100.000 plus pension, as for nurses i wish some would show a little bit more compassion were our elderly are concerned. Fire brigade!! Matthew why are will still sending a 'whole' fire engine with full crew to a cat up a tree? when a man in a Ford Transit would do...

matthew fox: What's the matter mate ran-out of cheap cider? The private sector can no longer carry this state baggage, and who ever said repairing the damage done by your economically discredited previous Labour government would be easy or painless. In the private sector, if you can't quantify your position you don't have a job. How many in the public sector can quantify their positions.. 1%.. Hard working people are getting tired of carrying unwanted baggage.. The state is to big and no longer affordable.

I think Luddite access to the internet seems to be very limited.

Retail, Financial and Construction are all shedding jobs. The CBI issued a gloomy manufacturing report, the other week, heralding job losses in that sector.

Come on Luddite, stop contradicting yourself, the private sector was the great hope, they where suppose to save the economy, now your telling me, we have to cut the public payroll to save the private sector.

What will tomorrow's argument be?

We've also got to keep unemployment and growth in perspective. Britain is in the same deep hole as the rest of Europe and America, and the solution isn't just in our hands. The rest of Europe and America will have to work together on this problem, otherwise its not going to be solved. We can't do it on our own.
Perhaps our politicians aren't up to it, ie imposing those savage measures, and we may have to go down the route of a technocratic Govt, like some other countries

"In times of economic crisis, the state has a duty to act as the employer of last resort,"

I don't know where this idea comes from. What sort of duty is it? Moral legal? Economic? What sort of jobs does it have a "duty" to create? Social workers? Equalities officers? Accountants?

Did you notice the Govt offered the Public Sector workers a 15 min comfort break and keep their days wages, instead of the full scale Day of Action on 30 Nov. I think the Workers told Dave where he could put his proposal.
People have the wrong idea about Unions and strikes; its not only jobs they are concerned about; its investing in the future and the generation to come.

Jobs crisis ? YIPEE !
Beggars belief that the political class continues to give us health benefits scroungers so much grief.
They try to coerce us on to work related benefits (ESA, JSA), but, WHAT WORK ?!

Matthew fox: I was only taking the piss!!! "Labour destroying HNS dentistry" Mmmm.. Try finding a decent NHS dentist these days after Labour's disastrous dental reforms of the 1990s!!!
Patient Association, The care Quality commission. Here's just one quote!!

The Care Quality Commission carried out unannounced visits at 100 hospitals to assess dignity and nutrition standards.

It identified concerns in 55 cases, describing the findings as "alarming".

Common areas of concern included a lack of support for those who needed help eating, poor hygiene and curtains not being closed properly.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said he would encourage whistle-blowers to highlight any concerns they had about the standard of hospital care for the elderly.

He said: "We expect that staff across the NHS, if they see examples of poor care they blow the whistle on that, which is precisely why we have introduced changes to the staff contract."

The inspections were ordered by Mr Lansley after several highly critical reports by campaigners, including the Patients Association.

The 100 sites inspected - representing more than a third of the total number in England - were chosen through a combination of random selection and because previous research had flagged up concerns about standards. Like i said 1% it's not be slagging-off our wonderful little angels..