Most Popular
1. It’s a New Macro, the Gold Market Knows It, But Dead Men Walking Do Not (yet)- Gary_Tanashian
2.Stock Market Presidential Election Cycle Seasonal Trend Analysis - Nadeem_Walayat
3. Bitcoin S&P Pattern - Nadeem_Walayat
4.Nvidia Blow Off Top - Flying High like the Phoenix too Close to the Sun - Nadeem_Walayat
4.U.S. financial market’s “Weimar phase” impact to your fiat and digital assets - Raymond_Matison
5. How to Profit from the Global Warming ClImate Change Mega Death Trend - Part1 - Nadeem_Walayat
7.Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast 2024 - - Nadeem_Walayat
8.The Bond Trade and Interest Rates - Nadeem_Walayat
9.It’s Easy to Scream Stocks Bubble! - Stephen_McBride
10.Fed’s Next Intertest Rate Move might not align with popular consensus - Richard_Mills
Last 7 days
Trump Stocks and Crypto Mania 2025 Incoming as Bitcoin Breaks Above $100k - 8th Dec 24
Gold Price Multiple Confirmations - Are You Ready? - 8th Dec 24
Gold Price Monster Upleg Lives - 8th Dec 24
Stock & Crypto Markets Going into December 2024 - 2nd Dec 24
US Presidential Election Year Stock Market Seasonal Trend - 29th Nov 24
Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past - 29th Nov 24
Gold After Trump Wins - 29th Nov 24
The AI Stocks, Housing, Inflation and Bitcoin Crypto Mega-trends - 27th Nov 24
Gold Price Ahead of the Thanksgiving Weekend - 27th Nov 24
Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast to June 2025 - 24th Nov 24
Stocks, Bitcoin and Crypto Markets Breaking Bad on Donald Trump Pump - 21st Nov 24
Gold Price To Re-Test $2,700 - 21st Nov 24
Stock Market Sentiment Speaks: This Is My Strong Warning To You - 21st Nov 24
Financial Crisis 2025 - This is Going to Shock People! - 21st Nov 24
Dubai Deluge - AI Tech Stocks Earnings Correction Opportunities - 18th Nov 24
Why President Trump Has NO Real Power - Deep State Military Industrial Complex - 8th Nov 24
Social Grant Increases and Serge Belamant Amid South Africa's New Political Landscape - 8th Nov 24
Is Forex Worth It? - 8th Nov 24
Nvidia Numero Uno in Count Down to President Donald Pump Election Victory - 5th Nov 24
Trump or Harris - Who Wins US Presidential Election 2024 Forecast Prediction - 5th Nov 24
Stock Market Brief in Count Down to US Election Result 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Gold Stocks’ Winter Rally 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Why Countdown to U.S. Recession is Underway - 3rd Nov 24
Stock Market Trend Forecast to Jan 2025 - 2nd Nov 24
President Donald PUMP Forecast to Win US Presidential Election 2024 - 1st Nov 24

Market Oracle FREE Newsletter

How to Protect your Wealth by Investing in AI Tech Stocks

Labour Governments Bankrupt Scorched Earth UK Economy for the Conservative Government

ElectionOracle / UK Debt May 31, 2009 - 12:25 AM GMT

By: Nadeem_Walayat

ElectionOracle

Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleThe Labour government is reeling from the MP expenses scandal that looks set to see as many as half of its members of parliament disappear at the next General Election. A recent opinion poll in the Times puts Labour trailing behind the fringe Euro-skeptic UKIP party at just 16%, with the opposition Conservatives at 30% are failing to fully capitalise on Labours meltdown due to their own crooked MP's, and the Lib Dem's similarly skimming along at a low 12%. Whilst this and similar polls are dire for the Labour party which do suggest electoral wipeout in the June 4th European Elections, however they do not represent what is likely to occur at the May 2010 General Election which this article will seek to elaborate upon.


In the course of updating the UK Recession Watch published last February that forecast peak to trough GDP contraction of 6.3%, and an economic recovery by the end of the this year, with subsequent analysis suggesting both a stealth stocks bull market and a bounce in the UK housing market, the most recent analysis to be published during June is increasingly suggestive of a clear strategy by the Labour Government of delivering a scorched earth economy to the new Conservative government whilst at the same time seeking to maximise the number of opposition MP's that the Labour party will able to field post May 2010.

The key evidence of the scorched earth policy is in the record 12% budget deficit that the government will run this year and the deployment of quantitative easing for the primarily purpose of monetizing government debt so as to prevent government bond auction failures which would force interest rates higher. Both of these are aimed at generating a false bounce in the economy as the eventual consequences of both is higher inflation and interest rates.

During the fourth quarter of 2008, the Labour government's goal was still to win the next general election and therefore the government response to the economic crisis was with a view towards leaving the country with an economy that was survivable in terms of electoral prospects at subsequent elections, which is why the government had at that time tried to both mask the amount of liabilities that the bankrupt banking system had forced onto the tax payers as well as tried to boost consumer spending without too much damage to the fiscal position of the countries finances by means of the £20 billion giveaway on VAT and other minor tax amendments.

In November 2008, the government had not truly realised the magnitude of the debt crisis that faced Britain with Alistair Darlings forecasts way below reality, as the government was in denial of what was taking place and continued to clutch at straws, just as we witnessed with the Bank of England throughout most of 2008 that remained paralysed into in action by the fear of inflation all the way into October 8th 2008 when Gordon Brown seized control of monetary policy and forced the Bank of England to cut interest rates by declaring the first of a series of interest rate cuts himself at the Prime Ministers despatch box and for the BOE to abandon inflation targeting in favour of trying to win the next election at any costs resulting in zero interest rates and quantitative easing.

The Debt Fueled Scorched Earth UK Economy

Inline with the new policy of a scorched earth economy, the Chancellor Alistair Darling in his recent budget statement started to come clean on the huge amount of debt that the country will need to borrow on just its visible official balance sheet as illustrated by the below graph.

Alistair Darling's forecast for government net borrowing for 2009 and 2010 in November 2008 totaled just £70 billion. However now the amount of borrowing has mushroomed to £350 billion, which is set against my November forecast of £405 billion for 2009 and 2010 alone, with continuing large budget deficits thereafter.

Alistair Darling also surprised many analysts by forecasting that the UK Economy would grow by 1.25% in 2010 and 3.5% in 2011. However we need to consider the following in that 1.25% growth on the annual GDP of £1.2 trillion equates to growth of just £15 billion and for 2011; 3.5% growth equates to just £42 billion. Therefore the government is borrowing a net £175 billion for 2009 and £175 billion for 2010 to generate £15 billion of growth, and then a further £140 billion for 2011 for £42 billion of growth. Thus total net borrowing of £490 billion to grow the economy by just £67 billion, (£595 billion my forecast) which shows the magnitude of the scorched earth economic policy now implemented that literally aims to hand the next Conservative government a bankrupted economy that will be lumbered with the consequences of continuing huge budget deficits throughout the life time of the next parliament and therefore sow the seeds for a strong Labour victory at the 2014-2015 General Election.

Bankrupt Banks Bankrupting Britain

Whilst some £500 - £600 billion of net borrowing over the next 3 years might sound alarming, however it literally marks the tip of the debt iceberg when it comes to Britians total liabilities that are set to grow from £1.75 billion at the end of 2007 to £3.9 trillion by the end of 2010 as a consequence of the £2 trillion of liabilities of the bankrupt banking sector being ceremoniously dumped onto the tax payers in addition to the deficit spending of £600 billion.

The consequences of all this deficit spending and growth in liabilities is highly inflationary as printing money eventually leads to hyperinflation as 1920's Weimar Germany found out, so Britain IS sowing the seeds of much higher inflation, maybe not this year and for the first half of 2010 as recent inflation analysis illustrated, but there will be a deficit spending and quantitative easing day of reckoning in terms of economic stagnation coupled with high inflation that will land on David Cameron's lap.

In conclusion, the Labour government's primary objective now is to deliver David Cameron's Conservative government a scorched earth economy whilst at the same time engineering a debt fueled economic bounce to maximise the number of seats the party will be able to muster in opposition, therefore current opinion polls and projections of seats at the next election grossly under-estimate the actual number of seats Labour will win.

The in depth updated analysis and forecast for the UK economy is near completion, to receive this by email subscribe to my always free newsletter.

By Nadeem Walayat
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Copyright © 2005-09 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved.

Nadeem Walayat has over 20 years experience of trading derivatives, portfolio management and analysing the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem's forward looking analysis specialises on the housing market and interest rates. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. We present in-depth analysis from over 250 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets. Thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities.

Nadeem Walayat Archive

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


Comments

James Raider
31 May 09, 01:06
SCORCHED EARTH ECONOMY?

Perhaps that is what is awaiting the U.S. if the Administration continues its plans unabated.

Obama is adding a whole new level of risk to investments – political risk. With GM and Chrysler as examples of overzealous government intrusion, and being very indicative of the overall climate in Washington, unionized companies and those encumbered with legacy liabilities, can expect to encounter serious difficulties raising capital in the foreseeable future.

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2009/05/obamas-not-so-private-economic.html

In the meantime on Wall Street, Geithner’s buddies will continue to be bailed, make billions, replenish their coffers, and taxpayers won’t know the hows, whens or whats. Obama evidently understands little of what they’re up to.


Voter
31 May 09, 01:13
UK Debt

My fear is that Brown is getting away with killing this country.

The furore in respect of MP's expenses is concealing the fact that Brown and his Labour cronies are responsible for the ruination of our fiscal status. They have destroyed the finest pension system, incurred unquantifiable debt with nothing to show for it except for the ego of a lunatic labour ideal, broken every promise they ever made, lied to the voters in that the full extent of their disastrous regime is yet to be revealed.

The most telling effect is that every individual in the country has suffered a fall in their standard of living with the possible exception of MP's who have by dubious means taken advantage of the Country they are supposed to protect.

Yes I believe we would be a lot better off trading with but not dictated to by Europe!

My fear is that Labour will spin the results to their advantage when anybody of a right mind knows that they are to blame for 99.99% of the present ills we are presently suffering.

They are a disgraceful bunch of self serving, greedy gits not fit to have such privileged positions.


Peter
31 May 09, 01:17
bankrupt Britain

Of course its the "little things", bankrupt Britain is a result of mindless government incompetence. Based on an arrogance that they could continue to extract taxes from a bloated and short term bonus riddled financial sector. Its the contempt shown by the majority of MP's that is most illuminating


Post Comment

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in