The Politics Thread

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

That's understandable giving the massive government subsidies the south receives these days.

Again, the way you use the word 'subsidy' strikes me as being not terribly accurate, but never mind.


I do wonder sometimes about the idea that the financial crash was caused by pampered southern spivs. Northern Rock, the first bank to be nationalised during the crash, had its headquarters in Tyneside. Bradford &Bingley, which came second, is based in Yorkshire. The biggest bailout of them all was for the Royal Bank of Scotland based in.... Edinburgh.

[Bijou Bob]

That's understandable giving the massive government subsidies the south receives these days.

Again, the way you use the word 'subsidy' strikes me as being not terribly accurate, but never mind.


I do wonder sometimes about the idea that the financial crash was caused by pampered southern spivs. Northern Rock, the first bank to be nationalised during the crash, had its headquarters in Tyneside. Bradford &Bingley, which came second, is based in Yorkshire. The biggest bailout of them all was for the Royal Bank of Scotland based in.... Edinburgh.

All of who employed pampered Southern spivs working in the Big Smoke.........................

[Lost Leopard Spot]

That's understandable giving the massive government subsidies the south receives these days.

Again, the way you use the word 'subsidy' strikes me as being not terribly accurate, but never mind.


I do wonder sometimes about the idea that the financial crash was caused by pampered southern spivs. Northern Rock, the first bank to be nationalised during the crash, had its headquarters in Tyneside. Bradford &Bingley, which came second, is based in Yorkshire. The biggest bailout of them all was for the Royal Bank of Scotland based in.... Edinburgh.

All of who employed pampered Southern spivs working in the Big Smoke.........................

Well, to be fair... not quite

"Adam J. Applegarth (born August 1962 in Sunderland, England)[1] was the Chief Executive Officer of the Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne based Northern Rock bank, one of the first victims of the so-called subprime mortgage crisis. The bank was subsequently nationalised[2]

The son of a music and drama teacher, he attended Sedbergh School and Durham University, where he read Mathematics and Economics.[1] He joined Northern Rock in October 1983 as a graduate trainee, becoming General Manager in 1993, joining the Board of Directors in 1996 and being appointed Chief Executive in 2001 at the age of 39 and remained in this position till he left the bank in December 2007"

[Bruce Rioja]

he attended Sedbergh School and Durham University, where he read Mathematics and Economics.

Just not very well, that's all.

[Lord Kangana]

That's understandable giving the massive government subsidies the south receives these days.

Again, the way you use the word 'subsidy' strikes me as being not terribly accurate, but never mind.


I do wonder sometimes about the idea that the financial crash was caused by pampered southern spivs. Northern Rock, the first bank to be nationalised during the crash, had its headquarters in Tyneside. Bradford &Bingley, which came second, is based in Yorkshire. The biggest bailout of them all was for the Royal Bank of Scotland based in.... Edinburgh.

What context would you like me to use then?

There isn't a serious economist in this country who doesn't consider Quantitative Easing to be a subsidy to London and the South East.

What about capital projects (taxpayer funded, naturally) in the lifetime of this parliament? Yes, thats right, the rest of the country put together gets the same as London. The Civil Service? Overwhelmingly it sucks the highly-paid jobs in to London. Public transport in London is publicly owned.

I could go on and on and on and on at length about all the money that Government directly and indirectly siphons into London and the South East, but I don't really understand why you should complain about it, if you work there, you benefit.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Is it out of proportion with the tax revenues raised in the south?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Is it out of proportion with the tax revenues raised in the south?

Yes.

[Lord Kangana]

Is it out of proportion with the tax revenues raised in the south?

Well, let me see, if the Government has its most highly paid jobs in London, that obviously proves the higher income tax they pay to justify their jobs?

Please tell me thats not the basis of your argument?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Is it out of proportion with the tax revenues raised in the south?

Well, let me see, if the Government has its most highly paid jobs in London, that obviously proves the higher income tax they pay to justify their jobs?

Please tell me thats not the basis of your argument?

I wasn't really talking about that element of what you have said - more the capital projects bit.

Personally I think it takes a slightly warped mind to conceive of having your top civil service jobs in your capital city as a 'subsidy' for that region, but there you go.

[Lord Kangana]

Why is that warped? And what purpose does it serve to have them there, instead of elsewhere?

Besides which, if you are pumping money into the South East through capital projects it makes perfect sense that tax revenues will be higher. Its a nonsense to conclude that that is because London generates that money in the first place, and therefore they are in balance.

[bwfcdan94]

ahhh.. i see... no - I don't think so (I'm not a tweeter!) I was responding to you because it seemed from your "floor is yours" response to Pru that you were endorsing Hannan's comment. maybe I'm wrong and you actually don't think Hannan's comment is true?

[/quote]

See at your age Bish that is expected at my age it is something to be ashamed off like having rabies mind you Faecesbook and sh**ter.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Why is that warped? And what purpose does it serve to have them there, instead of elsewhere?

Besides which, if you are pumping money into the South East through capital projects it makes perfect sense that tax revenues will be higher. Its a nonsense to conclude that that is because London generates that money in the first place, and therefore they are in balance.

Don't countries just work better if government, civil service etc are all in one place? Are there any notable examples anywhere in the world in which the top civil service jobs are not in the same place as the Government?

As for the second point, I don't think it is nonsense - more infrastructure in London is needed because more goes on here. It's not like we've set it up the other way round and designed an artificial hub from scratch, like Brasilia or Canberra or something.

[Lord Kangana]

Its a hollow excuse for further infrastructure spending whilst other areas of the country are starved of funding. We as taxpayers all pay for Government, but the size and scale of its spending in London provides a financial safety net and economic stimulus that the rest of the country must do without. It creates a false demand, and therefore a very false superiority complex.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Its a hollow excuse for further infrastructure spending whilst other areas of the country are starved of funding. We as taxpayers all pay for Government, but the size and scale of its spending in London provides a financial safety net and economic stimulus that the rest of the country must do without. It creates a false demand, and therefore a very false superiority complex.

I'm not a partisan Londoner - I can just see that you need the most infrastructure to move people about in the places where there is the most need for it. If you crammed onto London transport like a sardine every morning like I do, you'd say that transport provision down here does not seem extravagant in relation to the need. I find that people from elsewhere in the country are shocked by the lack of physical dignity that getting about down here can involve, when they make their occasional trips here.

[bwfcdan94]

Which brings to the point that given that the World Wide Web is the main form of communication nowadays that jobs should be spread evenly throughout the country so that the tube was not full and so that grants could be spread evenly throughout of Britain. Ok it would involve a huge amount of upheaval but in 15 - 20 years it could be done.

[Lord Kangana]

On the contrary, I think the transport system in London is far superior to the rest of the country. When was the last time you had the need to use integrated public transport as a necessity outside the capital? Ask bish about it round his way....

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

On the contrary, I think the transport system in London is far superior to the rest of the country. When was the last time you had the need to use integrated public transport as a necessity outside the capital? Ask bish about it round his way....

But this is exactly what I'm saying - transport has to respond to population density and density of activity.

Those people who have comfortable 30 minute drives to work in other parts of the country would not envy my commute, I am sure.

[Lord Kangana]

Comfortable 30 miute drives? Where are they?

[Bruce Rioja]

Comfortable 30 miute drives? Where are they?

[bwfcdan94]

On the contrary, I think the transport system in London is far superior to the rest of the country. When was the last time you had the need to use integrated public transport as a necessity outside the capital? Ask bish about it round his way....

But this is exactly what I'm saying - transport has to respond to population density and density of activity.

Those people who have comfortable 30 minute drives to work in other parts of the country would not envy my commute, I am sure.

TBF my dad worked in London for 20 years and Crayons is right it would have some of you resigning in a week.