Brown's spend, spend, spend during his Chancellor's days has brought us into the current economy we are facing today. His appeal at a Downing Street meeting for the lenders to pass on cuts appeared to fall on deaf ears with HBOS, which owns the Halifax, increasing its rate on some mortgages from 6.09 to 6.59 per cent. Borrowers taking out this type of deal will now pay 46 more a month. On a two-year tracker, the rate will increase from 1.49 points above base rate to 1.99 points, giving a current rate of 6.99 per cent.

Other lenders are expected to follow Halifaxs lead.

If the Government wants the banks to lower mortgage rates to home owners - why not just offer them through Northern Rock? Everyone would rush to the Rock to get the loans forcing banks to match the rates or lose the business? Or maybe the government would then run into bigger credit crunch?

Therein lies a problem of our own devising, coeliac!!
To defend countless failed policies on immigration we have created a situation where politicians are terrified to mention race issues. The simple fact is we have consistently got it wrong. In private I don't doubt that almost all politicians would admit to same. They cannot do it in public. They would be slaughtered as racist lunatics.
The financial benefits from immigration are not really there. They are as much fairy gold as the GNP calculations. The costs are tremendous. Financially, socially, environmentally.
I suspect it will not improve, as no-one has big enough balls to be a 21st century Enoch Powell, and spell it out to a sleepwalking population.
A Hungarian friend of mine (He is a GP, his wife holds a law doctorate, so they may have added value to UK plc) warns me of the plans of Hungarian gypsies to emigrate en masse to the UK, where they can carry on their lawless lives safe in the knowledge we will welcome them and their ethnic lifestyle will provide some defence from the law!!
I strongly suspect the average Joe wants a politician to say they will try to restrict immigration to degree educated, employable, english speaking immigrants and look again at the family immigration rules. It works in many other parts of the world.
But to do so would be to echo the noises made by the BNP and look at the vitriol they suffer.
The economic problems will pass. By early 2009. Oil and food prices will fall, in line with a strengthening dollar, whenever that comes. House prices will recover and once again grow. Mortgages will become more available and less expensive.
All these things will happen whoever is in government. The one thing the citizens of this country really want addressing is how we move forward with fairness and thought, moderation and compassion, while retaining our identity and our way of life.
The politician who addresses this and shows the way will win hands down. Regardless of economic policy.

Petrol is 135p a litre in the Hebrides Scotland..the most expensive petrol in UK.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Far-and-away-the-dearest.4047946.jp

aye mitzy

i used to work for some time in very north of scotland about a decade ago. when he petrol strike happened and it was about 80p a litre or thereabouts in england, that was the price up north a few years earlier.

as ever, until it hits london or south of england where the ragheads etc live, then the media and press dont take any notice.

the ironic thing is that oil and gas comes from scotland and mainly aberdeen.......10 billion every year goes from aberdeen to london basically.
the oil industry hasnt helped aberdeen....in fact its turned what was once a floral nice city into a violent drinking den.......its only certain individuals that propser and many are foreign again.

i'm beginning to think that capitalism doesnt work......should we try communism?

Fred:

Mind I doubt that tory party voters could understand more than that.

Why is it that you feel free to cast an insult like that at so many people -- including me -- quite so freely? How do you presume to judge our collective intellects so easily with such a sweeping generalisation?

remember that 40% of people in uk voted for a warmonger....his name was bliar......he is yet to be tried at the hague for war crimes.

MM, once again you miss that I am being ironic. I do believe that some Tories could be quite intelligent if properly trained. That is what I thought the public schools or penal colonies are for. The only trouble is they are still failing with so many.

8-), 8-), 8-)

I will try and give your remarks a little more time, after I return home after my wife has taken me out on my new lead for a walk.

Mind we were just watching a report on Burma and my wife has asked me "why don't they bomb God?". Mind she did add their God.

We have problems to sort out!

8-)

Just heard that James Whale has been sacked from Talksport all because he urged listeners to vote for Boris Johnson in the London elections.. incredible.

this country is a diluted form of soviet russia.....people r so suppressed these days. until uk folk go abroad and then come back some time later, they wont be able to see how soft they r.

come on, lets bomb china or something! lol

So a senior police officer has publically stated that the huge increase in investment in street camera surveillance has not made any impact on the massive increase in crime, but it sure has made a difference to the bank balances of those selling the equipment!

Another success for New Labour.

Very true Halifax, I did very well with VSK a few years back, it's always worth looking where the Government will throw money too, and look for companies that can profit (EDD)

And this Government has cetainly thrown plenty of money around.

i know in aberdeen on main street that metre a CCTV camera can watch you....thats more than a mile long!!

if we had uk in stle of stalin esque strlye it might be better as we would not only be raghead free but also totally white british......with no teerorists.....and people wanting to work again.
and no banks wanting bailed out either.

bring back joseph stalin.

and you'd probably be thrown in prison or shot for daring to speak freely--we should all be civilised enough to live together in peace in a free democracy. I hope the Tories restore some of our freedoms and rejects the iron fist of the EU!

Freedom means nothing without definition.
The only definition that means anything, must include the freedom to take the consequences.
I submit there is no way that will ever be applied in a modern society, as we all have expectations that the state will protect us and provide for us in times of crisis or poverty, and that this is a natural consequence of collective responsibility and an inescapable aspect of any form of government.
The only political system that truly encompases freedom is anarchy and it is interesting to note that the definition of anarchy, according to the OED, changed in the 19th century from being a perfect state without need of government to its modern definition.
The question therefore is what level of freedom we want. We want to be able to speak freely, for instance, but is this acceptable if your speech includes a call to kill non believers? Of course not. Therefore freedom of speech is not applied.
Now we arrive at the conclusion that freedoms are allowed, when they are in line with the policy of the community. As the communitys executive arm is the state our freedom is as much as is prescribed by the state, and no more.
Therefore, even with the most liberal of governments we arrive at a Stalinist proposition that the government dictates what we all do, say or think.
The only real difference is that every few years we can always replace our current Stalin with his shadow, and end up with Marx or Lenin instead, to now dictate their list of what freedoms we have, and those which we don't.

Hmm--I agree with your points Alan but when speaking freely means being offensive to peaceable non white brits which I find offensive and inflammatory-I just make the point in many dictator run countries this would bring dire consequences.

Indeed it would, MP, I was just being an arse.
FWIW, I believe in freedom of speech in its entirity though. I believe everyman has the absolute right to express his or her opinion. It is not an act that directly causes damage, whereas to gag someone stifles debate.
It is better to allow me or anyone else to say what I like and then expose my reasoning as flawed and my motivation as criminally suspect than to prevent me voicing my concern. Just because you may find it offensive, and the government does not support it does not make it any less valuable contribution to the debate, as it is a view held by part of the electorate.
You never know, if all views could be aired freely, we may find that some that are labelled as racist or extreme may actually have huge support and make some amount of sense. If we gag that, we will never know. And what then for the liberal elite who dictate what is acceptable to say? Do we class them as dictators?

i remember seeing on news recently that some of our british soldiers are spat on etc in uk.....mainly by muslims.....these perpetrators of this crime should be executed for being traitors as they are now in uk and have to live by our fine standards.
i find these countries views offensive.....countries like n. korea, iran, china, russia are dangerous

Interesting to see the knives going in at the moment with the Nantwitch by-election coming up later this month. The more creditable YouGov poll puts Labour on 23%, 1% lower than achieved at the recent local elections. The additional knives are from Mrs Blair and John Prescott, the later mentioning that he advised Blair to sack Brown when Blair was Prime Minister. However, Blair was frightened of Brown's power base. If, as I hope, the Nantwitch seat is lost by Labour, this imo will result in the Labour party forcing Brown out. Thus, all the well timed stabbings at the moment. There is no doubt in my mind that Brown is Labours ball and chain and a complete shake up is required should the party wish for damage limitation.

Agree Brown has creditability and popularity problems and is dragging on Labour, but who could possibly want to replace him. Prime Minister is not a good job at the moment, and whoever took it, from whichever party, could have all the confidence of a fat lad in a leotard.
Nobody could possibly do anything about the issues that currently concern the majority of the populace. Credit crisis, Oil prices and energy prices. All are a global phenomonon and the policies of a small island nation have little conceivable effect.
Yes but what about tax and immigration and all the beaurocracy and nannying that goes on? Its gone on for decades and has never seen a government off yet!!
Applying for the job at the moment is tantamount to tendering your resignation. If you win, you will still get hammered at the next election. If you lose, you will be remembered as a failure who split the party.
You simply cannot solve a global economic crisis from downing street and so will be tossed by the ill winds of capitalism gone wrong until 2009 sees the USA return to confidence and the rest of the world limps out of the current crisis. Even then, we are still 2 years, minimum, away from a return to easier credit and people feeling the benefit of better economic conditions. By then it will be too late and the next incumbant of number 10 will reap reward for just sitting on his hands and letting it happen.
In a lot of ways, I feel sorry for Brown who found himself judged by most on things he cannot control. A bit like a football manager really.

Agree, that you cannot control food and energy prices etc but, it is Brown that has made the overall position worse and is having to cut back programmes on public expenditure simply because he cannot keep putting up taxes and his overall tax take is under threat. His wasteful expenditure in the past is a severe handicap to the economy. He should be in a position to reduce petrol tax amounst others, not be looking at other ways to raise more and slow the economy further. Agree, whoever takes over has a difficult job on his hands, whoever or what party but, the country cannot continue to tolerate and trust Brown to get us out of this mess. We all have an interest in UK plc and it is up to its investors to try and find a better management. If we were talking about a Company here, we all know they would have been told to go. Quite honestly,all this talk about who would replace him is a bit overdone, considering his record. Just pick someone mediocre if you like who is not a control freak, listerns to others views and is prepared not to bite off more than he can chew. OK the conservatives may form the government in two years time but, it would be better not to have to wait until then with Brown & co in charge. I believe if his replacement lays the country's difficult situation on the line and does even a half decent job in the interim, labour will have a chance of at least limiting the damage. Ok, I would prefer to see a Conservative government but, not one with a massive majority. Perhaps 30-50 seats would be ideal since it would keep them on their metal and not allow complacency to set in. Sometimes the right man can step into a job when it is least expected and I think Labour should give it a try. They have nothing to lose and may do comparatively well out of it.