Messages

16

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: June 13, 2017, 06:31:58 PM »

Labour's manifesto was definitely vague enough to allow them to demand single market membership the moment one person's job is placed on notice because of Brexit...

I've always thought that, if the economy tanks and chaos unfolds in broad daylight, we might end up reversing the whole thing - but up until a week ago, that scenario looked vanishingly unlikely, as Theresa May had bought (an illusion of) stability. But this 'government' probably makes that scenario plausible again.

Prime Minister Corbyn in a year's time will be amusing, if nothing else.

17

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: June 10, 2017, 03:53:07 PM »

Hopefully takes hard Brexit off the table at least - the people have spoken: they don't want it. Oh well! 8)

Yep. I've no real idea what to make of the result. I'm still firmly of the view that Corbyn is an idiot, but he might - entirety by accident - have turned out to be quite a useful idiot. Hard Brexit is dead in the water and I can see a possible path to it being binned full stop. If Labour came out against it in the inevitable election later this year, I might even think about voting for them. Until that election, May basically has to be incredibly nice to Anna Soubry and Ken Clarke. Lolz.

18

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: May 11, 2017, 08:31:11 AM »

The problem is that we're fed biased information, Murdoch (Australian with US passport) has backed the winner since 1979 with exaggerated or untrue news headlines, when questioned why he was so opposed to the EU he replied 'that's easy, when i go into Downing street they do what i say; when i go to Brussels they take no notice'. Members of his organisation are regularly having secret meetings with members of government.

Any party with rich billionaire donors such as the tory party will never clamp down on tax evasion/avoidance, recently they voted down a law that would have required landlords to make their homes 'fit for human habitation' (they can make these laws in UK parliament without EU approval).  Currently the strong & stable Mrs Mayhem is avoiding the public & only letting journalists ask pre-arranged questions (not even being able to hold the microphone in some cases), her meetings are in local tory hqs & visiting factories where journalists have been barred from attending. No live TV debate. Similar actions to a dictator?

our 'so called' Democracy, we live in a first past the post system with 2015 Election resulting in 1 Tory MP per 35000 votes, 1 UKIP MP per 4 million votes, & 1 Green MP for every 1.2Million votes for them.

The moment Mrs Mayhem uttered the words 'hard brexit' the pound devalued, resulting in increased costs in drugs for the NHS, all imported products or products with imported parts also increase in cost. Yes this can benefit exporters, people with savings abroad in tax havens, & our houses & businesses are now cheaper for foreign investers. Hopefully brexit will be a success, but a success for who?

We're told that unemployment is at record lows & that immigrants contribute more to the economy than they take out. We're told that public services are at breaking point. We're told the economy under the conservatives is 'strong & stable'. If all these are correct then it points to the government completely failing to collect taxes & allocate funding properly to the right areas. We have full time workers needing in-work benefits as their 'living wage' doesnt cover their living costs. We have nurses using foodbanks for heavens sake!

Homelessness - since Thatcher started selling off council houses we are now paying a fortune to private landlords in rent, it might have raised some funds at the time (as with other privatisations) but longterm its more expensive. Maybe should have invested in more social housing?

These are all my thoughts & observations. People need to think & research carefully from neutral sources before voting on elections. Personally i decide the night before the vote, but with our first past the post system do i vote how i believe or tactically? Do I vote for the local candidate or the national party? I'm yet to decide.

Lots of very good points. Theresa May is a hopeless public speaker for someone who has reached high office, and in terms of other political abilities, I suspect she's average at best (although it's hard to tell because she's so secretive). The trouble is that Corbyn makes her look like JFK or Barack Obama!

The strength of our economy is massively overplayed. Our productivity levels are poor compared to France/Germany, and if you took out London and just looked at the rest of the country, they would be dire. I would blame years of underinvestment in the regions, from both major parties.

19

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: May 10, 2017, 10:55:44 AM »

That's true. We did survive two World Wars. Ok, millions died, food had to be rationed for a decade and children evacuated across the country. But we survived. So really, it was all great when you think about it. Let's hope Brexit is just as good!

20

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: April 05, 2017, 01:17:11 PM »

Most of the stuff the EU legislates on (that we don't opt out of) is incredibly boring stuff about product standards and regulations. I can't believe anyone who realises how dry and technocratic this work is could seriously care about whether it is done in Brussels or Whitehall. Nationally important decisions on government spending, health care, education, defence and much more are all still taken in Westminster. Tim Martin's interview on the Today programme was a case in point - asked to name an EU regulation he'd like to scrap, he couldn't, and eventually bemoaned a rise in alcohol duty. Which is set by Philip Hammond...

For my money, the one material area where control is 'taken' from us is migration policy. But once that is set by our own government, there is going to to be a very awkward moment when politicians have to explain that, actually, the economy needs high levels of immigration to keep our economy running, hospitals staffed, vegetables picked and packed etc. For years they've put off that conversation by blaming the EU, but that card won't be available much longer.

I'm beginning to feel moderately optimistic about Brexit, in the sense that we will either negotiate a reasonable trade 'deal' or (probably more likely) the wheels will fall off completely, the current government will dissolve and we end up reconsidering the whole thing...

21

The B-Ark / Re: New Ground.

« on: April 04, 2017, 11:08:49 PM »

It's a free country, he's entitled to spend his money how he wishes, and the club has no right to just expect a donation blah blah blah. For all we know, he might have already written the club a fat cheque.

...But, really, if he hasn't, it's a bit stingy, isn't it?!

22

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: April 04, 2017, 11:02:42 PM »

Also, we're probably going to need to make some cuts. I damn well hope they start with the state pension.

I've been meaning for a while to apologise for this remark. I do have two bugbears - one with the fairness of a young generation being voted out of the EU by an older one which is not going to see the consequences, and a second with the government's continuing generosity in funding the 'triple lock' on the state pension which I think is both unsustainable and a poor use of public money. But  to link them in that way was clearly in pretty poor taste. Apologies to those that I offended (and who still have the will to read this thread).

I suppose my only defence is that it was at the height of post referendum national insanity. Nine months later, we have members of the House of Lords talking about war with Spain. So I guess I don't have a monopoly on ill advised comments...

As a pensioner your comments do not offend me Adam,   from your remark it was clear to me you had stepped into a zone you have very little understanding of .   How would you reform pensions ?

I've no strong views on if they need reform as such, but I think the (state) pension has blatantly been used by the Conservatives as a bung to buy votes. The tripe lock costs £6bn a year if you believe the government's actuaries. I'm pretty sure that money would do greater good for both the country and older generation if it was used to fund social care or the NHS (even though I'm sure the latter will soon be awash with £350m a week of extra cash).

23

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: April 04, 2017, 07:44:58 PM »

Also, we're probably going to need to make some cuts. I damn well hope they start with the state pension.

I've been meaning for a while to apologise for this remark. I do have two bugbears - one with the fairness of a young generation being voted out of the EU by an older one which is not going to see the consequences, and a second with the government's continuing generosity in funding the 'triple lock' on the state pension which I think is both unsustainable and a poor use of public money. But  to link them in that way was clearly in pretty poor taste. Apologies to those that I offended (and who still have the will to read this thread).

I suppose my only defence is that it was at the height of post referendum national insanity. Nine months later, we have members of the House of Lords talking about war with Spain. So I guess I don't have a monopoly on ill advised comments...

24

The B-Ark / Re: New Ground.

« on: March 17, 2017, 11:49:20 PM »

It looks like progress is a bit slower than hoped, but it's worth putting into perspective the scale of the project - and in fact what the Chestnuts are trying to achieve for the club: conjuring up a new ground which (to BUFC) is free, using grant and contributions from the housing/commercial parts of the scheme. That is incredibly ambitious - how many other completely assetless football clubs have managed to build themselves a League standard ground from scratch?!

No-one should have ever expected this to be pure plain sailing - there were always going to be snags and delays along the way. But you'd struggle to find a better team to navigate them than DN and co. Yes, there's the occasional troll who tries to stir stuff up on here or the Facebook group - always hinting that they know something and insinuating things without saying them explicitly (because they have no actual evidence) - but they really should be ignored. That said, the club have been quite quiet for a while, and it would be a good idea for the club to have a fans' forum, or try and issue some semi-regular updates on the development through the website and local press. My hunch is that a lot of this stuff only goes into the matchday programme, which while excellent does only have a limited reach and is not available online.

25

The B-Ark / Re: bring back John Blackwell

« on: February 05, 2017, 10:25:55 AM »

Lots of seats in the main stand have been falling to bits for years. And yes, they do need a clean (of both bird mess and 2003 season ticket reserved stickers) - but would it be sensible for the club to spend scarce resources on sorting this out? We're moving out in a year, and it looks pretty unlikely that York Street will ever see a big enough crowd again for these things to become a real issue...

26

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: November 09, 2016, 03:48:34 PM »

Isn't it strange that there was no similar vote before Major signed the Maastricht agreement, thereby forcing us into the European Union. So it follows that we are not, and never have been in the EU. Happy days! PS. Can we have our money back?

Ha, I'm sorry, but that's simply not true is it? The Maastricht Treaty spent months going through Parliament.  Some background reading here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_vote_of_confidence_in_the_government_of_John_Major

27

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: October 29, 2016, 08:00:32 PM »

You know how most people in Britain see Donald Trump? As a populist who has no actual credible plans whatsoever, but shouts slogans and is backed by a worryingly high proportion of voters?

That's exactly how the rest of the world sees Brexit.

And appears to have Nissan stayed put because the government has promised to insulate it from the hugely negative effects of Brexit (should we go for the 'hard' variety). The idea that this says something good about Brexit is laughable.

28

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: October 14, 2016, 10:44:50 PM »

I predicted that if vote leave prevailed in the referendum then it would be voted down in parliament.
If they go ahead with the debate, which seems inevitable and constitutionally correct, then the vote will be on the Single Market, in or out, and I can only see that going one way.
So we will have 'left' the EU but still be in the Single Market.
'Out' and In at the same time, but mostly In as that is what big business and the establishment have decreed should happen.
If your vote could make a difference they would never have given it to you in the first place   

I am slightly cynical having experienced the Judiciary being paid off by multi £billion businesses, something I thought could never happen  :dan

Given that 48% of the population voted remain - and would presumably therefore all back single market membership, it only requires that 2% of the 52% who voted leave would like to remain a member of the single market for it to be the majority view among the electorate. Given that those leave voters were sold the illusion that we could have single market membership, control of migration, full control of laws and £350m a week on top, it seems pretty likely to me that would hold.

Interesting that the Treasury predicted a 12% decline in Sterling in a Brexit world. It's actually down about 18%. 'Project Fear' may have actually been a bit too optimistic...

29

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: October 14, 2016, 12:28:11 PM »

I voted brexit in the believe Geo Osbourne must get something right ,
When are we going to get an interest rate rise Geo?

I'd guestimate that Brexit has put back an interest rate rise quite a few years... I suppose we could get back to 0.5 in late 2017/2018, if things go spectacularly well.

30

The B-Ark / Re: O/T In or out

« on: October 13, 2016, 08:41:27 AM »

I wonder what inflation would have to hit before a clear majority of people think this is a very bad idea? More than 5% but less than 10%, I reckon.