English ministers response to people struggling with credit problems.

Delirium

Tom Harris tries to laugh off 'bloody miserable' gaffe
By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent

A junior transport minister has sought to laugh off criticism after he advised hard-pressed
families struggling with the credit crunch to cheer up and stop being so "bloody miserable".

Responding later to the furore he created with the comments on his
personal internet blog, Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Glasgow Cathcart and
Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, said: "Golly!"

His remarks on the blog, called And Another Thing, were criticised by the Conservatives,
and raised comparisons with the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's
famous claim that Britain had "never had it so good".
Mr Harris said: "So where did it all go wrong? In our own country today,
despite the recent credit squeeze, our citizens have never been so wealthy.

Source Telegraph.co.uk

Good to know credit problems are just a state of mind.:)

ejmaztec

Next time I get an ESB bill, I'll tell them that they only think that I owe them money. I'll let you know how I get on.

seamus

Problem is that people are so used to the good times that they've forgotten (or don't know) how to use their money wisely and/or live within their means.

I would tend to be in agreement that there are a lot of people claiming to be in financial difficulty who simply aren't managing their finances properly or who it's their own stupid fault for overstreching themselves. I have little sympathy for people with credit problems of their own making.

SimpleSam06

seamus wrote: »

I have little sympathy for people with credit problems of their own making.

One could make a reasonable case for the statement that all credit problems are of your own making.

Latchy

Would be funny if it wasnt for the fact that in the culture of rising food ,electricity , gas and pettrol prices, the senior MP's on the westminster gravy train are looking for an even bigger pay rise .

seamus

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

One could make a reasonable case for the statement that all credit problems are of your own making.

Meh...I see what you're saying, but I would say "most". Losing your job or having massive hospital bills would be two I can think of, off-hand, which I would categorise as "out of your control". You can of course protect against these things, but if you can't afford medical insurance and you get cancer....

Although as my Dad says, "Even if you can't afford to put food on the table, pay your friggin medical insurance. Cos kids will put parts of their bodies where they shouldn't go, and put things into their bodies where they shouldn't go."

Captain Darling

seamus wrote: »

and put things into their bodies where they shouldn't go."

WTF lol

mikemac

seamus wrote: »

Although as my Dad says, "Even if you can't afford to put food on the table, pay your friggin medical insurance.

No need, the State will look after you

Some say medical insurance is waste of money

Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Glasgow Cathcart and
Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, said: "Golly!"

Ah I see Glasgow has been taken by the Sassanachs

lostexpectation

didn't lenihan tell us to stop whinging?

panda100

I read his blog and I think he was taken out of context.The media needed a good headline and so warped his words. He defends himself here:

I absolutely was not telling people to cheer up. I was simply asking why people in the current generation - even those who aren’t suffering as much from the current economic slowdown - aren’t as happy as our parents’ generation

I think he raises an intresting point.
The celtic Tiger has brought with it more depression/suicide then this country has ever known. It seems to me that money/wealth certainly doesnt bring happiness. Could a recession actually make people happy again?

panda100

lostexpectation wrote: »

didn't lenihan tell us to stop whinging?

yes, and Bertie:
''Sitting on the sidelines, cribbing and moaning is a lost opportunity. I don't know how people who engage in that don't commit suicide"

pickarooney

What exactly is this credit crunch?

biko

seamus wrote: »

Although as my Dad says, "Even if you can't afford to put food on the table, pay your friggin medical insurance. Cos kids will put parts of their bodies where they shouldn't go, and put things into their bodies where they shouldn't go."

Your dad is right.

Wertz

panda100 wrote: »

yes, and Bertie:
''Sitting on the sidelines, cribbing and moaning is a lost opportunity. I don't know how people who engage in that don't commit suicide"

I'm fairly certain that was a jibe at economists in general and one in particular rather than at the public at large...

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

What exactly is this credit crunch?

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/crunch.jpg/55802_CaptCrunch.jpg

Blisterman

micmclo wrote: »

No need, the State will look after you

Some say medical insurance is waste of money

Well in England anyway.

And Cuba, Canada, most of Europe, bar Ireland...

SimpleSam06

pickarooney wrote: »

What exactly is this credit crunch?

All the money that was loaned to all those people over the last eight years, fuelling a world economic boom? That has to be repaid now.

lostexpectation

"we were happy during the war", *shakes head* rubiish