Rates went up to 15% because of a failed entry into European monetary union - or some pish like that didn't it - Having said that they were at 10% or something !

Anyway - once the full effect of the pensions problem is known and we have a few US Style corporate scandals they'll be heading that way again - only this time we'll owe more !!!!!

Get your debt sorted everyone - it's going to be sore

 

Father Jack (or whatever your name is),
What war did MAGGIE ever start?
She only ever dealt with any sophead country that thought it could take the ****!
The numptyhead thats in charge at the moment would give everything up if he thought it would make him look good.
People should take a look at Burrs thread to see what respect that people who stood up for their country get.
The w4nkers in charge at present don't give a toss, look what they intend to do with Gibralter. We haven't even owned that for that long!

Lets face it, its taken a Tory PM to sort out the enemy in the last 2 major conflicts that we have had. And before you go on about Winston being a Liberal, he soon learnt the rules!

Apoligise if this dosen't make sense to everybody but have been on the p1ss!

See you at Castle Combe!

 

Here we go ...lets blame it on the Goverment/prime minister
WE ARE TO BLAME>>NOT THEM.
But one thing maggie had was *****... you could tell when she walked into a meeting etc. The men present wouldbe aware of her. When tony walks in they think the "Daily provided rent boy " has turned up.

 

Just to clear up the Mining issues.

The unions can take a lot of blame for the problems of the 80's BUT.

UK coal is the cheapest coal in Europe. . Other countries have a forward thinking energy policy and their mines are heavily subsidesed so the relevant countries have a gaurunteed energy supply.

How many of you know that in around 10 to 15 years the UK will be totaly dependant on Imported Gas and Coal to supply all our energy needs. ( Dont forget gas and coal generate electricity). We will be reliant mainly on unstable Eastern European countries for all our energy.

The only reason UK Coal cannot compete on the world market is that the majority of other coal producers have massive financial support, Germany get more subsidy per tonne of coal than the UK market sells at.

The Tory Government creatred the dash for gas by distorting the energy market for evenge, this has led to millions of tonnes of coal reserves being lost and the natarul gas supplies being depleted early.

UK Coal have never asked for subsidies but for a level playing field in the EU market. We in the UK have the cheapest product but our mines and coal reserves are still being lost.

Lee

[Edited by logiclee - 7/27/2002 9:40:06 AM]

 

fatherpierre

"there's plenty of employment compared to 10+ yrs ago and there's little chance of us going back to the boom/bust stupidity of previous Labour/Tory governments."

Any employment that is around today is short term stuff - very volatile and with naff future and pensions etc. I am currently un-employed, but i don't appear on the statistics because i have more than sixpence-halfpenny in savings and thus can't be classed as a "jobseeker". Similar for any contractors who are "between jobs"

As for "boom and bust", have you seen the FTSE recently??? The boom is Mr Brown promising TENS OF BILLIONS to prop up society, and the bust is (big) companies dropping like flies.

We are in a very serious BUST situation at the moment, but nobody is prepared to admit it (Maggie would have!).

mb

 

Boomer, the employment available now may be mainly crappy but it's still employment.

The boom/bust I was referring to was the mass inflation of the 70s, stupid interest rates of the late 80s and huge devaluation of the pound in the early 90s.

What we're eperiencing now hardly compares to any of those situations. Yes, the FTSE has suffered recently mainly due to shares being over valued - cost me a few quid! Inflation is low and has been for years now and interest rates may rise, but it needs to, to curb the unstustainable rise in property prices and cool consumer spending - although the World Cup did help on that one a bit.

I don't think there's any reason to panic unless you've just taken out a mortgage on your absolute upper limit - which is foolish anyway.

Good luck with finding work. I'll be in the boat as you in 6 months.

 

I wrote a very long post on this, but feel that my personal political feelings should stay personal.

What I will say is that Margaret Thatcher was a couragous woman. She made some tough descisions which were painful to many but which benefitted all in the long run. Some of the biggest benefacters were the self employed, skilled people in IT and other emerging technologies. My fear is that all of her work is being undone and the pain will have been for nothing.

 

Well said Pete... my sentiments exactly

 

Nope, wouldnt, well maybe after 8 pints of Stella, another 2 and I would have a go at Jade !

 

I still think "thank God she's gone" every time I see her image or hear her name.

Only Hitler was a worse monster![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]