In message , Martin
writes

"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 :-)

Radio 4 is my default FM station.
Except when it goes:

Dum Di-dum, Di-dum, Di-Dum Dum, Di-Dum Di-Dum, Dum.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , Andy Pandy
writes

"Gordon H" wrote

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.

I was thinking of the 70s/80s.

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when they repealed the Glass-Steagall act.

Yes indeed, that was disastrous, but there was a lot of pressure from
the financial sector. Didn't Thatcher de-regulate our banks free up
the City before that? I'm asking, because the talking heads have
made that assertion.


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 :-)

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).

I fall into the "Enough pension and savings to exclude me from any means
tested benefits, but no yacht".
I'm still working on the acronym for that...

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

Yes, whatever it's colour. I'd love everyone to vote LD and send them
into a panic.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Martin
writes

"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 :-)

Radio 4 is my default FM station.
Except when it goes:

Dum Di-dum, Di-dum, Di-Dum Dum, Di-Dum Di-Dum, Dum.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

That fits - you're happy to leave it on all day on Saturdays :-)


--
Martin

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

"Gordon H" wrote

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.

I was thinking of the 70s/80s.

They didn't "leave Noo Labour" with anything in the 70's/80's. That
was 1997.

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.

Yes indeed, that was disastrous, but there was a lot of pressure
from the financial sector.

Of course there was! And in the US it was combined with the disastrous
Community Reinvestment Act which effectively forced banks to make
sub-prime loans.

Didn't Thatcher de-regulate our banks free up the City before that?
I'm asking, because the talking heads have made that assertion.

Yes, although the problem was really de-regulation combined with the
complicated financial instruments which were designed (or at least put
into widespread use) well after her time.

And incompetent regulation - like this lot hiring that loony from HBOS
as deputy chair of the FSA after he had previously sacked his head of
risk regulation at HBOS for, erm, continually highlighting the risks
they were taking.

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 :-)

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).

I fall into the "Enough pension and savings to exclude me from any
means tested benefits, but no yacht".
I'm still working on the acronym for that...

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

Yes, whatever it's colour. I'd love everyone to vote LD and send
them into a panic.

Normally I'd welcome a hung parliament but this time it could be a
disaster as the markets want to see a strong government.

--
Andy

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:35:01 -0000, "Martin"
wrote:


"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 I'd argue that GB is not a "bumbling" as he seems. He's very good
at looking after no. 1, which is all most MPs care about. I think the
bonus culture should be changed, even if we get our money back. The
current system rewards excessive risk taking, which is what got the
economy into the mess it's in now.

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.

IIRC it was the continous attacking by the press about his age that
made him stand down.

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

I think Paddy Ashdown was the best LD party leader of recent times.
Kennedy a close second.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.
[Reply-to address valid until it is spammed.]

On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:11:34 -0000, "Andy Pandy"
wrote:


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

"Gordon H" wrote

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.

I was thinking of the 70s/80s.

They didn't "leave Noo Labour" with anything in the 70's/80's. That
was 1997.

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.

Yes indeed, that was disastrous, but there was a lot of pressure
from the financial sector.

Of course there was! And in the US it was combined with the disastrous
Community Reinvestment Act which effectively forced banks to make
sub-prime loans.

Didn't Thatcher de-regulate our banks free up the City before that?
I'm asking, because the talking heads have made that assertion.

Yes, although the problem was really de-regulation combined with the
complicated financial instruments which were designed (or at least put
into widespread use) well after her time.

And incompetent regulation - like this lot hiring that loony from HBOS
as deputy chair of the FSA after he had previously sacked his head of
risk regulation at HBOS for, erm, continually highlighting the risks
they were taking.

I don't recall this. Do you have a link to the story?

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 :-)

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).

I fall into the "Enough pension and savings to exclude me from any
means tested benefits, but no yacht".
I'm still working on the acronym for that...

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

Yes, whatever it's colour. I'd love everyone to vote LD and send
them into a panic.

Normally I'd welcome a hung parliament but this time it could be a
disaster as the markets want to see a strong government.

The markets aren't everything. It might make the big organisations
write off the debt they are trying to hide at present.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.
[Reply-to address valid until it is spammed.]

"Mark" wrote in message
...
And incompetent regulation - like this lot hiring that loony from
HBOS
as deputy chair of the FSA after he had previously sacked his head
of
risk regulation at HBOS for, erm, continually highlighting the risks
they were taking.

I don't recall this. Do you have a link to the story?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7883409.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7883434.stm


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 :-)

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).

I fall into the "Enough pension and savings to exclude me from any
means tested benefits, but no yacht".
I'm still working on the acronym for that...

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

Yes, whatever it's colour. I'd love everyone to vote LD and
send
them into a panic.

Normally I'd welcome a hung parliament but this time it could be a
disaster as the markets want to see a strong government.

The markets aren't everything.

They are when the government needs to borrow £170 billion per year! If
they can't get that credit cheaply because the markets don't trust
them to sort out the current mess then we'll enter a downward spiral
of increasing cost of debt increasing the borrowing requirement...

It might make the big organisations
write off the debt they are trying to hide at present.

Erm, why? And how would that help?

--
Andy

In message , Martin
writes

"Gordon H" wrote

Radio 4 is my default FM station.
Except when it goes:

Dum Di-dum, Di-dum, Di-Dum Dum, Di-Dum Di-Dum, Dum.
-- Gordon H

That fits - you're happy to leave it on all day on Saturdays :-)

From our own Correspondent, Moneybox, News Quiz (or ISIHAC or The Now
Show).
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , Mark
writes

I think Paddy Ashdown was the best LD party leader of recent times.

And probably the best Defence spokesman.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Martin
writes

"Gordon H" wrote

Radio 4 is my default FM station.
Except when it goes:

Dum Di-dum, Di-dum, Di-Dum Dum, Di-Dum Di-Dum, Dum.
-- Gordon H

That fits - you're happy to leave it on all day on Saturdays :-)

From our own Correspondent, Moneybox, News Quiz (or ISIHAC or The Now
Show).
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply


Ah good - something on which we differ. FOOC & NQ or ISIHAC - yes. But
can't stand Moneybox or Now Show (or F.Glover for that matter - or any of
the 6:30 pm so-called comedy slots Mon-Thurs).

But I make up with Point of View & BH the following morning - though I wish
BH would use non-celebs for paper review. And I'm devastated that I still
haven't got a honey spoon.... :-(

On reflection, I guess M.Box has one redeeming feature - it ensures this
sub-thread is definitely still on-topic :-)


--
Martin