Guest Charlie The Tramp Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Just found out that Ed Balls is Secretary to The Treasury. How long has that been ?, I don`t recall it being reported in the media. Well there`s a clue to the next Chancellor. Brown and Balls the A Team. He`s there with Brown at The Lord Mayor`s Banquet, my, the guests do look bored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerthelodger Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 (edited) Dont forget the £400 million + wasted on the eyesore that is the Scottish Parliament building (which some Scottish friends of mine take much pleasure in thinking that it was funded mostly from England) it is already reported to be falling down (the money wasted on 90% of the useless cretins that inhabit it just does not bear thinking about) well Lulu you're not content with putting on that surrey accent you now slag off your homeland. the scottish parliament does look like a council estate from the outside but you must go inside to fully appreciate it ( but watch out for falling roof beams) well london got the millenium dome,that cost about a billion Edited June 21, 2006 by rogerthelodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FollowTheBear Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I vote Lib Dem with some reluctance (mainly because I am in favour of proportional representation). One of their policies that is very poorly thought out is the local income tax. With this in place you can look forward to asset rich retired home owners being subsidised by young working people who rent their homes. Many landlords would end up paying less council tax than their tenants do, since they can divert their rental income to make their taxable personal income look low. It's a crap policy designed to appeal to the votes of the elderly. I am on a modest income and live in a rented flat. The council tax is a huge burden on me. The doctor who lives next door to me in an identical flat pays the same council tax. I think it is totally fair that it is based on income. How does a pensioner with a 500K house but an income of £100 a week pay the council tax? Should they sell a square foot of their living room? And "income" would have to be defined properly so people with company cars, overtime, rental income and other benefits are taken into account. BRING IT ON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Just found out that Ed Balls is Secretary to The Treasury. How long has that been ?, I don`t recall it being reported in the media. Well there`s a clue to the next Chancellor. Brown and Balls the A Team. He`s there with Brown at The Lord Mayor`s Banquet, my, the guests do look bored He got it after the local elections, when Blair/labour rearranged the deck chairs on the titanic the people at the top. Anyway, I remember reading this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5011842.stm "Mr Balls won his first ministerial post at the last reshuffle, when he was made economic secretary to the Treasury." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I am on a modest income and live in a rented flat. The council tax is a huge burden on me. The doctor who lives next door to me in an identical flat pays the same council tax. I think it is totally fair that it is based on income. Of course you do: you want to steal money from your neighbour to subsidise your living standard. Why not just nip round and rob them yourself and cut out the middle-man? How can it possibly be fair for two people who live next door to each other in identical properties to pay vastly different amounts for council 'services', particularly when the richer person probably doesn't want them in the first place? The only thing that's fair is for people to pay for the services they use, no more, no less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I used to like Brown. But now he's getting into politics outside his remit. This is bad news for an old CNDer like me. Brown wants the bomb What a complete waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichM Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Redwing - that's the classic, isn't it? For a neo-con like me, nukes are a no-brainer - we'd be lost without them. But Brown won't even consider going down the CND path, not because he realises that the world is a dangerous place with rogue states who need to be kept in their place, but because he's terrified of not having the Sun on-side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonification Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 If 24-year-olds can earn £32k and have £45k cash savings - its no wonder houses are expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimmmm Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Take a look at this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5104120.stm GB really is a nob. Instead the UK must look to change its pension, transport, infrastructure, energy and welfare policies so it can meet the challenges of globalisation. WTF have you been doing for the last 9 years? He is also faced with concerns about an accelerating rate of inflation that has been pushed higher by record fuel costs and is threatening to hike up global interest rates and crimp world economic growth. Mr Brown tried to ease fears and said that as well as ensuring a low and stable rate of inflation, he also wanted stable industrial relations, a competitive tax regime and a predictable and light-touch regulatory environment Is he f*ck*ng serious? Low CPI is easily achieved. Stable insdustrial relations? They have been for years, since Maggie dealt with the unions. A competitive tax regime? Well, not too bad on direct taxes anyway. A light touch regulatory environment? Labour have regulated everything they can an are still at it. They are a lawyer's dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Shower Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 £20k as a newly qualified teacher! under the tories that would have been about £12k Errm, that was 9 yeas ago. Do you understand inflation? On another note, education and transport are some of the most important components in order to make our economy better. The big problem is that no politician will scrap the black hole of the NHS, which is a huge drain on the UK, sucking money left right and centre and is actually the 3rd largest employer in the world. But still, they will spend where the voting public demands and they're all getting older! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
othello Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 All getting rather political here. Listen, you say you will NEVER be able to afford your own home. Assumimg you're a typical FTB, what will happen to the housing market? Think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FollowTheBear Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Of course you do: you want to steal money from your neighbour to subsidise your living standard. Why not just nip round and rob them yourself and cut out the middle-man? How can it possibly be fair for two people who live next door to each other in identical properties to pay vastly different amounts for council 'services', particularly when the richer person probably doesn't want them in the first place? The only thing that's fair is for people to pay for the services they use, no more, no less. Well that's your selfish opinion. The reason I'm a left-winger is that I know that bad things can happen to anyone. My neighbour could end up getting struck off or something and end up working in a call centre. I really resent the idea that paying according to your ability to pay is "stealing". And the notion that you should only pay for what you use is complete ill-conceived nonsense, so I don't even know why I'm replying to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Hate is a really BIG word. Learn to love instead, make something better... watch out for sheep with longbows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerthelodger Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 (edited) Errm, that was 9 yeas ago. Do you understand inflation? On another note, education and transport are some of the most important components in order to make our economy better. The big problem is that no politician will scrap the black hole of the NHS, which is a huge drain on the UK, sucking money left right and centre and is actually the 3rd largest employer in the world. But still, they will spend where the voting public demands and they're all getting older! do you understand Thatcherism? Edited June 22, 2006 by rogerthelodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realistbear Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 (edited) Here is the PM designate's speech from last night to all the business people in London. Not a word about the damage he has done to the house market and the social costs of his Miracle Economy of debt and borrowing: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5104120.stm UK has tough choices, Brown says Chancellor Gordon Brown has praised the state of the economy but warned that difficult choices lie ahead if Britain is to continue to prosper. Continue to prosper? Doesn't he mean continue to borrow? :angry: If he wants to be PM he is going to need a "power haircut" and learn to point at people in the audience as he walks into a public forum. Ronnie Reagan was the master of pointing and his acting ability made the people who thought they were being pointed out feel important. These are key things for wanna-be leaders (although it is bad form to be a pointer unless you are head of state or PM). Edited June 22, 2006 by Realistbear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird900 Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 So far Gordon Brown Nose has managed to stay in the background whenever there is a crisis with New? Labour. Once he is parachuted into the role of Prime Minister there will be no hiding place. I consider him, just like his boss, a confidence trickster of the highest order. Somehow they manage to convince the gullible public that their crisis is one the whole country should share. Look at his speech. All nonsense sound bites and rhetoric. What is he actually saying that is of any relevance? I don't know. Do you? Look at the way he dresses for the Mansion House speech. His contempt for the history and formality of the event speaks volumes. Remember, this is the idiot who tries so hard now to be a man of the people by dreaming up a Veterans Day when New Labour completely ignored VJ Day last year. This is the only Scot in the World who supports England at the World Cup. What a phoney! What a fake! Is he another Mark Oaten? There were all sorts of rumours circulating Westminster and the media that he was a closet gay until he got married. I'm still not sure on that one. Once this fat neck, poorly dressed one eyed monster is exposed for the fraud he is, the sooner this country will come to his senses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pioneer31 Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 (edited) The big problem is that no politician will scrap the black hole of the NHS, which is a huge drain on the UK, sucking money left right and centre and is actually the 3rd largest employer in the world. The welfare state is THE black hole £106 BILLION a year spent on that. It's an utter disgrace So far Gordon Brown Nose has managed to stay in the background whenever there is a crisis with New? Labour. Once he is parachuted into the role of Prime Minister there will be no hiding place. I consider him, just like his boss, a confidence trickster of the highest order. Somehow they manage to convince the gullible public that their crisis is one the whole country should share. Look at his speech. All nonsense sound bites and rhetoric. What is he actually saying that is of any relevance? I don't know. Do you? Have you noticed how Brown (and Blair) always says what needs to be done rather than what has been done. They're always talking in the future tense. That's because they have done f**k all Edited June 22, 2006 by pioneer31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impartial Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 (edited) Well that's your selfish opinion. The reason I'm a left-winger is that I know that bad things can happen to anyone. My neighbour could end up getting struck off or something and end up working in a call centre. I really resent the idea that paying according to your ability to pay is "stealing". And the notion that you should only pay for what you use is complete ill-conceived nonsense, so I don't even know why I'm replying to you. it's not selfish. why should one be punished for working hard and probably accumulating large debts to get there. that doctor is already pumping enough into the economy and you want to bleed him more because you can't/won't. Where will it end? should he pay more for his groceries, leisure activities etc. he is already on a higher income tax band FFS. if you're having financial problems get another job or try and bettter yourself so you can earn more, that's how it works. or... get a credit card and max it like everyone else. now stop feeling sorry for youself, get off your backside and sort yourself out instead of hoping others will for you. Edited June 22, 2006 by Impartial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FollowTheBear Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 it's not selfish. why should one be punished for working hard and probably accumulating large debts to get there. that doctor is already pumping enough into the economy and you want to bleed him more because you can't/won't. Where will it end? should he pay more for his groceries, leisure activities etc. he is already on a higher income tax band FFS if you're having financial problems get another job or try and bettter yourself so you can earn more, that's how it works. or... get a credit card and max it like everyone else. now stop feeling sorry for youself, get off your backside and sort yourself out instead of hoping others will for you. How is paying according to your means punishing someone? I'm already paying his wages through my taxes thank you. He shouldn't pay more for his food etc, but he should for shared services. I have no children but I don't mind paying taxes for schools, I've only been in hospital for 3 days in 30 years but don't mind funding other peoples operations. I have used the police alot through living in a crap area, so should I be billed separately for that? By the way, since when have doctors "pumped money in"? They take out of the system don't they, and a hell of a lot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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