Sergei Gotsmanov

Put a sliding scale on beer duty.

Well they import Amstel, Heineken, Tiger and Sagres but they are tiny compared to John Smiths, Fosters, Kronenebourg and all their other UK smaller brands. They bought the UK's biggest brewer S&N. All I did was point out that Heineken was imported and was informed it was not. Anyway when the weather is hot try Pilsner Urquell.

VFTT I am not sure of your point. I merely pointed out that out of Heineken's beer portfolio their Heineken brand is imported contrary to what was said by Buctotim. If you would like to have a bet on this then I would be delighted to take your money as I suggested to Buctotim and would put it to solving DSM's dispute with JillyAnne and to buying a new Central defender.

It was 5% so no need to have an export when it is all imported now.

Well I would disagree, the Germans are not used to brewing 4% lager. Just an excuse to charge 20p a pint more for pint in the pub. Not that I am cynical.

I would argue that it is more perception, Heineken is a fabulous pint

Forgive me Colin but the dispute is about the beer not the packaging. How does it affect the taste? As it happens, although I am not so confident I think that even the packaged Heineken is imported; certainly the cans are and probably the bottles.

That is not really the debate. It is imported and brewed in Holland. Lots of beers are imported and packaged over here. As for lager or ale the best pilsner/lager I enjoy is Pilsner Urquell but generally I love a good real ale. There are simply so many, especially now there are over 700 brewers now in this country. Thanks to Gordon Brown.

Yes I read your posts and as I said I am not trying to score points but you are simply wrong, it is imported. Draught Heineken is also imported. How can I contradict Heineken? Did you know that they are the biggest Brewer now in the UK and that Heineken sales compared to their other main brands, John Smiths, Kronenbourg and Fosters Heineken are very small. You and your Dutch friend are just highlighting how perception is so influential in the beer market. How can telling you to read the label and the draught fonts be not be providing substantial evidence? I look forward to you admitting you are wrong.

Look Buctotim I am not trying to score points. I cannot really do more than tell you that you are wrong. Go and look at a can, bottle or a Heineken Font and it will tell you that you are wrong. Why don't you do that and then undermine my credibility.

OK then heres a deal - I bet you £500 that Heineken is imported and when I am right you pay Jillyanne for her cat. That way we can do some good. Why don't you ring them up? Or maybe find a pub that sells a keg have a word with the landlord and ask if he minds if you can look in his cellar - I am pretty sure it tells you on the kegs that it is imported.

No I am a drinks consultant. You are wrong.

Well I am afraid that without sounding like a smart arse you are wrong. All Heineken sold in the UK is imported from Holland. That is since 2003 I think. It makes up most of that 5%. You need to do more research I am afraid.

Oh dear you better tell him it is all imported. Hasn't been brewed over here for ages.

Stockholm is nice.

Pleased you made it to the 40's but please try harder and get to today.

So you watched that Channel 4 documentary Verbal. Smearing the Royal Family using hearsay and gossip from the 1930's to support your prejudices against the British establishment. You clearly seem to ignore the fact that even in those days the Royals had to be popular and the British people did not warm to Nazi's. Try and look at the bigger picture without succombing to your petty bigotry and put together an argument relevant to the role of today's monarchy.

I think you could put a positive spin on him in terms of his work on the environment but he does come across as a bit of a prat. You have good kings and Queens and bad ones lets just see. What I would hate would be a sort of X factor election.

I am not sure who is responsible but when I take my children to the Doctors now it is like going into a bank or an insurance company; its all about making money and I think health and profit making are not appropriate. As for hospitals, I have spent much of the last few months in them and the nurses and Doctors with very few exceptions are the most caring and wonderful people in our society. I would respect their opinions on how to go forward and it puzzles me why they are not at the heart of the discussion on making the NHS function more effectively.

I think you exposing your chippiness again. You are completely unable to accept the respect that so many people have for the Queen around the World and the pride most Brits have in the way she conducts herself in public life. Her devotion to her duty is highlighted by her workload even at the age of 85. There are so many political debates to have, especially in Europe where you countries being run by unelected leaders and you choose to bang on about an institution that is political non active.

I brought them up because they lack the charisma that makes our parliament so much more aesthetic. The link with the past that the Monarchy gives the political process makes the pomp and ceremony more authentic. What I would suggest that your head of state is politically impotent so choosing one is irrelevant.

Being a republic is not a prominenet debate because it is a pointless one. Why be passionate about something that doesn't effect your democratic status whatsoever. I like the whole pomp and ceremony, pageantry and traditions. Compare it to the sterile atmosphere of the EU Parliament or the Scottish Assembly. Why not market that to make us stand out and bring a few tourists in.

I am told the Orkneys is fantastic. I would live there but the wife wouldn't let me. I was on the West Coast of Scotland for the last week of Sunshine at the end of July, swimming in the burn BBQs on th beach etc.

You do amuse me Verbal, totally unable to understand that the Royal family is redundant in every way; it is just cosmetic to a political process. You remind me so much of that fellow on the train in Dr Zhivago.

Your comparison to Micky Mouse is somewhat flawed. I think they contribute a lot to the UK brand. They have real power so why is it such an issue - as I said before you can call her a tosser if you want and nobody will come and knock on your door late at night, I am surprised you cannot see the difference? Who is it that is sucking up to the the Royals, I have never even seen them.