D'artagnan

That was exactly what I thought - "how nauseating!"

It's just a shame that nobody believes a word these people come out with anymore. I laughed and laughed yesterday at NuLabour's slow-motion car crash! Gordon, I'd give you about two months, mate!

Care to provide some actual evidence of this in the past? It's not that I don't believe you - I just think you're talking rubbish.

...and yet, strangely, not only was it covered extensively earlier today on the 6 o'clock news, the story is still on the front page of BBCi... Just what this website needs as it vies to be taken seriously now it's finally in the public domain - more ranting lunatics. I think what you might find is that this is just not as big a story as you seem to think it is... Significant? Yes. Of Earth-shattering importance? No. If it was, it'd be all over the front of all the papers tomorrow - but it's not.

Some fantastic bear morsels in there!! But he does sound like a badly-ripped mp3 which keeps spontaneously slowing down and speeding up.

All relative, my good friend. The average (mean) wage round here is probably 16-17K (if that) I am lucky because I can even walk to work so no real transport costs to worry about! I feel really sorry for those on these wages and having to run a car alongside all the increases in gas/electricity. I guess that's the bottom line really: Nobody's got any money anymore.

I have just done a quick check on the local letting agent's website to see what I could get for my money if I wanted to move (not planning to) and found the following. Both of these examples are of very similar type and location to the house I rent: 3 bed terraced, £375 pcm, on next road from me (practically identical) smart 2bed terraced, £385 For comparison, I am privately (i.e. no agency) renting an average 2 bed terrace for £425 a month (rent has been the same for 2 years now so in real terms, this has to be even more significant). Up until recently, properties like these have been advertised for £425/£450pcm+ with this agency. What on earth is going on??? I found this genuinely shocking given the financial pressure that some landlords must be under right now... How can they afford to do this?? I got thinking about this and wondered why there is not a flood of BTLers selling up given all the hysteria in the media and then I realised that many of these landlords will be tied in on 2, 3 or 5 year fixed deals and unable to sell up for fear of an early repayment charge. Maybe a subsidised rent is better than no rent at all? there certainly seem to be a lot of BTL properties lying empty round here including one across the road... Re-assuring to know that if I do get given notice to move out, I will likely not even need a removal van

Truly repulsive. It's a shame (for badger) that it won't work :-)

Cobblers. Is a 20% LTV mortgage going to end up being 'toxic' debt? I don't think so. Until we know what mortgage backed securities can be used as collateral, we're just speculating. This is a last throw of the dice, which will fail, largely because it is too little, too late. Either way, this will only end in tears for Gordie. That would be one positive, would it not?

How many times... The BoE is not giving away free money. They are loaning money against the higher quality mortgage debt owned by the banks/building societies for a fixed period of time and possibly not at 100pence in the pound. It will not stop any of the following: - declining house prices - tighter lending criteria - bankruptcy of many BTLers, espcially those that are more highly leveraged. - the redundancy of thousands of estate agents Relax - it's too late to save the housing market.

This is it, guys. Good luck and see you on the other side!!!

So basically on everyone's side then. How re-assuring!!!

That's what confuses me - If the government carries out a covert rescue of a failing bank, how does the bank (or the government for that matter!) keep the whole matter off its balance sheet? Surely, the money would have to be accounted for somewhere?

on the Friday before the Northern Rock BoE funding was announced, weren't the volumes of NR shares traded that day absolutely huge? Could be something else to keep an eye on!

Yeah. Where is the Pestonator when you need him?

Exactly - no smoke without fire!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7345171.stm

Relax - this is all done an dusted and we're now in the downward spiral where people are holding off buying in the expectation of further falls regardless of the availability of funds/help for first time buyers. Even if the government had the money and wherewithall to organise an effective rescue package, it would be implemented far too late to make any kind of difference. This is just cheap talk. Frankly, it is looking increasingly like Brown and Darling would have difficulty running a bath, let alone our economy. the relisation will soon set in that far from being a good chancellor, GB was just in the right place, at the right time.

Mate, no cider-visor/stella-vision required, clearly!!

Me too!!! She's a fox!

Our good friend the Mail telling it like it is!!

done - good one!

Agreed. And it proves that EA's are not perma-bulls as many on here would have you believe. When the game is up, best to get it over with nice and quick so you can start again! J

DYNAMITE!!! http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_galler...1310062,00.html

OK. This one is not grey. It's looking decidedly black and I am going to have my first 2008 guess and say that this ....is....it!!!! Such a sharp fall after such a sharp rebound implies that the people are seeing through the 'sticking plaster fix'. The show starts in Japan in around an hour!!!