Lord Young (senior adviser to David Cameron) forced into grovelling apology over recession commments

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Patrick Wintour, political editor
Friday November 19 2010

Lord Young, the prime minister's enterprise adviser, was forced to issue a grovelling apology last night after he claimed most Britons "had never had it so good during this so called recession".

He had also suggested that George Osborne, the chancellor, had deliberately inflated the rhetoric around the spending cuts to protect the pound.

He claimed that in a few years people would look back and wonder what all the fuss was about, and said most of the complaints were coming from those who thought the state had a right to support them. He also described the loss of 100,000 public sector jobs a year as within the margin of error in the context of a jobs market of 30m workers, adding "people will wonder what all the fuss was about".

His remarks were seen as an offensive throwback to Thatcher-era harsh rhetoric, and are bound to lead to Labour calls for his dismissal as enterprise tsar on the grounds he is totally out of touch with the squeeze on living standards almost all voters are experiencing. Cameron had just appointed Lord Young to the post after he had overseen a review of Britain's health and safety rules. The PM has been desperate to portray the cuts as difficult, but necessary medicine even if he has on occasion himself pointed out that the cuts will still leave the public sector as a proportion of GDP back at quite recent levels.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/19/lord-young-grovelling-apology

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Looks like Britain punked themselves in the last election and got neo-Thatcherism...


David Cameron with Lord Young.

Lord Young, senior Tory adviser to David Cameron, taunts struggling Brits by claiming they've "never had it so good"

By Tom Parry 11/19/2010

One of David Cameron's senior Tory advisers last night taunted thousands of struggling Britons by claiming they've "never had it so good".

Multi-millionaire Lord Young of Graffham said record low interest rates since the start of "this so-called recession" had left many homeowners £600 a month better off.

Lord Young, Trade and Industry Secretary under Margaret Thatcher, suggested that those complaining about the ConDem cuts were "people who think they have a right for the state to support them".

The peer, 78, said: "For the vast majority in the country today, they have never had it so good ever since this recession - this so-called recession - started."

It was a reference to the "never had it so good" speech made by Tory PM Harold Mac-millan in 1957. A Labour spokesman said the cuts would result in a million people losing their jobs and the comments proved the ConDems are out of touch.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/19/lord-young-senior-tory-adviser-to-david-cameron-taunts-struggling-brits-by-claiming-they-ve-never-had-it-so-good-115875-22724218/

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Lord Young: Margaret Thatcher's old hand pulling Whitehall strings

Lord Young of Graffham was one of three Tory peers who made their names under Margaret Thatcher to be given key roles in the Coalition.

Along with Lord Brittan and Lord Heseltine, Lord Young operates at the heart of the Coalition. He has just completed a review of health and safety rules for David Cameron and is embarking on a review of red tape facing small firms.

Lord Young, 78, is Thatcherite to his core. After a successful career in business, he was hired in 1979 to advise Keith Joseph, then industry secretary, on the privatisation of state-owned businesses.

He was made a life peer in 1984, joining Mrs Thatcher’s Cabinet as unpaid minister without portfolio, later becoming employment secretary and then trade and industry secretary, before leaving government in 1989.

The years out of mainstream politics have not dimmed his Right-wing instincts, many of which will be shared by large numbers of grassroots Conservatives.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/8144939/Lord-Young-Margaret-Thatchers-old-hand-pulling-Whitehall-strings.html

[myrna minx]

1. Ah, another entitled, haughty "beautiful mind' to protect from the

unwashed masses and their invented problems, you know, like hunger. :puke:

[LeftishBrit]

2. Stupid idiot!

[sendero]

3. Reminds me of Phil Gramm..

... a couple of years ago calling us "a nation of whiners".

Haven't heard much from that malignant jackass lately, now if Newt would just shut the fuck up.

[dipsydoodle]

4. I meant Tory peers have never had it so good, clarifies Lord Young

Lord Young has apologised to the Prime Minister for a newspaper interview in which he downplayed the effects of the recession, explaining that he meant Tory peers have never had it so good.

The newly-appointed government Enterprise advisor was talking to the Daily Telegraph, when he meant to tell them that Tory peers have never had it so good as during the so-called recession.

Lord Young told reporters, “The point I was making is that having Lord in front of your name pretty much makes you recession proof.”

“Even if you’re one of the rubbish ones like Lord Coe. He’s not going to be on a dole line any time soon.”

http://newsthump.com/2010/11/19/i-meant-tory-peers-have-never-had-it-so-good-clarifies-lord-young/

[Turborama]

5. LOL, good one! He's resigned now, as you may know already...

Lord Young quits over 'never had it so good' gaffe

The Conservatives suffered their first embarrassing resignation since the election today after Lord Young quit as enterprise adviser to David Cameron.

Young caused controversy by saying Britons had "never had it so good" in this "so-called recession", prompting frustration in No 10 and provoking a welter of criticism from Labour.

Downing Street sources said Young had been upset by the furore and had thought about his position overnight. He did not want to cause the government any future embarrassment, so he decided to resign.

=snip=

Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of the Unite union, said Young had "let the mask slip". He went on: "His Thatcherite claptrap shows that this country has passed into the hands of an out-of-touch, unaccountable elite. But Lord Young has done the people of this county a favour – now we know exactly what this government thinks of them."

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/19/lord-young-quits-over-never-had-it-so-good-gaffe

Bye to him :hi:

And hi to you :hi:

[herbm]

6. He's unemployed? He never had it so good. Within that margin of error I hope.

[gratuitous]

8. Another difference between British conservatives and American ones

Lord Young resigns over his nincompoop comments. In the States, that's practically a requirement (viz. newly-minted Rep. Andy Harris, who wants his government health care NOW and fuck all the rest of youse).

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. you get what you vote for. just like we are about to find out (again)

[LeftishBrit]

10. Or in our case, we get what 36% of us voted for.

Our antiquated first-past-the-post system, combined with Nick Clegg's similarity to a weathercock, has let us down badly. Again.

You have election fraud. We don't need to. Our electoral system is a fraud to start with.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. ouch. that sucks and admittedly i didnt know this at all. sorry to hear that

[Dappleganger]

9. Typical robber baron mentality.