From 1946 to 2021 is 75 years. In 63 of those years the UK government borrowed. In 12 it repaid debt. Total borrowing will have been £2,174bn. Repayments have been £38bn. So, for every £1 borrowed 1.7p has been repaid. In that case what is the debt repayment obsession all about?
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) March 2, 2021
Perhaps some think that more than 1.7 p in the pound should be repaid?
Or even, given that the story is that borrowing boosts the economy and thereby pays the taxes that pays off the debt, we’d like to see some sign of this happening?
So all the complaints about “austerity” in recent decades have been crap?
I’m nowhere near an economist or such… But isn’t the whole circle-jerk of government (re)financing stuff a wee bit more complicated than “add up columns A and B over x years and compare”?
Its P³ who can’t do much better, but still….
Repayments have been £38bn.
“Net” repayments. Most of the debt taken out over that period was repaid.
And inflation.
@ Grikath
Its P³ who can’t do much better, but still…
He’s a communist.
@ PF
+1
All of Denis Healey’s teen% gilts have been repaid (and War Loan)