After reading DM's resignation letter - full of waffle and platitudes - still cannot understand why people pay so much to hear/take advice from a failed politician - presume its all in the name.
@Alanbrooke. "That would be so much better a retort if she had a seat in Parliament. You could then follow it unto the third and fourth generations - like the Benns."
Doesn't an auntie head of state (a few times removed) count for anything these days? The Tory Party standards are slipping
It all started going wrong when Labour accepted MPs called Quentin.
@another-richard "David Miliband, a man whose whole career was based upon inherited privilege, was yet another Labour politician more concerned with enriching himself rather than his constituents."
You have a serious chip on your shoulder. You should get it seen to.
Some on PB seem to believe that Labour supporters should not be allowed to make money. It's a funny one.
I don't mind Labour people earning money, it's them telling me how to spend mine I object to.
That is not a disease restricted to Labour politicians.
No but they do like to spend the most, tax the most and borrow the most. And what gets me most is party grandees who use tax advisors to avoid reaching too far in to their own pockets.
As we know, this current government is borrowing and taxing individuals more than the last one. Under the previous Tory government, personal tax rates were higher than they were between 1997 and 2010; while it was the Tories that introduced VAT and it is generally the Tories who extend and increase it.
A heavyweight of David Miliband's calibre leaving parliament really shines a light on the sheer vacuity of Tory lightweights like Louise Mensch who shafted her constituents good and proper.
No wonder Corby voted in a Labour MP in a landslide.
@another-richard "David Miliband, a man whose whole career was based upon inherited privilege, was yet another Labour politician more concerned with enriching himself rather than his constituents."
You have a serious chip on your shoulder. You should get it seen to.
Some on PB seem to believe that Labour supporters should not be allowed to make money. It's a funny one.
I don't mind Labour people earning money, it's them telling me how to spend mine I object to.
That is not a disease restricted to Labour politicians.
No but they do like to spend the most, tax the most and borrow the most. And what gets me most is party grandees who use tax advisors to avoid reaching too far in to their own pockets.
As we know, this current government is borrowing and taxing individuals more than the last one. Under the previous Tory government, personal tax rates were higher than they were between 1997 and 2010; while it was the Tories that introduced VAT and it is generally the Tories who extend and increase it.
I'd hardly call this government a Conservative one . But if you're calling for a radical reduction in state spending I'm with you.
@BenM - if Milband Sr is truly a "heavyweight" of "such calibre", why is he leaving parliament and why was he not on the Labour Front bench? He had his chance to oust Brown and he blew it - and he was memorable as Foreign Secretary for his gaffes - what is the "calibre" of which you write?
@another-richard "David Miliband, a man whose whole career was based upon inherited privilege, was yet another Labour politician more concerned with enriching himself rather than his constituents."
You have a serious chip on your shoulder. You should get it seen to.
Some on PB seem to believe that Labour supporters should not be allowed to make money. It's a funny one.
I don't mind Labour people earning money, it's them telling me how to spend mine I object to.
That is not a disease restricted to Labour politicians.
No but they do like to spend the most, tax the most and borrow the most. And what gets me most is party grandees who use tax advisors to avoid reaching too far in to their own pockets.
As we know, this current government is borrowing and taxing individuals more than the last one. Under the previous Tory government, personal tax rates were higher than they were between 1997 and 2010; while it was the Tories that introduced VAT and it is generally the Tories who extend and increase it.
I'd hardly call this government a Conservative one . But if you're calling for a radical reduction in state spending I'm with you.
My taxes were higher under the last Tory government than they were between 1997 and 2010. And that government also extended VAT. This one has raised it and also dragged many more people into the 40 pence tax band.
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
...which is why he is leaving the country and will pay no tax here at all...
I'd hardly call this government a Conservative one . But if you're calling for a radical reduction in state spending I'm with you.
You can tell this government is Tory by the sheer ineptitude it is displaying on a daily basis.
And how it's stuffed the economy.
Again.
You really don't understand how UK politics works Ben. labour govt, vastly overspends and income doesn't match outgoings, Incoming blues have to make the books balance so taxes up and spending down. Labour's dimwit MPs can't do sums see below:
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
...which is why he is leaving the country and will pay no tax here at all...
If you believe he is leaving the country to avoid paying tax then that says a lot more about you than it does him. He is leaving the country to take a job in which he believes he can make a difference. Good for him. I thought Tories were opposed to the politics of envy. Judging by today's posts on here, that is clearly not the case. Instead, it seems that Labour politicians and their supporters should know their place - only those on the right are allowed to aspire.
@another-richard "David Miliband, a man whose whole career was based upon inherited privilege, was yet another Labour politician more concerned with enriching himself rather than his constituents."
You have a serious chip on your shoulder. You should get it seen to.
Some on PB seem to believe that Labour supporters should not be allowed to make money. It's a funny one.
I don't mind Labour people earning money, it's them telling me how to spend mine I object to.
That is not a disease restricted to Labour politicians.
No but they do like to spend the most, tax the most and borrow the most. And what gets me most is party grandees who use tax advisors to avoid reaching too far in to their own pockets.
As we know, this current government is borrowing and taxing individuals more than the last one. Under the previous Tory government, personal tax rates were higher than they were between 1997 and 2010; while it was the Tories that introduced VAT and it is generally the Tories who extend and increase it.
I'd hardly call this government a Conservative one . But if you're calling for a radical reduction in state spending I'm with you.
My taxes were higher under the last Tory government than they were between 1997 and 2010. And that government also extended VAT. This one has raised it and also dragged many more people into the 40 pence tax band.
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
My taxes were higher under the last Tory government than they were between 1997 and 2010.
You don't see the flaw in that statement ? Your taxes 97-10 should have been much higher given the levels of government spending. But everything was put on the national credit card instead of coming out of our income. When the credit card bill came in it still had to be paid, hence tax hikes. If Labour paid for their policies as they went we would have the hangovers every time they left office, but they haven't the moral courage to do so as it would lose them elections.
OT But WTF? I'd only ever heard of this in the Middle East before now - but professional mourners here in the UK?
"Mr Robertson set up Rent-a-Mourner in January last year, and said he has had 52 bookings since the company began, with 15 in the first six months.
"It is growing in the UK - our bookings are up 50 per cent year on year," he said. He added that his biggest source of his bookings were for funerals in Hull, and has sent staff to 12 funerals there, adding that he could not explain why that area showed the biggest demand. The company also has plans to expand, after having to turn down more than 60 requests because the funerals were too far away for the fake mourners to get to.
Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles, who conducted the research, believes multi-cultural Britain is experiencing a "cultural shift in the way its mourners say their final farewell. Birtles, the founder of personal finance site MoneyMagpie.com, said: "Hiring a stranger to weep at a funeral may seem strange, but it's a deep-seated tradition in the East.
"It's still a niche market at the moment but demand for professional mourners is increasing year on year as more people from East Asian and Middle Eastern countries move to the UK, bringing their customs with them. The rise in popularity shows a cultural shift taking place in how we choose to pay our last respects and like with many other cultural imports, it's only a matter of time before it crosses over into mainstream culture."
@another-richard "David Miliband, a man whose whole career was based upon inherited privilege, was yet another Labour politician more concerned with enriching himself rather than his constituents."
You have a serious chip on your shoulder. You should get it seen to.
Some on PB seem to believe that Labour supporters should not be allowed to make money. It's a funny one.
I don't mind Labour people earning money, it's them telling me how to spend mine I object to.
That is not a disease restricted to Labour politicians.
No but they do like to spend the most, tax the most and borrow the most. And what gets me most is party grandees who use tax advisors to avoid reaching too far in to their own pockets.
As we know, this current government is borrowing and taxing individuals more than the last one. Under the previous Tory government, personal tax rates were higher than they were between 1997 and 2010; while it was the Tories that introduced VAT and it is generally the Tories who extend and increase it.
I'd hardly call this government a Conservative one . But if you're calling for a radical reduction in state spending I'm with you.
My taxes were higher under the last Tory government than they were between 1997 and 2010. And that government also extended VAT. This one has raised it and also dragged many more people into the 40 pence tax band.
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
My taxes were higher under the last Tory government than they were between 1997 and 2010.
You don't see the flaw in that statement ? Your taxes 97-10 should have been much higher given the levels of government spending. But everything was put on the national credit card instead of coming out of our income. When the credit card bill came in it still had to be paid, hence tax hikes. If Labour paid for their policies as they went we would have the hangovers every time they left office, but they haven't the moral courage to do so as it would lose them elections.
I agree with that. It's one of the reasons why I could no longer vote Labour in 2010 and am not wetting myself with excitement at them possibly winning an overall majority in 2015.
So what are DM's areas of competence that qualify him to be the President and CE of IRC - a major global charity ?
Ah, it is enriching the the Charity of DM and receiving fees for the odd hours work that would take many of his constituents all year to earn - whilst ignoring them when travelling around the world at other people's expense.
What ever else the timing of this announcement by David Miliband is very poor. As parliament is not sitting until 15 April that will be the earliest that the writ can be moved giving UKIP, Galloway and others an extra 3 weeks to organise themselves.
Surprised that the Labour Party had not learned the lesson from the Liberal Democrats in Eastleigh: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly"
So what are DM's areas of competence that qualify him to be the President and CE of IRC - a major global charity ?
Ah, it is enriching the the Charity of DM and receiving fees for the odd hours work that would take many of his constituents all year to earn - whilst ignoring them when travelling around the world at other people's expense.
I'd imagine the ability to access a very large and detailed list of high-level government contacts in a wide range of states is a pretty important part of the CEO job description at a charity such as this: both in terms of raising cash and in opening up avenues for action on the ground in countries where the charity is active.
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
...which is why he is leaving the country and will pay no tax here at all...
If you believe he is leaving the country to avoid paying tax then that says a lot more about you than it does him. He is leaving the country to take a job in which he believes he can make a difference. Good for him. I thought Tories were opposed to the politics of envy. Judging by today's posts on here, that is clearly not the case. Instead, it seems that Labour politicians and their supporters should know their place - only those on the right are allowed to aspire.
Sadly such attitudes are depressingly common on here. Lefties are not supposed to be able to make a good living in PB Tory world.
Good decision by David Miliband, as there has been continued speculation about what role he might play in a new Labour administration. It would have been very difficult to have joined a cabinet led by his brother, as the press would have been fixated on their relationship and how it affected others in the cabinet.
DM hardly seemed to be in the HOC and was more interested in doing other things. So better to go now, rather than just stand down shortly before the GE.
Labour politicians can earn as much as they want as long as they drop their ranting and raving at others who aspire to do well. Suggesting those on the 50p tax rate shouldn't get a reduction to 45% because they are mostly a bunch of thieving bankers ain't the way to start.
DM would be better off getting a job as a human sandwich board with a white flag on it, given his political lack of bravery.
To who do you trust on Immigration? UKIP 24(-4); Cons 19(+4); LAB 12(0); LD 5(-1); None 40(0)
Support Oppose Don't know Must show realistic prospect of finding work to claim JSA 70 18 12 Charge foreign governments for cost of treating foreign patients 78 9 13 No council house waiting list until lived in Britain for two years 81 11 8 Fining landlords who rent homes to illegal immigrants 81 8 11 Increased fines for companies that employ illegal immigrants 86 5 9
What ever else the timing of this announcement by David Miliband is very poor. As parliament is not sitting until 15 April that will be the earliest that the writ can be moved giving UKIP, Galloway and others an extra 3 weeks to organise themselves.
Surprised that the Labour Party had not learned the lesson from the Liberal Democrats in Eastleigh: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly"
I can only assume the timing was deliberate for some reason. Maybe Labour are going to hold a proper selection? Or a newspaper got wind of it and he was forced to make the announcement.
I stopped giving money to "Save the Children" last year when I discovered their CEO earned £162,000 a year. My last thirty years' donations probably only helped towards his expenses. They rang me a couple of times and claimed that it was "the going rate." My reply ... "So you have to pay someone more than the PM to get the right person?"
I switched the money to another charity with less up-front expense.
It sounds good .. working for a charity, and if David M is doing it for a pittance, I applaud him.
On topic RT. @chris_coltrane Sad that David Miliband is leaving UK politics. Of all the MPs who covered up torture by British security services, Miliband is my FAVOURITE
Not quite the satire-murdering rebranding of Tony as Middle East peace envoy, but a bit smelly nontheless.
Did anyone see John Mann question Osborne at the Treasury select committee yesterday ? He raised interesting questions on a new stealth tax on new housing developments that local authorities can charge. In one case example, a lady in Surrey demolished her house to rebuild a new one on her land and had to pay her LA £28495 as a levy. It is at 15:38 on the linked video below.
Won't these new levies on new housing developments affect the governments new loan schemes they are offering ? If developers have to pay a higher levy, then the house prices will be increased and so the 20% deposit loan will need to be higher.
On D Mili well for whatever reason even Gordon Brown seems to be able to get paid to spout his guff globally so I suppose D Mili brings 'access' or whatever to the charity - anyway hes gone now and so is my £20 on him being next chancellor.
Of more concern to me this morning was the announcement that 'green' policies are driving energy costs of small businesses through the roof thus potentially depressing our economy.~
Also one of my friends on FB has posited that the current harsh winter is due to arctic ice interaction with the gulf stream. If he is correct (I'm not saying he is) then by his logic the only way we can get back through to warmer winters is to basically push through about a hundred years worth of 'warming' in the next decade at which point the heating effect basically outweighs the gulf stream effect.
I don't think anyone serious on the left criticises people who make a good living - that's a right-wing myth, like the left-wing idea that anyone who votes Tory hates workers. We just argue that people who earn lots should contribute a good chunk to the community through taxation - then both they and the country (if well-governed) do well out of their enterprise. I have a good income because I've got two jobs, and I reckon a bit over half of it goes in income tax/NI/VAT. I don't feel either annoyed or guilty about any of that.
Obviously some salaries (footballers etc.) are pretty silly, but it's not sensible to blame people for accepting them, so long as they don't then whinge about paying tax.
"According to an article in the Daily Telegraph, the taxman is now £1 billion a week better off than when Labour ran the Treasury.
With the new budget set to be announced, statistics show that – despite a recession – taxpayers gave £437.6 billion to the Treasury in the fiscal year that ended in April 2012. This was a full £55 billion –more than £1 billion a week – more than the Labour government raised in its final year. Statistics also showed that this was far from a rare blip, as it was £123 billion more than the total needed to sustain the state a mere decade ago.
Elsewhere, intervention from the government has put revenues on the increase, especially the increase of VAT from 17.5% to 20% in January 2011. Since the change, VAT receipts have increased by nearly £15 billion"
And they've still given up on deficit reduction and had to resort to going into the sub prime lending market
I can understand why the left are bricking it. The Blues haven't tidied up your crap as usual, Osborne has just been Brown in the slow lane. If Labour get in to office they will have to make real cuts, raise taxes or flirt with bankruptcy. We might not get an economic policy at all this side of the election.
I stopped giving money to "Save the Children" last year when I discovered their CEO earned £162,000 a year. My last thirty years' donations probably only helped towards his expenses. They rang me a couple of times and claimed that it was "the going rate." My reply ... "So you have to pay someone more than the PM to get the right person?"
These large organisations are, well, pretty big and that probably is the going rate.
Now, there is a separate question of whether the executive class as a whole is overpaid.
There is a paradox that many on the right, who in general trumpet the success of markets over planned economies, confound expectations by not supporting free markets in CEOs (or for many other things). Maybe the head of political strategy at UKIP should look into this.
I stopped giving money to "Save the Children" last year when I discovered their CEO earned £162,000 a year. My last thirty years' donations probably only helped towards his expenses. They rang me a couple of times and claimed that it was "the going rate." My reply ... "So you have to pay someone more than the PM to get the right person?"
These large organisations are, well, pretty big and that probably is the going rate.
Now, there is a separate question of whether the executive class as a whole is overpaid.
There is a paradox that many on the right, who in general trumpet the success of markets over planned economies, confound expectations by not supporting free markets in CEOs (or for many other things). Maybe the head of political strategy at UKIP should look into this.
I look quite carefully at the accounts of any charity that I give more than a token donation to. There are many smaller charities with much lower overheads. The Leicester based ACET for example:
Comments
No wonder Corby voted in a Labour MP in a landslide.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/02/great-dynasties-tony-benn-ian-sansom
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/images/tbep13a.jpeg
There was a time when you couldn't move for Churchills Soames Rees Moggs Wintertons Hurds etc etc
There's no doubt that Ed is ruthless and looks destined for the PM's job. Son of Gordon without a doubt.
I can't help feeling a little sorry for David, but no doubt all that money will be some comfort in his old age.
And how it's stuffed the economy.
Again.
Ask not what you can do for your constituency - ask what your constituency can do for you.
And with that a good morning to one and all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat
I believe that the wealthy, such as David Miliband and David Cameron, should be paying more tax at this very difficult time for our country. David Miliband agrees.
Arse/elbow methinks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19801666
How about making money by doing the job he was meant to be doing, namely Member of Parliament for South Shields?
Perhaps you should let your employees freelance while they're supposed to be working for you?
You don't see the flaw in that statement ? Your taxes 97-10 should have been much higher given the levels of government spending. But everything was put on the national credit card instead of coming out of our income. When the credit card bill came in it still had to be paid, hence tax hikes. If Labour paid for their policies as they went we would have the hangovers every time they left office, but they haven't the moral courage to do so as it would lose them elections.
"Mr Robertson set up Rent-a-Mourner in January last year, and said he has had 52 bookings since the company began, with 15 in the first six months.
"It is growing in the UK - our bookings are up 50 per cent year on year," he said. He added that his biggest source of his bookings were for funerals in Hull, and has sent staff to 12 funerals there, adding that he could not explain why that area showed the biggest demand. The company also has plans to expand, after having to turn down more than 60 requests because the funerals were too far away for the fake mourners to get to.
Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles, who conducted the research, believes multi-cultural Britain is experiencing a "cultural shift in the way its mourners say their final farewell. Birtles, the founder of personal finance site MoneyMagpie.com, said: "Hiring a stranger to weep at a funeral may seem strange, but it's a deep-seated tradition in the East.
"It's still a niche market at the moment but demand for professional mourners is increasing year on year as more people from East Asian and Middle Eastern countries move to the UK, bringing their customs with them. The rise in popularity shows a cultural shift taking place in how we choose to pay our last respects and like with many other cultural imports, it's only a matter of time before it crosses over into mainstream culture."
"At the moment it's not the sort of thing most people can treat as a career, but if it continues to increase in popularity then crying on demand could soon become a highly-prized skill." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9955111/Mourners-for-rent-hired-to-blub-at-funerals.html
Ah, it is enriching the the Charity of DM and receiving fees for the odd hours work that would take many of his constituents all year to earn - whilst ignoring them when travelling around the world at other people's expense.
Surprised that the Labour Party had not learned the lesson from the Liberal Democrats in Eastleigh: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly"
DM hardly seemed to be in the HOC and was more interested in doing other things. So better to go now, rather than just stand down shortly before the GE.
No problem with Lefties making a good living, except when they moralise about how terrible it is for other people to be making a good living.
David Miliband earning vast sums outside his brother's potential punitive tax regime is hardly an endorsement of the socialist ideal
DM would be better off getting a job as a human sandwich board with a white flag on it, given his political lack of bravery.
@lindayueh: UK household saving 7.1% in 2012, highest since 1997 8.1%, Real HH disposable income +2.1%, highest since 2003 +2.7% http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa2/quarterly-national-accounts/q4-2012/stb-quarterly-national-accounts-q4-2012.html
To who do you trust on Immigration?
UKIP 24(-4); Cons 19(+4); LAB 12(0); LD 5(-1); None 40(0)
Support Oppose Don't know
Must show realistic prospect of finding work to claim JSA 70 18 12
Charge foreign governments for cost of treating foreign patients 78 9 13
No council house waiting list until lived in Britain for two years 81 11 8
Fining landlords who rent homes to illegal immigrants 81 8 11
Increased fines for companies that employ illegal immigrants 86 5 9
I switched the money to another charity with less up-front expense.
It sounds good .. working for a charity, and if David M is doing it for a pittance, I applaud him.
Is he?
@chris_coltrane
Sad that David Miliband is leaving UK politics. Of all the MPs who covered up torture by British security services, Miliband is my FAVOURITE
Not quite the satire-murdering rebranding of Tony as Middle East peace envoy, but a bit smelly nontheless.
Won't these new levies on new housing developments affect the governments new loan schemes they are offering ? If developers have to pay a higher levy, then the house prices will be increased and so the 20% deposit loan will need to be higher.
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=12926
Of more concern to me this morning was the announcement that 'green' policies are driving energy costs of small businesses through the roof thus potentially depressing our economy.~
Also one of my friends on FB has posited that the current harsh winter is due to arctic ice interaction with the gulf stream. If he is correct (I'm not saying he is) then by his logic the only way we can get back through to warmer winters is to basically push through about a hundred years worth of 'warming' in the next decade at which point the heating effect basically outweighs the gulf stream effect.
TLDR; FIRE UP THE COAL STATIONS.
Obviously some salaries (footballers etc.) are pretty silly, but it's not sensible to blame people for accepting them, so long as they don't then whinge about paying tax.
Now, there is a separate question of whether the executive class as a whole is overpaid.
There is a paradox that many on the right, who in general trumpet the success of markets over planned economies, confound expectations by not supporting free markets in CEOs (or for many other things). Maybe the head of political strategy at UKIP should look into this.
http://www.a-cet.org/index.php
they do not pay any UK employees, only workers in the field