Let's Get Political!

[Outletred]

You cannot compare the banking system with the steel industry- they are totally different.

The steel issues are bad enough (nationalisation not the answer though), however if the banking system had collapsed the entire economy would likely have gone with it so would have had even further reaching consequences.

 

[horlock07]

Good response, thank you. I'd agree (being ex civil service) that there needs to be culture change, but I reject the idea that public sector workers just aren't as capable as those in the private sector. I genuinely believe the railways can be run efficiently by the people. All infrastructure should be publicly owned imo.

I may have put it badly there are good people in the public sector but if they are innovative thinkers they tend to bugger off to the private sector where the money is better - hence tax matters where anyone good at HMRC apparently buggers off to the private sector and as they know the sector are very good at advising clients to work round policy.

However from my experience the problem in much of the public sector is that those in senior positions have been there donkeys years (possibly as far back as the 70's) and only ever know the public sector way, thus at management level there is institutional inefficiency and little impetus for change. Equally when third parties come in at a senior level they tend to be of the age where they don't want to rock the boat and upset their pension potential so the problem just continues.

We tendered for some work from a NHS Trust last year and after the interview I had a chat with the guy who had got us involved and we had a conversation that essentially started with me saying 'I hear all this about the NHS being a shambles and inefficient is this really the case and if so why?' His answer reflected what I have based my opinion on above, namely that in the 1990's NHS Trusts came along with the idea that they should be run as businesses, but senior staff then and now tend to be NHS lifers and don't have the skills (or due to their age inclination to learn) to operate as businesses as the structure demands. It grates with me to see Labour wittering on about NHS funding as its the PFI which they exacerbated which has lumbered the Trusts with unsustainable debts?

Going forward I don't think nationalisation is a problem (and I would agree that infrastructure should be at worst under very close government regulation), however without fundamental root and branch culture change I fear that Corbyn et al just want to see us back at some rose tinted 1970's utopia. The world is very different from the period 1940-1970 and policy needs to reflect this. Sadly things like the NHS have become sacred cows that mean that dispute is the default setting where change is proposed. I have no idea what the solution is, but I suspect its somewhere in the middle between the NHS professionals position and the governments. From personal experience when you ask a profession how their sector should be reformed they don't tend to propose efficiencies or job losses which is human nature, therefore I must confess when I see Doctors and Teachers saying that the government are doing things all wrong I take it with a pinch of salt?

[Saxondale]

I havent read much back here.  There are people who know far more about this all than I do.  However, there is a massive case of lying and hypocrisy here.  You cannot lecture us on tax avoidance and then use methods to avoid tax or streamline your tax affairs so you dont pay much.

You cannot lie to the British public for 3 days straight before coming clean

You cannot say the purpose of the scheme was not to avoid UK tax when the prospectus of the scheme says the purpose of the scheme is to ensure it 'does not become resident in the united kingdom for united kingdom taxation purposes.'

You CAN claim that you didnt know this, but then if thats the case you haven't read your paperwork, you haven't done any fair due diligence and you are not fit to run a company let alone a country.

[pauld]

I suspect that the fact that he is minister for DCMS and thus responsible for press regulation may have made certain editors loathe to rock the boat - especially amusing as the Mail are making a big deal about the celebrity threesome story being hidden by the courts (somewhat ridiculous as two minutes on line reveals who it is - I was surprised I must admit) whilst not reporting this one which is subject to no legal issue?

Oooh, who are they then?

[pauld]

[horlock07]

Oooh, who are they then?

Probably better not say on here as I don't know how it would affect the forum, but if you search on google for 'national enquirer celebrity news' it becomes very clear.....

[Ells]

Probably better not say on here as I don't know how it would affect the forum, but if you search on google for 'national enquirer celebrity news' it becomes very clear.....

Nah just type in "threesome gagging", you get some great stuff.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Oooh, who are they then?

I could furnish you with the information, but I may get a rocket, man!

[Batch]

this site makes a claim
http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2016/04/08/apparently-this-is-the-celebrity-in-that-threesome-scandal/

[Levi lapper]

Elton John is an enigma, he is an amazing piano player, but he sucks on the organ 

(shamelessly stolen from the link above)

[Reg Smeeton]

 So I received 4 copies of Cameron's EU referendum propaganda piece today....I live alone....apparently each one costs 34p of taxpayers money, before delivery costs. So that's £1.36 of mine and your money going straight into the recycle bin. I daresay Cameron and Osborne will have set up something to evade paying those taxes.

[horlock07]

So I received 4 copies of Cameron's EU referendum propaganda piece today....I live alone....apparently each one costs 34p of taxpayers money, before delivery costs. So that's £1.36 of mine and your money going straight into the recycle bin. I daresay Cameron and Osborne will have set up something to evade paying those taxes.

 

FWIW setting aside the whole moral issue of the PM not paying his taxes, much of the media now seems to be concentrating on the fact that he got money from his mother - he is from a rich family that is not the issue here and bleating on about £72k or whatever being a small amount of money to him is missing the point and allowing the whole point to be missed!

[Reg Smeeton]

So Osborne publishes his tax statement which reveals he trousered about £120K netto from his sources of income last year paying about £72K in income tax. Fella's a pauper.  

[horlock07]

So Osborne publishes his tax statement which reveals he trousered about £120K from his sources of income last year paying about £72K in income tax. Fella's a pauper. 

I don't recall being wealthy becoming a crime, sadly the whole tax thing seems to be getting mixed up in a new class war.....

[Reg Smeeton]

I don't recall being wealthy becoming a crime, sadly the whole tax thing seems to be getting mixed up in a new class war.....

Nothing wrong with politicians being called to account for their decisions....Buckland had to answer questions about his investments in film companies, that HMRC are investigating as vehicles for tax avoidance rather than making films, or Tomlinson being called to account over leaking data to Wonga, and receiving donatioins from Supermarine sponsored by Wonga.

The info should be out there for voters to decide upon...