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.

(Reuters) - British opposition leader Ed Miliband has so alarmed business executives with his talk of 'asset strippers' and 'tax dodgers' that many want a Conservative win at the election, even if it carries the risk of an exit from Europe.

Representatives of some of Britain's biggest firms accuse the Labour party leader of demonising big business as a way to align himself with ordinary voters before the May 7 election.

Pledges from the 45-year-old to set energy prices, reform banks and lift the minimum wage have been followed by several uncomfortable meetings with the heads of companies.

As a result, executives are backing David Cameron's Conservatives, even though that entails a referendum on Europe before the end of 2017, potentially deterring companies from investing in Britain and, if there is a vote to leave, disrupting trade with the 500 million-strong EU.

In return, they would like the in/out vote brought forward.

"On the one hand we have Labour ... that seems to believe that bashing business will be good business at the ballot box, but you don't have a referendum," Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world's largest advertising agency WPP (WPP.L) and an employer of 179,000 people, told Reuters.

"On the other you have the Conservatives who tend to be more attuned to business but have a commitment to a referendum."

British business has long aligned itself with the centre-right Conservatives, but that changed under Tony Blair, Labour's most successful leader, who embarked on a "prawn cocktail offensive" to build relations with Britain's boardrooms before winning three elections starting in 1997.

One Blair aide declared that Labour was "intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich".

But 18 years on and with the Conservatives still blaming Labour for the economic crash, Miliband has sought a different tone.

Elected to lead Labour largely with the backing of unions, he set out his stall towards business in 2011 when he described some firms as predators and asset strippers.

His pledge in 2013 to cap household energy prices tapped into the frustration of voters tired of constant increases. And he has since painted himself as the man to take on the vested interests of business and the London-centric elite.

"A lot of the meetings between my clients and Ed Miliband have been very unsatisfactory," said Charles Lewington, managing director of lobbyists Hanover, who counts 25 global firms among his 75 clients.

"For five minutes he says tell me what your concerns are, and then for 55 minutes he says this is how I think business should operate in a world of austerity where ordinary people are not earning enough."

Nearly all Hanover clients back the Conservatives, he said. A recent poll of executives said the same.

Apart from covering up for Slavery in this country, now this sad inditement of a despicable Government have mens increased suicide rates on there hands... not that they care about that in private I bet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31533551

Max.

I would love to have your idol Nige's accounts and peruse them for while with a few friends.

What happened to the EU claim for expenses?

Ps.

Surely GF is due for a period of remission by now?


His help on a few figures would be useful.


Can I post him a cake with some files in!

He's on 3i Oldjoe1.

stan - that really is stretching a point, even for you

it's only the truth, you only say that because you can't defend them.

ok - it's the truth as you choose to perceive it .... i think it's crap :-)

Stop arguing and get home for your nosh -):

The truth sometimes is!

When two people view and incident there are three truths.

One as each one perceived it and on as it actually was.




8-)

you can multiply that several times over

and yes, off home very soon for some fresh hake fillet with a tomato and pepper sauce + swiss chard

I like hake.

But seem to be going for simpler cooking with just a knob of butter and salt and pepper.

Although, do like Fish Soup with tomato and fennel etc..

I first tasted Fish Soup in Cassis Marseille 57 years ago, sitting on a bench table on the quay outside a restaurant, with other hitch hikers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, UK and of course an Australian.

Strange mixture, all seemed to be interested in the International Union of Students and wanted to have and unified and integrated Europe. (Students were more interested in politics then.)

First time a kissed a pretty German girl and pretty French girl in one night.

Must go back, but returning is rarely as good as the first time one visits a place.

off to malta for a few days

You sure Tanks? lots of foreigners and potential immigrants out there you know -):

Don't knock Esther McVey - the 'vacuous airbag' who wants to be PM

Esther McVey has received a public ribbing for admitting she wants to lead the country, but Sophy Ridge smells a rat




The Conservative Party could certainly do worse than the 47-year-old Esther McVey in charge Photo: REX



Sophy Ridge
By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent for Sky News

2:13PM GMT 19 Feb 2015



“Vacuous airbag.”


The comments started within minutes.


“All that peroxide must have gone to her head.”


So far, so predictable.


When Employment Minister Esther McVey admitted yesterday she quite fancies being Prime Minister, the online reaction was boringly unoriginal.

“Sorry Est, PM means ‘Prime Minister’ not Pre-Menstrual. Only thing she might be suited to is a Pole-dancer.”

On first inspection, the usual drivel. But on closer examination, one theme did strike me.

Esther McVey was a “cocky, obnoxious, arrogant, big-headed woman”, according to the public. She was “Lady Macbeth”.

In other words, her worst crime was being overly ambitious and she should be silenced.

“The only thing I can see Esther McVey bringing to Downing Street would be noise, incessant noise, rather like a small, insignificant Yorkshire terrier that doesn’t know when to shut up – yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap,” went another tweeter.



More airbag here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11422873/Esther-McVey-the-vacuous-airbag-who-wants-to-be-Prime-Minister.html

In that the tories have allowed the armed forces to become a Dad's army and demoralised the NHS and failed in general"

Wing commander dave has it all under control....

Mind with Captain Dodgy Dave, leading Corporal Fallon organising and George counting the coppers in biscuit tin what is there to worry about:

I suppose there is always Guy Fawkes night to look forward to.


Forgot, due to austerity there are cut backs.

Just a reminder!