badgerx16

T-Bone

Well, to answer the OP - Earth ( obviously ).

It's all to do with the 'added value', hence the chocolate biscuits case - it's not that they are a 'luxury', it's that adding chocolate adds 'value'. The same with the orange juice, the act of squeezing it counts as performing an additional service, and renders it VAT liable. Therefore, by eating in the shop you are liable for VAT, because the shop is providing it's additional facilities for your use, ( though in effect the price is no different, they just have to account for 'eat-in' or 'take-away' on their till rolls, which is why Rotten Ronnie's and Kentucky Fried Rat ask you whether you are eating 'in' or 'out' ).

You could add that we did not trade via offshore accounts, use unregistered agents, or bring in a convicted fraudster with links to the Russian Mafia, nor have 3 of our previous managers/ Chairmen been charged with fraud.

Moody Blues

This is the one that will hurt, and everybody will be hit; also, the ring-fencing is probably only for one year.

At least with VAT going up to 20% GCSE maths will be a bit easier

David

landlady

board

I would have thought the bankers voted Tory.

Come on JB, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics", and those tables, regardless of who generated them, are proof of absolutely nothing. They are classic example of condensing things down to the point of total pointlessness. There may well be truth in there, and it may well support your argument, ( and I don't necessarily disagree with it ), but anybody with 2 brain cells to bang together, and capable of thereby generating a thought, can see that as firm evidence goes, this is gossamer.

Not at all, I agree with what you say ( !!! ), though I expect there will some on here who now start a round of trying to outdo each other to prove which side has the lowest pay, ( isn't there a national minimum wage in effect ? ). There will be jobs on both sides that have no direct comparison, ( how many nuclear ballistic subs are operated by the private sector ? ), but you have to accept that the tables on the statistics.gov site are pretty meaningless in the 'real world', and are only really useful as ammunition for the Tory press and for public denouncement of the 'wasteful' public services.

Still harping on about the Europa League - deluded or what ?

The problem with such condensed statistics as the tables JB quotes is that it lumps ALL jobs into one pot, for instance in the public sector you will have Local Government, Whitehall & Westminster, the Armed Forces, the NHS, School teaching & non-teaching staff, etc, all grouped as one, and skewed by the comparatively higher salaries paid within the Civil Service. The same effect will be seen in the Private Sector stats; shop and retail staff are paid less than industrial workers. It would be fairer to make the comparison of like-for-like jobs, for instance a junior clerical grade from either side of the divide, an IT project manager ( as demonstrated by BTF ), Senior departmental managers, etc. The picture is far more varied and confused than the bland nationally averaged stats might appear to show.

It is never as black & white as the politicos want us to think, and it's much easier to present a blanket 'Public Sector bad, Private Sector good' message in the current climate, and with a favorable press.

bird

warship

How does a homeopath commit suicide ? He takes a lethal under-dose.

able

petal

wall

Does your Internet persona truly reflect your 'real' personality ? Although I find it very hard to do, I suppose I have to pity you out of Christian kindness.

The LG scheme is invested - it is theoretically self funded, but a lot of Local Authorities have over the years tried to save money by cutting back their obligation to contribute, hence there is a 'black hole'.

True - it's not the rich per se; it's the Royal Family, the descendants of William the Conqueror's dukes, and the Church of England that own the vast majority of our green and pleasant land. ( Most of whom lack the qualifications and experience you allude to ).