Monday 24 January 2011

More Balls From Labour

Ed Balls becomes shadow Chancellor. Yes, that's right, the former chief economic adviser to Gordon Brown.

So, the co-author of the economic crisis will be attempting to hold the government to task as it clears up after him; oh, the irony!

Sunday 9 January 2011

It was interesting to read Jack Straw's comments yesterday about the possible grooming of young white girls by men of Pakistani origin.

I wonder if he held these opinions as Home Secretary, when he could actually have done something about the issue??

Thursday 2 September 2010

Vince Cable, Where Are You?

Less than 2 years ago we, the UK taxpayer bailed out the failed RBS to the tune of £20 billion. You, me and every other British taxpayer owns 83% of the bank.

Less than one month ago, RBS announced profits of £1.1 billion - some turnaround.

Today, RBS announced it would cut 3500 jobs in the UK as it continued to rationalise its back office operations, whilst at the same time saying it would create 500 jobs in India & the Far East

So, once more, a British company (and one nationalised in all but name) throws aside its trained British workforce to replace it with cheaper, off shore labour, and the taxpayer will again have to pick up the tab for people no longer useful to RBS.

I think it's nothing short of scandalous that this is allowed to happen. If I had an RBS account it would be closed tomorrow.

Perhaps the board of RBS would think again if they were forced to use the recent profits to pay for the unemployment benefits of these 500 for the next 5 years.

Vince Cable, where are you & why don't you stop it?

Monday 31 August 2009

Hot News from The Front Line Of The Economic Recovery

In 2 separate surveys released today, research groups Plimsoll & Euler Hermes have underlined the perilous state of the UK haulage industry, one of the bellwethers of the country's economic wellbeing.

Despite these, and many, many other indicators, the dying government will increase fuel duty by 2p per litre from midnight tonight, thus threatening the livelihoods of thousands of people employed, both directly and indirectly, in the transport sector.

Still, what else can we expect from this shower who, having mortgaged the country to the hilt to try to jumpstart the economy, are now desperate for tax revenue to meet their repayment obligations.

Friday 7 August 2009

Throw Another Sausage On The Barbie

In one of today's most welcome stories a British tourist had his genitals burned in a Greek bar, having waved them at several Greek women & then allegedly groped the woman, who then responded by throwing her glass of Sambuca over the offending part, before setting light to it.

At last, a British yob gets his just desserts. The only down side is that she didn't have a bottle of Sambuca to hand.

The woman is, understandably, seen as a heroine in Greece, although she has been arrested for assault. Let's hope he's prosecuted too, and then deported.

Sunday 28 June 2009

Meanwhile In The Downing Street Bunker...

In the last few weeks, in populist moves bordering on the pathetic, the unelected Prime Minister has expressed his concern about the health of Susan Boyle & his spokesman said on Friday that Brown's thoughts were with Michael Jackson's family.

A Sunday Times/YouGov poll, published on 14th June shows that 74% think Brown is doing badly as Prime Minister, 80% think the economy is in a bad way and 43% fear that a close member of their family will lose their job. Personally, I have never known the country to be so angry and fearful of the future yet the Prime Minister can find time to issue statements about American citizens.

Perhaps the country wouldn't be in such a state if Brown turned his thoughts to rebuilding this country instead of trying to appear to be a man with his finger on the pulse of pop culture.

Thursday 30 April 2009

Money, Money, Money

Recently the five West Yorkshire councils revealed how they spent their windfall cash benefits from the sale of Leeds Bradford Airport.

Leeds is spending some of its cash on its new concert arena, better swimming facilities and refurbishment of landmark theatres; Bradford spent its funds in city regeneration, improved health facilities and allocated £33000 to each of its wards to spend on smaller community projects; Kirklees spent its cash to provide free cavity and loft insulation to homes across the district; Calderdale modernised a waste recycling facility and built new swimming pools.

Wakefield's money, on the other hand, disappeared into general funds. The Labour run council chose not to spend its windfall on a project to improve the district, such as a swimming pool, nor did it use the cash to reduce the council tax burden on each of us.

As well as their foresight and desire to improve the lot of their citizens, these other councils have something else in common; not one of them, unlike Wakefield, is controlled by Labour.