Brown observations

[PM-Junkie]

Quiet day here (for a change), so I thought I'd humour myself with a few observations about our mighty "leader":

1. As the architect and driver of the revised PFI initiative originally proposed by the conservatives, saddled the country with a bill of £170bn which must be paid by 2032. Without having to include the figure as part of the public sector balance sheet.
2. Managed to keep the £780bn public pensions deficit off the books, even though this is equivalent to over £30,000 per household and must be paid out of future tax receipts. Estimates of this deficit have now been increased to over £1trillion.
3. Sold the UK’s gold reserves at the bottom of the market ignoring expert advice not to.
4. Missed virtually every financial growth target announced in each successive budget without so much as a murmur from the press.
5. Successfully achieved the goal of becoming prime minister without going through the inconvenience of being elected by the people. This in spite of an undertaking by his predecessor to serve a full term after repeated polls showed that a labour party led by Brown would lose the election.
6. Twice shifted the timing of the ‘economic cycle’ in order that the so called “golden rule” would not be missed, resulting in a brazen massaging of the figures.
7. Introduced more stealth taxes than any other chancellor in history, equivalent to an extra 10p in the Pound on the basic rate of tax (source: Grant Thornton).
8. Introduced ‘green taxes’ in the full and certain knowledge that any revenues gained were not destined to be invested in green initiatives. Yet another successful stealth tax to add to the collection.
9. Was party to the sell out of the UK’s sovereignty to an unaccountable foreign ‘parliament’, in spite of a manifesto promise to allow the public to decide through a referendum.
10. Weakened the union and in the process, and ensured that his countrymen received more money per head than those in England and Wales.
11. Successfully managed to dupe the press into believing that he was an iron chancellor driven by prudence, when in fact he was a spendthrift.
12. Managed, without any consideration of the irony, to lecture people on their level of borrowings, whilst building up nearly £500bn of debt on the governments own ‘credit card’. If other recent liabilities are taken into account, this figure would rise substantially over £1trillion.
13. Introduced and supported a complicated tax credit programme that has managed to lose £2bn every year through fraud and errors.
14. Left the taxpayer saddled with £1.7bn of Metronet’s debt having been the person that pushed through the Private Public Partnership initiative for the London Underground.
15. Managed to convince the public that local authorities were responsible for the doubling of council tax. Meanwhile he was actually placing responsibility for all additional services firmly with the local councils.
16. Camouflaged the inflation rate by changing the measurement from RPI to CPI.
17. Underwritten £17bn of debt for Network Rail, without having to include it on the public balance sheet.
18. Survived the embarrassment of claiming in March 2006 that 31,000 government employees had been trimmed off the payroll, whilst the Office for National Statistics claimed one month later, that the headcount had actually increased by 62,000 a difference of 93,000!
19. Managed to introduce such a complex set of rules and regulations, designed to extract maximum tax take that the annual Finance Act (summary of tax changes in the budget) has increased from 300 pages or so in the 1980’s to over 10,000.
20. At a time when businesses are struggling and people are having to tighten their belts, presided over a government that boasts some 78 acres of empty space in office buildings and grace and favour homes.
21. Managed to push another 3.5m people into the higher income tax bracket, using a favoured trick of ‘fiscal drag’, where the tax threshold is raised more slowly than earnings are rising, so that workers end up paying a higher proportion of their income in tax.
22. Ensured that there are now twice as many tax collectors as there are nurses, demonstrating firmly where the government’s priorities lie.
23. Masterfully convinced people that they are “better off under Labour” even though each family now pays more than £5,000 in extra tax, compared to 1997.

I think I'll vote labour. Not.

[Foxy Moron]

Where did you paste that from?

If you want some meaningful debate post it on a Labour forum. On here it's like Lions discussing how they like meat.

[Cyberman]

Quiet day here (for a change), so I thought I'd humour myself with a few observations about our mighty "leader":

1. As the architect and driver of the revised PFI initiative originally proposed by the conservatives, saddled the country with a bill of £170bn which must be paid by 2032. Without having to include the figure as part of the public sector balance sheet.
2. Managed to keep the £780bn public pensions deficit off the books, even though this is equivalent to over £30,000 per household and must be paid out of future tax receipts. Estimates of this deficit have now been increased to over £1trillion.
3. Sold the UK’s gold reserves at the bottom of the market ignoring expert advice not to.
4. Missed virtually every financial growth target announced in each successive budget without so much as a murmur from the press.
5. Successfully achieved the goal of becoming prime minister without going through the inconvenience of being elected by the people. This in spite of an undertaking by his predecessor to serve a full term after repeated polls showed that a labour party led by Brown would lose the election.
6. Twice shifted the timing of the ‘economic cycle’ in order that the so called “golden rule” would not be missed, resulting in a brazen massaging of the figures.
7. Introduced more stealth taxes than any other chancellor in history, equivalent to an extra 10p in the Pound on the basic rate of tax (source: Grant Thornton).
8. Introduced ‘green taxes’ in the full and certain knowledge that any revenues gained were not destined to be invested in green initiatives. Yet another successful stealth tax to add to the collection.
9. Was party to the sell out of the UK’s sovereignty to an unaccountable foreign ‘parliament’, in spite of a manifesto promise to allow the public to decide through a referendum.
10. Weakened the union and in the process, and ensured that his countrymen received more money per head than those in England and Wales.
11. Successfully managed to dupe the press into believing that he was an iron chancellor driven by prudence, when in fact he was a spendthrift.
12. Managed, without any consideration of the irony, to lecture people on their level of borrowings, whilst building up nearly £500bn of debt on the governments own ‘credit card’. If other recent liabilities are taken into account, this figure would rise substantially over £1trillion.
13. Introduced and supported a complicated tax credit programme that has managed to lose £2bn every year through fraud and errors.
14. Left the taxpayer saddled with £1.7bn of Metronet’s debt having been the person that pushed through the Private Public Partnership initiative for the London Underground.
15. Managed to convince the public that local authorities were responsible for the doubling of council tax. Meanwhile he was actually placing responsibility for all additional services firmly with the local councils.
16. Camouflaged the inflation rate by changing the measurement from RPI to CPI.
17. Underwritten £17bn of debt for Network Rail, without having to include it on the public balance sheet.
18. Survived the embarrassment of claiming in March 2006 that 31,000 government employees had been trimmed off the payroll, whilst the Office for National Statistics claimed one month later, that the headcount had actually increased by 62,000 a difference of 93,000!
19. Managed to introduce such a complex set of rules and regulations, designed to extract maximum tax take that the annual Finance Act (summary of tax changes in the budget) has increased from 300 pages or so in the 1980’s to over 10,000.
20. At a time when businesses are struggling and people are having to tighten their belts, presided over a government that boasts some 78 acres of empty space in office buildings and grace and favour homes.
21. Managed to push another 3.5m people into the higher income tax bracket, using a favoured trick of ‘fiscal drag’, where the tax threshold is raised more slowly than earnings are rising, so that workers end up paying a higher proportion of their income in tax.
22. Ensured that there are now twice as many tax collectors as there are nurses, demonstrating firmly where the government’s priorities lie.
23. Masterfully convinced people that they are “better off under Labour” even though each family now pays more than £5,000 in extra tax, compared to 1997.

I think I'll vote labour. Not.

... but the majority will IMO because their 'wealth' depends on benefits and public service jobs. As I will be drawing my pension I don't really care, to be honest.

[BrilloPad]

Does not prove that the Torys would be any better.

[FSM with Cheddar]

Where did you paste that from?

On here it's like Lions discussing how they like meat.

Still mooing!

Good post PM-Junkie

[Cyberman]

Does not prove that the Torys would be any better.

Tories are better if you are a worker and want a growing economy, and Labour are better if you are a scrounger and don't care what happens to the economy as long as you get your weekly benefits.

[minestrone]

Quiet day here (for a change), so I thought I'd humour myself with a few observations about our mighty "leader":

Weakened the union and in the process, and ensured that his countrymen received more money per head than those in England and Wales.I think I'll vote labour. Not.

We make a shed load more money for England than the English per head due to our oil revenue, away and pick on the Welsh.

[sasguru]

Any Labour forums we could holiday on?

[Foxy Moron]

Tories are better if you are a worker and want a growing economy, and Labour are better if you are a scrounger and don't care what happens to the economy as long as you get your weekly benefits.

Being a scrounger is not affected by who is in power

[ace00]

Quiet day here (for a change), so I thought I'd humour myself with a few observations about our mighty "leader":

1. As the architect and driver of the revised PFI initiative originally proposed by the conservatives, saddled the country with a bill of £170bn which must be paid by 2032. Without having to include the figure as part of the public sector balance sheet.
2. Managed to keep the £780bn public pensions deficit off the books, even though this is equivalent to over £30,000 per household and must be paid out of future tax receipts. Estimates of this deficit have now been increased to over £1trillion.
3. Sold the UK’s gold reserves at the bottom of the market ignoring expert advice not to.
4. Missed virtually every financial growth target announced in each successive budget without so much as a murmur from the press.
5. Successfully achieved the goal of becoming prime minister without going through the inconvenience of being elected by the people. This in spite of an undertaking by his predecessor to serve a full term after repeated polls showed that a labour party led by Brown would lose the election.
6. Twice shifted the timing of the ‘economic cycle’ in order that the so called “golden rule” would not be missed, resulting in a brazen massaging of the figures.
7. Introduced more stealth taxes than any other chancellor in history, equivalent to an extra 10p in the Pound on the basic rate of tax (source: Grant Thornton).
8. Introduced ‘green taxes’ in the full and certain knowledge that any revenues gained were not destined to be invested in green initiatives. Yet another successful stealth tax to add to the collection.
9. Was party to the sell out of the UK’s sovereignty to an unaccountable foreign ‘parliament’, in spite of a manifesto promise to allow the public to decide through a referendum.
10. Weakened the union and in the process, and ensured that his countrymen received more money per head than those in England and Wales.
11. Successfully managed to dupe the press into believing that he was an iron chancellor driven by prudence, when in fact he was a spendthrift.
12. Managed, without any consideration of the irony, to lecture people on their level of borrowings, whilst building up nearly £500bn of debt on the governments own ‘credit card’. If other recent liabilities are taken into account, this figure would rise substantially over £1trillion.
13. Introduced and supported a complicated tax credit programme that has managed to lose £2bn every year through fraud and errors.
14. Left the taxpayer saddled with £1.7bn of Metronet’s debt having been the person that pushed through the Private Public Partnership initiative for the London Underground.
15. Managed to convince the public that local authorities were responsible for the doubling of council tax. Meanwhile he was actually placing responsibility for all additional services firmly with the local councils.
16. Camouflaged the inflation rate by changing the measurement from RPI to CPI.
17. Underwritten £17bn of debt for Network Rail, without having to include it on the public balance sheet.
18. Survived the embarrassment of claiming in March 2006 that 31,000 government employees had been trimmed off the payroll, whilst the Office for National Statistics claimed one month later, that the headcount had actually increased by 62,000 a difference of 93,000!
19. Managed to introduce such a complex set of rules and regulations, designed to extract maximum tax take that the annual Finance Act (summary of tax changes in the budget) has increased from 300 pages or so in the 1980’s to over 10,000.
20. At a time when businesses are struggling and people are having to tighten their belts, presided over a government that boasts some 78 acres of empty space in office buildings and grace and favour homes.
21. Managed to push another 3.5m people into the higher income tax bracket, using a favoured trick of ‘fiscal drag’, where the tax threshold is raised more slowly than earnings are rising, so that workers end up paying a higher proportion of their income in tax.
22. Ensured that there are now twice as many tax collectors as there are nurses, demonstrating firmly where the government’s priorities lie.
23. Masterfully convinced people that they are “better off under Labour” even though each family now pays more than £5,000 in extra tax, compared to 1997.

I think I'll vote labour. Not.

Yeh, but apart from that, what's he done wrong?