ecuk268

Nationwide is a building society not a bank. It does not have shareholders and therefore is not profit-driven. What it can do is build up it's reserves so it can lend to more people.

Cuba also has a higher literacy rate than the USA.

It's a bit difficult to prove a negative. I would say that the onus is on you to provide evidence that it happened.

How did the Labour government benefit from the Poll Tax riots? They were in 1990. Soon after the Tories kicked Maggie out and John Major won the '92 election and scrapped the Poll Tax. Regarding re-cycling, Southampton City Council are proposing to reward those who re-cycle. So I'll be nicking stuff from my neighbours bin. The more you re-cycle, the less your council has to pay for landfill.

A few years ago I drove a company Audi which had a manual sunroof. The handle broke so I went to the local VW-Audi dealer to get a new one. The price he quoted seemed rather high and I said so. He said "you could get a VW one for half the price". When I asked what the difference was he said "None, they think that if you can afford an Audi you can afford to pay more".

Decent company, Novatech. I've been in IT for nearly 30 years so I know my way round a PC. Phoned them up pretending to be a newbie, but they didn't bull**** me, They just gave sensible advice and explained all the options.

The original poll tax replaced the old rating system which was based on the rateable value of your house. This was deemed unfair on single people who lived in big houses and so paid more than large families in smaller properties. The Tories changed things so that it was based on the number of occupants which, despite my left-leaning views. I thought was a better idea. However this triggered the riots and the government gave in and we're back to a tax based on the value of your house.

I met her once. She's a lot shorter than you think. Also met Denis who, despite his political views, was a very pleasant chap.

Unemployment in 1979 was apporx 1.5M (or 4%). It rose steadily under the Tories to a peak of 3.2M (12%) in 1983. It was actually higher because they changed the way the statistics were recorded. The was a dip to 2.1M in 1989 and then it rose back to 3.0M in 1993. When Labour came to power it was about 2.2M and has since fallen steadily to today's figure of 1.5M despite the Tory claims that the minimum wage would be disastrous for employment.

The problem we have is that any party who were willing to do what's actually required probably wouldn't get elected. If you want good services - health, education, public transport, you have to pay for them. These things have to run as public services and shouldn't be expected to make a profit. Look what's happened to buses since privatisation - far fewer services. Rail - the highest fares in Europe and we don't want to go the way of the USA with healthcare. France is a good example - world-class in all of the above but they pay a fair bit more tax than us.

Probably because they were a "nice" middle-class couple. If they'd been from some grotty council estate, the papers would have slaughtered them.

"The majority"?? Have you got statistical evidence to back up that rather vague statement?

Michael Foot was a million miles from Brown/Blair. i suggest you go away and read some political history. He was of an era before spin doctors and politicians having their pictures airbrushed. He was one of those characters who would look scruffy even in the most expensive of suits, but, in a debate, he would wipe the floor with most of today's lot.

Indeed. A true socialist who was often in trouble for his refusal to compromise his beliefs. In the 60's he refused to serve in Harold Wilson's government due to his opposition the the Vietnam war and membership of the EU. Formed a rather strange alliance with Enoch Powell to oppose plans to abolish hereditary peers. Also a brilliant orator. Can't think of anyone who comes close to him in that department.

Because the decision to join the EU was the policy of the Tory Government of the time. Labour had their doubts so held a referendum to make sure. There's nothing to stop any party having withdrawal from Europe in their manifesto. The problem with referenda is that where do you stop? Withdrawing from the EU? Abolishing the monarchy? Fluoride in the water? There's no clear role for referenda in the British Constitution. If a large majority are so against the EU, you would expect UKIP to have many more MEPs.

Um, yes we were. Ted Heath took us into Europe in 1971 and, in 1975, Harold Wilson's government held a UK-wide referendum, the first ever. There was a 65% vote in favour on a 67% turnout.

We should have the Albion Band marching round the perimeter with 2 blokes holding a big canvas pocket that you throw pennies in. If you can remember the above, you're of mature years. Probably be banned now 'cause of 'elf 'n safety.

According to the latest polls and the usual pattern of the gap between the parties narrowing just before the election, we're heading for a hung parliament. So, who will that nice Mr.Clegg get into bed with?

Was it 4-1 we beat them at The Dell with these 2 playing? I remember Neil Maddison launching Juniniho into the East Stand benches after about 5 minutes. Juniniho seemed to lose interest after that.

I stuck a meat skewer through my hand when I was trying to make a hole in my conkers.

Also the husband of the charity woman runs a legal advice company who (for a small fee) will take up your case. Callers to the helpline are referred to them. On Radio 4 this morning, John Humphries was tying her in knots about this.

Just been reading the autobiography of Joe Jackson, the singer/songwriter who I'm a bit of a fan of. Although he was born in Derbyshire, he grew up in Pompey and Gosport. This is his impression of Paulsgrove estate: “As for poor old Pompey, the architects and town planners of the 50s and 60s did their best to finish off the job that Hitler started. Our neighbourhood was ugly even by those standards. Paulsgrove consisted of council flats and semi-detached council houses, like ours, the top halves of which were covered with corrugated iron, which was in turn covered with peeling paint and dents made by bottles, stones and cricket balls. Some of our neighbours were kindly, but many of them were sinister, subhuman creatures. Their houses had broken windows, permanently patched with bits of wood, and kids sprawled outside them in a miasma of dirt and rubbish, dismembering toy soldiers or rusty tricycles. Mothers screamed at them through clouds of fag smoke. Fathers were at work or in the pub. Some of the kids were truly wretched, snotty-nosed guttersnipes right out of Oliver Twist. Once, on my way home from school, I passed a house where a young boy was calmly taking a sh*t on the front step. He returned my look of astonishment with a rude gesture. Years later, I went back to Paulsgrove with my American girlfriend who was curious to see where I'd grown up. By now, Paulsgrove was cleaner and greener but enough of the old neighbourhood remained for her to tell me that there was a name for this kind of place, and this kind of people. The name was 'White Trash'.”

Talking of the Cold War, has anybody any idea what the old Council bunker at the top of the Avenue is used for?

I think that you're talking a load of pollocks. There's no plaice for that sort of thing on this forum. Cue further fishy puns.

Nice touch from Cortese for a lady who went into labour while queueing for P*mpey tickets. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1956947,00.html