Forum:
Fuel protests are now happening, already the hauliers are beginning blockading routes and demanding a 25p per litre cut in fuel tax. As 4X4 owners we should all stop moaning about it and all get off our backsides and do something to lend support to this blatent mugging of our wallets.
Currently the financial experts have stated the chances of the country going into recession are at 95%, this means we are all going to be hammered on tax to allow the Government more money to spend propping up the economy; our money.
Falling house prices, price increases on everything due to the hike in fuel prices mean that less money is circulating freely in the economy, thus compounding the problem; lets all do something to protect our economy and wallets.
RECESSION
The UK is already in recession and has been borrowing itself out of it for months at our expence. This has been on the cards for more than 18 months and Brown was desparate to avoid admitting it during his time as Chancellor, probably his only success to date. Now Darling is in that office the blame can shift, but without doubt, Brown and Blair's policies over the last decade have led to the current mess the UK is in. The prospect is bleak for the man in the street but not for MP's, a nice £23,000 cushion, per annum, is on the cards for them.
The fuel blockades are a start but I was annoyed, having heard so strongly at the Police Conference last week that the Govenment had backed tracked on the Police pay award, to hear that the Police were threatening Protesters with arrest if they blocked any roads or depots.
Are the Police, as individuals, not affected by fuel increses? and having moaned about the Government, why are they so threatening and supportive toward protesters. Of course we know that "Browns Clowns" will be pulling their strings but it's about time we all joined as one to beat this Government's blatant disrespect for the tax payers, Police and all.
OLDMINIMAN (again)
M J Young
Hear hear.
I wrote this elsewhere, but it deserves repeating again.
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For most of the so-called 'economic cycle' this government has been borrowing about £35 billion a year.
The total debt to be serviced is now about £350 bn. At 5% interest, this is £17.5 bn per year, or half of what it is borrowing. This scenario is familiar to anyone who has overextended themselves on a credit card, but with 'billion' written in the place of 'hundred' for Joe Average.
IMHO, this money has been frittered away on lots of 'nice to have' socialist ideas which don't work, because most people aren't philanthropic, and grab any money that is going if they have got a sob story to sell.
Now we have an economic downturn, all the pie in the sky figures don't look so good, so the government is scratching around for money in a blind panic, much as if Joe Average has some very large and mean baliffs banging on the door.
Oh, let's stitch the motorists again. The green excuse might be getting a bit thin, but, hell, it can be pursuaded to work again.
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Hey, Miniman,
How easy is it to bale out of this godawful country
I've been careful with my brass all my life, and I'm now in a position to be stung bigtime for the money I've saved for a reasonably comfortable retirement, to pay for the profligacy of this moneygrabbing government.
I'm an Englishman (whatever that means in this country overrun by allsorts of foreigners). I'm feeling disenfranchised in the land of my birth. I don't particularly want to go abroad, but it looks as if I might feel happier there.
I had thought that I'm too old for new adventures, but I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe one more might give me the peace that I seek in life.
I used to speak French pretty well, especially when fuelled by alcohol !
Getting Out
I left the UK some 7 years ago and would never come back to live. It was easier then because house prices were cheap in France. They remain cheaper than the UK . Health is great if you are retired or as is my own case suffering from an illness that forced early retirement. In this case the UK pay the bill and the French provide the service, first thank god. The service is 1st class and they have saved my bacon twice.
The French are very accommodating and French as a language comes back quite quickly but there are a lot of Brits out hear.
The biggest problem I have is that my pension is Local Government and therefore has to be taxed in the UK. I pay £2850 per annum yet my tax bill in France would be 950€, a huge difference. If you have a private pension then it can be taxed in France.
It is never too late to get out and traveling to and from is easy and probably quicker than moving around your own area or within the UK and cetainly cheaper.
I live in the Mayenne, 30 minutes SE of Rennes, my house is set in the middle of open fields and the nearest neighbour, half a kilometer away, Great!!! I cycle every other day and the roads are all but empty. Air is fresh, food is fresh and the French girls are lovely.
Ignore the cobblers about taking cars to France, yes my original Sporty took a long time as it didn't have a conformity certificate but my second sailed through. No road tax, single no claims bonus applied to as many cars as you like, I have 6 (AXA as well), fuel cheaper just, community charge cheaper, services better, need I go on. Yes this is rural France where we leave windows and doors unlocked still. In addition Audi main dealer for example Labour cost per hour pre tax 55.50€, a bit cheaper than the UK??? Not all is Rosy but it is sometimes hard to find things that aren't in comparison. Bias YES I admit. I once adored Britain but cannot and will not live there due to health problems, besides it is no ;onger the Britain I was born into.
I apologise to those who I offend with these comments. Yes the cities in France have problems much the same as the UK I accept, but France is a huge Country in comparison with the UK and with about the same population. It is prepared to stand alone for the benefit of those living in France and it is prepared to prevent others from changing its traditions. It's stand on Muslim kids wearing head gear to school is an example, although of course it was condemned by the UK Government who you recall have banned the wearing of crosses by school kids and some staff as it is offensive to other religeous groups. The next to go will be Christmas, how much sadder can the Government get in descriminating against the indigenant christian population. I am not religeous but believe strongly that we are all entitled to our own views and faiths. Some time I'm sure Lurch will tell me not to use this forum for this type of item and I agree it is not just Daihatsu related. I hope not because I feel sure that some of you need to vent you frustration and lets be honest the 4x4 driver is being singled out and the beast in the so called Global Warming argument.
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young
Hear, Hear
'93 Fourtrak 2.8TDL
Have to agree... if the French dont like something, they're not afraid to say so.
I'm a lot further south than Oldminiman & attitudes can be a little different toward foreigners, but the main thing is to integrate; far too many Brits, Dutch, etc., come here for the cheap(er) property & make absolutely no effort to speak the language, or contrbute anything to the community. By that I mean even things as (seemingly) trivial as using the village shop, prefering the inevitable hypermarkets for their variety, when so much can still be found locally. Anyway, I digress; life here is great & I, like OMM will never return to the UK to live.
'93 Fourtrak 2.8TDL
Twats
It is making me sick seeing the fuel price, food price etc rising, i am into photography and regularly visit old asylums, hospitals etc. There are often hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of equipment left lying around going to waste, being smashed up etc, electricity left on in places closed for years. and dont get me started on the waste of money the military are, pull out of the sick oil war, stop letting so many people become british and start helping the real brits out, the homeless, the sick etc. I too am considering moving abroad as there is nothing Great about Britain anymore..
oh yeah, and if anyone wants to watch a great but sickening film, get your hands on Zeitgeist.
Interesting Comments
Interesting comments, but just a few corrections, the Government only directly borrows £35billion per annum, add in the indirect borrowing and this goes to around £65billion.
Oldminiman; why should Lurch ban us from using the forum for moaning about the realities of life, we as 4X4 owners are the prime targets for the Governments abuse by making false environmental allegations about our vehicles. 4X4's are the present "devil incarnate" or the soft option at this time, this will spread to family saloons, superminis, and even LPG/hybrid vehicles in time. This is a subtle way of introducing policies which will affect each and every car owner, while gaining public acceptance at the same time. Basically, divide and conquer.
Police are an impartial entity, they have to uphold the law despite the fact they are being used as a tool by the Government. Current legislation dictates that it is illegal to obstruct the highway, blockades are obstruction; believe me, most Police officers would support this if they did not have to be impartial and uphold the law.
This still leaves the question; how many of us are going to stand up and be counted.
Police are impartial?
Hi Assassin
I wonder if that is through choice or law, I know it's the latter.
I agree with what you say but does the Chief Constable really have to announce it on the News or is it just good old Media hype? It's a case of turning a blind eye as such comments may incite some into stronger action, perhaps a good thing. I think on the day most of the Police turned a blind eye but it appears that the days protest brought little effect other than making a stand.:-(
The French, Spanish, Italian and I understand the Portuguese Fishermen have started an open ended strike against fuel costs. I have heard that Scottish Fishermen are doing the same. french farmers are starting to stir as are the Hauliers and I am certain the the French Government will not be as bloody minded as the one in the UK. I wait with baited breath at theoutcome in both France and the UK. Of course you still have the delayed 2p till October as an excuse for them doing nothing and the new Road taxes to pay for their allowances no doubt, certainly not for improved Roads and Transport, perish the thought.
This recession I am sure will be deep and not end prior to the 2p increase becoming effective. 2p is too little and this trip of brown to meet with the oil producers in Scotland was, as predicted, a waste of time. It is not just producing more to ease the problem when the problem in the UK is the huge tax burden.
Some decades ago I recall OPEC moaning that they were getting so little for oil and the UK in comparison so much in taxation. OPEC pushed up the price then to balance this out. The UK continues to gain huge revenues from fuel. The answer is in the governments hands...reduce tax and cut expenditure on other things, perhaps on MP's. "Reduce" is an unknown word for Browns Clowns in relation to tax and only applies to services.
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young