[alsaautomotive]

So he's gone, Brown's in, will we notice the difference?
Will we even notice the difference when Cameron wins the next election?

"Meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss"

Pete Townshend.

[archiegibbs]

...and good ridance to him. Can't see Mr Brown being any different though.

Whoever wins the next election, these things are for certain, we'll all pay far too much tax and see nothing in return, politicians will lie and cheat, Britain will sink further into the quagmire and we'll continue to upset other countries by invading them in the name of freedom, or is it oil

But would I want the job? No way.

[alsaautomotive]

We now have a non driver as PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alsaautomotive]

Originally Posted by archiegibbs

...and good ridance to him. Can't see Mr Brown being any different though.

Whoever wins the next election, these things are for certain, we'll all pay far too much tax and see nothing in return, politicians will lie and cheat, Britain will sink further into the quagmire and we'll continue to upset other countries by invading them in the name of freedom, or is it oil

But would I want the job? No way.

Oil/freedom, what's the difference between friendly Western nations eh?

I'd love the job personally! (But having said that I can't run a small business let alone a country - I'd fit right in then!)

BTW, how do you get emoticons into the text here?

[archiegibbs]

If he's a non driver that would explain a lot over the last 10 yrs, unleaded at £1 a litre

Worse still, what if that enviro nutter milliband becomes chancellor, it will be £2 a litre.

If you put yourself up for nomination, I'll vote for you. We can work on your manifesto:

Free road tax for Ferraris
Tax relief at 90% on Ferrari servicing costs
Tax relief at 90% on fuel for cars over 3.0 litres in capacity

That will do for a starter, we can work on the rest

[t1fosI]

What exactly does Alastair Darling know about anything - he's pretty much f'ked up every portfolio he has ever been given. I reckon Mrs Brown just wants to try out his Blackadder gags 'Darling!'

and get this...
Olympics minister (attending Cabinet when needed): Tessa Jowell: the amount of cash she is going to need it'll probably be every f'in day and twice on Fridays!!

roll on the election...bring back Lord Sutch!

[archiegibbs]

Originally Posted by t1fosI

roll on the election...bring back Lord Sutch!

Or maybe even Lord Blackadder from series 2.

I think Baldrick would do a better job than Brown.

'I have a cunning plan'

[alsaautomotive]

Given the state of the opposition (& I don't include the loopy libs in that)
I think all of the above are eminently viable options!
Such a shame we've lost the likes of Alan Clark (yes I know I sound like a stuck record sometimes) - and David Sutch come to think of it.

[alsaautomotive]

Get this - the new Secratary of state for the Dept of Environment, Food & Rural affairs (DEFRA) - note FOOD - is none other than Hilary Benn, Mr Benn is a vegetarian, now I have nothing against vegetarians (not withstanding having married one) but it hardly offers a balanced and rounded perspective on the job does it?

[Malcqv]

It would also appear Mr Gordon Brown does not drive.

[t1fosI]

Originally Posted by alsaautomotive

Get this - the new Secratary of state for the Dept of Environment, Food & Rural affairs (DEFRA) - note FOOD - is none other than Hilary Benn, Mr Benn is a vegetarian, now I have nothing against vegetarians (not withstanding having married one) but it hardly offers a balanced and rounded perspective on the job does it?

He's not going to help the environment by being a Vegetarian, its obvious that to reduce the carbon footprint you have to eat cows!

[archiegibbs]

It could be worse, based on labours record of invading countries and starting wars, I was half expecting them to appoint Gengis Khan as Foreign Secretary

[t1fosI]

Originally Posted by t1fosI

What exactly does Alastair Darling know about anything - he's pretty much f'ked up every portfolio he has ever been given.

...and now he has f'ked up the second most senior position in the Government and its only been less than 6 months!!!

1. Northern Rock
2. 25 million potential identities misappropriated
3. Next up CGT

I think Darling should do the honourable thing and go 'over the top' taking 'General' Melchett-Brown with him.


.

[Boxer]

You can expect a flood of apartments onto the market in London in the next few months. This will have a neat impact on prices. Recent poorly thought out changes to UK taxes (potential flat GBP 30k charge on foreign income) are going to drive a large number of expats out the door by April 2008.

[archiegibbs]

Originally Posted by t1fosI

...and now he has f'ked up the second most senior position in the Government and its only been less than 6 months!!!

1. Northern Rock
2. 25 million potential identities misappropriated
3. Next up CGT

I think Darling should do the honourable thing and go 'over the top' taking 'General' Melchett-Brown with him.


.

Like the Blackadder reference
Being a life long 'Blue', all I can say is let them keep on f***ing things up, sooner or later the public will get fed up and kick them out. The Tories can then repeal all of the crazy and bureaucratic laws implemented under 10 yrs of labour.

[archiegibbs]

Originally Posted by Boxer

You can expect a flood of apartments onto the market in London in the next few months. This will have a neat impact on prices. Recent poorly thought out changes to UK taxes (potential flat GBP 30k charge on foreign income) are going to drive a large number of expats out the door by April 2008.

If any of these ex-pats want to relocate to Spain, I'm currently trying to sell my brand new 2bed/2bath luxury appartment on a golf course at La Tercia in the beautiful Murcian countryside, only 15 mins from the Mar Menor & Med. A bargain at €160K

[t1fosI]

Originally Posted by Boxer

You can expect a flood of apartments onto the market in London in the next few months. This will have a neat impact on prices. Recent poorly thought out changes to UK taxes (potential flat GBP 30k charge on foreign income) are going to drive a large number of expats out the door by April 2008.

A couple of interesting links for y'all.

BBC.co.uk
£1 a litre - how much of that is political?
Financial Times
Non-doms could be driven to seek more agreeable locations

Messrs Brown et al have completely lost the plot. They are spending more than they are earning, so they need to find alternative revenue streams. In the meantime they are putting the country into an enormous debt that is going to take a helluva long time to clear. The only way to increase revenues they have decided is through increased taxation & debt (we'll let some other Govt worry about paying back the debt ).

I have to say it really does p me off (in case you hadn't noticed ) because it is just a waste of resources. The Gold debacle, the private sector pensions debacle (to benefit the public sector pensions purse), the Olympic debacle & increases in council tax (Oh how M Chirac must be chortling at that one, got his own back on Tony for the snide comments about the war.), The punitive, regressive tax policies AND they have nothing to show for it - one would not mind if there was an actual benefit - the alleged marginal increases in public sector services are nowhere near the increases in public sector spending, i.e wasted revenues.

It is just jobs for the sake of jobs. Classic post war Keynesian tax and spend policies (spending in public education, health and housing), but we still happen to be funding a war in this instance. All we need now is a supply side shock ala '73 oil crisis.

Speaking of oil - at the same time we have to pay more and more to use private transport (1 litre of fuel = 70% tax!, than we have road tax (now linked to carbon emissions so 'justifiable' annual increases there ) IPT, Congestion charge, planned road user pricing etc, etc, etc but hang on a second, they are doing this to encourage us to use public transport - the same public transport systems which have been subjected to public sector pay strikes leaving commuters where? - reliant on private transport or by the side of the platform with no trains/buses etc etc etc and these PUBLIC transport systems are actually run by private sector companies who are going to increase the fares in order to meet profit targets, sorry I mean investment criteria!! Oh I get it.

Can you smell it? the bull$hit.

Phew OK got that off my chest then, for the timebeing at least - the irony for me is that actually I have never been a lifelong 'blue' or a 'red' just somewhere in the middle like most people. But I think that seeing red is definately making me blue.

.

[alsaautomotive]

And breathe Tif

Seriously though, I can't see the alternative. I heartily despise this Govt & all it stands for & have been a 'True Blue' since the day I could vote. But Cameron can't seriously be living in the real world if he believes that die hard tories are going to subscribe to his 'Green Credentials'?
Sadly the Conservative party have lost it's balls, ironically the only one I've seen with any go is Theresa May.
The really worrying thing (other than the prospect of another 5 years with this spineless lot) is that the fringe parties, & I do include the LibDems in that (they never have & never will be a credible alternative, they just get a voice because the BBC's terrified of being told it's biased.....which it is........but that's a rant for another day ) will get a substantial share of the vote, & that is always a VERY big worry irrespective of whether they are Fascist Right wing or Liberal Green left.

[archiegibbs]

Spot on Al, bring back Mrs Thatcher and Norman Tebbit

[t1fosI]

Normal breathing resumed , blood pressure slightly above normal (as usual) and still seeing as much red as a Bull at a Labour party conference.

I have this theory that Gordon Brown has got rid of the real Alastair Darling (knowing him to be a useless w.......r and being unable to yield power at the treasury himself) and is actually impersonating him (think Mission Impossible 1,2 & 3) which means that he (Brown) is doing two jobs, that is why it takes Darling (i.e. Brown) twice as long to make a decision about anything and even then he f'ks it up and why Brown is everywhere he shouldn't be and isn't anywhere he should be...


.