While he's out there grovelling on all fours someone here is having to Tweet for him.
@abelardinelli: Minister admits he's no idea how much Swiss tax deal will raise - yet Osborne booked in over £3bn in autumn statement http://t.co/6B8svBfekg
A silly ignorant article, tim.
It was the OBR who put the estimate of over £3 bn tax revenue from the Swiss Tax Treaty into the March EFO for the 2013-14 fiscal year (admittedly after being pumped up by the Treasury).
In the OBR's commentary on the ONS release of the June 2013 Public Finances bulletin, Chote wrote:
The ONS have revised down their estimate of capital tax receipts from the UK-Swiss tax agreement from £3.2 billion (based on the forecast in the March 2013 EFO) to £0.3 billion (the pre-payment already received). This worsens the May PSNB by £2.9 billion. The decision reflects an announcement by the Swiss Bankers’ Association on 5 July that less revenue was being transferred to the UK than anticipated through this one-off levy.
It is important to understand the aim of the UK-Swiss tax agreement. It is designed to prevent those British nationals who are liable to pay capital gains tax in the UK from evading payments through non-disclosure of taxable assets held in Swiss Banks. Under the agreement, the Swiss Banks undertook to make payments to the UK on behalf of those of its British clients who did not wish to disclose their assets to HMRC.
However, Switzerland later signed up to a global agreement which required their banks to exchange information with other jurisdictions on assets held by foreign nationals. This made it much riskier for a UK national to continue hiding their assets from HMRC and resulted in much higher direct disclosure than previously anticipated. So what HMRC lost from Swiss Banks paying in lieu, it gained from direct assessments.
The SBA statement in July summarised the position:
First indications from selected banks in Switzerland show that there are fewer untaxed UK assets in Switzerland than had been previously assumed. This is mainly due to the fact that many clients have resident non-domiciled status. These clients are not liable to taxation in the UK and thus do not fall under the Agreement. Furthermore, numerous UK clients have opted for voluntary disclosure, which comes as no surprise given the latest developments in Switzerland with regard to the announced adoption of a global standard for the automatic exchange of information.
In spite of the shift towards direct declaration, the Treasury has continued to receive payments from the Swiss Banks. By the time of the OBR's commentary on the August finances, it was able to report:
Capital tax receipts from the UK-Swiss tax agreement are likely to be less than the £3.2 billion estimate included in the March 2013 EFO. A further payment from the Swiss authorities has been received, bringing the total payment so far to £0.7 billion, which is accrued to May 2013.
Chote also noted that even though indirect receipts were much lower than he originally forecast they had still contributed to net reductions in public sector borrowing. He also suggested that the Treasury, HMRC and the OBR get together to rework forecast receipts from the Swiss and other similar agreement before the OBR released its next EFO at the time of the autumn forecast.
So to summarise. The original over optimistic forecast by the OBR (not George Osborne) was withdrawn and no longer appears in the ONS Public Finances figures. Only actual receipts are now being booked. Lower receipts from the Swiss Banks does not mean that all due tax has been lost: HRMC are likely to have made up much of the orginal forecast from direct disclosure. Money is still being received from the Swiss Banks. Even after reducing the forecast for Swiss receipts, cumulative Public Sector Net Borrowing is already lower than the original OBR forecast. So any 'black hole' article is already a "non-story". A full reconciliation of receipts and new forecasts are expected in time for the OBR's next EFO release due in December.
Surely this merits some tractor stats from the comedy spinners?
Revealed: The cost of living is rising faster in the UK than anywhere in Europe, with soaring food and energy bills blamed
Inflation in the UK in September was 2.7%, highest in the whole of the EU Followed by Estonia (2.6%), the Netherlands (2.4%), Finland (2.4) In UK food bills are up 4.3% energy is up 3.4%, according to Eurostat Cameron and Miliband clash in the Commons over 'cost of living crisis'
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
That is outstanding. Speking his branes to the max.
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
Well that was definitely posted by a capitalist.
And not someone from the lower cases.
Excellent!
Although I hang my head in shame. It was CIF, not HYS.
Oh dear tim, trying to welch on our sovereign bet? It was based on the % of total votes cast in the UK - your reference to polling in GB is one of your typical non-sequiters I'm afraid....
Does Ed Balls really intend to be a Bankrobber? Will parliament become a contest between Police and Thieves? and will the changes to the EDL lead to a White Riot? At what point will the impasse in Congress get resolved? because I'm So Bored With the USA.
It is time to get pogoing at Nighthawks and to gob on each other. Its Armagideon time!
Cold, windy, rainy today. Could be worse, but it's interesting how atrocious weather seems to be the best to write to. Lightning and thunder gets the imagination firing far more than sunshinse.
The Luangua valley is one of the best places that I have been in Africa, with a very diverse number of habitats, and astonishing birdlife. Rhinos are extinct here, but all the other big five are fairly easy to see. There are hundreds of hippos.
In particular we saw a number of Leopards there, which are famously elusive. Perhaps the best thing though is the wilderness, with only a few vehicles about. some days we did not see another party of tourists. North Luangua is so remote you will be on your own in primordial wilderness.
I have not been to Kafue, but I think it is only just recovering from lots of poaching, and is a fairly scrubby bit of bush.
I've just been commissioned by The Times to go to Zambia in the next fortnight, to do a safari (yes, it's been a tough week). We are trying to decide whether I should just go to Kafue, or do Kafue AND Luangwa.
The other good thing is the ability to get out of the vehicles, turn off the engine and feel the peace of the African bush. One day we had a most lovely lunch with a picnic overlooking an Ox Bow lake, then remounted the vehicle and found a pride of lions about 200 meters away snoozing under a tree. Zambia has an admirably casual attitude to health and safety!
The Luangua valley is one of the best places that I have been in Africa, with a very diverse number of habitats, and astonishing birdlife. Rhinos are extinct here, but all the other big five are fairly easy to see. There are hundreds of hippos.
In particular we saw a number of Leopards there, which are famously elusive. Perhaps the best thing though is the wilderness, with only a few vehicles about. some days we did not see another party of tourists. North Luangua is so remote you will be on your own in primordial wilderness.
I have not been to Kafue, but I think it is only just recovering from lots of poaching, and is a fairly scrubby bit of bush.
I've just been commissioned by The Times to go to Zambia in the next fortnight, to do a safari (yes, it's been a tough week). We are trying to decide whether I should just go to Kafue, or do Kafue AND Luangwa.
Mr. Saddened, whilst only a few appear directly involved in the initial incident there also seems to have been a closing of ranks, with the interest of senior officers being less the truth and discipline than protecting the reputation of the officers involved.
Policemen who lie to stitch up the innocent should be fired, and lose either all or a very significant portion of their pension rights. The abuse of police authority is tremendously serious, and if it can happen to a Cabinet minister it can happen to anyone.
A special place in my heart as it was the only decent record the local discoteer had when I was living on a nude beach on Paros for a few months in the early 80s.
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
Not I, not I.
fpt Ryanair.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Everybody knows you don't throw the ball at the wicket when you can just run up and knock the bails off.
It reminded me of this piece of fielding from Phil Tufnell.
England Cricket fans today don't know how lucky they are with the current team, those of us who remember the 90s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNn7TMvS5Xo
LOL!
Gooch not best pleased, I note....
I'm not convinced the standard of opposition England face nowadays is as good as it was then. I watched a lot more cricket then than I do now though. And the format of the modern game seems infuriating. Too many test series, most of them not lasting very long and daft 20 over games.
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
Mr. Saddened, whilst only a few appear directly involved in the initial incident there also seems to have been a closing of ranks, with the interest of senior officers being less the truth and discipline than protecting the reputation of the officers involved.
Policemen who lie to stitch up the innocent should be fired, and lose either all or a very significant portion of their pension rights. The abuse of police authority is tremendously serious, and if it can happen to a Cabinet minister it can happen to anyone.
I completely agree, however people who confidently state that "all" police, tories, lefties or any other target of choice are scrum just reveal stupidity and prejudice. It definitely says more about them, than the intended target. individuals not entire classes of people err and they should be dealt with appropriately.
Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said the Ofsted report showed that Michael Gove's reform programme, in which the new schools are freed from local education authority control and allowed to appoint unqualified teachers if they choose, has become a "dangerous free-for-all".
Hunt told the Guardian: "What this report exposes is that David Cameron and Michael Gove's Free School programme has become a dangerous free-for-all: an out of control ideological experiment that has left 400 children losing an entire week of learning."
He seems to be more concerned with the fact that the school closed temporarily for a week during the Ofsted inspection, than with the report's conclusions that this seems to be a f***ing useless school. So happy to consign children to a life ruined by a useless education, as long as they get it for the regulation 39 weeks a year.
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
Not I, not I.
fpt Ryanair.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.
I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Free wife on the plane?!!
*dreams*LOLZ. Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of it as I had run the phone's batteries out using Google Maps and posting on UnTappd in Helsinki.
(Actually it was earlier this year - I'm wishing my life away)
RE Ryanair,just back from one of my adrenaline kicks in the mountains,flew out Ryanair. Some pissheads were kicking off in the back,the captain came on and warned about abuse not being tolerated,but the pissheads ignored the warning. On landing we were asked to remain in our seats whilst the police came on board,and the offenders were duly marched off by the spanish police,I doubt they will be flying too much in the future. But yes Ryanair is crap,but cheap,and we all know the rules,but they deliver,and for a few hours ,who cares if the price is right.
Labour have come up with a policy that I really do support.
They are planning to tax usurers Payday Lenders and use the money to fund credit unions
Credit unions are certainly no utopia. Out of interest i enquired to mine, i couldnt pay a salary into it, I couldnt use if for direct debits, and it didnt have a debit card. Total waste of time.
If you make payday lending more expensive, guess what happens to the costs to the borrower? There's no free money.
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
Not I, not I.
fpt Ryanair.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.
I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Free wife on the plane?!!
*dreams*
LOLZ. Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of it as I had run the phone's batteries out using Google Maps and posting on UnTappd in Helsinki.
(Actually it was earlier this year - I'm wishing my life away)
Oh, how I wish for a free wife on the plane. Someone else's, hopefully.Other people's wives are best, obviously. I have never wanted one of my own.
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
I think age IS a barrier: you need virile mental agility and simply youthful vigour to do something as difficult as write a good novel. Relatedly, there's a somewhat depressing article in today's Times saying writers actually peak in their 30s, not their 50s or 60s.
To me this makes sense. If you look at the great great novels, they were nearly all written by people in their 30s or early 40s, or even younger.
Tolstoy was 40 when he finished War and Peace. Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was in her 30s. Joyce wrote Ulysses in his late 30s. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the age of 26! Etc.
Sad but true.
Tolstoy....Austen....Joyce....Dickens.....Now where would you place yourself in that pantheon, SeanT?
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
I think age IS a barrier: you need virile mental agility and simply youthful vigour to do something as difficult as write a good novel. Relatedly, there's a somewhat depressing article in today's Times saying writers actually peak in their 30s, not their 50s or 60s.
To me this makes sense. If you look at the great great novels, they were nearly all written by people in their 30s or early 40s, or even younger.
Tolstoy was 40 when he finished War and Peace. Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was in her 30s. Joyce wrote Ulysses in his late 30s. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the age of 26! Etc.
Sad but true.
Moral of the story, which you have appeared to learn, is enjoy it while it lasts. Also bear in mind 99% of the world's populace will not achieve what you have.
But yes Ryanair is crap,but cheap,and we all know the rules,but they deliver,and for a few hours ,who cares if the price is right.
I generally avoid Ryanair if I can but since my local airport in Ireland more-or-less closed (damn you austerity!) I have to use them more often than I used to. One thing that is impressive is their punctuality stats. I suppose time is money to them and I dont remember being on a late Ryanair flight in the last 4 or 5 years.
Labour have come up with a policy that I really do support.
They are planning to tax usurers Payday Lenders and use the money to fund credit unions
Credit unions are certainly no utopia. Out of interest i enquired to mine, i couldnt pay a salary into it, I couldnt use if for direct debits, and it didnt have a debit card. Total waste of time.
If you make payday lending more expensive, guess what happens to the costs to the borrower? There's no free money.
Are Credit Unions different in America? When I worked In Colorado in 2011 I paid my salary into one, and they gave me a debit card. Didn't need any direct debits so didn't enquire but I think the facility was there.
YES I'M GONNA SAY IT SO IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR YOU: ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOTED TORY OUTSIDE WARTIME IS EITHER A RACIST, FASCIST, KLEPTOCRAT, PRESS BARON, BANKER OR A POOR SOUL SATURATED IN PROPAGANDA...
Not I, not I.
fpt Ryanair.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.
I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Free wife on the plane?!!
*dreams*
LOLZ. Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of it as I had run the phone's batteries out using Google Maps and posting on UnTappd in Helsinki.
(Actually it was earlier this year - I'm wishing my life away)
Oh, how I wish for a free wife on the plane. Someone else's, hopefully.
Other people's wives are best, obviously. I have never wanted one of my own.
I was like that, then I met the one, and fell in love.
She tamed the beast.
I mean, who wouldn't want your own personal cook and cleaner who sleeps with you?
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
I think age IS a barrier: you need virile mental agility and simply youthful vigour to do something as difficult as write a good novel. Relatedly, there's a somewhat depressing article in today's Times saying writers actually peak in their 30s, not their 50s or 60s.
To me this makes sense. If you look at the great great novels, they were nearly all written by people in their 30s or early 40s, or even younger.
Tolstoy was 40 when he finished War and Peace. Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was in her 30s. Joyce wrote Ulysses in his late 30s. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the age of 26! Etc.
Sad but true.
Tolstoy....Austen....Joyce....Dickens.....Now where would you place yourself in that pantheon, SeanT?
Don't be modest now...
I've ALREADY admitted I am PROBABLY not as good as Shakespeare.
But yes Ryanair is crap,but cheap,and we all know the rules,but they deliver,and for a few hours ,who cares if the price is right.
I generally avoid Ryanair if I can but since my local airport in Ireland more-or-less closed (damn you austerity!) I have to use them more often than I used to. One thing that is impressive is their punctuality stats. I suppose time is money to them and I dont remember being on a late Ryanair flight in the last 4 or 5 years.
Sorry to disillusion you, Neil, but they rig the numbers by overestimating flight times in the first place.
But yes Ryanair is crap,but cheap,and we all know the rules,but they deliver,and for a few hours ,who cares if the price is right.
I generally avoid Ryanair if I can but since my local airport in Ireland more-or-less closed (damn you austerity!) I have to use them more often than I used to. One thing that is impressive is their punctuality stats. I suppose time is money to them and I dont remember being on a late Ryanair flight in the last 4 or 5 years.
They are very good on punctuality,I am sure they use their power to bully their way to get there,also their fleet is very modern. My nearest airport Blackpool,introduced an airport upgrade fee of £10/person for every person,Ryanair objected,the airport refused to back down,and of course Ryanair dropped them,and removed their planes. They will not be bullied,but they do their own fair share of bullying.
Mr. T, I must confess I don't know how old most of the authors of books I enjoy were when they wrote them. A quick check on Wikipedia shows Gibbon was about 50 when he finished The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Mr. T, I must confess I don't know how old most of the authors of books I enjoy were when they wrote them. A quick check on Wikipedia shows Gibbon was about 50 when he finished The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.
I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Free wife on the plane?!!
*dreams*
LOLZ. Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of it as I had run the phone's batteries out using Google Maps and posting on UnTappd in Helsinki.
(Actually it was earlier this year - I'm wishing my life away)
Oh, how I wish for a free wife on the plane. Someone else's, hopefully.
Other people's wives are best, obviously. I have never wanted one of my own.
Ditto, sir, Ditto. The idea of being *married* makes me faintly nauseous.
You shouldn't. Marriage is great fun. I've only been married for four years, and in that time Mrs J's given me about eight years of laughter.
Take this Sunday. I'll be supping a pint or three in a pub in York, as she runs 26.2 miles around the fair city. I'll only have to drag myself out in order to greet her when she finishes. She'll think the smile on my face is shared joy at her accomplishment.
In reality, It'll be a smile of laughter. And perhaps drunkenness.
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
I think age IS a barrier: you need virile mental agility and simply youthful vigour to do something as difficult as write a good novel. Relatedly, there's a somewhat depressing article in today's Times saying writers actually peak in their 30s, not their 50s or 60s.
To me this makes sense. If you look at the great great novels, they were nearly all written by people in their 30s or early 40s, or even younger.
Tolstoy was 40 when he finished War and Peace. Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was in her 30s. Joyce wrote Ulysses in his late 30s. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the age of 26! Etc.
On Tuesday, 16-year-old Harry Wilson made his international debut for Wales in a World Cup qualifying match against Belgium. It was a big day for Wilson, but perhaps an even bigger day for his grandfather, who cashed in big time on a 15-year-old bet as soon as his grandson stepped onto the pitch.
Wilson's grandfather, Peter Edwards, placed a £50 bet with a local bookmaker when his grandson was 18 months old. At 2,500/1 odds, Edwards bet that his grandson would one day play soccer for Wales. He's now £125,000 richer, and plans to retire on his winnings.
Mr. Punter, I went back to check. He was 39 when he started and 51 when he finished. So, twelve years for the complete work. Fairly hefty work, though. Nearly 4,000 pages in total.
"A controversial free school at the heart of a row between Labour and the Tories over Michael Gove's reform programme will be condemned as "dysfunctional" in a devastating official report.
An Ofsted report, due to be published imminently, declares that the Al-Madinah Islamic school in Derby is "in chaos" and has "not been adequately monitored or supported".
Mr. T, bah. Elderly, practically decrepit compared to Alexander. He was 17 when he commanded the cavalry that defeated the elite Theban Sacred Band (a group of 300 warriors so tough they'd played a part in two defeats of the Spartans which ended the latter city's pretence at predominance in Greece and ushered in a brief time of Theban ascendance) at the Battle of Chaeronea. He was King at 19, Emperor of Persia a few years later, dead shortly after 30.
But then, Antigonus was in his 80s when he very nearly conquered the whole of Macedonia's vast territory.
I absolutely don't buy this argument that you're great until 30 or so then decline to nothing. Hannibal had his greatest time in his 30s and 40s, Caesar much later, and Lysimachus, Seleucus and Antigonus later still.
One of the best budget airlines is Air Asia. Punctual, polite, pleasant - with nice food - and yet just as cheap as Ryanair. All this "we don't even let you have a sickbag" crap is just that: macho Ryanair crap.
Yes, Ryanair is just too much about them - I want an airline to fly me somewhere at a reasonable price, not strut around striking attitudes. I've been experimenting with a lot of minor lines as I fly around for my NGO and try to avoid spending too much of contributors' money: not bothered by crash stats, as even higher risk airlines are still safer than crossing over an average London street.
Aeromexico was good, because perfectly adequate in themselves and only half-full so I had three seats to myself in tourist class. Norwegian was fine. Some of the Asian airlines, e.g. Asiana, seem to economise on leg room, which is bad news for 6-footers like me, and Air Kenya seemed to have the same problem - being unable to sit straight for 7 hours is sub-optimal. Trying Aeroflot (to China) next week - a THIRD of the price of their competitors like China Eastern, how bad can it be?
Mr. T, fret not, your Rocky IV moment has yet to arrive. One of the good things for writers is that age is no barrier to ongoing success.
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
I think age IS a barrier: you need virile mental agility and simply youthful vigour to do something as difficult as write a good novel. Relatedly, there's a somewhat depressing article in today's Times saying writers actually peak in their 30s, not their 50s or 60s.
To me this makes sense. If you look at the great great novels, they were nearly all written by people in their 30s or early 40s, or even younger.
Tolstoy was 40 when he finished War and Peace. Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice when she was in her 30s. Joyce wrote Ulysses in his late 30s. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the age of 26! Etc.
Sad but true.
There are a few counter-examples, Sean.
Henry James flourished in his 60s. Virginia Woolf and Joseph Conrad mid 40s. Proust didn't finish his great work until he was 50.
But my favourite late starter of all is not a novelist but a composer. Jean-Philippe Rameau started on his career as a opera composer at the age of 50 and ruled the Paris opera stage for the next thirty years, composing on average an opera or ballet each year.
The Times have some yougov polling that shows that the Lib Dems attempts to paint themselves as the restraining influence on the Tories is bearing fruit.
Mr. Punter, I went back to check. He was 39 when he started and 51 when he finished. So, twelve years for the complete work. Fairly hefty work, though. Nearly 4,000 pages in total.
Mr. Punter, I went back to check. He was 39 when he started and 51 when he finished. So, twelve years for the complete work. Fairly hefty work, though. Nearly 4,000 pages in total.
Good job he didn't bother with the bit before the decline, or he wouldn't have finished before he croaked.
No exact figures yet, but from the Times/YouGov polling on what the voters think would have happened/would happen if the Tories governed alone
Twice as many voters thought tax cuts for the poor would be less likely and tax cuts for the rich more likely. 44 per cent thought a majority Tory administration would be more likely to cut help for the unemployed.
There was also a strong belief that Tories were more likely to reorganise the NHS if they were no longer held back by the nice Lib Dems.
No exact figures yet, but from the Times/YouGov polling on what the voters think would have happened/would happen if the Tories weren't in a coalition
Twice as many voters thought tax cuts for the poor would be less likely and tax cuts for the rich more likely. 44 per cent thought a majority Tory administration would be more likely to cut help for the unemployed.
There was also a strong belief that Tories were more likely to reorganise the NHS if they were no longer held back by the nice Lib Dems.
Trouble with that polling is that it is all leading questions - "would the Tories be more likely to do X?" is suggestive to the interviewee.
Would be much more valid to say: "what would the Tories be more likely to do if not in Coalition?" - ie let interviewee name things without any prompting. If you did that I doubt anything would get more than 20% - because most people wouldn't be able to think of anything.
No exact figures yet, but from the Times/YouGov polling on what the voters think would have happened/would happen if the Tories weren't in a coalition
Twice as many voters thought tax cuts for the poor would be less likely and tax cuts for the rich more likely. 44 per cent thought a majority Tory administration would be more likely to cut help for the unemployed.
There was also a strong belief that Tories were more likely to reorganise the NHS if they were no longer held back by the nice Lib Dems.
Trouble with that polling is that it is all leading questions - "would the Tories be more likely to do X?" is suggestive to the interviewee.
Would be much more valid to say: "what would the Tories be more likely to do if not in Coalition?" - ie let interviewee name things without any prompting. If you did that I doubt anything would get more than 20% - because most people wouldn't be able to think of anything.
Comments
This also seems to hit the nail on the head.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2013/oct/15/plebgate-ipcc-andrew-mitchell-theresa-may-cartoon
*chortle*
Poor old plod. Could things get much worse for them? Yes, yes they could.
Silly GO.
While he's out there grovelling on all fours someone here is having to Tweet for him.
@abelardinelli: Minister admits he's no idea how much Swiss tax deal will raise - yet Osborne booked in over £3bn in autumn statement http://t.co/6B8svBfekg
A silly ignorant article, tim.
It was the OBR who put the estimate of over £3 bn tax revenue from the Swiss Tax Treaty into the March EFO for the 2013-14 fiscal year (admittedly after being pumped up by the Treasury).
In the OBR's commentary on the ONS release of the June 2013 Public Finances bulletin, Chote wrote:
The ONS have revised down their estimate of capital tax receipts from the UK-Swiss tax agreement from £3.2 billion (based on the forecast in the March 2013 EFO) to £0.3 billion (the pre-payment already received). This worsens the May PSNB by £2.9 billion. The decision reflects an announcement by the Swiss Bankers’ Association on 5 July that less revenue was being transferred to the UK than anticipated through this one-off levy.
It is important to understand the aim of the UK-Swiss tax agreement. It is designed to prevent those British nationals who are liable to pay capital gains tax in the UK from evading payments through non-disclosure of taxable assets held in Swiss Banks. Under the agreement, the Swiss Banks undertook to make payments to the UK on behalf of those of its British clients who did not wish to disclose their assets to HMRC.
However, Switzerland later signed up to a global agreement which required their banks to exchange information with other jurisdictions on assets held by foreign nationals. This made it much riskier for a UK national to continue hiding their assets from HMRC and resulted in much higher direct disclosure than previously anticipated. So what HMRC lost from Swiss Banks paying in lieu, it gained from direct assessments.
[to be continued ...]
[...continued]
The SBA statement in July summarised the position:
First indications from selected banks in Switzerland show that there are fewer untaxed UK assets in Switzerland than had been previously assumed. This is mainly du
e to the fact that many clients have resident non-domiciled status. These clients are not liable to taxation in the UK and thus do not fall under the Agreement. Furthermore, numerous UK clients have opted for voluntary disclosure, which comes as no surprise given the latest developments in Switzerland with regard to the announced adoption of a global standard for the automatic exchange of information.In spite of the shift towards direct declaration, the Treasury has continued to receive payments from the Swiss Banks. By the time of the OBR's commentary on the August finances, it was able to report:
Capital tax receipts from the UK-Swiss tax agreement are likely to be less than the £3.2 billion estimate included in the March 2013 EFO. A further payment from the Swiss authorities has been received, bringing the total payment so far to £0.7 billion, which is accrued to May 2013.
Chote also noted that even though indirect receipts were much lower than he originally forecast they had still contributed to net reductions in public sector borrowing. He also suggested that the Treasury, HMRC and the OBR get together to rework forecast receipts from the Swiss and other similar agreement before the OBR released its next EFO at the time of the autumn forecast.
So to summarise. The original over optimistic forecast by the OBR (not George Osborne) was withdrawn and no longer appears in the ONS Public Finances figures. Only actual receipts are now being booked. Lower receipts from the Swiss Banks does not mean that all due tax has been lost: HRMC are likely to have made up much of the orginal forecast from direct disclosure. Money is still being received from the Swiss Banks. Even after reducing the forecast for Swiss receipts, cumulative Public Sector Net Borrowing is already lower than the original OBR forecast. So any 'black hole' article is already a "non-story". A full reconciliation of receipts and new forecasts are expected in time for the OBR's next EFO release due in December.
One article I read called the tea party 'the new confederacy'
If they were in the ascendancy in a geographical group of states I wonder if secession would be completely off the cards.
And not someone from the lower cases.
And not someone from the lower cases.
Excellent!
Although I hang my head in shame. It was CIF, not HYS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAM7dnEcptg
Thought not....
It is time to get pogoing at Nighthawks and to gob on each other. Its Armagideon time!
Career opportunities are ones that never knock....
I saw Andrea's report of the first round of voting but may have missed the update.
The UK police force are absolute scum bags.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq_HtgGOIfE
Cold, windy, rainy today. Could be worse, but it's interesting how atrocious weather seems to be the best to write to. Lightning and thunder gets the imagination firing far more than sunshinse.
Everybody knows you don't throw the ball at the wicket when you can just run up and knock the bails off.
No surprise!
The England manager – unglamorous, grounded, a patriot and a European, a man with a hinterland – is my kind of public figure
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/16/roy-hodgson-teach-politicians-so-much
In particular we saw a number of Leopards there, which are famously elusive. Perhaps the best thing though is the wilderness, with only a few vehicles about. some days we did not see another party of tourists. North Luangua is so remote you will be on your own in primordial wilderness.
I have not been to Kafue, but I think it is only just recovering from lots of poaching, and is a fairly scrubby bit of bush.
Zambia is great.
England Cricket fans today don't know how lucky they are with the current team, those of us who remember the 90s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNn7TMvS5Xo
Policemen who lie to stitch up the innocent should be fired, and lose either all or a very significant portion of their pension rights. The abuse of police authority is tremendously serious, and if it can happen to a Cabinet minister it can happen to anyone.
Gooch not best pleased, I note....
A special place in my heart as it was the only decent record the local discoteer had when I was living on a nude beach on Paros for a few months in the early 80s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ
For many a long year I have suggested they need to be put back in their box.
fpt Ryanair.
I travel for a living, and I agree that Ryanair SUCKS. They take positive pride in their attempts to trick you.
Why do they do this? Easyjet provides a notably nicer experience and they are just as cheap. It's silly and in the end it'll be Ryanair's downfall, which is no doubt why they are having second thoughts.I agree. I like cheapo airlines, it means I can go on holiday more often. But as you say, easyjet do it better. Although some of the things mentioned don't bother me - I can usually manage to travel hand-luggage-only for a week's trip, and I have no need to sit next to the person I am going to spend the next week on holiday with. Or eat and drink on a short-haul flight.
I flew Norwegian on the way back from Helsinki last year, they are a new one to me but were pretty good, even have free wifi on the plane. Will be using them again - just need to save up enough pennies to afford Norwegian beer. Air Baltic are okay too.
Are you betting on anyone on next year's world cup.
I'm backing Uruguay at 40/1 to win it.
I see it as more of a trading bet, but they do have the best forward in world football and that Cavani can play a bit.
Whereas we have Danny Wellbeck, a poor man's Emile Heskey
Speaking of horrendous things a writer must do, I've just finished the proofread for Sir Edric's Temple (comedy). No idea how it'll go down, but the humour in my previous books has been fairly well-received.
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/16/faith-school-dammed-by-ofsted-dysfunctional?CMP=twt_gu
*dreams*LOLZ. Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of it as I had run the phone's batteries out using Google Maps and posting on UnTappd in Helsinki.
(Actually it was earlier this year - I'm wishing my life away)
They are planning to tax usurers Payday Lenders and use the money to fund credit unions
Freudian slip?
Some pissheads were kicking off in the back,the captain came on and warned about abuse not being tolerated,but the pissheads ignored the warning.
On landing we were asked to remain in our seats whilst the police came on board,and the offenders were duly marched off by the spanish police,I doubt they will be flying too much in the future.
But yes Ryanair is crap,but cheap,and we all know the rules,but they deliver,and for a few hours ,who cares if the price is right.
If you make payday lending more expensive, guess what happens to the costs to the borrower? There's no free money.
I think that Brazil are likely to win in Brazil. I also think water is wet.
How about a trading bet on Iran? If we can have a World Cup in Qatar, why not Iranian world champions? 'Go on Sepp, surely you can fix it...'
Don't be modest now...
I was like that, then I met the one, and fell in love.
She tamed the beast.
I mean, who wouldn't want your own personal cook and cleaner who sleeps with you?
Surely you can imagine yourself close to Jane Austen....very close.
Isn't he the man responsible for virtually outlawing tackling in the modern game?
I expect those extra officials by the goalposts are down to him too. Geesh.....
What else would you expect from a ..... Frenchman!
Isn't one of the scenes in Northanger Abbey set in Spankie's?
This one from Hills:
15 Aug 11 / 02:31 Inactivity Charge HIST_OP_TYPE_INAC_SBRK - £0.06 2228227
6 pence for not using them enough !
Take this Sunday. I'll be supping a pint or three in a pub in York, as she runs 26.2 miles around the fair city. I'll only have to drag myself out in order to greet her when she finishes. She'll think the smile on my face is shared joy at her accomplishment.
In reality, It'll be a smile of laughter. And perhaps drunkenness.
Wilson's grandfather, Peter Edwards, placed a £50 bet with a local bookmaker when his grandson was 18 months old. At 2,500/1 odds, Edwards bet that his grandson would one day play soccer for Wales. He's now £125,000 richer, and plans to retire on his winnings.
http://deadspin.com/man-wins-125-000-on-bet-his-infant-grandson-would-play-1446629739?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
But then, Antigonus was in his 80s when he very nearly conquered the whole of Macedonia's vast territory.
I absolutely don't buy this argument that you're great until 30 or so then decline to nothing. Hannibal had his greatest time in his 30s and 40s, Caesar much later, and Lysimachus, Seleucus and Antigonus later still.
Aeromexico was good, because perfectly adequate in themselves and only half-full so I had three seats to myself in tourist class. Norwegian was fine. Some of the Asian airlines, e.g. Asiana, seem to economise on leg room, which is bad news for 6-footers like me, and Air Kenya seemed to have the same problem - being unable to sit straight for 7 hours is sub-optimal. Trying Aeroflot (to China) next week - a THIRD of the price of their competitors like China Eastern, how bad can it be?
bah. Computer problem. I must call it a night.
Henry James flourished in his 60s. Virginia Woolf and Joseph Conrad mid 40s. Proust didn't finish his great work until he was 50.
But my favourite late starter of all is not a novelist but a composer. Jean-Philippe Rameau started on his career as a opera composer at the age of 50 and ruled the Paris opera stage for the next thirty years, composing on average an opera or ballet each year.
Compassionate Conservatism. Clegg looks ashamed at Camerons amswer
Twice as many voters thought tax cuts for the poor would be less likely and tax cuts for the rich more likely. 44 per cent thought a majority Tory administration would be more likely to cut help for the unemployed.
There was also a strong belief that Tories were more likely to reorganise the NHS if they were no longer held back by the nice Lib Dems.
Just saying like
Would be much more valid to say: "what would the Tories be more likely to do if not in Coalition?" - ie let interviewee name things without any prompting. If you did that I doubt anything would get more than 20% - because most people wouldn't be able to think of anything.
Am going from Tim Montgomerie's generalisations
Nite all.
Nick Sutton @suttonnick 1m
Thursday's Sun front page - "Exclusive: Roy in Andros monkey gaffe" #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers
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