UK standard of living drops below 2005 level

It’s quite a claim on the last day of the decade as we push towards a new era with the advent of the demise of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Given the size of the claim does it stack up against the even bigger claim by Gordon Brown to have ended boom and bust and that Britain was better positioned than others to weather the recession? Considering that Britain is still in recession whilst every other G20 country has prospered one has to consider the claim by the Oxford Economics ThinkTank to be factual.

There are a number of economists who believe the country returned to growth within the Q4 2009 though considering the artificial spending patterns in November and December and the last minute rush to gain what can be gained from the reduced VAT rate there are a growing number of economists who believe this growth,if real at all to be unsustainable.

It has already been proved that this year has seen the worst performance for our economy since the 1920′s and year on year both Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown are forced to come to the despatch box and state their figures are to be revised.

Oxford Economics findings state that GDP per person fell to £22,700 on average in 2009, down from £23,000 in 2005 after inflation adjustment – a fall of 1.3%. In Labour’s first two terms GDP per head grew 12.6% and 8.3% respectively.

Supposing there may be some recovery in economic growth in 2010, Oxford Economics expects GDP per head to be £22,775 next year (measured in 2009 prices) – which in reality is a reduction in living standards equivalent to £225 per person when compared with 2005.

Adrian Cooper, the managing director of Oxford Economics went on record with the following statement

The decline in UK GDP per capita over the last four years contrasts markedly with the improvements seen over the Labour government’s first two terms

…he further stated

Coupled with the tax rises to be implemented over the coming years – starting on 1 January 2010 – this research underlines the new age of austerity facing the UK economy

There are oh so many woes for this Government but unfortunately that means there are oh so many woes for this country ahead of the General Election #GE10.

We’ve said it before and we reiterate it people, please use your vote and use it wisely.

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• RT @measured: RT @KalvisJansons: Cost of Govt scheme to avoid repossession is £165k per house: expensive tokenism. http://url4.eu/xxb0 #
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• RT @eljmayes: John Hutton is my new favourite #Labour MP after his comment that Brown "would be a disaster as PM". Medal?! #LabourLost #
• RT @measured: @patently 4x4s mentioned by me last night that no. will halve over 5 yrs as living standards fall #labourlost #LabourOutNow #
• RT @measured: Dismayed that BBC is severely reducing the no. of foreign correspondents. Hits BBC World Service. #labourlost #LabourOutNOW #
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• RT @firebird2110: If OFSTED misunderstood childcare regulations as Balls claimed why do they need to amend them? #LabourLost #WeLoveHomeEd #
• RT @firebird2110: Balls response to Tory schools plan is so weak it's like he's already given up and knows #LabourLost http://bit.ly/666Dkj #
• RT @philipcmeyer: The campaign starts here!!! @KerryMP for #labourlost leader. @BevaniteEllie to be her Malcolm Tucker. #
• New Blog Post: So, how will you vote? http://bit.ly/5P7zMW #
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• RT @ToryDoc: Just had labour lflt through with dodgy spam leaflets inside, nice to know how they're funded. #labourfail #labourlost #boycott #
• RT @the71: Textbook #NuLab 'Rob Peter to pay Paul'. This time with defence equip & bases. Oh dear Gordon. http://bit.ly/4AdSZB #LabourLost #
• RT @ToryDoc: Harman to 'rethink' equality chief's £1,000 a day http://bit.ly/4pCElo /via @guardiannews <-dam right! #Laboufail #LabourLost #
• RT @eljmayes: @OxfordSpring Not much to discuss. Ainsworth, bigger liability than a rug on a polished floor- http://bit.ly/I9mi3 #LabourLost #
• RT @WicksieSnr: RT @politicshomeuk:Gov bring fwd law to block non-dom legislators http://tinyurl.com/ydbzcj8 – No original ideas #LabourLost #
• RT @eljmayes: @Nancy4Brighton Still if you are over 24 you get very little in the way of help from Job Centre Plus. #LabourLost #
• Sleek, stylish, attractive and on your arse! http://bit.ly/4HPn7C #
• RT @measured: Moody's created a misery index (fiscal deficit +unemployment rate) UK 11th between Greece & Iceland. #labourlost #LabourOutNow #
• RT @the71: #NuLab imploding: recession/cuts/tax increases/banks running riot. Go on Gordon hit the election switch #LabourLOST #SnapElection #
• RT @measured: Waiting for this quip: Mandelson wants a farm because he knows money grows on trees! #labourlost #LabourOutNOW #
• RT @the71: @SantaClaus Can I have a new Gov for my Xmas please? If the elves take too long on sorting this: 25th March is good. #LabourLOST #
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  @chris486 @ThePhilNorth @jolyonwagg1 @LabourLost #ff very kind, TY #
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• RT @VEE6: RT @WicksieSnr: RT @KerryMP: RT @andyvglnt: @jamiepotter Brown pushing 4 better deal 4 dvlopng ntns 4 his premiership.<#Labourlost #
• RT @ToryDoc: Cameron 'plans to start election campaign in January' http://bit.ly/8bcqE8 /via @guardiannews <Game on. #LabourFail #LabourLost #

As you may or may not know LabourLost is not a site that has a particular agenda other than reflecting an accurate perception on the events that lead up to and including the General Election (GE) 2010.

During the run up to the GE we shall continue to use the #labourlost hashtag on Twitter and we shall also be using the #GE10 hashtag; there are several other suggestions doing the rounds but we believe #GE10 to be fully representative and utilising only 5 characters we believe it is also the best possible use of space for the purpose of Twitter.

So, come the election how will you vote?

Are you a core supporter of a particular Party? Have you always voted the same way?

What forged your opinions and political ethos?

Will you vote on the day with local requirements in mind, for instance against your normal beliefs because you like what a candidate has promised for your constituency?

Will you decide on the day or have you already made your mind up and nothing on this earth however said or done can change that?

Are you doing anything special to help your local candidate? Do you want to get involved but don’t know how to assist? (Whichever Party: use the comment form and we can try to let you know).

It is very clear at the moment that even the Pollsters don’t know what is happening or what is going to happen on the day and we can see this clearly almost on a daily basis with the Conservatives reported to be 17% clear whilst another poll claims Labour have cut the lead to just 9%.

Slowly we have threads of the new shaping of things to come with claim and counter from all sides, the slow unraveling of the pre-budget report and now the potential of a March election which would let Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown off the hook with regards to announcing the real budget and real state of the nation’s finances.

If we do have a March election it would be nigh on impossible to stage a TV Debate although it was blogged to this effect back in October by Parlez_me_nTory.

Just a few things to set the mind working in the run up to Christmas and that long period of plotting, electioneering and gathering of strategy. I love this period as the nation steadies its troops and all parties are placed on a war footing.

That was then…

This is now!