Injin Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/09/finance-industry-lobbying-budget-revealed The British financial services industry spent £92m last year lobbying politicians and regulators in an "economic war of attrition" that has secured a string of policy victories.As the industry prepares to fight off renewed calls for root-and-branch reform in response to the Barclays rate-fixing scandal, an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has revealed the firepower of the City's lobbying machine, prompting concern that its scale and influence puts the interests of the wider economy in the shade. Documents show how finance lobbyists won a host of important policy changes in Whitehall and Westminster. These include: • The slashing of UK corporation tax and taxes on banks' overseas subsidiaries after a lobbying barrage by the City of London corporation, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) and the Association of British Insurers. The reform will save the finance industry billions. • The neutering of a national not-for-profit pension scheme launching in October that was supposed to benefit millions of low-paid and temporary workers. • The killing of government plans for a new corporate super-watchdog to police quoted companies. etc.... Oh dear. It looks like the state needs more money to keep going and only the bankers have any left. Time to clean house, then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMark Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 http://www.guardian....budget-revealed Oh dear. It looks like the state needs more money to keep going and only the bankers have any left. Time to clean house, then! Good find. The pensioners and international students still have some money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PopGun Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Good find. The pensioners and international students still have some money. I'm sure Game Over will be along soon to debunk any bankster influence on (so called) government policy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Harold m Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I'm sure Game Over will be along soon to debunk any bankster influence on (so called) government policy... Does this cover just banks or Banks, insurance, Pension funds, Hedge funds, Building societies, IFA's etc etc. If so. Its probably smaller proprtionately than is spent on lobbying and avdertising than by Public sector Trade unions. I would have thought $92m is chicken feed compared to what gets spent by the same industry in the states. Didnt Obama raise about a billion for his current camapaign when associated interest groups are included. Personally, I'd ban all forms of lobbying and limit political donations to £50 per individual but this is a non-story. Its not the lobbying by associations you should be worried about, its the back scratching behind closed door and over private phone calls that is the bit that I'd be concerned about. How much does the EU spend on propaganda, paid officials, pointless appointees and apparatchiks every year. £92m is rounding error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Does this cover just banks or Banks, insurance, Pension funds, Hedge funds, Building societies, IFA's etc etc. If so. Its probably smaller proprtionately than is spent on lobbying and avdertising than by Public sector Trade unions. I would have thought $92m is chicken feed compared to what gets spent by the same industry in the states. Didnt Obama raise about a billion for his current camapaign when associated interest groups are included. Personally, I'd ban all forms of lobbying and limit political donations to £50 per individual but this is a non-story. Its not the lobbying by associations you should be worried about, its the back scratching behind closed door and over private phone calls that is the bit that I'd be concerned about. How much does the EU spend on propaganda, paid officials, pointless appointees and apparatchiks every year. £92m is rounding error Ahh the classic "other people are doing it worse so it's nothing to worry about" approach. myra hyndley exists, therefore it's ok to punch toddlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmarks Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Recently I proposed (once again) a new system for democracy to replace the existing system of representatives tied to geographical areas. Under my system everyone would represent themselves as individuals thus making lobbying prohibitively expensive. British Democracy In Terminal Decline, Warns Report Edited July 10, 2012 by nmarks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Democracy is only available to those who can buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmarks Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Democracy is only available to those who can buy it. Under the current system, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Harold m Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Ahh the classic "other people are doing it worse so it's nothing to worry about" approach. myra hyndley exists, therefore it's ok to punch toddlers. Selective reading of my post there Injin. I never said it was all right, in fact I stated I'd ban it . I merely put the amount into context to show that it's not as relevant as the 'wow' headline suggests . I also maintain that the real worry is the lobbying that doesn't get accounted for which puts any figure into its correct irrelevant box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Harold m Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Selective reading of my post there Injin. I never said it was all right, in fact I stated I'd ban it . I merely put the amount into context to show that it's not as relevant as the 'wow' headline suggests . I also maintain that the real worry is the lobbying that doesn't get accounted for which puts any figure into its correct irrelevant box. Oh, and by the way Myra Hindley doesn't technically exist any more . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Selective reading of my post there Injin. I never said it was all right, in fact I stated I'd ban it . I merely put the amount into context to show that it's not as relevant as the 'wow' headline suggests . I also maintain that the real worry is the lobbying that doesn't get accounted for which puts any figure into its correct irrelevant box. Ah sorry, M, you are right, the banking industry lobbies for more parasitical powers over the rest of the population and it's a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Oh, and by the way Myra Hindley doesn't technically exist any more . My bad, given your post I thought we could bring up more or less anything irrelevent, tangential or distracting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepista Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Ah sorry, M, you are right... Feck me, is this a first!!!??? Who are you , and what have you done with Injin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Feck me, is this a first!!!??? Who are you , and what have you done with Injin? I know, I don't usually make mistakes. I'm not even ill. Sigh, oh well..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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