Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Student fees policy likely to cost more than the system it replaced

The proportion of unpaid loans is approaching a critical level as write-offs are on track to pass the gains from tripling of fees



Shiv Malik


The Guardian, Friday 21 March 2014


The proportion of graduates failing to pay back student loans is increasing at such a rate that the Treasury is approaching the point at which it will get zero financial reward from the government's policy of tripling tuition fees to £9,000 a year.

New official forecasts suggest the write-off costs have reached 45% of the £10bn in student loans made each year, all but nullifying any savings to the public purse made following the introduction of the new fee system.

The universities minister, David Willetts, speaking in response to a parliamentary question from the shadow education minister, Liam Byrne, confirmed that the write-off figure – the resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge – is rapidly approaching the 48.6% mark. This is the threshold at which experts calculate that the government will lose more money than it would have saved by keeping the old £3,000 tuition fee system.

The coalition's decision to introduce higher fees shortly after it formed led to rioting on the streets and forced a dramatic decline in the Liberal Democrats' poll ratings, from which the party has never fully recovered.

Lower pay for young adults, an over-supply of those with degrees and the worsening economic outlook have all contributed to the revised civil service forecasts which conclude that far fewer graduates will earn enough to pay back their loans over their working lives. Four months ago Willetts notified parliament that the rate had risen to 40% from 35%. In 2010 the estimate was 28%.



More: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/21/student-fees-policy-costing-more

As can be seen from the Times front page the first Budget polling by YouGov finds strong support from voters for the measures in Wednesday’s statement.

Full details from the polling are not available yet but the paper reports that The Chancellor’s dramatic announcement in Wednesday’s Budget is supported by 66 per cent in the YouGov survey published today in The Sun. The poll also shows strong backing for his other measures to support savers hit by low interest rates”

When reference was made by Osborne concerning the 800th Anniversary Celebrations next year to do with the signing of King John's Magna Carta, his 'disloyal brother' jokey comment, obviously directed towards Ed Milliband, caused quite a few laughs and sniggers.

Historically, Barons from 10 Charter Towns met in August 1213 at St Albans Abbey with the clergy to discuss their grievances against 'bad brother' King John, whom we all remember from, say 'The adventures of Robin Hood', had been disloyal to his brother, King Richard I, the Crusader.

That historic meeting eventually led to the articles that became Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede, another Charter Town, in 1215.

Hazy One,

Is that you in Drag?

You scrub up better than expected!

It is difficult to understand the appeal of Richard I (Lionheart). He couln't speak English and only spent six months in England as he didn't like us. History has become a bit jumbled. Strictly speaking Magna Carta is illegal as King John signed it under duress.

goldfinger

Thank's for that info on the spreadbets/CFD's


Fred

I agree with you about Andy Burnham, nearly as bad as the other Labour pannelist last week. Val McDemid was good , but the best on the night was Danny Alexander.

Food Banks , does it mean the more there are the more the need ?

"This Week"

I also agree with you about Andrew Neil last night , but he met his match with Liam Halligan, [Liam wiped the floor with him ]. Diane Abbott is just a irritant. Portillo should be back on the front bench , he would make a good PM

The joke by Osborne was very pointed, "A weak leader who brtrayed his brother".

Two million extra middle-income earners pay 40p tax under Coalition

Budget cost higher rate taxpayers £546 a year, says Institute for Fiscal Studies






By Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent

10:00PM GMT 20 Mar 2014



Comments221 Comments





More than two million additional middle-income earners will have been dragged into the 40p rate of income tax under the Coalition, independent economists have said.


The Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested that higher-rate taxpayers will be £546 a year worse off after Mr Osborne ignored calls to raise the 40p threshold in his Budget. It currently stands at £41,450.


The institute said that the number of people paying the 40p rate will have risen from three million in 2010-11 to almost five million in 2015-16.


On Wednesday the Chancellor used his Budget to increase the tax-free personal allowance from £10,000 to £10,500, a change that the Treasury says benefits all workers earning up to £100,000.


More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/10713043/Two-million-extra-middle-income-earners-pay-40p-tax-under-Coalition.html

Haze,

I think that Osborne's "joke" was at the level one expects from the nasty bunch of schoolboys who call themselves cabinet ministers and would naturally appeal to you!

But, I see Miliband is becoming a bigger threat to the incompetent U-turning bunch of poor comedians in the cabinet and probably will be the next PM.

I think it will be interesting to watch the blood spilling and recriminations at party HQ and Aschroft asking for his money back!

No wonder Boris doesn't want to be in their number and Gove's wishes to split the party.

Cash for leadership.

Osborne did raise the 40p tax threshold to £41,865, from £41,540

What is happening in the Rebecca trial?

What is happening in the Nigel approach to politics?

Very quiet!

Is Cameron going to be character witness for his old friends?

There is much to be seen in the phrase "birds of a feather flock together".

Reminds me of the old days;

Petrol price at a three year low and likely to go 2p lower due to wholesale price drop.

Osborne has been quite clever by freezing duty once again. The price falls and no duty rise have helped keep the inflation figures down thereby reducing the risk of interest rate rises. Lower furl prices are good for an improving economy.

Is everyone else getting ad videos starting up on every page ?? home page /trade page/ thread page ,this has only started yesterday ,i have asked Ian why but he won't respond .....

goldfinger , will know

What the hell are Moneyam doing every thread has a video !

Yes and it is a b, nuisance.

I have just switch the sound off until I look at chrome and see if I can block the B. thing.

If you find a way Fred let me know please .

Hi there,

Sorry, the guys in the sales team have uploaded this video. It's actually just a flash advert so it's going everywhere there would normally be a square advert. The best option is just to mute the video. It will stay muted for the rest of the day.

George

George is this going to stay and be regular rather than the normal advert ,i have good reason to ask this as for me muting the ad is no good