On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
It seems that the triple lock on pensions will be reinstated for pensions and if that is matched on other benefits the bill is going to be billions
Taxes up on working families.
The time will come for some form of wealth tax
Well vote Labour again then as you did in 1997 and 2001 because you certainly will not be getting a wealth tax from a Tory government
Be careful, they are coming after your inheritance
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
You are right. The world needs to redress the past & then move on along new foundations. Evil Vlad is a throwback to an old way of colonial and imperial rule.
January (-£7bn) was pretty good, and not far off pre-COVID, but February (£13bn) is still not much better than last year and way worse than pre-COVID:
Certainly my tax bill in Jan was the smallest in years, reflecting no private practice for six months in 2020. I am sure that I wasn't the only one paying less in. Not sure if that counts in Jan or Feb figures, usually the payment is made on 31 Jan, but clears a few days later.
We got an extra 2 months to pay IT bills this year and many will have taken advantage so direct year on year comparisons are difficult. March should be much better than usual. We actually paid ours at the end of February having cleared out the back of the sofa with unusual vigor.
It looks to me like almost everyone else in that clip is staring awkwardly at their feet.
Who knew that BatShitCrazyTV was a thing in Russia.
Not sure we should judge a country by its panel shows and vox pops, the mind boggles what people would make of us on that basis.
GoggleBox shows the world who we are.
Can't imagine that in Putin's Russia.
Perhaps, but it would be carefully controlled.
I'm currently reading a book about Monty Python in their own words, and for someone born in the 1970s, it's odd how much they felt that TWTWTW, the Frost Report etc demolished the deference we Brits felt for our leaders and rulers.
Of course, they were in that arena (literally, for a couple of them), so they might be making it more important than it was. But a 'government' pulling things like HIGNFY and other satirical programs - especially ones that are news-based - wold be a bad sign.
Them dying because they become unfunny (e.g. Spitting Image) is a different matter...
Laughing at those in power is a great way of defusing tension.
January (-£7bn) was pretty good, and not far off pre-COVID, but February (£13bn) is still not much better than last year and way worse than pre-COVID:
i am surprised the bond markets are letting the government get away so lightly - with inflation at least 6.2% you are losing about 5% a year lending to the government whether you are an individual,pension fund, bank or foreign country. I notice Premium Bonds are just paying 1% as a prize fund. I think many people will not want o lose 5% a year for much longer
It looks to me like almost everyone else in that clip is staring awkwardly at their feet.
Who knew that BatShitCrazyTV was a thing in Russia.
Not sure we should judge a country by its panel shows and vox pops, the mind boggles what people would make of us on that basis.
GoggleBox shows the world who we are.
Can't imagine that in Putin's Russia.
When I first heard of googlebox I thought what a ridiculous idea; watching people watching TV. However it is excellent, easy viewing with good humour and some heart warming bit. I wouldn't make a point of watching it but when I do I enjoy it.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
The poll trailed at the bottom of the article:
The overwhelming majority of Jamaicans polled by Bill Johnson say that the law making sex between two men punishable should not be changed.
Jamaica's Offences Against the Person Act, Section 76, makes buggery punishable across the board, with a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years, with hard labour.
When the pollsters asked Jamaicans to state whether law should be changed or not, 93 per cent of respondents in both polls said no.
January (-£7bn) was pretty good, and not far off pre-COVID, but February (£13bn) is still not much better than last year and way worse than pre-COVID:
Certainly my tax bill in Jan was the smallest in years, reflecting no private practice for six months in 2020. I am sure that I wasn't the only one paying less in. Not sure if that counts in Jan or Feb figures, usually the payment is made on 31 Jan, but clears a few days later.
Interesting, I don't know, but January was pretty good...
Away from whether one agrees or disagrees with his policy instincts, the Chancellor has often done the politics quite well. I can’t believe there won’t be some form of rabbit in the hat.
I understand the Met are receiving a considerable number of denials from their partygate enquiries and forms
In these circumstances are we going to see many individual court cases and at what point does this get out of hand?
It was always out of hand, surely.
Costing over a million and now with more personnel and the large number of denials, which I assume is because civil servants are claiming it was a working environment, I have no idea how or when this will be concluded
January (-£7bn) was pretty good, and not far off pre-COVID, but February (£13bn) is still not much better than last year and way worse than pre-COVID:
Certainly my tax bill in Jan was the smallest in years, reflecting no private practice for six months in 2020. I am sure that I wasn't the only one paying less in. Not sure if that counts in Jan or Feb figures, usually the payment is made on 31 Jan, but clears a few days later.
We got an extra 2 months to pay IT bills this year and many will have taken advantage so direct year on year comparisons are difficult. March should be much better than usual. We actually paid ours at the end of February having cleared out the back of the sofa with unusual vigor.
Yes, the deadline was not so rigid this year, and about 1.5 million used the extra time.
I understand the Met are receiving a considerable number of denials from their partygate enquiries and forms
In these circumstances are we going to see many individual court cases and at what point does this get out of hand?
It was always out of hand, surely.
Costing over a million and now with more personnel and the large number of denials, which I assume is because civil servants are claiming it was a working environment, I have no idea how or when this will be concluded
I meant, from the start in the way No 10 was managed.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
The poll trailed at the bottom of the article:
The overwhelming majority of Jamaicans polled by Bill Johnson say that the law making sex between two men punishable should not be changed.
Jamaica's Offences Against the Person Act, Section 76, makes buggery punishable across the board, with a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years, with hard labour.
When the pollsters asked Jamaicans to state whether law should be changed or not, 93 per cent of respondents in both polls said no.
Away from whether one agrees or disagrees with his policy instincts, the Chancellor has often done the politics quite well. I can’t believe there won’t be some form of rabbit in the hat.
Maybe I missed it all, but this budget does seem to be have not pre-briefed all of last week as per the rest of Sunak's statements.
It looks to me like almost everyone else in that clip is staring awkwardly at their feet.
Who knew that BatShitCrazyTV was a thing in Russia.
Not sure we should judge a country by its panel shows and vox pops, the mind boggles what people would make of us on that basis.
Any Russian or North Korean listening to our state broadcaster and its slobbering panegyric to William and Kate touching down in Jamaica would feel an ache of weary recognition.
Morning, all. Weather's quite good; not as sunny out of my window as the BBC site says it is, though.
On topic, good to think we back to where we were in our EU membership days.
Without our EU membership it's unlikely we would have been hit by US steel tariffs in the first place. Our steel industry was damaged because of German and French protectionism.
Doubt that Trump would have had the wit to differentiate. I'm not very knowledgeable about the metals etc markets though. I do know, though, that my neighbour was complaining yesterday about shortages of medicines that his wife needs, and, as far as his work was concerned, a collapse in 'just in time' supply arrangements.
Eh? Trump often differentiated between the UK and Germany when the facts were different, for example criticising the Germans for not meeting their NATO spending commitments, while praising us for doing so. It was only because we were in the Single Market that he didn't do so on trade.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
Away from whether one agrees or disagrees with his policy instincts, the Chancellor has often done the politics quite well. I can’t believe there won’t be some form of rabbit in the hat.
Eh? Every single previous announcement initially polled well and then fell apart days later.
I don’t know where he gets this reputation for being good at anything from
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
"Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery." Quite a few people are involved in it, on the contrary.
It looks to me like almost everyone else in that clip is staring awkwardly at their feet.
Who knew that BatShitCrazyTV was a thing in Russia.
Not sure we should judge a country by its panel shows and vox pops, the mind boggles what people would make of us on that basis.
Any Russian or North Korean listening to our state broadcaster and its slobbering panegyric to William and Kate touching down in Jamaica would feel an ache of weary recognition.
Hope neither are tempted to do a dance with some locals - Harry maybe can get away with that , none of the other royals or indeed Theresa May
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
This is why the Tories are in my view, in big trouble. For the north this is levelling down whether they get a new train station or not
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
There is also a move in labour and in the more barking mad elements for the climate debate to pay ‘climate reparations’ too.
For our historic pollution dating back to the days of the industrial revolution.
I always gave Heathener the benefit of the doubt but I suspect, given the continual deliberately contrary positions, others may be correct. Not that she’s a Russian mole, just a wind up.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Not exactly mass demonstrations looking at that picture. I see the Sky article pretty much entirely consists of quotes from this lady:
"Opal Adisa, a retired professor in her 60s, is a gender specialist and human rights advocate who works with Advocates Network, a coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians, and was taking part in the protest".
Perhaps not so representative of the population.
In any event, Jamaica has been talking about getting rid the Monarchy for years and hasn't done much about it. It's a topic that is a great talking point for the politicians but, given the state of Jamaican politics, there seems to be a tacit understanding that it might be better to leave things as they are, at least for now.
What good will it do?
I get the appeal in principle but in practice the Governor-General is always domestic now and the Monarch provides pageantry and ceremony on top and Commonwealth kinship.
I certainly wouldn't vote to get rid of it.
For some people, the aim is to support anything that makes Britain weaker. Because we're the bad guys.
What a tedious post! Have some self respect! If you just want 'likes' from other than the usual four why not try writing something interesting or better still original?
I have self-respect, Rog. And you might try to take your own advice.
Although stating that any woman who did not want to get abused by 'the talent' in the media should go and become hairdressers was original for a modern man - it was the sort of thing that I would expect from a Neanderthal.
Hang on, being in France: did you paint Lascaux? Were they some early adverts for meat products?
Roger objects because it accurately describes himself and he's upset that people agree with it.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Not exactly mass demonstrations looking at that picture. I see the Sky article pretty much entirely consists of quotes from this lady:
"Opal Adisa, a retired professor in her 60s, is a gender specialist and human rights advocate who works with Advocates Network, a coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians, and was taking part in the protest".
Perhaps not so representative of the population.
In any event, Jamaica has been talking about getting rid the Monarchy for years and hasn't done much about it. It's a topic that is a great talking point for the politicians but, given the state of Jamaican politics, there seems to be a tacit understanding that it might be better to leave things as they are, at least for now.
What good will it do?
I get the appeal in principle but in practice the Governor-General is always domestic now and the Monarch provides pageantry and ceremony on top and Commonwealth kinship.
I certainly wouldn't vote to get rid of it.
For some people, the aim is to support anything that makes Britain weaker. Because we're the bad guys.
What a tedious post! Have some self respect! If you just want 'likes' from other than the usual four why not try writing something interesting or better still original?
Nothing more tedious than life in Macron/Vichy France.
I feel for you felix. Stuck in Spain with the ex pats droning on about how they'd be back in the flick of an eyelid if it wasn't for the damned weather giving their gout gip and the 'Black Lives Matter' wallahs pulling down our bloody heritage. Who could stay sane with that going on.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
Morocco/Tunisia/Algeria were more recent than both, emptying Cornish and Devon villages.
"Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. In August 1625 corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing 60 men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.
Sir John Eliot, Vice Admiral of Devon, declared that the seas around England “seem’d theirs.”"
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Arguably at least as bad, if not worse. See how Britain and the Netherlands departed their largest colonies after WWII, India and Indonesia. Only one of them was a functioning democracy from the start.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has rightly refrained from giving an immediate response to the statement of apology from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the “extreme violence” committed by the Dutch colonial forces during the 1945-1949 revolution war that followed Indonesia’s proclamation of independence on Aug. 17, 1945.
Indonesia from the very beginning has decided to move forward, rather than becoming a prisoner of the bitter past. The issue has never been made a big fuss….
Let the historians continue digging deeper into the past relations between the Dutch and Indonesia for academic purposes and discovery of the truth. As a big nation, Indonesia will not let itself be confined by the bitterness of past colonialization.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
I'd say of all the Carribbean islands not an overseas territory Jamaica is one of the ones with closest links to the UK, and lots of Black Britons themselves (who do like the royal family) have Jamaican heritage.
If it comes down to a referendum I'd make Republic a mild favourite but not an overwhelming one and I could see a surprise status quo victory depending on the political prism of the campaign at the time.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
Lol.
Mind, HYUFD didn't count the DKs as fervent UJ-waving and scrapbook-compiling Jennie Bond fans.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
Morocco/Tunisia/Algeria were more recent than both, emptying Cornish and Devon villages.
"Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. In August 1625 corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing 60 men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.
Sir John Eliot, Vice Admiral of Devon, declared that the seas around England “seem’d theirs.”"
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
The chorus was that its great if wages are sustainably going up more than prices - and that if prices are going up because of and thus less than wages, then that's not a bad thing.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
In general, no. Certainly not in the public sector, because there's no money. For example,
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
Unions are now asking for rises in the region of 10%
There are car component suppliers of bearings in the North East about to strike over pay.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
The poll trailed at the bottom of the article:
The overwhelming majority of Jamaicans polled by Bill Johnson say that the law making sex between two men punishable should not be changed.
Jamaica's Offences Against the Person Act, Section 76, makes buggery punishable across the board, with a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years, with hard labour.
When the pollsters asked Jamaicans to state whether law should be changed or not, 93 per cent of respondents in both polls said no.
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
He will obviously cut duty, as I have pointed out before the net cost is practically zero given the increased VAT take. I think (hope) he does something about those on benefits. The loan gimick on fuel bills needs to be dropped. There will presumably be yet more money for the NHS focused on backlogs. Possible wild card would be the suspension of VAT on domestic fuel, benefit of Brexit etc
Isn't cutting the tax on fuel little better than burning the cash?
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
Plenty of Republics in the Commonwealth.
Quite so, but HYUFD was talking about keeping only what used to be called the Anglo-Saxon colonies.
@Roger did you ever report back from your Special Military Operation party?
Mar 4 "On Sunday I'm going to a hotel which is Russian owned and one where the vast majority of their clientele is Russian. I'm curious to see what the mood is like but if several have had their yachts confiscated it probably wont be great"
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
Morocco/Tunisia/Algeria were more recent than both, emptying Cornish and Devon villages.
"Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. In August 1625 corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing 60 men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.
Sir John Eliot, Vice Admiral of Devon, declared that the seas around England “seem’d theirs.”"
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
What’s the point of a commonwealth ?
Soft power apparently. Somewhere for the RF to visit at public expense.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
The chorus was that its great if wages are sustainably going up more than prices - and that if prices are going up because of and thus less than wages, then that's not a bad thing.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
It’s not just energy driving up prices it is raw material costs, shipping costs, packaging costs. Demand has just exceeded supply.
Energy is a component feeding through but these rises are multi faceted.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
Unions are now asking for rises in the region of 10%
There are car component suppliers of bearings in the North East about to strike over pay.
Good for them.
Absolutely; it only needs for them to force us to start manufacturing the Allegra again and the picture will be complete.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
What’s the point of a commonwealth ?
Soft power apparently. Somewhere for the RF to visit at public expense.
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
Didnt Nicola recently say sorry for burning witches?
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
Plenty of Republics in the Commonwealth.
Quite so, but HYUFD was talking about keeping only what used to be called the Anglo-Saxon colonies.
Debating with @HYUFD is generally orthogonal to reason and reality.
Should we try and get him an upgrade on the Covenanter? A Russian vehicle, one-careful-owner, from Ukrainian EBay?
Away from whether one agrees or disagrees with his policy instincts, the Chancellor has often done the politics quite well. I can’t believe there won’t be some form of rabbit in the hat.
Eh? Every single previous announcement initially polled well and then fell apart days later.
I don’t know where he gets this reputation for being good at anything from
I’m going off the polling evidence from his previous statements, not whether or not I liked them.
As news breaks that Renault has resumed Russian production an EU diplomat tells me: ‘Apparently Macron is weighed on a different scale than other Europeans. While the rest of us are absorbing pain of sanctions, he lets Renault and other French companies operate in Russia.’
Can imagine Italy - which took heat over original luxury goods carve out in sanctions - and Germany - getting criticised for lack of energy sanctions - won’t be massively impressed by lack of criticism for Macron and French companies operating in Russia.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
The chorus was that its great if wages are sustainably going up more than prices - and that if prices are going up because of and thus less than wages, then that's not a bad thing.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
There is no escape from the reality that a deficit in energy has to make some people, somewhere (or most people, everywhere), materially poorer.
The correct government response is to do what is required to restore a reliable energy surplus as soon as possible. I don't see how a cut in taxes on energy helps with that at all, but it seems to be the most eye-catching announcement to be made.
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
He will obviously cut duty, as I have pointed out before the net cost is practically zero given the increased VAT take. I think (hope) he does something about those on benefits. The loan gimick on fuel bills needs to be dropped. There will presumably be yet more money for the NHS focused on backlogs. Possible wild card would be the suspension of VAT on domestic fuel, benefit of Brexit etc
Isn't cutting the tax on fuel little better than burning the cash?
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
Yes, but fuel duty is totemic for a certain type of Conservative. White Van Man isn't a bad person, but he has an unhealthy grip on the imagination of some politicians.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
The chorus was that its great if wages are sustainably going up more than prices - and that if prices are going up because of and thus less than wages, then that's not a bad thing.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
Even first year economists understand that wage rises in turn lead to price rises and vice versa. The fact that the UK suffered an exogenous energy price shock simply adds, ahem, fuel to the fire.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
What’s the point of a commonwealth ?
Soft power apparently. Somewhere for the RF to visit at public expense.
And the eBay Olympics.
The Commonwealth Games, yes. I was going to add the Rhodes scholarships at Oxford but they let the Middle North Americans in.
@NickPalmer told us yesterday that he agreed with Ange that Corbyn would have sent weapons to Ukraine, like Johnson did, before the invasion.
How can he possibly believe it?
habibi @habibi_uk From the "Stop the War" statement Corbyn signed in February:
"Instead, the British government has sent arms to Ukraine and deployed further troops to Eastern Europe, moves which serve no purpose other than inflaming tensions and indicating disdain for Russian concerns."
@Roger did you ever report back from your Special Military Operation party?
Mar 4 "On Sunday I'm going to a hotel which is Russian owned and one where the vast majority of their clientele is Russian. I'm curious to see what the mood is like but if several have had their yachts confiscated it probably wont be great"
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
Didnt Nicola recently say sorry for burning witches?
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
Didnt Nicola recently say sorry for burning witches?
More nuanced than that. But translated into PBTory speak, yes.
(I think it's also PB's birthday. One of these is more important than the other to most on here)
Congratulations. Enjoy. Big one next year, so start planning.
The planning's already started.
I want to do something slightly insane for my 50th year. I've got a little 'un to look after, so I cannot disappear for months at a time, but I'm thinking what I can fit in within the school times.
Every year I set myself an objective for that year. Last year it was to run every day; this year it's something more cerebral. My current thinking for next year is 52 marathons in the year - if my body will allow it. I'm unsure atm. I might just decide to laze about and do nothing...
My choice would be taking the ocean liner Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York (and back) and have a few days over there.
I'd go in the most expensive class I could afford probably and enjoy myself.
It's our Diamond anniversary this year; haven't booked anything yet, due to repeated hospital appointments, but that sounds an idea.
We are two years behind you but many congratulations and you should receive your telegram from HMQ
When my in-laws hit their 60th we had to arrange that, and it was a card. Don't know if anyone will arrange it for us.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
On the road to republicanism? They've been announcing it over and over again for at least a decade. I've no idea how they haven't found the time to do it long before now given both main parties are in favour. Respect for the queen doesn't prevent itvas Barbados shows. I find it pretty laughable when people act like it's new or a surprise that the Caribbean nations might go Republican, and something that the UK will be shocked or concerned by - it's long expected.
That's enough about pb.com. What did you think of the Russian TV shit?
LOL
The impression I get of Russia is of a great nation humiliating itself. It is an absolute tragedy. Makes me feel a bit better about our own country.
who could have imagined there was a worse country with a worse leader than the UK.
Not quite sure about worse country, Malc, but worse leader..... closer.
OKC, close call for sure
Okay Malc, I know I'm risking some turnip-juice inspired vitriol from you, but there is really zero comparison between Putin and Johnson. Johnson has many, many flaws, but he is near to an angel in comparison to Putin.
Look at the roads Putin has taken his country down. Look at his hamfisted reaction to the Covid crisis. Look at the Litvinenko or Salisbury. Look at the way he has stifled free press in his country; the way he has strangled democracy.
For all Johnson's faults, he is not a Putin. Neither do I think he wants to be.
But to compare characters, you have to have comparable circumstances.
The question is, how would Johnson behave were he a politician in a political and economic system as is Russia's? And, conversely, how would Putin behave were he a politician in a democracy like the UK?
Given Johnson's apparent character, instincts, immorality and evidenced behaviour, I'm not convinced that the Russians would be hugely better off. The big difference ISTM is that Johnson is lazy, doesn't really give a toss about anything other than himself, and wouldn't have such a grip on his subordinates, thus the 'Russian' budget would be wasted on futile vanity projects which Johnson would be filmed in front of. But, just maybe, he wouldn't be so obsessed with expanding his country. So the 'Ukranians' in the analogy might be better off. But lets not kid ourselves that Johnson has very much commitment to the values of our democracy, the rule of law, personal and financial integrity. In a totalitarian political system, Johnson would be milking its benefits for himself; I don't see any evidence that he'd be doing a Gorbachev and be trying to steer his country towards openness and democracy?
For an instance of how someone can start out appearing to be a democratic politician yet slowly turn his country in an authoritarian direction, look at Orban. He's managed it because the culture and institutions standing in his way are far less resilient than ours, given that Hungary has no democratic traditions at all.
The Tories' majority would be wiped out in a general election held tomorrow, a new poll shows, as Britain's looming cost of living crisis threatens to engulf Boris Johnson's government.
New MRP research, carried out by Survation for campaign group 38 Degrees, found 92 Conservative MPs would be voted out and Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament, with an estimated 293 seats to the Tories’ 273.
Does anyone here know if any reputable/capable think tanks have ever studied the maths on a very radical change to the UK tax approach?
For example cutting income tax to a flat rate of 20% starting at a level where those on minimum wage don’t pay tax and then rebalancing it by focussing on wealth and asset taxes. In addition changing VAT so that “essentials” (maybe food/clothes under a certain price etc) are free of VAT and then a scaled tax on “luxuries” (cars, for example, having a staged increasing VAT based on value, jewellery such as £10,000 watches attracting a much higher rate than one under £100 etc).
Effectively changing things so that people who are only able to live ordinary lives are not squeezed and those who want more “things” can make the choice how much they want them.
Just interested in the feasibility of the maths and amounts raised rather than the politics of it.
It seems every chancellor of every stripe is only able to really tinker around the edges but what if they are tinkering when the whole thing needs ripping up.
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
Didnt Nicola recently say sorry for burning witches?
More nuanced than that. But translated into PBTory speak, yes.
“This is the worst - where we are right now, this is the worst.
“When I’m reading messages from people saying money prioritisation used to be ‘do I go to the hairdressers, or do I go to the pub and have a takeaway’.
“Now it’s about prioritising ‘feeding my children over feeding myself’. That is simply not tenable in our society and there is absolute panic - and it has not started yet.”
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
Unions are now asking for rises in the region of 10%
There are car component suppliers of bearings in the North East about to strike over pay.
Good for them.
Absolutely; it only needs for them to force us to start manufacturing the Allegra again and the picture will be complete.
They had an awful reputation. Square steering wheel too on the early models. We had two when I was a kid. They were great.
55% Republic, 30% Queen to remain HoS, 15% don't know/care.
Poll from 2 years ago. Given it is non white, non British origin majority unlike say Australia or Canada or New Zealand hardly that surprising and realistically those are the only nations we can keep as Commonwealth realms going forward even if they stay in the Commonwealth.
Though 55% is hardly a landslide
What's the point of a White-only Commonwealth? Aussies and NZers and Canadians have their own independent views, and losing the other Commonwealth members is a disastrous blow to what some like to call soft power.
The vast majority of Commonwealth nations are already Republics or have their own heads of state. I was talking Commonwealth realms.
We will not be losing them from the Commonwealth, Barbados is staying in the Commonwealth too. Jamaica is tiny and will have zero impact on our soft power whether a Commonwealth realm or not. The vast majority of the population of the remaining Commonwealth realms live in white majority nations of mainly British origin ie Australia, Canada and New Zealand and will likely continue to do so.
Australia itself voted 55% to keep the monarchy in 1999, in Canada both Trudeau and the Conservatives are monarchists
The Tories' majority would be wiped out in a general election held tomorrow, a new poll shows, as Britain's looming cost of living crisis threatens to engulf Boris Johnson's government.
New MRP research, carried out by Survation for campaign group 38 Degrees, found 92 Conservative MPs would be voted out and Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament, with an estimated 293 seats to the Tories’ 273.
Midterm polling suggesting a Hung Parliament has not, historically, proven to be the herald of a change in Government. Plus I tend to think that would be hell for Starmer. He’d have to be PM, but the majority would be built on too many different factions. For the good of the country, if he’s going to win he needs to WIN.
It looks to me like almost everyone else in that clip is staring awkwardly at their feet.
Who knew that BatShitCrazyTV was a thing in Russia.
Not sure we should judge a country by its panel shows and vox pops, the mind boggles what people would make of us on that basis.
GoggleBox shows the world who we are.
Can't imagine that in Putin's Russia.
When I first heard of googlebox I thought what a ridiculous idea; watching people watching TV. However it is excellent, easy viewing with good humour and some heart warming bit. I wouldn't make a point of watching it but when I do I enjoy it.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see that Jamaica could be on the road to republicanism.
It comes as a shock to many in this country that we built much of our wealth and success by invading countries, crushing people, stealing their land and their produce and selling their people into slavery. Vladimir Putin has nothing on the British empire.
Reparations are due and the tide has rightly turned.
Nobody alive in Britain today was involved in slavery and we abolished slavery well before most European Empires, the Arab States and USA did. There will be no reparations.
Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took
Morocco/Tunisia/Algeria were more recent than both, emptying Cornish and Devon villages.
"Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. In August 1625 corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing 60 men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.
Sir John Eliot, Vice Admiral of Devon, declared that the seas around England “seem’d theirs.”"
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
It seems that the triple lock on pensions will be reinstated for pensions and if that is matched on other benefits the bill is going to be billions
Taxes up on working families.
The time will come for some form of wealth tax
Well vote Labour again then as you did in 1997 and 2001 because you certainly will not be getting a wealth tax from a Tory government
Be careful, they are coming after your inheritance
I doubt even Labour would given how unpopular inheritance tax is
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
He will obviously cut duty, as I have pointed out before the net cost is practically zero given the increased VAT take. I think (hope) he does something about those on benefits. The loan gimick on fuel bills needs to be dropped. There will presumably be yet more money for the NHS focused on backlogs. Possible wild card would be the suspension of VAT on domestic fuel, benefit of Brexit etc
Isn't cutting the tax on fuel little better than burning the cash?
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
It shows the government is doing what it can to address the cost of living crisis. The problem would be when would ever be a good time to bring it back, like the fuel duty escalator, which has been in abeyance since 2010. It would be regressive, however, with most of the benefit going to the better off. Exceptional increases in benefits (eg replacing the cuts at the end of lockdown etc) would be much more targetted towards those most affected by the cost of living crisis (and would also increase the multiplier effect on public spending due to the higher propensity to spend in that sector).
While Eastern EU countries like Poland and Lithuania want the EU to keep up the pressure on Moscow by ramping up its penalties, some such as Germany are signaling support for taking a pause to “review the effect of the sanctions imposed so far,”
The other point I would make is that, in a crisis, it is more important that you do the right thing then that you avoid doing the wrong thing.
So, although I don't think that boosting domestic fossil fuel production is the right things to do, whether we do so or not concerns me a lot less than that we do the right thing, which is to boost domestic renewable energy generation as fast as possible.
One of the key advantages of boosting domestic renewable generation of electricity, is that electricity is harder to export that oil or gas, and so increasing our supplies of non-fossil fuel electricity will have the greatest benefit in reducing prices (as well as having a 2-for-1 benefit in reducing our fossil fuel use).
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
He will obviously cut duty, as I have pointed out before the net cost is practically zero given the increased VAT take. I think (hope) he does something about those on benefits. The loan gimick on fuel bills needs to be dropped. There will presumably be yet more money for the NHS focused on backlogs. Possible wild card would be the suspension of VAT on domestic fuel, benefit of Brexit etc
Isn't cutting the tax on fuel little better than burning the cash?
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
It shows the government is doing what it can to address the cost of living crisis. The problem would be when would ever be a good time to bring it back, like the fuel duty escalator, which has been in abeyance since 2010. It would be regressive, however, with most of the benefit going to the better off. Exceptional increases in benefits (eg replacing the cuts at the end of lockdown etc) would be much more targetted towards those most affected by the cost of living crisis (and would also increase the multiplier effect on public spending due to the higher propensity to spend in that sector).
Indeed. The risk is the Government gets pulled into having a “target rate” for petrol costs and varies the tax rate to achieve it. Not a place we want to be.
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
It seems that the triple lock on pensions will be reinstated for pensions and if that is matched on other benefits the bill is going to be billions
Taxes up on working families.
The time will come for some form of wealth tax
Well vote Labour again then as you did in 1997 and 2001 because you certainly will not be getting a wealth tax from a Tory government
Be careful, they are coming after your inheritance
I doubt even Labour would given how unpopular inheritance tax is
Depends on whether one’s voters have anything to either pass on or inherit.
January (-£7bn) was pretty good, and not far off pre-COVID, but February (£13bn) is still not much better than last year and way worse than pre-COVID:
i am surprised the bond markets are letting the government get away so lightly - with inflation at least 6.2% you are losing about 5% a year lending to the government whether you are an individual,pension fund, bank or foreign country. I notice Premium Bonds are just paying 1% as a prize fund. I think many people will not want o lose 5% a year for much longer
That's true up to a point, but there's still the 'safe haven' effect, plus simple inertia.
The key figure is going to be UK inflation relative to the rest of the world. The energy price shock impacts everyone, but some major economies will get inflation under control while others won't. If we're one of the latter, our borrowing costs will rise alarmingly fast.
Good deed of the day done before lunchtime. Two Ukranian refugees (friend of my wife and her daughter, from Kiev) put in touch with willing hosts in the UK (neighbours of my parents) and starting the process.
‘Our’ refugees (father-in-law and lady friend) planning their trip to our place in the sandpit at the moment too.
The Tories' majority would be wiped out in a general election held tomorrow, a new poll shows, as Britain's looming cost of living crisis threatens to engulf Boris Johnson's government.
New MRP research, carried out by Survation for campaign group 38 Degrees, found 92 Conservative MPs would be voted out and Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament, with an estimated 293 seats to the Tories’ 273.
There isn’t an election tomorrow so it’s somewhat irrelevant.
@Roger did you ever report back from your Special Military Operation party?
Mar 4 "On Sunday I'm going to a hotel which is Russian owned and one where the vast majority of their clientele is Russian. I'm curious to see what the mood is like but if several have had their yachts confiscated it probably wont be great"
This is a really good short summary of what I think many of us across the board feel about the Boris government, though maybe no need to make it Bannon centric for a UK focused piece:
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
This is why the Tories are in my view, in big trouble. For the north this is levelling down whether they get a new train station or not
There's a big number of 'just about managing' households in the Midlands, too. Energy and fuel costs will bite them hard.
It's tough to be in power when the reckoning comes, whatever the chancellor does.
The Tories' majority would be wiped out in a general election held tomorrow, a new poll shows, as Britain's looming cost of living crisis threatens to engulf Boris Johnson's government.
New MRP research, carried out by Survation for campaign group 38 Degrees, found 92 Conservative MPs would be voted out and Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament, with an estimated 293 seats to the Tories’ 273.
There isn’t an election tomorrow so it’s somewhat irrelevant.
Generally speaking the degree of relevance of a particular poll is in direct relationship to whether you like the numbers.
On topic, I think my question would be, 'what will be this year's pasty tax?' Because there will be one.
I'm thinking the odds are it will be this silly loan on energy bills, if that's still going ahead at all.
Bound to be a generous-looking gimmick that falls apart under scrutiny.
He's not got that much room to play with. TEN BILLION POUNDS sounds like a lot, but it's about £150 per person across the country, which will barely touch the sides of the problem. £3 a week.
And the fiscal outlook for next year (which ideally will be election runup) looks worse than expected.
And whilst not much of this is Rishi's fault, he will inevitably cop the blame.
He will obviously cut duty, as I have pointed out before the net cost is practically zero given the increased VAT take. I think (hope) he does something about those on benefits. The loan gimick on fuel bills needs to be dropped. There will presumably be yet more money for the NHS focused on backlogs. Possible wild card would be the suspension of VAT on domestic fuel, benefit of Brexit etc
Isn't cutting the tax on fuel little better than burning the cash?
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
Fuel prices have risen owing to (overseas) supply side increases and have little to do with domestic supply and demand. That may illustrate a wider problem if HMT becomes fixated with fighting the last war against inflation.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
The chorus was that its great if wages are sustainably going up more than prices - and that if prices are going up because of and thus less than wages, then that's not a bad thing.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
There is no escape from the reality that a deficit in energy has to make some people, somewhere (or most people, everywhere), materially poorer.
The correct government response is to do what is required to restore a reliable energy surplus as soon as possible. I don't see how a cut in taxes on energy helps with that at all, but it seems to be the most eye-catching announcement to be made.
Living standards are being crushed by two fundamental forces. First, population ageing, which means that every worker has to support more non working pensioners. Second, rising energy costs, which reflect the fact that we can't burn cheap fossil fuels with gay abandon if we want our children and grandchildren to inherit a habitable planet. Fundamental solutions include raising labour productivity, raising the pension age, immigration to rebalance the demographic profile and investment to reduce the cost of renewable energy. That we have imposed a further tax on ourselves by putting up trade barriers with the EU is unfortunate, it's the kind of indulgence we simply can't afford right now.
Where I wonder is that PB chorus of how great it is that wages are going up and prices are going up and wages are going up. I wonder if wage growth has hit 8.2%.
Unions are now asking for rises in the region of 10%
There are car component suppliers of bearings in the North East about to strike over pay.
Good for them.
Absolutely; it only needs for them to force us to start manufacturing the Allegra again and the picture will be complete.
They had an awful reputation. Square steering wheel too on the early models...
Comments
You are right. The world needs to redress the past & then move on along new foundations. Evil Vlad is a throwback to an old way of colonial and imperial rule.
I'm currently reading a book about Monty Python in their own words, and for someone born in the 1970s, it's odd how much they felt that TWTWTW, the Frost Report etc demolished the deference we Brits felt for our leaders and rulers.
Of course, they were in that arena (literally, for a couple of them), so they might be making it more important than it was. But a 'government' pulling things like HIGNFY and other satirical programs - especially ones that are news-based - wold be a bad sign.
Them dying because they become unfunny (e.g. Spitting Image) is a different matter...
Laughing at those in power is a great way of defusing tension.
The overwhelming majority of Jamaicans polled by Bill Johnson say that the law making sex between two men punishable should not be changed.
Jamaica's Offences Against the Person Act, Section 76, makes buggery punishable across the board, with a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years, with hard labour.
When the pollsters asked Jamaicans to state whether law should be changed or not, 93 per cent of respondents in both polls said no.
https://amp.jamaicaobserver.com/news/massive-agreement-with-buggery-law_200557
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/one-week-to-file-your-self-assessment-return
All the best
I don’t know where he gets this reputation for being good at anything from
Sunak seems to have missed his chance at the top job. Time and tide wait for no man.
For our historic pollution dating back to the days of the industrial revolution.
I always gave Heathener the benefit of the doubt but I suspect, given the continual deliberately contrary positions, others may be correct. Not that she’s a Russian mole, just a wind up.
"Barbary pirates raided on land as well as at sea. In August 1625 corsairs raided Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, capturing 60 men, women and children and taking them into slavery. In 1626 St Keverne was repeatedly attacked, and boats out of Looe, Penzance, Mousehole and other Cornish ports were boarded, their crews taken captive and the empty ships left to drift. It was feared that there were around 60 Barbary men-of-war prowling the Devon and Cornish coasts and attacks were now occurring almost daily.
Sir John Eliot, Vice Admiral of Devon, declared that the seas around England “seem’d theirs.”"
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Barbary-Pirates-English-Slaves/
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has rightly refrained from giving an immediate response to the statement of apology from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the “extreme violence” committed by the Dutch colonial forces during the 1945-1949 revolution war that followed Indonesia’s proclamation of independence on Aug. 17, 1945.
Indonesia from the very beginning has decided to move forward, rather than becoming a prisoner of the bitter past. The issue has never been made a big fuss….
Let the historians continue digging deeper into the past relations between the Dutch and Indonesia for academic purposes and discovery of the truth. As a big nation, Indonesia will not let itself be confined by the bitterness of past colonialization.
https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2022/02/22/the-dutch-apology.html
If it comes down to a referendum I'd make Republic a mild favourite but not an overwhelming one and I could see a surprise status quo victory depending on the political prism of the campaign at the time.
Prices aren't going up due to wage demands, they're going up due to energy costs. There's nothing good in that (except for the green zealots).
Prices have multiple components to their increase. If wages are going up but commodity costs are flat, then we have real wage growth and that is good. If wages aren't going up but commodity costs are rising steeply, then we have real wage decline and that is bad. Is that really hard for you to understand?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-road-to-30k-dfe-proposes-16-starting-salary-hike-by-2023/
9% for new starters at the bottom of the scale, much less higher up.
There are car component suppliers of bearings in the North East about to strike over pay.
Good for them.
Given the price is set by a balance between demand and supply, the cut in the duty rate will just get eaten up by price rises as they increase further to reach the equilibrium point.
Mar 4 "On Sunday I'm going to a hotel which is Russian owned and one where the vast majority of their clientele is Russian. I'm curious to see what the mood is like but if several have had their yachts confiscated it probably wont be great"
"Otherwise we might as well claim reparations from Denmark for Viking raids and from Italy for the slaves the Romans took."
Too late, last time I was in Copenhagen, I told a few amused Danes they were forgiven. Not so sure about the Italians, though.
As for Tony apologising for the Irish famine, I'm sure some of my great-great grandfathers will appreciate the apology from some of my other great-great grandfathers. If they were still alive.
He is young and he will be in the mix when Boris goes, whether that is sooner or later
http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/conway/868c95af.html
Energy is a component feeding through but these rises are multi faceted.
Maybe even higher.
Should we try and get him an upgrade on the Covenanter? A Russian vehicle, one-careful-owner, from Ukrainian EBay?
Can imagine Italy - which took heat over original luxury goods carve out in sanctions - and Germany - getting criticised for lack of energy sanctions - won’t be massively impressed by lack of criticism for Macron and French companies operating in Russia.
https://twitter.com/Barnes_Joe/status/1506550492171751426
The correct government response is to do what is required to restore a reliable energy surplus as soon as possible. I don't see how a cut in taxes on energy helps with that at all, but it seems to be the most eye-catching announcement to be made.
How can he possibly believe it?
habibi
@habibi_uk
From the "Stop the War" statement Corbyn signed in February:
"Instead, the British government has sent arms to Ukraine and deployed further troops to Eastern Europe, moves which serve no purpose other than inflaming tensions and indicating disdain for Russian concerns."
https://twitter.com/habibi_uk/status/1506359255825358853
In happier times .....
https://www.fourseasons.com/capferrat/
92 losses according to the MRP.
The question is, how would Johnson behave were he a politician in a political and economic system as is Russia's? And, conversely, how would Putin behave were he a politician in a democracy like the UK?
Given Johnson's apparent character, instincts, immorality and evidenced behaviour, I'm not convinced that the Russians would be hugely better off. The big difference ISTM is that Johnson is lazy, doesn't really give a toss about anything other than himself, and wouldn't have such a grip on his subordinates, thus the 'Russian' budget would be wasted on futile vanity projects which Johnson would be filmed in front of. But, just maybe, he wouldn't be so obsessed with expanding his country. So the 'Ukranians' in the analogy might be better off. But lets not kid ourselves that Johnson has very much commitment to the values of our democracy, the rule of law, personal and financial integrity. In a totalitarian political system, Johnson would be milking its benefits for himself; I don't see any evidence that he'd be doing a Gorbachev and be trying to steer his country towards openness and democracy?
For an instance of how someone can start out appearing to be a democratic politician yet slowly turn his country in an authoritarian direction, look at Orban. He's managed it because the culture and institutions standing in his way are far less resilient than ours, given that Hungary has no democratic traditions at all.
New MRP research, carried out by Survation for campaign group 38 Degrees, found 92 Conservative MPs would be voted out and Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament, with an estimated 293 seats to the Tories’ 273.
For example cutting income tax to a flat rate of 20% starting at a level where those on minimum wage don’t pay tax and then rebalancing it by focussing on wealth and asset taxes. In addition changing VAT so that “essentials” (maybe food/clothes under a certain price etc) are free of VAT and then a scaled tax on “luxuries” (cars, for example, having a staged increasing VAT based on value, jewellery such as £10,000 watches attracting a much higher rate than one under £100 etc).
Effectively changing things so that people who are only able to live ordinary lives are not squeezed and those who want more “things” can make the choice how much they want them.
Just interested in the feasibility of the maths and amounts raised rather than the politics of it.
It seems every chancellor of every stripe is only able to really tinker around the edges but what if they are tinkering when the whole thing needs ripping up.
“When I’m reading messages from people saying money prioritisation used to be ‘do I go to the hairdressers, or do I go to the pub and have a takeaway’.
“Now it’s about prioritising ‘feeding my children over feeding myself’. That is simply not tenable in our society and there is absolute panic - and it has not started yet.”
Your move Rishi
We will not be losing them from the Commonwealth, Barbados is staying in the Commonwealth too. Jamaica is tiny and will have zero impact on our soft power whether a Commonwealth realm or not. The vast majority of the population of the remaining Commonwealth realms live in white majority nations of mainly British origin ie Australia, Canada and New Zealand and will likely continue to do so.
Australia itself voted 55% to keep the monarchy in 1999, in Canada both Trudeau and the Conservatives are monarchists
It was, theoretically anyway, possible to ransom such captives, though.
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/summit-prep-energy-debate-at-boiling-point-playbook-interview/
So, although I don't think that boosting domestic fossil fuel production is the right things to do, whether we do so or not concerns me a lot less than that we do the right thing, which is to boost domestic renewable energy generation as fast as possible.
One of the key advantages of boosting domestic renewable generation of electricity, is that electricity is harder to export that oil or gas, and so increasing our supplies of non-fossil fuel electricity will have the greatest benefit in reducing prices (as well as having a 2-for-1 benefit in reducing our fossil fuel use).
The key figure is going to be UK inflation relative to the rest of the world.
The energy price shock impacts everyone, but some major economies will get inflation under control while others won't. If we're one of the latter, our borrowing costs will rise alarmingly fast.
‘Our’ refugees (father-in-law and lady friend) planning their trip to our place in the sandpit at the moment too.
https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/21/flooding-the-zone-the-bannon-playbook-governing-british-politics/
Energy and fuel costs will bite them hard.
It's tough to be in power when the reckoning comes, whatever the chancellor does.
He couldn't have been... lying... could he?