"Gordon H" wrote in message
...

snip

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well

.... Except for not doing the blindingly obvious - allow banks to pay
whatever bonuses they like, with no extra tax charge - just as soon as
they've repaid me and all the other tax-payers,

and a clean cut Eton Toff who hasn't a clue what to do other than help his
chums by reducing Inheritance Tax. That affects me nearly as much as
the VAT rise. ;-)

Everyone I speak to seems to agree that Vince Cable is the only Party
spokesman who talks much sense.

Yes (re. treasury issues, at least) - but don't forget that being in power
and "doing it for real" is a very different proposition. Obama is starting
to recognise this, and even Menzies Campbell couldn't hack it once he moved
from "best foreign affairs" spokesman to party leader.

The real shame is that the LD's (thanks to MC) dumped Charlie K - arguably
the best leader they'd had for decades.


--
Martin

"mick" wrote in message
...
As the VAT increase came in on Jan 1st the rate for this month is
likely to to go over 4%. This looks like stagflation. The BOE is
forecasting a drop, suppose it carries on rising to over 5% surely
they will raise interest rates to 3 or 4% immediately.
Surely Governments are playing a dangerous game - Inflation will help
"reduce" the huge debts they have incurred in trying to stop the recession
After all they have inflation proof pensions

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Paul Harris
writes

VAT is only one aspect, we have a large public sector debt and are
still borrowing, that has to stop and over time the debt must be
reduced. It is probably going to hurt although who and where isn't
clear yet but the chances are most if not all of us will feel it.
There is still a chance of inflation rising and the Bank won't want
to raise interest rates but we could have stagflation. It certainly
won't be an easy ride for the next Government whoever is in power
and VAT at 17.5% may be the least of our concerns.

The CPI means that my Company Pension will increase by 2.9% in
Apriol, compared with less than 1% last year. Whoopee!

You've got a company pension that increases with CPI not RPI?

VAT is the least of my worries. I tend to buy against the trend.

You won't mind it going up to 20% as seems likely after the next
election then...

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well,

Did you write that with a straight face :-)

Actually it's not so much the handling of the current problems that's
his problem but what he did previously. Their whole economic policy
was based on the premise they had "abolished boom and bust", words
like "what's more, Britain has broken with the previous cycles of boom
and bust" was all over government documents until a couple of years
ago.

The idea they could make this ridiculous claim at any time, let alone
in an environment of record household debt and sustained unrealistic
house price inflation was just so utterly clueless and incompetant.
Even afterwards, he claimed that "Britain is better placed to deal
with the economic downturn than other countries", strange how most of
those other countries have now come out of recession before us and
their currencies haven't taken as much of a hammering as ours.

and a clean cut Eton Toff who hasn't a clue what to do other than
help his chums by reducing Inheritance Tax.

So you've not heard about their plans to increase the pension age even
further, cut tax credits, IB etc? They've actually been quite brave in
admitting the amount of pain they're going to inflict on us after the
election. Brown would have to do the same but hasn't got the balls to
admit how they'd do it or who would suffer.

That affects me nearly as much as the VAT rise.

Well the Tories are likely to raise VAT by more than Labour. Labour
would probably go for NI.

;-)

Everyone I speak to seems to agree that Vince Cable is the only
Party spokesman who talks much sense.

Indeed. But these same people were probably saying that Brown was the
"best chancellor the country has ever had" when we were in a credit
fuelled boom...

Now to serious matters. The gym didn't reduce my monthly fee when
VAT was reduced, but I received a letter describing all their new
facilities and sneaking in a reference to the impending VAT
increase.
We'll see.

Lots of companies have been pulling that one...

--
Andy

"Martin" wrote in message
...

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...

snip

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well

... Except for not doing the blindingly obvious - allow banks to pay
whatever bonuses they like, with no extra tax charge - just as soon
as they've repaid me and all the other tax-payers,

They seem more interested in getting bank lending back to the same
insane levels as pre 2007 so they can delay the inevitable pain of
actually trying to reduce our addiction to debt...

and a clean cut Eton Toff who hasn't a clue what to do other than
help his chums by reducing Inheritance Tax. That affects me
nearly as much as the VAT rise. ;-)

Everyone I speak to seems to agree that Vince Cable is the only
Party spokesman who talks much sense.

Yes (re. treasury issues, at least) - but don't forget that being in
power and "doing it for real" is a very different proposition.
Obama is starting to recognise this, and even Menzies Campbell
couldn't hack it once he moved from "best foreign affairs" spokesman
to party leader.

The real shame is that the LD's (thanks to MC) dumped Charlie K -
arguably the best leader they'd had for decades.

Yup. Imagine if they'd got rid of Churchill because of his drinking...

--
andy

"thomas" wrote in message
...

"mick" wrote in message
...
As the VAT increase came in on Jan 1st the rate for this month is
likely to to go over 4%. This looks like stagflation. The BOE is
forecasting a drop, suppose it carries on rising to over 5% surely
they will raise interest rates to 3 or 4% immediately.
Surely Governments are playing a dangerous game - Inflation will
help "reduce" the huge debts they have incurred in trying to stop
the recession
After all they have inflation proof pensions

That was the Weimar government's plan. And we all know what happened
after that...

--
Andy

In message , Martin
writes

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...

snip

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well

... Except for not doing the blindingly obvious - allow banks to pay
whatever bonuses they like, with no extra tax charge - just as soon as
they've repaid me and all the other tax-payers,

Ok, I'll settle for that.

Everyone I speak to seems to agree that Vince Cable is the only Party
spokesman who talks much sense.

Yes (re. treasury issues, at least) - but don't forget that being in
power and "doing it for real" is a very different proposition. Obama
is starting to recognise this, and even Menzies Campbell couldn't hack
it once he moved from "best foreign affairs" spokesman to party leader.

No argument with that.
"Yes we can" (With permission from the Senate)

The real shame is that the LD's (thanks to MC) dumped Charlie K -
arguably the best leader they'd had for decades.

I reckon we could soon sort things out over a pint with CK and Ken
Clarke while listening to jazz...
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , brightside S9
writes
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:42:04 +0000, Gordon H
wrote:

In message , Paul Harris
writes

VAT is only one aspect, we have a large public sector debt and are
still borrowing, that has to stop and over time the debt must be
reduced. It is probably going to hurt although who and where isn't
clear yet but the chances are most if not all of us will feel it.
There is still a chance of inflation rising and the Bank won't want to
raise interest rates but we could have stagflation. It certainly won't
be an easy ride for the next Government whoever is in power and VAT at
17.5% may be the least of our concerns.

The CPI means that my Company Pension will increase by 2.9% in Apriol,
compared with less than 1% last year. Whoopee!

[snip]

Are you sure it is linked to CPI and not RPI?
RPI was less than 1% at end of last year.

8-(
You're probably right...
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , Andy Pandy
writes

You've got a company pension that increases with CPI not RPI?

I think I'll pa££ on that one. :-)

VAT is the least of my worries. I tend to buy against the trend.

You won't mind it going up to 20% as seems likely after the next
election then...

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well,

Did you write that with a straight face :-)

I used to play poker until they saw me wagging my tail.

Actually it's not so much the handling of the current problems that's
his problem but what he did previously. Their whole economic policy
was based on the premise they had "abolished boom and bust", words
like "what's more, Britain has broken with the previous cycles of boom
and bust" was all over government documents until a couple of years
ago.

The idea they could make this ridiculous claim at any time, let alone
in an environment of record household debt and sustained unrealistic
house price inflation was just so utterly clueless and incompetant.

Or just plain deceitful? But at the same time the Tories were saying
that our prosperity rested on the fact that they had left Noo Labour
with a sound, stable economy. Which was also based on rising debt,
housing boom, de-regulation of the banks and the City, etc.

Even afterwards, he claimed that "Britain is better placed to deal
with the economic downturn than other countries", strange how most of
those other countries have now come out of recession before us and
their currencies haven't taken as much of a hammering as ours.

That was just a straightforward lie, unheard of previously in politics.
:-)

So you've not heard about their plans to increase the pension age even
further, cut tax credits, IB etc? They've actually been quite brave in
admitting the amount of pain they're going to inflict on us after the
election. Brown would have to do the same but hasn't got the balls to
admit how they'd do it or who would suffer.

Well the Tories are likely to raise VAT by more than Labour. Labour
would probably go for NI.

Most of the pain is going to be felt (is being felt?) by the working
population, like my kids, but only one still lives in Britain, the other
two are in California and Cairns.
I wouldn't like to be starting out in a relationship or housing in the
next ten years. I was in fairly secure employment when we were
getting married and buying a house, until the financial sector began to
be more significant than industry around 1980 under Thatcher.

The worry for me is that I am 76, still active and reasonably fit, but
what will be there for me when I need the NHS, or personal care?

The horror stories of care homes make me think about strapping a few
fireworks round me and trying to take a few *ankers with me.
;-)
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...

snip

I reckon we could soon sort things out over a pint with CK and Ken Clarke
while listening to jazz...

So you, too, were listening to Radio 4 this afternoon :-)


--
Martin

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Pandy
writes

You've got a company pension that increases with CPI not RPI?

I think I'll pa££ on that one. :-)

It's likely to be RPI.

VAT is the least of my worries. I tend to buy against the trend.

You won't mind it going up to 20% as seems likely after the next
election then...

The next election is between a bumbling, unattractive bloke who is
tackling the economic problems reasonably well,

Did you write that with a straight face :-)

I used to play poker until they saw me wagging my tail.

Actually it's not so much the handling of the current problems that's
his problem but what he did previously. Their whole economic policy
was based on the premise they had "abolished boom and bust", words
like "what's more, Britain has broken with the previous cycles of boom
and bust" was all over government documents until a couple of years
ago.

The idea they could make this ridiculous claim at any time, let alone
in an environment of record household debt and sustained unrealistic
house price inflation was just so utterly clueless and incompetant.

Or just plain deceitful? But at the same time the Tories were saying
that our prosperity rested on the fact that they had left Noo Labour with
a sound, stable economy. Which was also based on rising debt,
housing boom,

Housing boom? In 1997? You're memory's playing tricks on you. In the first
half of the 90's house prices were falling, many people were still in
negative equity in 1997. It's one of the things Bliar boasted about in the
next election.

de-regulation of the banks and the City, etc.

Well until 2 years ago Brown was lecturing the Europeans on how their banks
were over-regulated and encouraging them to follow the UK/US model of
lighter regulation. The real regulation failure was in the US under Clinton
when they repealed the Glass-Steagall act.

Even afterwards, he claimed that "Britain is better placed to deal
with the economic downturn than other countries", strange how most of
those other countries have now come out of recession before us and
their currencies haven't taken as much of a hammering as ours.

That was just a straightforward lie, unheard of previously in politics.
:-)

So you've not heard about their plans to increase the pension age even
further, cut tax credits, IB etc? They've actually been quite brave in
admitting the amount of pain they're going to inflict on us after the
election. Brown would have to do the same but hasn't got the balls to
admit how they'd do it or who would suffer.

Well the Tories are likely to raise VAT by more than Labour. Labour
would probably go for NI.

Most of the pain is going to be felt (is being felt?) by the working
population, like my kids,

Yup.

but only one still lives in Britain, the other two are in California and
Cairns.

Very sensible of them :-)

I wouldn't like to be starting out in a relationship or housing in the
next ten years. I was in fairly secure employment when we were getting
married and buying a house, until the financial sector began to be more
significant than industry around 1980 under Thatcher.

The worry for me is that I am 76, still active and reasonably fit, but
what will be there for me when I need the NHS, or personal care?

It'll be there, but if you've been daft enough to save they'll take all your
money to pay for it (unless you live in Scotland).

The horror stories of care homes make me think about strapping a few
fireworks round me and trying to take a few *ankers with me.
;-)

It's not that bad yet - but there really will be problems if the government
don't have the balls to take tough decisions soon.

--
Andy