Quantitative Easing

The Tories in opposition were dismisive but now in government its back. Some are saying its just giving money to banks to boost their bonuses, Labour failed with this, will Tories do better?

Greens want to invest in low carbon economy, creating jobs. There is great danger in leaving large numbers long term unemployed, particularly young people whos careers have just started out been derailed.

Some say that the money from QE will find its way through to ordinary consumers; but other economists reckon there are many more direct methods of stimulating growth. They could buy up the bad debts on the books of the banks; invest in social housing; lend the cash direct to small firms; or build all of the government's latest wave of offshore wind-farms – enough to generate almost half of Britain's electricity.

Will handing banks lots of extra money cause them to speculate on commodities such as oil, boosting their price, pushing up inflation and making life even harder for cash-strapped consumers? If they can be made to invest in small buisness, wind farms, social houising, it will help. Otherwise they will mess us up as badly as Labour.