Ed Balls @edballsmp·9m9 minutes ago Tory borrowing plans are in tatters: in this parliament they will have borrowed £219bn more than they planned in 2010 #AS2014
Labour are complaining the Tories borrowed less than Labour would have done...
New announcement: the amount of profit in established banks that can be offset by losses carried forward will be limited to 50%, and relief on bad debts delayed. That means banks should contribute almost £4 billion more in tax over the next five years.
Why are we now having two budgets a year?
"First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price? Only, this one can be kept secret." - John Hurt in "Contact".
If it works the biggest item in the budget really ought to be the new tax on multinationals. I will be fascinated to see in due course what the Treasury thinks that will bring in. It will also be interesting to see whether all the larger economies in the EU and indeed beyond follow suit. I would be amazed if this has come out of the blue and not been discussed at the G7.
Luxembourg may start to discover what austerity means.
Good.
Another whistler in the wind!
Talking of farting in a gale, are you revising up or down your 80+ seat prediction for Ukip at the general election ?
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
Ed Balls @edballsmp·9m9 minutes ago Tory borrowing plans are in tatters: in this parliament they will have borrowed £219bn more than they planned in 2010 #AS2014
You are an idiot. Why? Because at least Balls knows he is talking rubbish. He cannot talk about the hundreds of thousands, millions, of new jobs created thoigh, can he?. The govt is performing well in its spending cuts and still we see jobs beking created . This is the prme responsibility it has, it cannot control outside events. The fact that the economy does not generate the revenues because of tax scams is at last being addressed. All through Brown's supposed boom period the economy never generated the taxes expected.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Ed Balls @edballsmp·9m9 minutes ago Tory borrowing plans are in tatters: in this parliament they will have borrowed £219bn more than they planned in 2010 #AS2014
For God's sake. What point do Labour think they're making when they say the Tories haven't been Tory enough on cutting the deficit?
Tories not "Tory enough" on the deficit? Have you seen the Tory record on deficits?
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
Which PBer was that?
Honestly can't remember, it was a few years ago and I was new to the site. I think Carlotta is right that they disappeared thereafter though.
Charles, my dear fellow: may I suggest West Hampstead - which has all the advantages of Hampstead but without, I'm glad to say its current vulgarity - (and I should know I grew up there when it was populated by real people), is close to St John's Wood, is a mere 15 minutes walk from the Heath, has good transport links and still has ordinary high streets rather than a gazillion shoe shops and overpriced patisseries. It is close to good schools and if you go to the right church you can bend the ear of the BoE governor!
What's more the houses are cheaper and, judging by those photos, the bedrooms and gardens are larger. Mine certainly are. There is also a sense of community since people tend not to move house very often so you do know your neighbours.
And it is easy to escape up the M1 for the delights of the Lake District.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Why were we still paying for World War I, one hundred years on?
Shouldn't we have forced the vile Hun to pay it.
"George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganyika. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the imperialistic front."
In 2010... Your party left a massive pile of turd outside No 10 and left the incoming Govt with a single teaspoon to get rid of it. Such a task takes time, but it doesn't alter the fact that Labour were responsible for the pile of turd in the first place. Lecturing on the slowness of the removal just makes Labour look stupid and economically illiterate. which of course they are.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
Why were we still paying for World War I, one hundred years on?
Shouldn't we have forced the vile Hun to pay it.
"George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganyika. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the imperialistic front."
Ed Balls @edballsmp·9m9 minutes ago Tory borrowing plans are in tatters: in this parliament they will have borrowed £219bn more than they planned in 2010 #AS2014
For God's sake. What point do Labour think they're making when they say the Tories haven't been Tory enough on cutting the deficit?
Tories not "Tory enough" on the deficit? Have you seen the Tory record on deficits?
Yes, indeed, Tory governments have regularly run very large deficits. But that wasn't my point. The point is that no matter how poor the Tories' record is on this front, NO-ONE is going to believe that the deficit would be lower if Labour was in. So Labour pointing out that the deficit is very big will simply make people think the deficit is the top issue that needs tackling, and that will only favour the Tories. It's the same as the parties to "out-Ukip Ukip" on immigration -- all that does is entrench the idea that immigration is out of control and that a solution is needed, yet the main parties can't out-bid UKIP on that solution.
Charles, my dear fellow: may I suggest West Hampstead - which has all the advantages of Hampstead but without, I'm glad to say its current vulgarity - (and I should know I grew up there when it was populated by real people), is close to St John's Wood, is a mere 15 minutes walk from the Heath, has good transport links and still has ordinary high streets rather than a gazillion shoe shops and overpriced patisseries. It is close to good schools and if you go to the right church you can bend the ear of the BoE governor!
What's more the houses are cheaper and, judging by those photos, the bedrooms and gardens are larger. Mine certainly are. There is also a sense of community since people tend not to move house very often so you do know your neighbours.
And it is easy to escape up the M1 for the delights of the Lake District.
Every time I suggest somewhere that isn't Kensington my wife counters with "How about California?"
I don't whether I am unusual in having a group of friends many of whom are in the process of buying homes in and around Oxford - but there are some seriously happy people as a result of today. One is saving £4k under the Stamp Duty regime and another is looking at a £1200 saving. And that money looks like it will be spent on stuff for their new homes anyway - so it will feed straight back into the economy. Looks like a smart and popular move.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
Nine times out of ten I get adverts for underwear.
New announcement: the amount of profit in established banks that can be offset by losses carried forward will be limited to 50%, and relief on bad debts delayed. That means banks should contribute almost £4 billion more in tax over the next five years.
Why are we now having two budgets a year?
"First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price? Only, this one can be kept secret." - John Hurt in "Contact".
In 2010... Your party left a massive pile of turd outside No 10 and left the incoming Govt with a single teaspoon to get rid of it. Such a task takes time, but it doesn't alter the fact that Labour were responsible for the pile of turd in the first place. Lecturing on the slowness of the removal just makes Labour look stupid and economically illiterate. which of course they are.
Er, George has brought a sodding great dane and increased the size of the pile!
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
That's a very smart cat. Does he or she place bets?
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
Nine times out of ten I get adverts for underwear.
In 2010... Your party left a massive pile of turd outside No 10 and left the incoming Govt with a single teaspoon to get rid of it. Such a task takes time, but it doesn't alter the fact that Labour were responsible for the pile of turd in the first place. Lecturing on the slowness of the removal just makes Labour look stupid and economically illiterate. which of course they are.
Er, George has brought a sodding great dane and increased the size of the pile!
Based on the fact that cutting spending by or increasing taxation by 275 billion or whatever the figure was in one year would be the cause of riots, unrest and revolution.
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
Nine times out of ten I get adverts for underwear.
Crossover or Crossdresser?
Heh. No, the slogan is always "wear better underwear" (what's wrong with my current lot anyway??)
They should have gone with "semper ubi, sub ubi". I'd have definitely considered buying some then
Damn. I clicked on the link and now, when I am trying to complete my online shopping at Lidl, I will have multi-million pound Kensington houses flashing up for sale on my computer.
LOL. I bought a washing machine online and was plagued with adverts for them for over a month.
Someone once complained to OGH that his site really shouldn't have ads for Roumanians mail order brides....and then disappeared after it was pointed out why he was seeing them.
I'd forgotten that. Excellent.
That is a classic
Is it true though or myth?
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
Oh its definitely true, Google has some seriously smart technology to pick up what you have been searching online and feed that into their advertising. Try it. Search for something you would never buy like cat food or a room in Bedford and watch what happens to your adverts.
Ha! The cat just read that and meowed!
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
That's a very smart cat. Does he or she place bets?
Nah he is too busy looking good!
He follows me down the street when I go out though, bit weird... more like a dog
Charles, my dear fellow: may I suggest West Hampstead - which has all the advantages of Hampstead but without, I'm glad to say its current vulgarity - (and I should know I grew up there when it was populated by real people), is close to St John's Wood, is a mere 15 minutes walk from the Heath, has good transport links and still has ordinary high streets rather than a gazillion shoe shops and overpriced patisseries. It is close to good schools and if you go to the right church you can bend the ear of the BoE governor!
What's more the houses are cheaper and, judging by those photos, the bedrooms and gardens are larger. Mine certainly are. There is also a sense of community since people tend not to move house very often so you do know your neighbours.
And it is easy to escape up the M1 for the delights of the Lake District.
Every time I suggest somewhere that isn't Kensington my wife counters with "How about California?"
In 2010... Your party left a massive pile of turd outside No 10 and left the incoming Govt with a single teaspoon to get rid of it. Such a task takes time, but it doesn't alter the fact that Labour were responsible for the pile of turd in the first place. Lecturing on the slowness of the removal just makes Labour look stupid and economically illiterate. which of course they are.
Er, George has brought a sodding great dane and increased the size of the pile!
The only story in town at the moment is the one that stopped you in your tracks also: stamp duty.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
Why were we still paying for World War I, one hundred years on?
Shouldn't we have forced the vile Hun to pay it.
"George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganyika. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the imperialistic front."
Yay someone got the reference.
Richard Curtis was at the table next to me in a restaurant last night. Some of his dining partners were a bit "mwah, mwah, daaarling' but he seemed (relatively) normal.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
I wouldn't make admissions like that on pb.com - you don't want to end up like Ross William Ulbricht.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
Well thats the next problem. If Bitcoins (or some other decentralized currency) becomes the norm, then even more difficult, as then authorities don't have a clue where the money comes from.
I would think that most big businesses will be forced to use some sort of way of checking location of purchaser. For Amazon say, it is pretty obvious, you aren't going to have your tv delivered to a different country to the one you live in, but for online services yes very difficult.
However, for example with online gambling, the condition of their operating license is that they have to cover all this, and if they don't have people properly located etc, they could lose it.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
Didn't watch the Autumn [December isn't autumnal...] Statement but just checked the main announcements on the BBC. Doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about. I didn't miss anything, did I?
Amusingly, I'm just reading a Morgan Stanley economics report, and they have just cut their 2015 and 2016 UK GDP growth forecasts to 2.5% and 1.9%...
I wonder who'll be right :-)
2.4% to 2.5% for next year is not anything to argue about. Growth forecasts more than 12 months in the future are there to be used as evidence that economists have a sense of humour.
Yesterday the algorithms saw me following politics from Japan in election season and figured I might need a large loudspeaker and a magnet to attach it to the roof of my car. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B32lAPFCUAAWFvh.png
With new stamp duty rates, will Labour / Lib Dem's still propose to introduce a Mansion Tax on top? Or promise to go back to old system of stepped stamp duty? Or some middle way fudge?
Osborne really is "Continuity-Brown" when it comes to politics of being chancellor.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
I wouldn't make admissions like that on pb.com - you don't want to end up like Ross William Ulbricht.
Right now I'm more worried about lizard-people-related issues. Today somebody paid me to verify whether George H W Bush was leader of the KKK. https://www.realitykeys.com/freebase/982/
Didn't watch the Autumn [December isn't autumnal...] Statement but just checked the main announcements on the BBC. Doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about. I didn't miss anything, did I?
It's still autumn, in fact late summer, in my garden. Summer flowers are still flowering and I have snowdrops also flowering and the Christmas camellias about to burst into flower.
One year I had both jasmine and a sunflower still flowering at Xmas.
The joys of West Hampstead gardens!! Bet you don't get that in California, eh Charles?
Didn't watch the Autumn [December isn't autumnal...] Statement but just checked the main announcements on the BBC. Doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about. I didn't miss anything, did I?
Arguably early December is a lot less like winter than early March.
I wouldn't describe the present weather as particularly wintry - though winds will turn to come from the north by the weekend.
It seems to me that as we have become ever more globalized, the notion of where a company is located for tax purposes is becoming ever more redundant. The only other way to base things is upon where a customer is located, as they can't just up and leave very easily.
Not enough revenue to worry about it yet but I'm running an online service where I don't have the faintest idea where the customer is located. All I know is that somebody sent bitcoins to a particular address - they may not even have visited my website...
Well thats the next problem. If Bitcoins (or some other decentralized currency) becomes the norm, then even more difficult, as then authorities don't have a clue where the money comes from.
I would think that most big businesses will be forced to use some sort of way of checking location of purchaser. For Amazon say, it is pretty obvious, you aren't going to have your tv delivered to a different country to the one you live in, but for online services yes very difficult.
However, for example with online gambling, the condition of their operating license is that they have to cover all this, and if they don't have people properly located etc, they could lose it.
Gambling sites are going to end up being run by something between a multinational corporation and a computer virus. Not only will it not know where its customers are, it won't be incorporated anywhere.
this APD cut for kids - will the Uk tourist industry suffer ?
Any increase in outbound traffic should be compensated for by an increase in inbound. The latter tends to spend more, so that's a net plus, I'd have thought.
Mr. Anorak, one of the many joys of global warming is that whenever the weather's remotely interesting someone claims it's evidence that an entirely unproven theory's correct. It's like Goodness Gracious Me's Mister India.
Hot weather - global warming Cold weather - global warming Rainy weather - global warming Dry weather - global warming
I realise you're probably pulling my leg, but I'm procrastinating because I'm not quite sure how to proceed with a certain little story. So I've indulged your silliness, even though you're a bounder.
3% growth forecast in 2014, up from 2.7% predicted in March
2.4% growth forecast in 2015, followed by 2.2%, 2.4%, 2.3% and 2.3% in the following four years
500,000 new jobs created this year. 85% of new jobs full-time
Unemployment set to fall to 5.4% in 2015
Inflation predicted to be 1.5% in 2014, falling to 1.2% in 2015
Public borrowing/deficit
Deficit 'cut in half' since 2010
Borrowing set to fall from £97.5bn in 2013-14 to £91.3bn in 2014-15.
Deficit projected to fall to £75.9bn in 2015, £40.9bn in 2016, £14.5bn in 2017 before reaching a £4bn surplus in 2018
By 2019-20 Britain will have a surplus of £23bn
Debt as a share of GDP to rise from 80.4% this year to 81.1% next year before falling in every year. reaching 72.8% in 2019-20
Tax receipts up to 2017-18 forecast to be £23bn lower than predicted
World War One debt to be repaid
considering where we were in 2010 whats to moan about?
would labour have really done any better?
Fantastic tractor stats, Comrade! You'll receive the Order of Lenin for this!
So the economy and the government are doing well then...? You will have to work harder than that poor effort to justify yourself in your own soviet-style fantasy world.
With new stamp duty rates, will Labour / Lib Dem's still propose to introduce a Mansion Tax on top?
Yes. Balls has already said so
Crickey soak the rich doubled, while little old granny still get stiffed as well.
It will be interesting to see what the effect of the stamp duty changes will be on the value of houses above £1 mio. Will prices fall, which you might expect if buyers have to pay so much extra tax on top of the purchase price?
And, if so, that might throw out Labour's calculations on how many properties there will be above the £2 mio threshold to raise the sorts of sums they say they will raise.
It raises the possibility - and I wonder if this was in Osborne's mind - that in order to raise the sums they want Labour will have to reduce the threshold thus - potentially - making it more politically toxic for them.
Mr. Anorak, one of the many joys of global warming is that whenever the weather's remotely interesting someone claims it's evidence that an entirely unproven theory's correct. It's like Goodness Gracious Me's Mister India.
Hot weather - global warming Cold weather - global warming Rainy weather - global warming Dry weather - global warming
I realise you're probably pulling my leg, but I'm procrastinating because I'm not quite sure how to proceed with a certain little story. So I've indulged your silliness, even though you're a bounder.
I was indeed teasing. I would point out, though, that every snowflake is pointed to by AGW deniers as 'proof' there is no warming happening. It's a deliberate (or uneducated) trait on both sides of the issue.
*points furiously* "Look! Weather! This proves I'm right!"
Miss Cyclefree, not necessarily. Given Labour claims it'd raise £3bn and others think that's a crock, Labour might just as well keep the fantasy forecast the same rather than take the certain political hit that would occur if they lowered the threshold.
With new stamp duty rates, will Labour / Lib Dem's still propose to introduce a Mansion Tax on top?
Yes. Balls has already said so
Crickey soak the rich doubled, while little old granny still get stiffed as well.
It will be interesting to see what the effect of the stamp duty changes will be on the value of houses above £1 mio. Will prices fall, which you might expect if buyers have to pay so much extra tax on top of the purchase price?
And, if so, that might throw out Labour's calculations on how many properties there will be above the £2 mio threshold to raise the sorts of sums they say they will raise.
It raises the possibility - and I wonder if this was in Osborne's mind - that in order to raise the sums they want Labour will have to reduce the threshold thus - potentially - making it more politically toxic for them.
I am not sure that house prices will fall with Osborne's tax rise. There is such a cryonic shortage of big houses, and unlike mansion tax there is far less incentive for properties around the boundaries to be marked down to say £999,999, rather than £1.x million, or £1.999999 mil vs £2.x million (which Labour's Mansion Tax would have).
Yesterday the algorithms saw me following politics from Japan in election season and figured I might need a large loudspeaker and a magnet to attach it to the roof of my car. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B32lAPFCUAAWFvh.png
The Spectator did a wonderful article on the topic a few weeks ago - it was the column by the VC of Oglivie & Mather (forgot his name).
A buddy of his bought a lightweight climbing rope...Amazon came up with an autosuggestion of a black balaclava, baseball bat and heavy duty tape...
Yesterday the algorithms saw me following politics from Japan in election season and figured I might need a large loudspeaker and a magnet to attach it to the roof of my car. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B32lAPFCUAAWFvh.png
After I bought a fridge, for weeks I had fridge adverts. A bit pointless as I had a brand spanking new one!
And, if so, that might throw out Labour's calculations on how many properties there will be above the £2 mio threshold to raise the sorts of sums they say they will raise.
So many properties these days have extra bits tacked on, or outbuildings, or conservatories in a desperate bid for more lebensraum
3% growth forecast in 2014, up from 2.7% predicted in March
2.4% growth forecast in 2015, followed by 2.2%, 2.4%, 2.3% and 2.3% in the following four years
500,000 new jobs created this year. 85% of new jobs full-time
Unemployment set to fall to 5.4% in 2015
Inflation predicted to be 1.5% in 2014, falling to 1.2% in 2015
Public borrowing/deficit
Deficit 'cut in half' since 2010
Borrowing set to fall from £97.5bn in 2013-14 to £91.3bn in 2014-15.
Deficit projected to fall to £75.9bn in 2015, £40.9bn in 2016, £14.5bn in 2017 before reaching a £4bn surplus in 2018
By 2019-20 Britain will have a surplus of £23bn
Debt as a share of GDP to rise from 80.4% this year to 81.1% next year before falling in every year. reaching 72.8% in 2019-20
Tax receipts up to 2017-18 forecast to be £23bn lower than predicted
World War One debt to be repaid
considering where we were in 2010 whats to moan about?
would labour have really done any better?
Fantastic tractor stats, Comrade! You'll receive the Order of Lenin for this!
So the economy and the government are doing well then...? You will have to work harder than that poor effort to justify yourself in your own soviet-style fantasy world.
Didn't watch the Autumn [December isn't autumnal...] Statement but just checked the main announcements on the BBC. Doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about. I didn't miss anything, did I?
It's still autumn, in fact late summer, in my garden. Summer flowers are still flowering and I have snowdrops also flowering and the Christmas camellias about to burst into flower.
One year I had both jasmine and a sunflower still flowering at Xmas.
The joys of West Hampstead gardens!! Bet you don't get that in California, eh Charles?
In California it's summer all year round...
(Actually, I would miss the seasons - early autumn is my favourite. But it doesn't help with the marketing spin...)
3% growth forecast in 2014, up from 2.7% predicted in March
2.4% growth forecast in 2015, followed by 2.2%, 2.4%, 2.3% and 2.3% in the following four years
500,000 new jobs created this year. 85% of new jobs full-time
Unemployment set to fall to 5.4% in 2015
Inflation predicted to be 1.5% in 2014, falling to 1.2% in 2015
Public borrowing/deficit
Deficit 'cut in half' since 2010
Borrowing set to fall from £97.5bn in 2013-14 to £91.3bn in 2014-15.
Deficit projected to fall to £75.9bn in 2015, £40.9bn in 2016, £14.5bn in 2017 before reaching a £4bn surplus in 2018
By 2019-20 Britain will have a surplus of £23bn
Debt as a share of GDP to rise from 80.4% this year to 81.1% next year before falling in every year. reaching 72.8% in 2019-20
Tax receipts up to 2017-18 forecast to be £23bn lower than predicted
World War One debt to be repaid
considering where we were in 2010 whats to moan about?
would labour have really done any better?
Fantastic tractor stats, Comrade! You'll receive the Order of Lenin for this!
So the economy and the government are doing well then...? You will have to work harder than that poor effort to justify yourself in your own soviet-style fantasy world.
Crickey soak the rich doubled, while little old granny still get stiffed as well.
Modern politicians of all stripes cannot abide people being comfortably off. They see us as a wolf sees a flock of sheep.
On the contrary, the government wolf has not collected sufficient tax from the sheep to pay for what it has spent on the sheep's health, welfare and education.
Interesting point in the Autumn Statement: "1.100 The Smith Commission has confirmed the Barnett formula will continue to be used to determine changes in the Scottish Government’s block grant in relation to public services. A deduction will be applied to the block grant to reflect the Scottish Government’s tax powers. As a result, the importance of the Barnett formula will effectively be reduced by around two- thirds, with changes in the Scottish Government’s budget increasingly determined by changes in Scottish tax receipts."
As the Barnett Formula is AFAIK the only measure designed to bring about gradual convergence of Scottish and UK levels of public expenditure, this means essentially those differences will last far longer (unless the Tories have other plans.....).
Labour meanwhile have committed themselves to a wholesale overhaul of assessing regional needs and spending levels should they win the election - could be a big stick to beat them with here in Scotland During the GE2015 campaign.
The consensus is that this was a bravura performance from Ed Balls, backed up by the OBR statistics.Even Andrew Neil called Osborne's long term projection of a surplus as being 'Shangrila land'
Yesterday the algorithms saw me following politics from Japan in election season and figured I might need a large loudspeaker and a magnet to attach it to the roof of my car. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B32lAPFCUAAWFvh.png
After I bought a fridge, for weeks I had fridge adverts. A bit pointless as I had a brand spanking new one!
While underwear adverts never lose my interest.
The alogarithim needs refining!
While they can see that you've been looking at fridges, I'm not sure if they can directly collect that you'd bought one.
Comments
The GE campaign in a single tweet
"First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price? Only, this one can be kept secret."
- John Hurt in "Contact".
The fact that the economy does not generate the revenues because of tax scams is at last being addressed. All through Brown's supposed boom period the economy never generated the taxes expected.
I am getting adverts for solar energy, IT equipment and alzheimers association, and I haven't looked up any of these things, not that I would be embarrassed if I had
What's more the houses are cheaper and, judging by those photos, the bedrooms and gardens are larger. Mine certainly are. There is also a sense of community since people tend not to move house very often so you do know your neighbours.
And it is easy to escape up the M1 for the delights of the Lake District.
In 2010... Your party left a massive pile of turd outside No 10 and left the incoming Govt with a single teaspoon to get rid of it. Such a task takes time, but it doesn't alter the fact that Labour were responsible for the pile of turd in the first place.
Lecturing on the slowness of the removal just makes Labour look stupid and economically illiterate. which of course they are.
I am getting the London School of beauty and make up now? Maybe they are 70% generic and 30% specific
Lab 33.3 (nc from 23rd Nov)
Con 31.2 (-1.7)
UKIP 16.3 (+1.0)
LD 7.3 (+0.2)
Lab lead 2.1 (+1.6)
#firstworldproblems
Thought not!
https://twitter.com/MarkHopkins123/status/540158541622157312
Smart guy, George, he saw the trap left there.
They should have gone with "semper ubi, sub ubi". I'd have definitely considered buying some then
He's like Beetlejuice, say his name three times, and the selectors will pick him again
Emotional stuff.
He follows me down the street when I go out though, bit weird... more like a dog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30307528
State of the economy
UK fastest growing economy in the G7
3% growth forecast in 2014, up from 2.7% predicted in March
2.4% growth forecast in 2015, followed by 2.2%, 2.4%, 2.3% and 2.3% in the following four years
500,000 new jobs created this year. 85% of new jobs full-time
Unemployment set to fall to 5.4% in 2015
Inflation predicted to be 1.5% in 2014, falling to 1.2% in 2015
Public borrowing/deficit
Deficit 'cut in half' since 2010
Borrowing set to fall from £97.5bn in 2013-14 to £91.3bn in 2014-15.
Deficit projected to fall to £75.9bn in 2015, £40.9bn in 2016, £14.5bn in 2017 before reaching a £4bn surplus in 2018
By 2019-20 Britain will have a surplus of £23bn
Debt as a share of GDP to rise from 80.4% this year to 81.1% next year before falling in every year. reaching 72.8% in 2019-20
Tax receipts up to 2017-18 forecast to be £23bn lower than predicted
World War One debt to be repaid
considering where we were in 2010 whats to moan about?
would labour have really done any better?
I'll be watching this one...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqzW3wQCMAEuW9z.jpg:large
Good thing, or bad thing?
Nicola Sturgeon says Renfrewshire councillors’ ‘unacceptable’ actions fall short of high standards expected by the public
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/03/snp-suspends-renfrewshire-councillors-burning-smith-commission-report-sturgeon
I would think that most big businesses will be forced to use some sort of way of checking location of purchaser. For Amazon say, it is pretty obvious, you aren't going to have your tv delivered to a different country to the one you live in, but for online services yes very difficult.
However, for example with online gambling, the condition of their operating license is that they have to cover all this, and if they don't have people properly located etc, they could lose it.
I wonder who'll be right :-)
Didn't watch the Autumn [December isn't autumnal...] Statement but just checked the main announcements on the BBC. Doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about. I didn't miss anything, did I?
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/12/3/1417617338126/65fad949-69ed-49a5-9d00-79300be4596f-620x441.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B32lAPFCUAAWFvh.png
With new stamp duty rates, will Labour / Lib Dem's still propose to introduce a Mansion Tax on top? Or promise to go back to old system of stepped stamp duty? Or some middle way fudge?
Osborne really is "Continuity-Brown" when it comes to politics of being chancellor.
https://www.realitykeys.com/freebase/982/
One year I had both jasmine and a sunflower still flowering at Xmas.
The joys of West Hampstead gardens!! Bet you don't get that in California, eh Charles?
"We reduce our central forecast for 2008 GDP growth from 2.2% to 2%. We expect stronger growth in 2009, but still sub-trend (2.3%)."
Isn't it about time you realized that their cogitations are worthless ?
Over £250k : £1M : Scotland 10% marginal,
Over £250k : £925k : rUk 5% marginal
rUk then has a 10% band.
Over £1.5M there is no difference 12%
So if you are buying a house between £250-£999k in Scotland do it now before the SNP hammer you with double stamp duty.
I wouldn't describe the present weather as particularly wintry - though winds will turn to come from the north by the weekend.
Much nicer than those polar winters we suffered recently.
Huzzah
Hot weather - global warming
Cold weather - global warming
Rainy weather - global warming
Dry weather - global warming
I realise you're probably pulling my leg, but I'm procrastinating because I'm not quite sure how to proceed with a certain little story. So I've indulged your silliness, even though you're a bounder.
And, if so, that might throw out Labour's calculations on how many properties there will be above the £2 mio threshold to raise the sorts of sums they say they will raise.
It raises the possibility - and I wonder if this was in Osborne's mind - that in order to raise the sums they want Labour will have to reduce the threshold thus - potentially - making it more politically toxic for them.
*points furiously* "Look! Weather! This proves I'm right!"
Miss Cyclefree, not necessarily. Given Labour claims it'd raise £3bn and others think that's a crock, Labour might just as well keep the fantasy forecast the same rather than take the certain political hit that would occur if they lowered the threshold.
On reflection, I have opted for bloody daft and sackable... ; )
Modern politicians of all stripes cannot abide people being comfortably off. They see us as a wolf sees a flock of sheep.
A buddy of his bought a lightweight climbing rope...Amazon came up with an autosuggestion of a black balaclava, baseball bat and heavy duty tape...
While underwear adverts never lose my interest.
The alogarithim needs refining!
So many properties these days have extra bits tacked on, or outbuildings, or conservatories in a desperate bid for more lebensraum
Who would want to trade up, in this climate...???
(Actually, I would miss the seasons - early autumn is my favourite. But it doesn't help with the marketing spin...)
Danny pipes up and says he is not convinced by the cut to VAT. He claims he has helped tourism by the APD cut.
Yes Danny. In fecking THAILAND!
Jeez....what have these politicians got for brains?
"1.100
The Smith Commission has confirmed the Barnett formula will continue to be used to
determine changes in the Scottish Government’s block grant in relation to public services. A
deduction will be applied to the block grant to reflect the Scottish Government’s tax powers.
As a result, the importance of the Barnett formula will effectively be reduced by around two-
thirds, with changes in the Scottish Government’s budget increasingly determined by changes in Scottish tax receipts."
As the Barnett Formula is AFAIK the only measure designed to bring about gradual convergence of Scottish and UK levels of public expenditure, this means essentially those differences will last far longer (unless the Tories have other plans.....).
Labour meanwhile have committed themselves to a wholesale overhaul of assessing regional needs and spending levels should they win the election - could be a big stick to beat them with here in Scotland During the GE2015 campaign.