Johnny Bognor

If you don't have an overall majority, then you don't have overall control. This makes it very difficult to take firm and decisive action as maybe required. The markets are expecting us to deal with the debt problem (which is currently £924,979,812,200, up £1,454,623,749 since I posted it on monday evening) and they will look at how the hell we are going to get it down. It's not spin, it's common sense.

A hung paliament will be an absolute disaster and damage confidence (especially in terms of our AAA rating) as it will be hard to take the tough action required. Indeed, I almost hope Labour win the next election to force Fraudon to make all the tough choices that are required.....however common sense says he'll bottle it and we will be even deeper in the mire.

Shhh! Be quiet. In the socialist world everything was rosy pre-1979, then 'she' came in and ****ed it up. Posting facts like these will only get them annoyed. Hmm, interesting: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/charlesmoore/7377111/Was-Foot-a-national-treasure-or-the-KGBs-useful-idiot.html

smooth

GM = Nineteen Canteen = Speculator

... and that is what I don't understand. Many will dance on Thatchers grave, but not a sausage of hatred for the dynamic duo.

I am in fact an "in-the-middle-ie" and I base my opinions on fact using a bit of common sense. I didn't complain too much in the early Bliar years when things were pretty good, so I am hardly an out and out rightie. Anyway, I enjoy winding the socialists up, because it is too easy. Their prejudice, hate-filled hypocritical self righteous attitudes need to be challenged. You must be a leftie because you display so many of the traits found in a socialist. So you now acknowledge that it was raised from 8% to 15% and that it was Major's government that raised it from 15% to 17.5%. Why did you claim "from 5% to 17.5%"? Did you do that to fit your agenda? ...and neither did Bliar. The fact that New Labour adopted Tory spending plans for their first two years in power, is testament to the outgoing Tory Government. VAT is efficient and easy to collect. Food and clothing are the most important day-to-day items which are 0% rated. I think scrapping the 10p tax band by Fraudon has done as much to hamper low income working people, but that seems OK with you???? I don't love her by any means and couldn't give a monkeys if she dropped dead tomorrow. As a person she was harsh / nasty, however sometimes people need a bit of tough love. Looking at the state of our economy and the debt bomb, we will need a bit of tough love going forward (whether that is from a leftie, a rightie or a in-the-middle-ie)

Do you get all your stats from Wikipedia???? How did you get from 5% to 17.5% under Thatcher? VAT was brought in as a condition of membership of the EEC. There was a basic rate of 12.5% and a reduced rate of 8% - this was before SHE came to power. Yes it did go up to 15% under Thatcher, however this was offset by reductions in the basic rate of income tax (but don't let this fact get in the way of a good leftie story). So they went up 7% which is considerably less than the 12.5% you are claiming and considering this was offset by income tax cuts, your point is????? As for interest rates, the Bank Base rate (Source: Bank of England [couldn't find it on wikipedia]) was between 10% and 14% in the two years prior to her arrival and had been pretty high during the 70's decade which was hardly a period of historic low interest rates. Mind you, at the end of the 70's, inflation had never been lower and there there was of course the winter of mass content - where workers were so happy with their lot, that they took unpaid time off work to celebrate on the streets........ (Source: Solentstars Fantasy Island) Pehaps she went too far, but at the end of the day, the country was virtually bankrupt and only narrowly avoided an IMF bail out. Someone needed to sort the mess out and ultimately she did. After her 'reign', Britain could be proud again rather than being the laughing stock of Europe. The downside is the collateral damage of the lives impacted by her policies, but New Labour don't have a problem with the hundreds of thousands of innocent people killed in Iraq, so I don't see why the lefties do not hold Bliar and Fraudon in the same light as Thatcher

By the time you read through this YOU WILL UNDERSTAND "TANJOOBERRYMUTTS"...and be ready for China . In order to continue getting-by in China , we need to learn English the way it is spoken...... .......... ........ Practice by reading the following conversation until you are able to understand the term "TANJOOBERRYMUTTS". With a little patience, you'll be able to fit right in. Now, here goes... The following is a telephonic exchange between maybe you as a hotel guest and room-service today...... Room Service : "Morrin. Roon sirbees." Guest : "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service." Room Service: " Rye . Roon sirbees...morrin! Joowish to oddor sunteen???" Guest: "Uh..... Yes, I'd like to order bacon and eggs." Room Service: "Ow ulai den?" Guest: ".....What??" Room Service: "Ow ulai den?!?... Pryed, boyud, pochd?" Guest: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry.. Scrambled, please." Room Service: "Ow ulai dee bayken ? Creepse?" Guest: "Crisp will be fine." Room Service: "Hokay. An sahn toes?" Guest: "What?" Room Service: "An toes. ulai sahn toes?" Guest: "I.... Don't think so.." RoomService: "No? Udo wan sahn toes???" Guest: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'udo wan sahn toes' means." RoomService: "Toes! Toes!...Why Uoo don wan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we botter?" Guest: "Oh, English muffin! !! I've got it! You were saying 'toast'... Fine...Yes, an English muffin will be fine." RoomService: "We botter?" Guest: "No, just put the botter on the side." RoomService: "Wad?!?" Guest: "I mean butter... Just put the butter on the side." RoomService: "Copy?" Guest: "Excuse me?" RoomService: "Copy...tea.. meel?" Guest: "Yes. Coffee, please... And that's everything." RoomService: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, creepse bayken , Anglish moppin, we botter on sigh and copy ... Rye ??" Guest: "Whatever you say." RoomService: "Tanjooberrymutts." Guest: "You're welcome" Remember I said "By the time you read through this YOU WILL UNDERSTAND 'TANJOOBERRYMUTTS' ......and you do, don't you!

peace

You would know, wouldn't you

Now £923,525,527,000 which is £3m in the last 15 minutes...... Go on lefties, I know it's the Times, but just take a quick look to see what mess Fraudon & Co have created.

Indeed at the last count it was £923,524,200,015 It is now at £923,524,629,000 It climbed by more than £425,000 in that 1.5 minute window. Since working that out, it now stands at £923,525,198,451. Basically in the space of 4 minutes, another £1m has been added. If you want to see how horrific this is look at http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/, about two thirds of the way down the page.

I agree with you there, because compared to sitting on your arse claiming benefits, it is definately not the easiest option.

Mayfair

Yep, the fact that the banking system was not regulated properly, which generally is the fault of Governments (including one's on the right) led to the reckless 'gambling' of the fin svcs industry. Fraudon has to take some resonsibility for this as he turned a blind eye (no pun intended) to the reckless lending on these very shores. We would still have been impacted by global events, but the damage would have been limited / contained. Typical leftie propagander. Manufacturing's share of GDP fell faster in the 10 years prior to her arrival and fell faster in the 10 years after her arrival. If you look at the facts, not the socialist worker, you will see that manufacturing's share of GDP fell less during her tenure than at any other time in the last 40 years. If you couple this with the fall in Manufacturings share of GDP, across the major producer economies (USA, Germany), you will see that the West has been de-industrialising since the early 70's. I suppose it helps to have a scapegoat - do you blame the Norman invasion on Thatcher too?

The bank of England controlled and regulated the banking system for hundreds of years, without too much complaint from the City. In the UK, it was Fraudon's lame Financial Suicide Authority (AKA FSA) that failed big time. LTV's of 125% and lending 8 times salary was always going to end in tears, but Bliar had an election to win and if they could keep the feel good factor going, it would ensure another term in office. Fraudon and Bliar have a lot to answer for IMO

LOL at all the lefties banging on about the banking collapse. I have a few points to make on this: 1. Where did the governments get the cash to bail them out? Yep, that's right, not the magic socialist money tree, but the taxes ultimately paid for by the wealth created from the private sector 2. Not all countries banking systems suffered or failed, just those where the governments FAILED to regulate properly. 3. The banking system collapse is less about pure capitalism and more to do with stupidy and fraudulent behaviour. Lending money to people who are unlikely to pay it back generally does not generate profit. This is not capitalism at work, but more akin to gambling 4. Packaging dodgy loans into complex financial vehicles is not capitalism....in my mind it is bloody fraud and people should be prosecuted. The banking system needs capitalism to thrive, but gambling and fraud in their own rights are not capitalism. In order for capitalism to thrive, you do, believe it or not, need regulation to ensure that the greedy and reckless are not left unchecked. This whole crisis was caused by the failure of those in charge to regulate properly. I call Gordon Fraudon becuase he spent 10 years banging on about prudence when the Northern Rock were giving away 125% mortgages. The guy is a fraud. Anyway, carry on......

Sorry BTF, had to correct your post.

So what's your view on Fraudon Clown then? Abolishes the 10p tax rate, which has no impact on Lord Montague, hitting working people on less than £18k a year. Is Fraudon as bad as Thatcher?

So what's your view on Fraudon Clown then? Abolishes the 10p tax rate, which has no impact on Lord Montague, hitting working people on less than £18k a year. Is Fraudon as bad as Thatcher?

tea (two sugars please)

tea (two sugars please)

St Mary's

bismark