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.

I do agree with that analysis, Fred.

Boris Jonhson thinks we ought to let the Greeks go it alone (and with a new sub Euro currency called the 'drachma').

I also agree with that analysis too. The 'don't throw good money after bad', particularly when it's 'our money' might be the clincher on it.

Greece should never have been allowed into the Euro. They were refused once because they could make the Euro convergence criteria. The second time they faked it and the rest of Europe knew they faked it (Italy faked it the first time).

What about Turkey , can they be trusted ?

Turkey's economy is expanding much faster than almost any country in the Eurozone.

Bertrams, Het Parool (Amsterdam)
Rescue plan
29 March 2010 Cartoonist
Joep Bertrams (1946) is a Dutch political cartoonist. He has been working for the Amsterdam daily Het Parool since 1982 and produces animated political cartoons for the Dutch TV news show NOVA. With French support, Germany has finally presented a rescue plan for the Greek public finances. It was adopted by the eurozone members on 25 March.

There's no stopping you now that you know how to post images, lol

The pictures say it all

I am emigrating to Turkey. 15th largest economy in the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13839381

Greek debt crisis: Straw says eurozone 'will collapse'

Jack Straw has predicted the collapse of the eurozone and urged the UK to consider the "alternatives" as the Greek debt crisis worsens.

The Labour MP and former foreign secretary said the euro was facing a "slow death" and the 17-member eurozone "cannot last" in its current form.

He was speaking as MPs discussed the prospect of a fresh bailout for Greece.

Treasury Minister Mark Hoban said it was in the UK's interest to "ensure the continuing stability" of the eurozone.

However, he insisted the UK would not be participating directly in any bailout and UK exposure to the Greek economy was "relatively small".

The countries which use the single currency have said Greece must agree further austerity measures before receiving 10bn, raising the prospect of the country defaulting on its debts should it be unable to do this.

'Going to collapse'

London Mayor Boris Johnson is among a growing number of UK politicians to call for this to be allowed to happen - and for Greece to leave the eurozone.

1. If Greece had kept the drachma, it wouldnt be in this mess: the markets would have imposed their own corrective years ago.

2. Prevented by euro membership from devaluing, Greece faces years of penury.

3. Taxpayers from the other 15 euro-zone countries are now having to borrow billions of euros in order to send them to Greece.

4. If Britain had not kept the pound, we would be in exactly the same situation: our deficit is set to exceed Greeces next year.

5. Nick Clegg wants to join the euro.

Related Quotes
Symbol Price Change
MXG1.BE 0.00 0.00


{"s" : "MXG1.BE","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} (c) Sky News 2011, 19:21, Monday 20 June 2011

Britain has not been asked to take part in any new European bailout of Greece, Downing Street has said.

The UK was not involved in the original 110bn euro (96.5bn) deal approved for Greece a year ago, which was put together by the eurozone countries to help save one of their own.

The only UK commitment came from its share of an International Monetary Fund (IMF (Berlin: MXG1.BE - news) ) contribution, in the form of loan guarantees.

That obligation would only be called in if Greece defaults.

At the time the prospect was dismissed as scare-mongering.

But with the pace of Greek deficit reduction painfully slow and the economic crisis far worse than feared, a second bailout is now inevitable.

However, Athens has been told it must approve 28 billion euros worth of spending cutss after parliament votes on Tuesday or it will not get the next instalment of a European bailout.

Meeting in Luxembourg, eurozone finance ministers decided not to sign-off on giving Greece another 12 billion euros just yet.

The country's government was told it has two weeks to approve tougher austerity measures before the EU-IMF loan is handed over.

This new rescue deal should not include any commitment from the UK.

Chancellor George Osborne has insisted Britain should not be part of any new aid package.

Germany and France have also indicated that Britain should not need to pay a share of a repeat bailout.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman told reporters on Monday: "There is no proposal on the table which would involve us.

"The arrangements in place for Greece are arrangements that involved eurozone countries, and we weren't involved in those arrangements."

Mr Osborne has already made clear at talks in Luxembourg that the issue remains one for the eurozone alone.

However, a bailout fund was set up by the EU after last year's Greek crisis, specifically intended to finance future economic problems in the member states, and it involves all 27 member states.

If a majority vote to use the fund for a second Greek aid package, rather than repeat a eurozone-only rescue, the UK Treasury would be responsible for 12% of the new loan guaranteed to the Greek government.

One UK official admitted there is "theoretical risk", but again, no money will be involved unless Greece defaults.

Last night Greek prime minister George Papandreou insisted his country would not default and is determined to crackdown on its mounting deficit.

He said failure to do so would be a "catastrophe".

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has said Greece should be allowed to default on its debts and leave the euro.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the London Mayor said the single currency is responsible for aggravating the international financial crisis.

"The euro has exacerbated the financial crisis by encouraging some countries to behave as recklessly as the banks themselves," he said

Do you think UK is insulated against the failure of the Euro?

If so, think again.

Any failure will effect us more than people realise.

Let's hear it for Boris!

:-)

No rehab, no release
Says Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
20 June 2011

SOFT is the perfect way to enjoy French cheese, but not how we should approach punishing criminals.

It's time to stop offering shorter sentences and get-out clauses.

The Met Police is currently doing the biggest project in its history, Operation Target, which is cracking down on prolific robbers and burglars after three years of falling crime in London.

In little over a week the results have been superb - over 900 arrests and the recovery of firearms, drugs and tons of stolen property.

I helped them launch it and took part in a dawn raid on suspected drugs dens. I can't say the people inside the raided homes were particularly pleased to see me.

Nor should they smile at the prospect of jail. Prison shouldn't be about sitting on a mattress, playing video games and networking with seasoned criminals. Prison should change people and if it doesn't they shouldn't be let out.

I've taken a different approach to the revolving door of offending with the prison wing - Heron - I opened at Feltham Young Offenders Institute.

On the wing we've managed to halve that national youth re-offending rate of 78 per cent by allocating each prisoner an individual "motivational"member of staff who helps them sort out their lives during their jail term, then works with them for a year after their release.

The prisoners are pushed into further education, helped to apply for jobs and we've even got a few into university.

If the boys start to commit crimes again, we don't pay the staff. It's payment by results. And it's a powerful incentive. It's not soft but sensible.

I'm now pushing for a similar approach to be adopted more widely across councils, where we can offer payments to agencies who help keep local criminals on the straight and narrow.

In short, local councils, police and the criminal justice system need to work hand in hand to stop the spread of people gearing towards a life time of criminality - career criminals.

It's the only way we can stop the revolving door of criminality.

I'm meeting the key heads of these agencies today and I will urge them to support our proven model of rehabilitation.

Let's all get behind a solution that can really turn around the lives of those entrenched in crime: "No rehab, no release."

Taken from http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3647252/Boris-Johnson-tells-Ken-Clarke-No-soft-justice.html#ixzz1PrJkknc9

Let's not forget overcrowding in prisons and staff shortage. How many prisoners are non British ? When will we stop importing criminals.

Blairs charge children 10 to attend son's end-of-term party at their 6million country mansion

100BN WIPED OFF OUR SHARES

Tuesday June 21,2011
By Macer Hall Political Editor
Daily Express

ANGRY MPs last night demanded the break up of the eurozone after figures showed the Greek debt crisis had so far cost the British economy a devastating 100billion.

More than 5.6billion was wiped off the share values of the UKs top 100 companies yesterday as EU finance ministers squabbled over a new bail-out for Greece.

It took total losses on the FTSE 100 index to a colossal 100billion over the last six weeks affecting pension and investment funds held by millions of Britons.

In heated clashes at Westminster, senior Tories said it would be better to allow the European single currency to fail rather than throw further billions of pounds of taxpayers money into emergency bail-outs.

Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the eurozone in its current form cannot last and he urged the Government to be open about the break up. He added: If this euro in its current form is going to collapse, is it not better that it happens quickly rather than a slow death?

Mr Straw also warned that British banks could lose 8billion if the Greek government defaults on its debts.

The euro crisis deepened yesterday after EU finance ministers postponed a deal to lend Greece an extra 10billion. They are refusing to offer more cash until the Greek government ignores the demands of protesters on its streets and introduces austerity measures to begin slashing its huge 300billion debts.

As a summit broke up in Luxembourg, Chancellor George Osborne insisted the Greek crisis was a matter for the eurozone countries and could be solved without help from Britain. He said: The eurozone has not asked the UK to participate in the proposed new bail-out. Our position on this is well understood in the euro area. What this shows is the danger faced by countries that cant pay their way in the world.

But concerns were growing last night that the crisis was already damaging Britains recovery. The FTSE 100 share index has plunged from a high of 6,082.88 on May 3 to 5693.39 yesterday, wiping 100billion from the value of Britains top 100 quoted companies.

At one point yesterday, share prices plunged by 17billion before rallying later.

Tory MP Anne Main said Britain should allow Greece to fail and quit the euro rather than pour billions more in taxpayers money through the International Monetary Fund.

She told MPs: The next debate we are going to have today is about cutting back on pensions to save our taxpayers money and yet we are still planning to put money through the IMF, a third party, taxpayers money that we are having to scrimp and save for at home.

My constituents wont stand for it. I am disappointed to hear the language of the Government at the moment that seems to imply this is an economy that is too big to fail. This is the same that we had with the banks. Put Greece out of its misery. Its flatlining and no more of our public money should be sent abroad.

And fellow Tory John Redwood said Greece needed a work out rather than another bail-out. He said a second Greek bail-out would be throwing good money after bad. He added: Greece went bankrupt over a year ago while finance ministers waste taxpayers money pretending it hasnt happened.

Amid the exchanges at Westminster, a Government minister conceded for the first time that the eurozone could be on the verge of disintegrating. Treasury minister Mark Hoban said: I am not going to comment on whether the euro is going to remain intact.

Stephen Booth, of think-tank Open Europe, later said: The minister has let the cat out of the bag and revealed how close the eurozone is to crumbling due to the huge pressure its under. Although less exposed than France and Germany, a Greek default would have huge knock-on effects for the UK. The Government, therefore, needs to take a far more pro-active approach in urging the eurozone to come up with a long-term sustainable solution.

London Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday joined in the row and called for Greece to be allowed to quit the single currency. In a newspaper article, Mr Johnson wrote: For years, European governments have been saying that it would be insane and inconceivable for a country to leave the euro. But this second option is now all but inevitable, and the sooner it happens the better.

But Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg a fanatical EU supporter last night castigated Tories predicting the euros demise. He said: The UK is not part of the eurozone but we are heavily dependent on the eurozone for our own prosperity. So I dont think it helps our interests and our long-term economic fortunes to start making predictions of catastrophe in the eurozone, which I dont believe for one moment will materialise. A strong eurozone is in Britains interests. A weak eurozone is not in Britains interests.

And the IMF yesterday urged eurozone nations to integrate faster to prevent the currency from collapsing.

IMF acting director John Lipsky said: The euro area needs to strengthen economic governance and may need to be more intrusive in terms of national structures.

From: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/254014-100bn-wiped-off-our-shares#ixzz1PtnnKnwm

I need Aid.

I see the law and order party is in reverse again. Clarke and Cameron in control of the system.

Reversal, reversal, reversal and the collapse. U U U U U U U U U U U

8-)

Apologies, it is not an U-Turn.

Just a "re-think" after "consultation" with members of the tory back benchers and the Libs.

I don't think the government is fit for purpose.