Iain asks…
What turned it round for the Tories? Well for a start they listened to Tory (like Iain) and Tory-aligned blogs (like this one) have been banging on about doing away with the death tax. The Tory Party pledge to radically curtail it and sigficantly raise the threshold…then what happens? Well the Tories do better in the polls. So I am going to give the credit for helping the Tories turn around to we bloggers.
NB: I was in a meeting with Osborne not long after Cameron took over. I asked about a Tory policy to end “the death tax” which I called immoral, marxist & mean-spirited and Osborne waffled. Guess how the audience reacted to my question? Yep, you got it; they cheered and clapped (ok yelled “hear hear!” & “sound!”)
No commentsThe sub-prime/bad loan mess
With the whole sub prime mortgage problem rearing it ugly head in the US and bubbling under in the UK. There is some thought it will be far worse in the UK when things really get cracking. Northern Rocks collapse is just the beginning of the fallout from banks lending to people who should not have anything to do with a new loan in the first place.
On a side note what has struck me as most amusing is the people who have bragged about the fact they have got a mortgage on a new house; even though you have heard them complain about their tight money situation. Now some will be blame the lenders; but the borrowers also have themselves to blame for being greedy and foolish.
Lending is going to get tighter in both the US and the UK; it already is to some extent. However there will still be companies with direct mail and other direct marketing efforts targeting who should not be offered loans in the first place. When these loans go awry neither the lender nor the borrower should be bailed out by government. Taxpayers should not be expected to bail out the greedy and the corrupt from messes of their own making.
Now this will take some political courage to resist the inevitable sob stories that will be found in the media. As with other aspects of law; ignorance is no excuse and does not mean an automatic call on the pocket-books of those who were responsible with their money. There are people with genuine need out there; bailing out people who go greedy on the property market is not a group that qualifies. Never mind the fact they have been driving up prices which is hurting potential buyers who can pay their way.
There should be no reward from the taxpayer for greed driven stupidity.
As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.
Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.
Good riddance Anne
One of the Tory MPs I most loath looks like she might be calling it quits at the next election. Good riddance to her; the woman is sound on nothing and was responsible for handing the opposition something to beat Michael Howard with “something about the night”. She should have had the whip taken away for her for that bit of idiocy; but then again Teresa “Dead from the neck up” May didn’t get in trouble for trashing her own party. It was she who coined the phrase “the Nasty Party” to the delight of the press and Conservative opponents. Wittecombe’s TV appearances are cringe-worthy and do her party no good at all. What didn’t the whips tell her to put a sock in it; I mean its unfair to dogs UK countrywide to have that voice of hers broadcast.
As Andrew Pierce mews about her; claiming “we’ll all miss” I felt bile rise up in my stomach. She is frequently listed with Tam “I hate Jews Israel” Dayell and Tony “destroy the country for socialism” Benn as a so-called “principled” politician. Wonderful company don’t you think. Wittecombe is every that is vile about paternalistic, meddling and pro-European Toryism. Oh yes and she became a Catholic as well. Nice to see adopting the religion of the European overlords.
A bit of good news in a pretty sad day for British politics. It is looks as if Brown is not going for a snap election; so Davey boy wll be able to complete his aim to convert the Conservative Party into a Christian Democratic party along continental times. The ghost of the Patron Saint of the Wets Ted Heath must be looking down and smiling.
No commentsRather neat
I have just been playing Counter-Strike Condition Zero; which is not a big deal really. However the big deal is that I was playing the game on my Intel Mac. I was using Crossover and its so damn simple its pretty amazing. Install the software; then get a Windows app and install it. Then run it…simple. Not perfect mind as I had some problems getting out but pretty cool nonetheless.
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