Everyone knows that the Greek economy is in meltdown and has been for some time. Frankly it is a scandal that Greece was ever allowed into the Euro. At the time everyone knew that the figures provided could not be right, but unlike the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, there was no little boy [...]
Before I continue let me make it clear that the above is not an accusation but a genuine question, and one which I think needs to be answered urgently. By now there can be few people who have not heard that Sir Paul Stephenson, the Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police force, resigned last night. In [...]
As criticism of Tony Hayward grows and with President Obama throwing his toys out of the pram with increasing regularity, many people are wondering what this shows us about the leadership qualities – or lack thereof – of both men. But who is to blame for this disaster? This post has grown from several comments [...]
£130 Million wasted in yet another “quick fix” Labour initiative! Three years ago the Labour government announced that the UK Passport & Identity Service (part of the Home Office) had estimated that 10,000 false passports were issued every year. This was, they said, unacceptable and a new procedure which would see all new applicants face an [...]
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) next year Britain will have the biggest debt of any major economy. So much for prudent Gordon Brown. According to the IMF Britain’s budget deficit will be a horrendous £191 billion. This equates to £7,600 for every family in the UK. Not only is this much higher than [...]
Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party but not (thank goodness) the official Deputy Prime Minister, has come up with the daft idea of teaching 5-year old boys that it is wrong to be a wife-beater. Hmmm. I’d have thought that the vast majority of 5-year olds would never have come across or thought [...]
There are stunned expressions on the faces of Isle of Man politicians, civil servants and business leaders who have just read an official press statement from Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to the UK Treasury, seen here behind his political master Gordon Brown. After months, indeed years of undisguised hostility, most blatantly with Chancellor Alistair Darling’s [...]
During World War Two the Czechs and the Poles came to the rescue of Britain and ultimately of Europe, making a great contribution to the war effort. It looks like they may save us all again! There is no doubt that without Polish and Czech pilots fighting with the RAF during the Battle of Britain, [...]
So, according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, “I take full responsibility for what happened – that is why the person that was responsible went immediately.” Leaving aside the fractured English doesn’t that mean he, Gordon Brown, has resigned? Clearly not. Brown used the “S” word on TV from Glasgow, where the Cabinet was meeting. As [...]
On Wednesday of this week European politicians voted to scrap the UK’s long running opt-out from the Working Time Directive which limits the working week to an average of 48 hours. Despite the wishes of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary (and former EU Commissioner (Lord) Peter Mandelson) several Labour MEPs voted to [...]
As Chancellor Mr Brown kept telling everyone how successful Britain’s economy was under his stewardship and as Prime Minister he tells us that because of him Britain is in a better position than other countries to weather the credit crunch. Not only have I never believed him but now it seems that his successor as [...]
Well what other conclusion can you come to when a senior opposition MP is arrested, held for nine hours, and has his home and offices searched by anti-terrorism Police simply for doing his job? What was his crime? Embarrassing the Labour Government! Strictly speaking Mr Green was arrested on suspicion of “conspiring to commit misconduct [...]
As small businesses struggle to obtain funds to continue in business the UK Government continue to announce initiatives which are more spin than substance. The motive for the Treasury making available £400bn of taxpayer support last month was to prevent the collapse of the banking system. Quite right too, but anyone who thinks it was [...]
Internet fraudsters are exploiting the banking meltdown by attempting to trick users into handing over details of their bank accounts. These crooks – called Phishers – set up false websites which look like the websites of real banks and send out emails trying to get people to log on to these sites and by so [...]
What can you think when you realise that the chairman of the International Business Advisory Council – charged with safeguarding London’s pre-eminence as a business centre – is about to move his own HQ to Ireland? Such is the position of Sir Martin Sorrell, head of advertising conglomerate WPP, who announced last week that he [...]
Robert Peston, the BBC’s business editor, is coming under fire for his many “scoops” which according to critics helped fuel the flames of the banking crisis and led to the collapse of Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley and HBOS. Before joining the BBC in 2006 Peston was a successful journailist working for the Financial Times, [...]
I’m not going to say too much about this sad anniversary. I met her twice, once when she came to open a new ward at a hospital on the Isle of Skye, and the other time when she attended a concert in Edinburgh. I found her an interesting and interested person. Unlike her husband, Prince [...]
Since coming to power in 1997 the British Labour Government has introduced 3,605 new offences – an average of one every day! You really have to wonder what on earth any government thinks it is doing by introducing a new criminal offence every day. Are they necessary? Are they desirable? Have they made the public [...]
The Virgin Islands were named by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage (1493) for Saint Ursula and her virgin followers. Over the next three hundred years, the islands were held by Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Denmark-Norway. The Danish West India Company settled on Saint Thomas in 1672, on Saint John in 1694, and [...]
In the early hours of 2nd August more than 100,000 Iraqi soldiers backed up by 700 tanks invaded the Gulf state of Kuwait. The Iraqi forces established a provisional government and President Saddam Hussein gave a speech in which he threatened to turn Kuwait city into a “graveyard” if any other country dared to challenge [...]
