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.

Perhaps, what Cameron can't face up to:

UK living standards lag 2010 levels as election nears - think tank

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/04/uk-britain-pay-ifs-idUKKBN0M000T20150304?feedType=nl&feedName=uktopnewsearly

fred - i wouldn't disagree with the analysis above, though it could hardly be a surprise given the total mess then of both uk and world economies ...... i think even USA is only just back to 2010 levels

the following is interesting though .....

The quarterly rate of UK house price growth firmed up for a second consecutive month in February as a result of increases in real earnings and spending power, the results of Halifax's latest survey showed.

Over the three months to February they gained 2.6%, up from the 1.8% rise seen in the three months to January.

Data from Germany, the Eurozone's powerhouse economy, on Thursday showed industrial orders fell 3.9% month-on-month in January after a revised increase of 4.4% in December. The reading undershot economists' expectations for a 1% decline. Orders slid 0.1% from a year earlier.

Manuel,

You missed a bit out.

What it indicates I am not sure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31746095

5 March 2015

"UK house prices fell 0.3% in February, Halifax says"



I remain heavy perhaps too heavy in "housing".

lies, damned lies and statistics of course

house prices and sales are likely to stagnate until after the election for fairly obvious reasons

$62bn tax secret of Buffett’s success
Berkshire Hathaway group is savvy when it comes to deferring tax


so in the wonderful moralistic utopian world, is deferring any different from avoiding?

Only in as much as letting inflation rise (or benefitting from a rise in inflation) is a brilliant way of repaying the capital element of a loan at a much later date in the future.

Imagine you now had to repay the capital lent to you on the purchase of your first house. It would be easy peasy now, wouldn't it?

Similarly, deferring tax payments makes sense. You can do more better things with the retained capital.

So putting such stuff off until much later, even avoiding having to pay tax now, has to be the much better 'financial management' way.

of course it does, but am waiting for fred's view from the other side

I wonder what the taxman would say if I wanted to defer my tax bill?

you can if you set certain assets up correctly ..... it's often termed legitimate avoidance

Manuel,

SP will move on expectations!

But the realities of the economy will become more obvious a month or two after the election.

My guess is that "builders" will continue on the up.

Maybe, crossing my legs.

======

Buffet.

As long as postponed Tax Payments include "interest" above inflation and earnings from the "loan", then it "maybe" acceptable.

Tax avoidance, is questionable and as said before there needs to be a "simplification" of the system.

-=-==-=-

Max,

In the "old days" I often did, until I had a warning!

What a lying gutless PM appears to be.

A supposed leader, who is afraid of standing up for his own record in debate.

He must be rightly ashamed of his own party's record over the last 5 years

Reminds me of some third world countries who politics is derided by the present Con party leadership.

An empty chair is not what is needed, but a better solution would be an electric chair.

Amazing excuse that any debate before the manifesto is produced so the lies can't be argued in public view.

-----0--0-0-0-0-

I can understand why there maybe a further rush of defectors to Farage and his fellow Kippers.

At least he has the guts of some of his convictions.

Whilst I would agree with you about Cameroon, I can understand why he doesent want a debate.

There's nothing in it for him or the cons, and in all probability he would get his head handed to him.

It's a lose lose scenario.

max is correct ..... for cameron, it's a case of damned if he does and damned if he doesn't

I can understand his reasoning, but when as a leader of a country he can't stand up and defend himself and party in debate he is a moral coward.



He should wear the badge, but the voters will recognise him anyway.

I doubt that the image will be forgotten by the time of the election.

-=-=-=-=-==
Ps. my guess was he would come over better than Miliband, but Farage is different matter.

The election result is likely to cause the requirement for a coalition government.

Says who?

The Broadcasters? If so, which parties should be placed on the broadcasted debate?

Us? If so, which parties would we like to see on the broadcasted debate?

Practical Considerations:

1. The more parties there are debating, then the lesser the time the individual parties have to do their debating.
2. Each political party isn't worthy of having the same length of time for debate. Some parties are more improtant and deserve more air time than others. Primarily, there are two important parties: Conservative and Labour.
3. Smaller parties: Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, etc. should not be allowed the same length of time as the major political parties. Accordingly, let's hear what the broadcasters have to say about JUST THIS POINT. Until this particular point is agreed by EVERYONE CONCERNED, then the whole 'TV Debate Thing' is a fiasco!

The Greens won't take long if her radio ''interview'' is anything to go by.
2517

57274 ..... the incumbent is always the punchbag in these matters, though i concur DC presents much better than EM .....
NF or at least UKIP, is beginning to fray at the edges
however, NF is a very smooth operator even if many or even most of his popularist so-called policies actually lack any substance or feasibility

I do like Cameron's as a confidence trickster and the constant use of the blame game in holding the broadcasters responsible for the "confusion" around his non appearance at the debate/s.

The fragmentation of political parties and movement in numbers to "minor" parties is a reflection of his U-turn policies and for me obvious self advancing corrupt form of government.

As Cassandra's box has been opened, and I hope the debates go ahead with the empty chair, reflecting the emptiness of him and his present tory party "crony leadership".

Many voters will see him as a "moral coward" and remember his actions, when they vote in May.

He won't be able to rewrite his manifesto after the "debate" it is already written.

Send him to a fitting place, such as a banana republic.

Debate phobia shows Cameron is reluctant even to talk the talk


Prime minister’s gamble that being called a coward is better than actually facing Ed Miliband may be a gross miscalculation




http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/05/debate-phobia-shows-cameron-reluctant-miliband


British leaders are now protected, sanitised and risk-averse, which is why figures like Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and Kenneth Clark have followings that transcend their parties.

It would be interesting to view Clegg representing the failed Tory Coalition in debate with Miliband, Farage in place of an empty or vacuous chair.

Might even record it