Actually, his famous example was that burying bottles of money for people to dig up would be better than nothing but better still would be building houses.

I think this is one of those rare occasions that you and I agree.
The sort of stimulus that I was meaning is the sort that you are mentioning here.

Either way, I don't see Osborne either burying bottles or deficit-spending on infrastructure roads/housing etc.

I do see in the NHS bill a new Quango to take the responsibility away from the Minister for Health though.
The bonfire of the quangos does seem to have been curiously selective.

Are you of the Dally persuasion? i.e. believing that the NHS is inefficient? Despite international reports saying that compared with US private medicine, it provides far netter value for money?

As for benefits, you and I will never agree.
What with me being a Champagne Socialist and all.

I am not sure I have ever ranted about the NHS being inefficient in that sense? I have relayed personal experience of poor practice and laziness / incompetence of staff but that's not specifically what you are talking about.

I would add that last week I had personal experience of the NHS and the particular unit I went to was superb and a far cry from many other hospital experiences we have had with my daughter over recent years. The unit I visited had a smart, comfortable, carpeted reception area, appeared to have been newly refurbished / painted, the nurse who took my details was excellent, I didn't have to hang around for hours, the procedure well conducted by a personable surgeon, they offered me food and drink when I came round. It was on a par with a private hospital. So, in certain areas the NHS can be very good. Seems to me that OAP and children's care is often abyssmal and working age people get a better deal, usually?

Indeed! Any money spent on education, the NHS, the fire services, the judiciary, policing and similar things is money frittered away on something that's not part of the "the real world" © Sal Paradise.

Just think of all that money wasted on massive expense accounts for carers.

Just think if he hadn't wasted all that money he would have been able to do all the good stuff you mention above without the need to increase the deficit quite so much?

You are a weird one - you get a bee in your bonnet and it clouds virtually every post you make. First it was MRSA, a storm in a teacup, next its supermarkets and mind bending, then its let's get companies to reduce profits by employing a host of people they don't need just to be nice - Real World thinking!!, then its Tescos doing the government a favour, then its the unions, then its expense accounts, etc. You defend the lowly paid from on high - hypocritical or what? For someone who doesn't post much you sure have a host of myopic views.

Your arguments revolve around missing out the stuff you know your beat on and trying to focus on the stuff that's left. You post knowing you can post whatever you like because your boyfriend will ensure a ban is never coming your way!!

I had heart surgery during the year and the NHS was superb a much improved service under Labour. Is there room for improved processes - only a fool would believe there isn't room for improvement. Is it as good as the French model - perhaps not.

On benefits we will never agree so no point wasting time

The key to Sal's post is the word INEFFICENT.

I think anyone who lives in the UK has a right to know at least this;

1) Why are we spending one billion pounds on one tube station in London (Tottenham Court Road -look it up) as part of the Crossrail contract. And how does that benefit the 70 precent of the people in the UK who don't visit London more than once a year?

2) Why are four of the five busiest airports in the UK in the South East, and why is that idiot Boris trying to get agreement to build another airport in the Thames Estuary?

3) There is a world outside the South East. Airports where people live might be a start. Recognise it.

Bloody hell Billy they will have the Olympics in London next

Get yourself down the M1 and enjoy the benefits of the south

What, living on top of everyone and having 3.5 M2 per person to live in? Marvellous! Or should that be amaaaaazing?