So there is no reason to be optimistic about Labour's prospects at the moment.
In terms of GB vote share Labour did advance from 29.7% to 31.2%. Its vote share in England rose by a not insignificant 3.6%. In terms of seats Labour's net loss of 26 - compared to 2010 - is due to its catastrophic loss of 40 in Scotland to the SNP being only partly offset by net gains of 2 from the Tories and 12 from the LibDems. With regard to policy I don't accept the argument that rejection of a set of policies at a particular election necessarily requires that the defeated party has to change what if offers to the electorate at future elections. There is also the real possibility that the electorate might move towards a position that it had rejected earlier. I remain firmly of the view,for example,that had Labour fought the 1997 election on its 1992 manifesto it would still have won pretty comfortably - in the intervening five years the electorate had shifted its view. A much more extreme example would relate to the SNP - whose policy of Independence was rejected repeatedly at elections over a period of many decades. Eventually,however, the SNP's persistence did produce a reward! I am not a supporter of Corbyn - I will vote for Cooper having paid my £3- but I don't share the assumption that his leadership will inevitably prove a disaster. If in the next few years the economy again goes 'tits up' - another recession for example - Osborne could still reap a bitter harvest, with the electorate much more receptive than in 2015 to the view that austerity - and its associated sacrifices - was for nothing
Without the 2010 Lib Dems, Labour's share would have been about 24%. How long will they stay around now that the Lib Dems are back in opposition?
I think the LibDems have lost such left of centre voters for a generation at least. Labour will always be able to say 'Don't trust the LibDems not to put the Tories in' and I am sure those will be very receptive to that message. Corbyn might well cement them much more firmly in the Labour column. I speak as someone who voted LibDem in both 2001 and 2005.
By the same token, "Don't trust Labour not to put the SNP in" seemed to be the leader to a lot of floating English voters that ended up in the Conservative column three months ago. Corbyn has already said that he's ready to do the same deal with those who wish to break up the country.
A lot will have happened in Scotland by 2020. Labour should have had a much more aggressive response on the lines of ' The only way the SNP can have leverage at all is if you - the Tories - decide to vote with them'.
Not so much 'missed a trick' as 'dropped a ravenous honey badger down their codpiece'.
Equally negligent of them not to put in place a system where the vote for leader could influence the vote for deputy, given that various people have suggested it should either me a left/right or man/woman balance. They've not given themselves a way of ensuring that.
Inept doesn't begin to cover it. And they want to run the country?
The longer the leadership election goes on the more I feel the 2020 election is a foregone conclusion.
The centrists in the Labour party (I'll refrain from using the 'B' word) are not even campaigning, most of Kendall's supporters seem to be in name only and the majority of the non-Corbyn party seems determined to say as little as possible lest it offend the eventual winner.
We even have two candidates in the centre of the party who can barely open their mouths to say anything - we just had five years of that and it led to a defeat.
None of them have even tried to convince me that my vote should go anywhere other than the blue box in 2020, for non-partisans to be thinking like that now is surely bad for democracy..?
The lesson for everyone regarding Kids Company (AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE) is that if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. It's not a case of being cynical but when that amount of taxpayers' money is involved, then these organisations (charities) need the highest scrutiny.
Isn't it something like a third of UK trade is across to Ireland?
A third of UK trade is with Ireland? That seems very unlikely, Mr. Rabbit. A third of the Republic's trade being with the UK I could see, but not the otherway around.
' What was so left-wing about Labour's 2015 manifesto? There was nothing there about renationalising large swathes of British industry - or bringing back the National Enterprise Board. No commitment to bring in compulsory Planning Agreements either. There was a commitment to restore the Top Rate of Income Tax to 50% - but that is hardly left-wing given that Thatcher had a rate of 60% for 9 years of her Government. A more accurate statement is surely that Labour was less right-wing than the Tories - but that certainly did not make them left-wing. As for the scale of defeat, I think you rather exaggerate - it was surprising rather than brutal.An overall majority of 12 is very small and likely to be eroded in due course. Moreover, in terms of % vote share Labour trailed the Tories by just 6.6% - less than in 2010 and less too than any of Thatcher's victories or Major's 1992 win.Had Scotland not gone 'tits up' for Labour the Tory lead for GB as a whole would have been circa 5% - still decisive , but far from overwhelming. Looking at England alone , Labour did better than in 2010- 1992-1987-1983 and 1959.
A majority of 12 is not much, and the Tories will surely run into difficulties in this Parliament. So far, so good for Labour. But, the problems are:-
1. Labour went backwards, relative to the Tories, in marginal seats. Labour put votes on in London and core cities, wiping out the Lib Dems in the process. But, there's not much left to win in such places.
2. Labour can't blame a split left wing vote for a Conservative victory. Corbyn or whoever wins, can unite the left and still lose. 51% voted for right wing parties in the UK, and 55% in England. Labour has to win some of these people over.
3. Voting Labour is inconceivable now to a lot of Southern and Midlands voters. A lot of places haven't returned Labour councillors since the 1990s. Tory-free zones are much rarer in England.
Point 1 is fair comment. Re -point 2. I believe that the Tory overall majority can be blamed on a split left-wing vote. There are 7 constituencies which I am convinced the Tories would not have won had there been no Green candidate on the ballot paper - Gower - Derby North - Croydon Central - Bury North - Morley & Outwood -Plymouth Devonport & Sutton - and Brighton Kemptown.Without them we would be on the cusp of a minority Tory Govt (courtesy of Sinn Fein).
Re - point 3. I live in a Tory - free zone in Norwich in respect of councillors. Of course, this is also true of the big cities of Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Newcastle upon Tyne - so there are plenty of Tory deserts to point to.
There are 17 English councils without Conservative councillors, compared to 71 without Labour councillors.
The lesson for everyone regarding Kids Company (AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE) is that if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. It's not a case of being cynical but when that amount of taxpayers' money is involved, then these organisations (charities) need the highest scrutiny.
Does anyone know who has the ministerial oversight for the Charities' Commission, is it somewhere in Communities and Local Govt or another department?
The whole KC episode is embarrassing for a lot of people, if the Charities' Commission don't jump on it then they should expect to be jumped on themselves for their lack of oversight.
A majority of 12 is not much, and the Tories will surely run into difficulties in this Parliament. So far, so good for Labour. But, the problems are:-
1. Labour went backwards, relative to the Tories, in marginal seats. Labour put votes on in London and core cities, wiping out the Lib Dems in the process. But, there's not much left to win in such places.
2. Labour can't blame a split left wing vote for a Conservative victory. Corbyn or whoever wins, can unite the left and still lose. 51% voted for right wing parties in the UK, and 55% in England. Labour has to win some of these people over.
3. Voting Labour is inconceivable now to a lot of Southern and Midlands voters. A lot of places haven't returned Labour councillors since the 1990s. Tory-free zones are much rarer in England.
Point 1 is fair comment. Re -point 2. I believe that the Tory overall majority can be blamed on a split left-wing vote. There are 7 constituencies which I am convinced the Tories would not have won had there been no Green candidate on the ballot paper - Gower - Derby North - Croydon Central - Bury North - Morley & Outwood -Plymouth Devonport & Sutton - and Brighton Kemptown.Without them we would be on the cusp of a minority Tory Govt (courtesy of Sinn Fein).
Re - point 3. I live in a Tory - free zone in Norwich in respect of councillors. Of course, this is also true of the big cities of Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Newcastle upon Tyne - so there are plenty of Tory deserts to point to.
There are 17 English councils without Conservative councillors, compared to 71 without Labour councillors.
' As for the scale of defeat, I think you rather exaggerate - it was surprising rather than brutal.An overall majority of 12 is very small and likely to be eroded in due course. Moreover, in terms of % vote share Labour trailed the Tories by just 6.6% - less than in 2010 and less too than any of Thatcher's victories or Major's 1992 win.Had Scotland not gone 'tits up' for Labour the Tory lead for GB as a whole would have been circa 5% - still decisive , but far from overwhelming. Looking at England alone , Labour did better than in 2010- 1992-1987-1983 and 1959.
A majority of 12 is not much, and the Tories will surely run into difficulties in this Parliament. So far, so good for Labour. But, the problems are:-
1. Labour went backwards, relative to the Tories, in marginal seats. Labour put votes on in London and core cities, wiping out the Lib Dems in the process. But, there's not much left to win in such places.
2. Labour can't blame a split left wing vote for a Conservative victory. Corbyn or whoever wins, can unite the left and still lose. 51% voted for right wing parties in the UK, and 55% in England. Labour has to win some of these people over.
3. Voting Labour is inconceivable now to a lot of Southern and Midlands voters. A lot of places haven't returned Labour councillors since the 1990s. Tory-free zones are much rarer in England.
Point 1 is fair comment. Re -point 2. I believe that the Tory overall majority can be blamed on a split left-wing vote. There are 7 constituencies which I am convinced the Tories would not have won had there been no Green candidate on the ballot paper - Gower - Derby North - Croydon Central - Bury North - Morley & Outwood -Plymouth Devonport & Sutton - and Brighton Kemptown.Without them we would be on the cusp of a minority Tory Govt (courtesy of Sinn Fein).
Re - point 3. I live in a Tory - free zone in Norwich in respect of councillors. Of course, this is also true of the big cities of Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Newcastle upon Tyne - so there are plenty of Tory deserts to point to.
There are 17 English councils without Conservative councillors, compared to 71 without Labour councillors.
Not so much 'missed a trick' as 'dropped a ravenous honey badger down their codpiece'.
Equally negligent of them not to put in place a system where the vote for leader could influence the vote for deputy, given that various people have suggested it should either me a left/right or man/woman balance. They've not given themselves a way of ensuring that.
Inept doesn't begin to cover it. And they want to run the country?
The longer the leadership election goes on the more I feel the 2020 election is a foregone conclusion.
The centrists in the Labour party (I'll refrain from using the 'B' word) are not even campaigning, most of Kendall's supporters seem to be in name only and the majority of the non-Corbyn party seems determined to say as little as possible lest it offend the eventual winner.
We even have two candidates in the centre of the party who can barely open their mouths to say anything - we just had five years of that and it led to a defeat.
None of them have even tried to convince me that my vote should go anywhere other than the blue box in 2020, for non-partisans to be thinking like that now is surely bad for democracy..?
The namby-pambyness of Cooper and Burnham the past three weeks is extraordinary. They seem mesmerised by the enthusiasm for Corbyn. Show some fight yourselves. FIGHT, GODDAM IT!!!! They both look like they are only half-hearted about wanting the job. "Well, not if it might upset Jeremy's people...." Sheeesh.....
Out of curiosity - since DNV keeps coming up as a possible well of supporters for Corbyn et al, is there any evidence that marginals have a higher voter registration level or very safe seats a lower one than average?
I'm not keen to spend big bucks on this so no VW Golfs or Minis...
A majority of 12 is not much, and the Tories will surely run into difficulties in this Parliament. So far, so good for Labour. But, the problems are:-
1. Labour went backwards, relative to the Tories, in marginal seats. Labour put votes on in London and core cities, wiping out the Lib Dems in the process. But, there's not much left to win in such places.
2. Labour can't blame a split left wing vote for a Conservative victory. Corbyn or whoever wins, can unite the left and still lose. 51% voted for right wing parties in the UK, and 55% in England. Labour has to win some of these people over.
3. Voting Labour is inconceivable now to a lot of Southern and Midlands voters. A lot of places haven't returned Labour councillors since the 1990s. Tory-free zones are much rarer in England.
Point 1 is fair comment. Re -point 2. I believe that the Tory overall majority can be blamed on a split left-wing vote. There are 7 constituencies which I am convinced the Tories would not have won had there been no Green candidate on the ballot paper - Gower - Derby North - Croydon Central - Bury North - Morley & Outwood -Plymouth Devonport & Sutton - and Brighton Kemptown.Without them we would be on the cusp of a minority Tory Govt (courtesy of Sinn Fein).
Re - point 3. I live in a Tory - free zone in Norwich in respect of councillors. Of course, this is also true of the big cities of Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Newcastle upon Tyne - so there are plenty of Tory deserts to point to.
There are 17 English councils without Conservative councillors, compared to 71 without Labour councillors.
It would be an interesting exercise to investigate the presence of any correlation between councils considered one-party States and the occurrence of issues with local government departments such as social services and policing in recent years.
My hunch would be that when councilors depend more on their party than the public for their survival, the needs of the latter tend to be ignored.
I'm not usually a fan of more PR-based electoral systems but an expansion of multi-ward constituencies doesn't sound like a bad idea when more 'Rotherham' problems is the alternative.
Isn't it something like a third of UK trade is across to Ireland?
A third of UK trade is with Ireland? That seems very unlikely, Mr. Rabbit. A third of the Republic's trade being with the UK I could see, but not the otherway around.
Indeed.
Yet again I've been caught talking rubbish off the top of my head.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Not so much 'missed a trick' as 'dropped a ravenous honey badger down their codpiece'.
Equally negligent of them not to put in place a system where the vote for leader could influence the vote for deputy, given that various people have suggested it should either me a left/right or man/woman balance. They've not given themselves a way of ensuring that.
Inept doesn't begin to cover it. And they want to run the country?
The longer the leadership election goes on the more I feel the 2020 election is a foregone conclusion.
The centrists in the Labour party (I'll refrain from using the 'B' word) are not even campaigning, most of Kendall's supporters seem to be in name only and the majority of the non-Corbyn party seems determined to say as little as possible lest it offend the eventual winner.
We even have two candidates in the centre of the party who can barely open their mouths to say anything - we just had five years of that and it led to a defeat.
None of them have even tried to convince me that my vote should go anywhere other than the blue box in 2020, for non-partisans to be thinking like that now is surely bad for democracy..?
The namby-pambyness of Cooper and Burnham the past three weeks is extraordinary. They seem mesmerised by the enthusiasm for Corbyn. Show some fight yourselves. FIGHT, GODDAM IT!!!! They both look like they are only half-hearted about wanting the job. "Well, not if it might upset Jeremy's people...." Sheeesh.....
Mr Mark, you just showed more enthusiasm in that post than either Burnham or Cooper have done in the past three weeks of the campaign!
When I lived in Wealden, we ended up with a crop of split wards betweens Tories and Kippers. I think that's pretty good to keep both sides on their toes, we had quite a few indies as well.
A majority of 12 is not much, and the Tories will surely run into difficulties in this Parliament. So far, so good for Labour. But, the problems are:-
1. Labour went backwards, relative to the Tories, in marginal seats. Labour put votes on in London and core cities, wiping out the Lib Dems in the process. But, there's not much left to win in such places.
2. Labour can't blame a split left wing vote for a Conservative victory. Corbyn or whoever wins, can unite the left and still lose. 51% voted for right wing parties in the UK, and 55% in England. Labour has to win some of these people over.
3. Voting Labour is inconceivable now to a lot of Southern and Midlands voters. A lot of places haven't returned Labour councillors since the 1990s. Tory-free zones are much rarer in England.
Point 1 is fair comment. Re -point 2. I believe that the Tory overall majority can be blamed on a split left-wing vote. There are 7 constituencies which I am convinced the Tories would not have won had there been no Green candidate on the ballot paper - Gower - Derby North - Croydon Central - Bury North - Morley & Outwood -Plymouth Devonport & Sutton - and Brighton Kemptown.Without them we would be on the cusp of a minority Tory Govt (courtesy of Sinn Fein).
Re - point 3. I live in a Tory - free zone in Norwich in respect of councillors. Of course, this is also true of the big cities of Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Newcastle upon Tyne - so there are plenty of Tory deserts to point to.
There are 17 English councils without Conservative councillors, compared to 71 without Labour councillors.
It would be an interesting exercise to investigate the presence of any correlation between councils considered one-party States and the occurrence of issues with local government departments such as social services and policing in recent years.
My hunch would be that when councilors depend more on their party than the public for their survival, the needs of the latter tend to be ignored.
I'm not usually a fan of more PR-based electoral systems but an expansion of multi-ward constituencies doesn't sound like a bad idea when more 'Rotherham' problems is the alternative.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways or long journeys with its tiny engine - Edit: I disagree with Ydoethur on this, but then I'm a 90 rather than a 70 guy on the motorways!
I agree with much of what this chap has to say, those of us with a business background would've relished the opportunity to take the Scottish economy forward, in the short term there would have been challenges but in the medium term I'm sure Scotland's economy would have prospered. I remember watching Martin Sorrell being interviewed on Bloomberg in the run up to Indyref, although a staunch Unionist, he indicated an iScotland had the potential to become the Singapore of Europe.
The bizarre irony of Osbo and Cameron now talking about turning Manchester into a Northern Powerhouse, to help rebalance the North South divide after years of underinvestment, is not lost on many of us Scots:
Having lived in London through the 1980s and 1990s when there was massive spending on the re-gentrification of London, I saw at first hand what can be achieved with proper investment. That said, there were many white elephant projects - I sometimes wonder whether the Channel Tunnel was the biggest !!
Arrant nonsense
It ignores the fact that most Scots are voting for socialism heavy. You won't get Singapore style growth when you keep electing people who view Jeremy Corbyn as a LibDem.
Sorrell's view was that the Central Belt of Scotland with an educated workforce, airports with plenty of capacity, pretty good road network and cheap land - would be attractive to Asian firms looking to start-up in Europe.
I think you're perspective seems to be driven by the "political commentators" who have pretty much given up on trying to understand what's going on in Scottish politics and just write whatever drivel springs to mind to generate page views of their articles. On an average day the SNP can be described as ultra left wing, chameleon centre right, centre left etc.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Good cars for driving in the city, and especially for parking - you can park it end on so it fits into a very tight space. Also surprisingly good at a steady speed on a motorway. (EDIT you may have worked out I disagree with Sandpit on that - it's not fuel efficient but mine's fine on a motorway.) Comfortable, quiet and very cheap to run. Will take a surprising amount of stuff if packed carefully.
Never liked the gearbox, which is always both automatic and semi-automatic (you press a button to choose). The automatic setting is quite lumpy, and I keep absent-mindedly pulling it back when I want to change into fourth, which causes it to change down to second.
Needs careful weighting as well to ensure best handling, although that might just be my vast bulk throwing the whole thing off (why oh why did they put the petrol tank on the driver's side)?
Hope that helps. I find they're a decent second car, but I wouldn't want it as my sole car.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
So there is no reason to be optimistic about Labour's prospects at the moment.
I am not a supporter of Corbyn - I will vote for Cooper having paid my £3- but I don't share the assumption that his leadership will inevitably prove a disaster. If in the next few years the economy again goes 'tits up' - another recession for example - Osborne could still reap a bitter harvest, with the electorate much more receptive than in 2015 to the view that austerity - and its associated sacrifices - was for nothing
Without the 2010 Lib Dems, Labour's share would have been about 24%. How long will they stay around now that the Lib Dems are back in opposition?
I think the LibDems have lost such left of centre voters for a generation at least. Labour will always be able to say 'Don't trust the LibDems not to put the Tories in' and I am sure those will be very receptive to that message. Corbyn might well cement them much more firmly in the Labour column. I speak as someone who voted LibDem in both 2001 and 2005.
By the same token, "Don't trust Labour not to put the SNP in" seemed to be the leader to a lot of floating English voters that ended up in the Conservative column three months ago. Corbyn has already said that he's ready to do the same deal with those who wish to break up the country.
A lot will have happened in Scotland by 2020. Labour should have had a much more aggressive response on the lines of ' The only way the SNP can have leverage at all is if you - the Tories - decide to vote with them'.
A Tony Blair would've swept aside any notion of doing a deal with the SNP and run with the Cameron mantra of I'm in this to win. That said, Tony would've done a C&S deal in a heartbeat after the election.
If there were reasonable numbers of Red Turkeys who ended up voting Tory through fear of the SNP, after 5 years of austerity and given where we are in the economic cycle another recession could be just round the corner, they maybe less inclined to stick with the Tories.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
General points are that reliability has improved hugely over the past half a dozen years, and that a lot of cars now have 5 year dealer warranties as standard.
I agree with much of what this chap has to say, those of us with a business background would've relished the opportunity to take the Scottish economy forward, in the short term there would have been challenges but in the medium term I'm sure Scotland's economy would have prospered. I remember watching Martin Sorrell being interviewed on Bloomberg in the run up to Indyref, although a staunch Unionist, he indicated an iScotland had the potential to become the Singapore of Europe.
The bizarre irony of Osbo and Cameron now talking about turning Manchester into a Northern Powerhouse, to help rebalance the North South divide after years of underinvestment, is not lost on many of us Scots:
Having lived in London through the 1980s and 1990s when there was massive spending on the re-gentrification of London, I saw at first hand what can be achieved with proper investment. That said, there were many white elephant projects - I sometimes wonder whether the Channel Tunnel was the biggest !!
Arrant nonsense
It ignores the fact that most Scots are voting for socialism heavy. You won't get Singapore style growth when you keep electing people who view Jeremy Corbyn as a LibDem.
Sorrell's view was that the Central Belt of Scotland with an educated workforce, airports with plenty of capacity, pretty good road network and cheap land - would be attractive to Asian firms looking to start-up in Europe.
I think you're perspective seems to be driven by the "political commentators" who have pretty much given up on trying to understand what's going on in Scottish politics and just write whatever drivel springs to mind to generate page views of their articles. On an average day the SNP can be described as ultra left wing, chameleon centre right, centre left etc.
Sorrells talking pish.
My views are driven by hard economics. What is Scotland's advantage ? Why is Scotland better placed than Ireland which has a better educated workforce, a track record in attracting overseas investment and in all likelihood people who are easier to deal with. Or for that matter Slovakia which is in the heart of Europe has attracted big multi nats and has an educated workforce which is about 40% of the cost of Scotland's.
Sorrells view is based on iScotland imitating capitalist micro economies, something it won;t do until it has failed economically , rethought life and decided to go out work differently.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Miss. P., I'd buy a Smart car tomorrow if Herself would let me. I think they are super little motors and a pal of mine, who until recently dove Mercs is on his second (the first was written of in a horrific high speed motorway pile-up from which he walked without a scratch), swears by his. However, I think you have to be careful about what engine you choose especially if you are doing more than pottering about town.
That said, I would without hesitation recommend my Honda Jazz, I have had it for nine years now and it has never caused me a moment's grief. It can sit at 90 on the motorway for as long as I like and if driven reasonably sensibly will give me 55mpg on a run and an all round motoring 44mpg. My wife swears it is actually a Tardis because there is far more room inside than appears possible from the outside, and that includes the boot. Therein might lie its drawback for you, the Jazz might be too big. It is also seriously untrendy, in fact so many Jazz drivers seem to be above a certain age I sometimes wonder if Hoda have issued a secret instruction that they are only to be sold to pensioners.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Miss. P., I'd buy a Smart car tomorrow if Herself would let me. I think they are super little motors and a pal of mine, who until recently dove Mercs is on his second (the first was written of in a horrific high speed motorway pile-up from which he walked without a scratch), swears by his. However, I think you have to be careful about what engine you choose especially if you are doing more than pottering about town.
That said, I would without hesitation recommend my Honda Jazz, I have had it for nine years now and it has never caused me a moment's grief. It can sit at 90 on the motorway for as long as I like and if driven reasonably sensibly will give me 55mpg on a run and an all round motoring 44mpg. My wife swears it is actually a Tardis because there is far more room inside than appears possible from the outside, and that includes the boot. Therein might lie its drawback for you, the Jazz might be too big. It is also seriously untrendy, in fact so many Jazz drivers seem to be above a certain age I sometimes wonder if Hoda have issued a secret instruction that they are only to be sold to pensioners.
I can sit at 90 on the motorway for as long as I like
surprised you've gone metric Mr L. kilometres presumably :-)
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
The biggest single cost of owning a car is the depreciation, the one bill you never get. If you're thinking of selling on later rather than running it until it dies then it's worth thinking about. You can still I think get Parkers' price book from the local newsagent, that gives good guide prices for used cars. As a rule of thumb the German cars will depreciate the least (but as you say you'll pay a premium for them) while the no-name Korean cars will depreciate the most.
Also speak to dealers about lease plans, where you pay a fixed rate that includes all servicing, insurance etc for a fixed period - but only if you're not going to drive too many miles in it as they will have a limit with high overage charges.
Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris are a couple of cheap and Cheerful Jap cars, not half as much fun as a Mini though. Edit: Also Honda Jazz, as mentioned by Mr Llama.
And to @HurstLlama - that's interesting and thanx for the Smart review too. Re TARDIS, my Spitfire and SLKs were like that. Almost everything could be brought home in them with the roof down and a bit of ingenuity. I owned a BMW tourer with all the knobs on when indulging in huge DIY jobs - it went uber fast, but all my colleagues took the piss and called it my Mum Car, as it had roof rails and a towbar!
I think a Sunday reading reviews on these will help me focus on what's possible in my price range.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
And to @HurstLlama - that's interesting and thanx for the Smart review too. Re TARDIS, my Spitfire and SLKs were like that. Almost everything could be brought home in them with the roof down and a bit of ingenuity. I owned a BMW tourer with all the knobs on when indulging in huge DIY jobs - it went uber fast, but all my colleagues took the piss and called it my Mum Car, as it had roof rails and a towbar!
I think a Sunday reading reviews on these will help me focus on what's possible in my price range.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
Just avoid anything french, rubbish build quality. The exception would be Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 which are basically the same as the Toyota Aygo and built in the same Toyota run factory in CZ. Since they're small run arounds they may be in the category youre looking at.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
Have fun looking, and take lots of test drives - that's the fun bit of buying a car, especially the ones you know you can't afford!
Edit: Agree 100% with @Alanbrooke, don't buy anything French, they are what you'd imagine a modern British Leyland to be like!
This will be the first time I'm buying a car for cash [bar my Spitfire that's sitting in my ex's garage and needs £6k of restoration work].
I've always had leased or company/costs not really on the radar. I kept my SLK when the lease ran out and drove it into the ground/gave it away. Even third party insurance was more than I spent on petrol with full no claims and living in a virtual crime free zone!
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
The biggest single cost of owning a car is the depreciation, the one bill you never get. If you're thinking of selling on later rather than running it until it dies then it's worth thinking about. You can still I think get Parkers' price book from the local newsagent, that gives good guide prices for used cars. As a rule of thumb the German cars will depreciate the least (but as you say you'll pay a premium for them) while the no-name Korean cars will depreciate the most.
Also speak to dealers about lease plans, where you pay a fixed rate that includes all servicing, insurance etc for a fixed period - but only if you're not going to drive too many miles in it as they will have a limit with high overage charges.
Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris are a couple of cheap and Cheerful Jap cars, not half as much fun as a Mini though.
Mr Brooke, who we welcome back after a period of absence (what was it, 28 days without the option, Mr. B?), makes a very good point. The Kia has also just been found to be once of the most reliable cars on the market (see the Telegraph a couple of days ago).
However, if you are thinking about a car that is a few years old then I would very seriously suggest you go Japanese. An old Nissan Micra can be had for about a grand, cost very little to insure, and are very, very reliable.
And to @HurstLlama - that's interesting and thanx for the Smart review too. Re TARDIS, my Spitfire and SLKs were like that. Almost everything could be brought home in them with the roof down and a bit of ingenuity. I owned a BMW tourer with all the knobs on when indulging in huge DIY jobs - it went uber fast, but all my colleagues took the piss and called it my Mum Car, as it had roof rails and a towbar!
I think a Sunday reading reviews on these will help me focus on what's possible in my price range.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable but don't buy a new one as the depreciation is terrible, get one that's a couple of years old with 100k miles on it but still under warranty - in my younger years it was me driving over 1k miles a week in it!
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
Just avoid anything french, rubbish build quality. The exception would be Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 which are basically the same as the Toyota Aygo and built in the same Toyota run factory in CZ. Since they're small run arounds they may be in the category youre looking at.
This will be the first time I'm buying a car for cash [bar my Spitfire that's sitting in my ex's garage and needs £6k of restoration work].
I've always had leased or company/costs not really on the radar. I kept my SLK when the lease ran out and drove it into the ground/gave it away. Even third party insurance was more than I spent on petrol with full no claims and living in a virtual crime free zone!
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
The biggest single cost of owning a car is the depreciation, the one bill you never get. If you're thinking of selling on later rather than running it until it dies then it's worth thinking about. You can still I think get Parkers' price book from the local newsagent, that gives good guide prices for used cars. As a rule of thumb the German cars will depreciate the least (but as you say you'll pay a premium for them) while the no-name Korean cars will depreciate the most.
Also speak to dealers about lease plans, where you pay a fixed rate that includes all servicing, insurance etc for a fixed period - but only if you're not going to drive too many miles in it as they will have a limit with high overage charges.
Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris are a couple of cheap and Cheerful Jap cars, not half as much fun as a Mini though.
If I wasn't working abroad so much I'd probably make you an offer for the Spitfire!!
How's about you spend 2 or 3 grand on something really cheap and cheerful, with the balance on doing up the old car?
Mr Brooke, who we welcome back after a period of absence (what was it, 28 days without the option, Mr. B?), makes a very good point. The Kia has also just been found to be once of the most reliable cars on the market (see the Telegraph a couple of days ago).
However, if you are thinking about a car that is a few years old then I would very seriously suggest you go Japanese. An old Nissan Micra can be had for about a grand, cost very little to insure, and are very, very reliable.
Ive been busy at work and then on hols Mr L but lurking contentedly on the sidelines
.I bought another factory back in April and it wasn't performing so had to roll up my sleeves and do some work ( I know it's a sad day when the director's actually have to earn their money ). Looks like it's back on track so hoping it stays that way.
I'm sorely tempted. They've gone from being a car that I could get breakers' spares for - to something very expensive to restore.
My ex demanded mine as part of our divorce and half dismantled it/left it to rust for ten years. He's thinking of moving house so happy for me to have it back now! The 6k estimate was what he had quoted. The car was once concours quality and I bought it in 1988 from a colleague for £1600.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
The biggest single cost of owning a car is the depreciation, the one bill you never get. If you're thinking of selling on later rather than running it until it dies then it's worth thinking about. You can still I think get Parkers' price book from the local newsagent, that gives good guide prices for used cars. As a rule of thumb the German cars will depreciate the least (but as you say you'll pay a premium for them) while the no-name Korean cars will depreciate the most.
Also speak to dealers about lease plans, where you pay a fixed rate that includes all servicing, insurance etc for a fixed period - but only if you're not going to drive too many miles in it as they will have a limit with high overage charges.
Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris are a couple of cheap and Cheerful Jap cars, not half as much fun as a Mini though.
If I wasn't working abroad so much I'd probably make you an offer for the Spitfire!!
How's about you spend 2 or 3 grand on something really cheap and cheerful, with the balance on doing up the old car?
Miss P, I bought Herself her Micra when it was two years old. I forget the date but it was "Y" registration so you can work it out. She drove it pretty much every day until last last September when some bloody idiot drove into the back of her at 30mph and the insurance company wrote it off. During that time, aside from consumables like brake pads and tyres, I never had to spend a penny on that car and it passed its MoT first time every time. It had 122,000 miles on the clock and the insurance company paid out £830.
Mr Brooke, who we welcome back after a period of absence (what was it, 28 days without the option, Mr. B?), makes a very good point. The Kia has also just been found to be once of the most reliable cars on the market (see the Telegraph a couple of days ago).
However, if you are thinking about a car that is a few years old then I would very seriously suggest you go Japanese. An old Nissan Micra can be had for about a grand, cost very little to insure, and are very, very reliable.
Ive been busy at work and then on hols Mr L but lurking contentedly on the sidelines
.I bought another factory back in April and it wasn't performing so had to roll up my sleeves and do some work ( I know it's a sad day when the director's actually have to earn their money ). Looks like it's back on track so hoping it stays that way.
Well, it's good to see you back, old thing. It is very good for the site to have someone who runs factories that actually make things and who knows where Nuneaton is*.
*For those that think I jest, try this. Without looking at google or otherwise cheating how many of you could point to the location of Nuneaton on a map of England and get to within 50 miles? Preciously bloody few I bet.
Mr Brooke, who we welcome back after a period of absence (what was it, 28 days without the option, Mr. B?), makes a very good point. The Kia has also just been found to be once of the most reliable cars on the market (see the Telegraph a couple of days ago).
However, if you are thinking about a car that is a few years old then I would very seriously suggest you go Japanese. An old Nissan Micra can be had for about a grand, cost very little to insure, and are very, very reliable.
Ive been busy at work and then on hols Mr L but lurking contentedly on the sidelines
.I bought another factory back in April and it wasn't performing so had to roll up my sleeves and do some work ( I know it's a sad day when the director's actually have to earn their money ). Looks like it's back on track so hoping it stays that way.
Well, it's good to see you back, old thing. It is very good for the site to have someone who runs factories that actually make things and who knows where Nuneaton is*.
*For those that think I jest, try this. Without looking at google or otherwise cheating how many of you could point to the location of Nuneaton on a map of England and get to within 50 miles? Preciously bloody few I bet.
We have a fleet agreement with Toyota - and have used their Aygos which we have found reliable and get 60+ mpg on motorway and good A roads and 50mpg around the country lanes. Also the Aygo is group 2 insurance and no road tax, but expect GO will be changing that. Service is every 10k miles.
We tend to buy cars on 0% interest rate over 3 years, as often get a dealer deal towards the end of the year. They are pre-registered and get anything from £2k-£3k off the new price. In fact one of ours is due up in November and so expect the phone to start ringing from the dealer. Also we find that with one of these cars they have all the extras fitted (bluetooth, rear camera, riding lights etc) which is in the price. They come with a 5 year guarantee.
We also use Yaris, Prius etc. It all depends on the boot/luggage size required - how much shopping, dogs etc.
And to @HurstLlama - that's interesting and thanx for the Smart review too. Re TARDIS, my Spitfire and SLKs were like that. Almost everything could be brought home in them with the roof down and a bit of ingenuity. I owned a BMW tourer with all the knobs on when indulging in huge DIY jobs - it went uber fast, but all my colleagues took the piss and called it my Mum Car, as it had roof rails and a towbar!
I think a Sunday reading reviews on these will help me focus on what's possible in my price range.
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable.
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
Just avoid anything french, rubbish build quality. The exception would be Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 which are basically the same as the Toyota Aygo and built in the same Toyota run factory in CZ. Since they're small run arounds they may be in the category youre looking at.
I would agree on the French. Don't touch. I know a few people who have had bad experiences with German cars, including my brothers Golf and Dads BMW. They do not age well.
My Fiat 500 is a great little car, frugal, reliable and easy to park. Made in Poland, not Italy and still quite trendy.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
I was looking at really nice Golfs the other day , £8K to £10K , but obviously that is in God's country..
Minis seem like a big brand premium. I've had BMWs, Mercs and VWs so have a big soft spot for German cars - but you get bugger all as standard and the parts are pricey.
V, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
OT I'm thinking of getting a new small car/hatchback - any happy owners out there who'd recommend theirs? I've always quite fancied a Smart car, but based on zero knowledge.
Ms Plato, what's your budget and what age of car are you looking at, where will you drive it etc? Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways at all.
Focus maybe, cheap and reliable.
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
try a kia or hyundai. Not pricy and packed full of gadgets.
Just avoid anything french, rubbish build quality. The exception would be Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 which are basically the same as the Toyota Aygo and built in the same Toyota run factory in CZ. Since they're small run arounds they may be in the category youre looking at.
I would agree on the French. Don't touch. I know a few people who have had bad experiences with German cars, including my brothers Golf and Dads BMW. They do not age well.
My Fiat 500 is a great little car, frugal, reliable and easy to park. Made in Poland, not Italy and still quite trendy.
I have not had much trouble with BMW's. Only issue I ever had with my X3's was back springs breaking and they were not a fortune to fix. If you have them serviced regular and at a specialist rather than BMW then not over the top either.
Comments
The centrists in the Labour party (I'll refrain from using the 'B' word) are not even campaigning, most of Kendall's supporters seem to be in name only and the majority of the non-Corbyn party seems determined to say as little as possible lest it offend the eventual winner.
We even have two candidates in the centre of the party who can barely open their mouths to say anything - we just had five years of that and it led to a defeat.
None of them have even tried to convince me that my vote should go anywhere other than the blue box in 2020, for non-partisans to be thinking like that now is surely bad for democracy..?
The whole KC episode is embarrassing for a lot of people, if the Charities' Commission don't jump on it then they should expect to be jumped on themselves for their lack of oversight.
Whether the Republic would want NI is another matter.
I'm not keen to spend big bucks on this so no VW Golfs or Minis...
My hunch would be that when councilors depend more on their party than the public for their survival, the needs of the latter tend to be ignored.
I'm not usually a fan of more PR-based electoral systems but an expansion of multi-ward constituencies doesn't sound like a bad idea when more 'Rotherham' problems is the alternative.
Yet again I've been caught talking rubbish off the top of my head.
Either that or I was thinking of people.
It's about 5%.
Smart car is a funky city car that can park sideways, but it's expensive and really doesn't like motorways or long journeys with its tiny engine - Edit: I disagree with Ydoethur on this, but then I'm a 90 rather than a 70 guy on the motorways!
I think you're perspective seems to be driven by the "political commentators" who have pretty much given up on trying to understand what's going on in Scottish politics and just write whatever drivel springs to mind to generate page views of their articles. On an average day the SNP can be described as ultra left wing, chameleon centre right, centre left etc.
Never liked the gearbox, which is always both automatic and semi-automatic (you press a button to choose). The automatic setting is quite lumpy, and I keep absent-mindedly pulling it back when I want to change into fourth, which causes it to change down to second.
Needs careful weighting as well to ensure best handling, although that might just be my vast bulk throwing the whole thing off (why oh why did they put the petrol tank on the driver's side)?
Hope that helps. I find they're a decent second car, but I wouldn't want it as my sole car.
Just want something that is cheap to insure, reliable and I can tootle about in with a dog in the passenger seat.
I've spent so long with two-seater/convertibles/tiny boots... I had a Golf twenty years ago and loved it, but they're pricey.
If there were reasonable numbers of Red Turkeys who ended up voting Tory through fear of the SNP, after 5 years of austerity and given where we are in the economic cycle another recession could be just round the corner, they maybe less inclined to stick with the Tories.
A new VW Polo is about the same size as an older Golf, probably worth a look.
Mini for something a little quirky, but not the Cooper if you are trying to save on insurance, also BMW servicing is expensive.
General points are that reliability has improved hugely over the past half a dozen years, and that a lot of cars now have 5 year dealer warranties as standard.
My views are driven by hard economics. What is Scotland's advantage ? Why is Scotland better placed than Ireland which has a better educated workforce, a track record in attracting overseas investment and in all likelihood people who are easier to deal with. Or for that matter Slovakia which is in the heart of Europe has attracted big multi nats and has an educated workforce which is about 40% of the cost of Scotland's.
Sorrells view is based on iScotland imitating capitalist micro economies, something it won;t do until it has failed economically , rethought life and decided to go out work differently.
I'm not averse to Jap ones - I learned to drive in a Datsun! There are loads of brands I don't recognise advertised on the TV, and don't want to discount them out of ignorance.
That said, I would without hesitation recommend my Honda Jazz, I have had it for nine years now and it has never caused me a moment's grief. It can sit at 90 on the motorway for as long as I like and if driven reasonably sensibly will give me 55mpg on a run and an all round motoring 44mpg. My wife swears it is actually a Tardis because there is far more room inside than appears possible from the outside, and that includes the boot. Therein might lie its drawback for you, the Jazz might be too big. It is also seriously untrendy, in fact so many Jazz drivers seem to be above a certain age I sometimes wonder if Hoda have issued a secret instruction that they are only to be sold to pensioners.
surprised you've gone metric Mr L. kilometres presumably :-)
Also speak to dealers about lease plans, where you pay a fixed rate that includes all servicing, insurance etc for a fixed period - but only if you're not going to drive too many miles in it as they will have a limit with high overage charges.
Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris are a couple of cheap and Cheerful Jap cars, not half as much fun as a Mini though. Edit: Also Honda Jazz, as mentioned by Mr Llama.
I think a Sunday reading reviews on these will help me focus on what's possible in my price range.
Edit: Agree 100% with @Alanbrooke, don't buy anything French, they are what you'd imagine a modern British Leyland to be like!
I've always had leased or company/costs not really on the radar. I kept my SLK when the lease ran out and drove it into the ground/gave it away. Even third party insurance was more than I spent on petrol with full no claims and living in a virtual crime free zone!
Mr Brooke, who we welcome back after a period of absence (what was it, 28 days without the option, Mr. B?), makes a very good point. The Kia has also just been found to be once of the most reliable cars on the market (see the Telegraph a couple of days ago).
However, if you are thinking about a car that is a few years old then I would very seriously suggest you go Japanese. An old Nissan Micra can be had for about a grand, cost very little to insure, and are very, very reliable.
That's helpful - I borrowed a Peugeot 306 for a week and it was pretty good.
How's about you spend 2 or 3 grand on something really cheap and cheerful, with the balance on doing up the old car?
.I bought another factory back in April and it wasn't performing so had to roll up my sleeves and do some work ( I know it's a sad day when the director's actually have to earn their money ). Looks like it's back on track so hoping it stays that way.
My ex demanded mine as part of our divorce and half dismantled it/left it to rust for ten years. He's thinking of moving house so happy for me to have it back now! The 6k estimate was what he had quoted. The car was once concours quality and I bought it in 1988 from a colleague for £1600.
*For those that think I jest, try this. Without looking at google or otherwise cheating how many of you could point to the location of Nuneaton on a map of England and get to within 50 miles? Preciously bloody few I bet.
We have a fleet agreement with Toyota - and have used their Aygos which we have found reliable and get 60+ mpg on motorway and good A roads and 50mpg around the country lanes. Also the Aygo is group 2 insurance and no road tax, but expect GO will be changing that. Service is every 10k miles.
We tend to buy cars on 0% interest rate over 3 years, as often get a dealer deal towards the end of the year. They are pre-registered and get anything from £2k-£3k off the new price. In fact one of ours is due up in November and so expect the phone to start ringing from the dealer. Also we find that with one of these cars they have all the extras fitted (bluetooth, rear camera, riding lights etc) which is in the price. They come with a 5 year guarantee.
We also use Yaris, Prius etc. It all depends on the boot/luggage size required - how much shopping, dogs etc.
Feel free to email me if you want more info.
My Fiat 500 is a great little car, frugal, reliable and easy to park. Made in Poland, not Italy and still quite trendy.