They recovered faster initially but if you look at growth since then we're outstripping the whole of western Europe, and also doing well in reducing unemployment, although there are a number of factors that make these stats less positive than they seem. I also don't know enough about eastern Europe to comment.

Okay fair enough you've admitted you were wrong about the whole 'bouncing back quicker' initially and yes of course they are having a bad time right now without a doubt (The reasons and debates could go on for days between us :P).

"I also don't know enough about eastern Europe to comment."

No worries, they're growing still and surprisingly still were during the worst of the Euro crises, kinda a spare capacity thing as you'll see with Indias and Chinas growth rate (although of course not to the same extreme because Eastern europe is richer).

"That happens before every election regardless of party."

I agree, it doesn't make any party right for doing it.

"I'd also point out that Keynesian economics isn't some sort of scientific law of economics it's an interpretation. If you want to talk realities surely you would look at what actually happened not a theoretical "what should have happened" scenario?"

Of course not it's a theory, it isn't a fact sorry if I presented it as one. Although if you would compare the countries that have cut slower cmpared to those that have cut quicker you can see an argument for why the theory could be considered correct. Not a fact however, different cultures have different reactions to different things... it isn't a fact, it's the kinda... I would like to say western but that isn't true because we kinda rely on inflation to decrease our debt no running surpluses.

We all saw what happened and it wasn't really to do with that theory whatsoever, if anything it was the biggest argument ever to happen against a free market economy.