AUSTERITY - CIVIL UNREST IN THE UK ?

[olddutch]

Although, the European Union (EU) has said it is close to approving the details of an emergency plan to help tackle Greece crippling debt protesters in Athens clashed with police as a group tried to force its way into the Greek finance ministry.

Police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators to disperse the crowd as the unrest flared over austerity measures that may be taken in return for a massive bailout deal. The outbreaks came after Greece began talks over extra budget cuts as conditions for the bailout loans. These cuts would be in addition to an already mooted austerity drive aimed at reducing the nation's public deficit, which is more than four times bigger than the EU limit.

The unions in Greece have now called a general strike for 5 May . More Riots on the Greek streets today.

The mood is increasingly against any bailout and the Greek prime minister has said the country is in a battle for survival.

The UK National Deficit is very near that of Greece.

So will the Greek Present of civil unrest become UK Future when draconian austerity cuts and mammoth tax increases hit us after the Election ?

How will ordinary working people react in the UK when an unparalleled austerity eventually hits us soon ?

[VHG]

I heard on the news the other day that one of the reasons why the German people were so reluctant to bail out Greece is that while German government workers have to work till 64/65 and then retire, those in Greece retire at 58/59.

So it could be argued why should Germany help bale out Greece to pay for people retiring at 59.

I also see the EU want to increase their budget to 113 BILLION POUNDS (when everyone else is tighening their belt)

http://www.telegraph....-budget-increase.html

This is, I hope, the begining of the collapse of the EU.

[VHG]

And to answer your specific question about UK unrest.

The British are generally reluctant to get off their backsides and protest. The only major ones I can think of are the Poll Tax "riots" and maybe the miners strike in the recent past (plus smaller protests like the petrol tanker drivers). Any others?

Other countires seem to take to the streets on a regular basis, the French for example.

I think it would take a LOT for the British to rise up.

However, Brown and nu Labour have put us in such a economic debt, and flooded the country with immigrants, that if things DO get bad we made see such riots.

If lots of people start losing their jobs, and taxes go up, and benefits go down, and we keep having to pay out a fortune for the EU, there could be a lot of very unhappy people around.

Mind you, they would have to stage the riots before Britain's Got Talent is on :-)

[anotheoldgit]

Sorry olddutch I didn't notice you had already posted on this subject..

The politicians may come to regret their multi-racial, unlimited immigration policies.

Because when these measures come to affect the immigrants of this country, they will not be prepared to accept things as lightly, as the tolerant indigenous population have done for years.

[olddutch]

VHG

thanks for your good expansive answer - i think we've all got our heads in the sand over this - understandably maybe - politicians included - its frightening to properly contemplate what will happen when our day of reckoning hits - and that that day will turn to years and years of struggle and hardship for so many people in this country.

AOG - I think tolerance may well turn to intolerence unless the politicians properly address the issues of the EU and Immigration and really take on board what the majority want.

[BillyBB]

No need for unrest now, public sector just strike and get more cash. The Labour party would be bankrupt if not for Union donations so they cannot resist. Idiots can't run a political party without ruining it financially so how anyone expects them to run a whole country . . . .

Plus the national debt is now so large you simply cannot comprehend the amount involved. See counter here http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/ going up by thousands of pounds every second. Sad fact is that nobody seems interested and yet this will undermine everything any government tries to do for years to come no matter who wins.

Not quite sure what the Greeks think they can gain by rioting?

[BillyBB]

Not quite sure what the Greeks think they can gain by rioting? There is no money, there is no money. Just like I cannot buy food when my overdraft and credit cards are maxxed out, the govt cannot endlessy pay out or borrow more.
Just like our lot the Greeks rely on investors buying the gilts and if the risk of default is too high the rates become unaffordable or nobody buys.
The Greeks seem to imagine that they can just print money and everything will be wonderful. However government printing money does not increase a countries wealth, it just decreases the value of all the other money. We got away with it but the 200bn must be paid back and removed from the economy before inflation (devaluation) hits too hard. The Greeks will be limited from printing short term money by their membership of the Euro.
On a further note, due to our ratification of the Lisbon Treaty we here in the UK will now be liable for up to 7 billion of the Greek bailout.

On a positive note the Lisbon Treaty seals the deal that the other european countries will be obliged to help by sending troops if any UK territory is invaded. Say, the Falkland Islands. Fat chance.

[Quinlad]

I don't think austerity itself will cause unrest here.

The British tend to demonstrate against unfairness, rather than being hit in the pocket.

It's when the justification for unpopular economic measures is wrong that people refuse to stand for it. The Poll Tax being a good example.