CB Saint

17 year old in meaningless statement on twitter shocker. Well who would have thought it.

He was, then he became a capitalist property developer in Cyprus

Interesting read. SHe brought a number of issues to a head that had been skirted around for years (her methodology is debatable). I suspect that the UK is heading for another of these with welfare, pensions, national debt to name but a few needing a final resolution, however I cannot see anyone remotely capable of being able to address these issues in parliament today.

Come on Pap, you are more sensible that that. There are as many people on the left side of the political spectrum who have no real conviction, background knowledge etc that there is on the right. The left don't have a monopoly on those.

Now we are premier league, the least I expect is free helicopter transfer - the traffic can be murder at 5 'o clock on a Saturday

The author is described on his own web site as “A Marxist proletarian firebrand.” (The Guardian) - not exactly objective. I do not doubt that attrocities were committed by both sides, internment for example was appalling. I do not doubt that security forces assisted loyalist paramilitaries - "your enemies enemy" and all that. However none of that changes the fact that Adams and McGuiness are murderous scum.

Murderous Scum

The confrontation with the Unions needed to happen - they had become too powerful, far in excess of their original remit which is to safeguard workers welfare. They toppled heath government and were controlling Callaghans. That is not a healthy state of affairs for any country. Thatcher picked the miners to have it out with, probably because it was easier to plan for (started in spring and the government had been stockpiling coal for years) plus the government had a secret weapon in the heart of the NUM - Arthur Scargill. What was wrong with the process was that there was no support for the communities that it affected. Unless you grew up in one of those villages, I think the impact of pretty much everyone losing their job is hard to grasp. In a perfect world there would have been a more orderly withdrawal of central government support to the loss making pits with aid being provided to the communities. Unfortunately I don't beleive that the unions would ever have counternanced that, therefore an all of nothing fight was inevitable.

The better bet here would be a local income tax, those who can afford it pay, those who can't, don't.

I will interested to see how she is view by historians in say 75 years time. Long enough for us who lived through her tenure to pop our clogs. I wonder what the prevailing objective view will be.

There cannot be a bigger kn0b in politics than George (well maybe Eric Joyce)

Not a chance - mid table obscurity is absolutely fine with me, I welcome it, crave it in fact. I do not want to go into the last game needing something to stay up - you can shove last day excitement up your bracket!!!

I think she was the last successful old school PM - the media has become too influencial with 24 hours reporting. She would not have survived in today's world. So you get what we have now, politicians chasing sound bites and no long term planning and no back bone to carry it through. We are probably worse off for that.

His avatar would be ay half mast and he would be calling for some churchillianesque state funeral.

Did empuriabrava one year (near barcelona)- two day drive door to door. We stayed in Bourges of the way down - beautiful city and in some chateau near Le Mans on the way back. Down side - four days in the car with the kids, up side - room for all their carp and wine on the way back through - we stopped off in a few different wine regions on the way home. It's probaly quicker now the Mileau Bridge has been finished

And season in the prem would have been the maximum we would have had

I truely truely hope that the garage owner or insurance company fight this, and when they win, a huge award of costs is given against her. It is utterly repugnant that Our society allows a policeman responding to your own call of distress to subsequently sue you.

When ballabriggs decided that a new career as bostick was a better option

EPL safety - done

The main board is the "Great Satan"

Only to give balance to your figure, which happens to be the highest in the article. I seem to recall from my economics a level that the figure bandied about was 43%, after which the people decided that the money they retained after tax was not worth the effort.

why are these three any more guilty that those who ran Northern Rock, or Bradfordand Bingley, or Lloyds or RBS - I have no idea whether they deserve the level of criticism they are getting, however, it does feel like these three are being singled out. As a side note, if I were sat in the chair facing an MP commitee, I would have a massive issue being hectored by a bunch of expense embezzling narcissists, irrespective of what I had done.

From the same article A 1996 study by Y. Hsing of the United States economy between 1959 and 1991 placed the revenue-maximizing average federal tax rate between 32.67% and 35.21% -

off to terravina saturday so it will be a bottle or two of pinot noir from the US hopefully this - http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1055331 Maybe a cheeky bottle of Champagne at how to get the night off to a good start http://www.champagne-marguet.fr/leopard/presentation/index.htm