What is John Prescott actually for ?

[Quillan]

I don't like casinos either. I lost ten dollars in 1972 when I had a go in the states. Nobody goes and drags these people off to casinos they go of their own free choice. As for personal debt well it can't go on, it should never have got to where it is. This is where I predicted a few years back it will go wrong. Most of the debt is not mortgage debt but it is secured on property. I read somewhere a month or two back that houses are being sold to recover these forms of debt and at quite an alarming rate. The problem is they are not mortgage repossessions so don't count in the stats.

My prediction was that people are borrowing more and more and moving from one lender to another (just like they did with interest free credit cards)and we all know there are loads of them, just watch the TV adverts. The credit companies are slowing down on the old 'move you money to our credit card and get interest free for a year' and people are finding that they are having to pay over 20% interest on their credit card debts hence they take on these secured loans. It's got to reach a stage where these loans will balloon and then it will go bang. House prices will tumble because the loan companies have no interest in anything other than getting their money back so are quite happy to under sell the houses. There will be a housing glut and the prices will tumble further BUT as I said they won't be mortgage repossessions so the emerging trend won't be talked about or spotted (the official house repossession list is issued by mortgage companies). This will lead to a massive increase in inflation and the UK will go t*ts up like before with high interest rates and unemployment. The government’s responsibility to the rest of the population is to slow down these loan companies and make them more accountable. Anyway I really hope I have got it totally wrong but I just can't help thinking about it every time I see one of those adverts on the TV.

JP will then have to build even more 'affordable' housing to accomodate those that have lost their homes due to bad debt, just to get back on track that is.

[Missy]

[quote user="Ab"]I SAW A COMMENT THAT HIS SECRETARY SHOULD SUE SPECSAVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

 

and Pauline, his wife, was mightily relieved to have such a weight off her chest!! [:D]

[ali-cat]

That is a mental picture, I could have done without!!! [:-))]

[Harley]

I think I am going to be sick.................................[+o(]

[Hoddy]

Oh dear. That's reminded me of Nicholas Soames' former mistress who said that her encounters with him were like being fallen on by a wardrobe with the key still in the door.

Sorry.

Hoddy

[Viv]

[quote user="Hoddy"]Oh dear. That's reminded me of Nicholas Soames' former mistress who said that her encounters with him were like being fallen on by a wardrobe with the key still in the door. Sorry. Hoddy[/quote]

 

urgh! [+o(]

Well after his visit to the Ranch he might do it with his boots on!

I wonder if they managed to get a stetson that didn't ruin the missus' hair do?

 

[Quillan]

Does he have two horses? There something a bit nicer, almost native American about Johnny two horse instead of Johnny two jags.

Who was it who used to like doing it in Chelsea football gear a few years back?

Somebody asked the other day to name a minimum of three honest 20^th century English politicians. All I could come up with was Tony Benn, John Smith, Enoc Powell and Cyril Smith all of whom failed to become PM. Seems all honesty does is put you on the back bench.

I was thinking about Dicks comments about a certain education minister, should we really allow politicians to play with education and health. I know of very few who could actually run their own life let alone such import things as these and I’m talking any party. Perhaps we should leave schools to be run by teachers and hospitals by doctors and nurses, you know, people who actually do know what they are doing.

Somebody told me that idea was silly, look at the water situation; we never had leaks when it was nationalised. I think the only leaks we didn’t have then were from the government telling us half our water was disappearing through leaks if you get my drift.

We could save a fortune, burn all politicians at the stake and bring back sovereign rule, well old Lizzy has seen a few governments come and go in her time; she must have the knack by now. We would only have to pay for the Royal Family (which won’t cost any more than we pay already) think of all those MP salaries and expenses we would be saving. Tesco’s could buy the Houses of Parliament and turn it into a Tesco Metro or we could turn it in to a theme park (wonder what name we could give it).

 

[Miki]

Well at this point I expect someone else might feel like I do, peed off with gutter politics once again rearing its head !

Some one says they do not know more than a few honest politicians. Well

I have spoken with quite a  few  members from all parties

(some quite well known) for the last 10 years when in the UK and I have

learned more from a family member and his friends and assocaites in

those kind of places, than I learned in the last 40 plus years. 

How many politicians can they name, let alone judge their honesty ?

Quite right out of many hundreds (nay thousands over his lifetime) he

knew barely anyone but a few well lnown names. He missed probably the

most honest MP,  the Beast of Bolsova...one  Dennis Skinner

Now you might say, SO ! Well to put it bluntly, in 1997 I was lucky (or

unlucky) enough to meet several new MP's of all 3 parties and I can say

now, that all that I met, told me the same thing and from their answers

and their body manner, all more or less said they stood, as they were

there to become honest parliamentarians and to help change things. I

also met some that won and were there as it had long been there

ambition and their life's work to enter the Commons. Sure, things

change but the point is...we can all glibly mock but how many of you

have any knowledge of actual everyday politics. Very few, I would think

but fair enough, so now my guess is for those that live in the UK, it

is the Murdoch press that one probably relies on... and for those in

France, well what do you read to get information ? Now for most

everyday matters I too, like the majority of you, have little or no way

of knowing but for many  really important matters, I  have a

few who will know the facts, without the slant the red tops will be all

too happy to influence you with and looking at many of these posts, I

applaud them, they have done a very  good job.

Make no mistake, I have no love for John Prescott, I believe he has

lost his way and is like a fish out of water in the new mode Labour

Party but  I have even less respect for those that childishly call

him names and say they wonder what he does. What do you think he does

?  You don't know of course but hey, we can say he does sod all

because we know sod all ourselves but still, all the others are saying

it, so I will as well. Don't forget to mention Blair and spell it

Bliar, that's a good one, puts you in the club for folks who think they

might actually be the first to spell it like that !!

Why not write to him ? On second thoughts, you would not believe the

reply and there lies the rub, at the end of the day, it is once again,

as is normal, simply  a case of showing displeasure at the party

one does not like. And so, election time, those in France, get

registered  to  vote and get them out, that will change your

life here immensely.......what does make me laugh though, is how so

many say I ain't going back, I am here to stay...well to them, get over the UK, thats for others in the UK to worry about, is it not ? And now get on with French politics...oops forgot, one chap who isn't going back

and been here a while, doesn't even know where to get a fishing licence

and that is among one of the easiest thing to do in France, (I take it,

if it is OK to take a pop at someone who is unable to reply, then it

must be OK to say that to someone who can) so to those folks, what

chance understanding French politics....read a red top, thats more than

sufficient to know all about British politics but not enough to

understand French politics, so easy way out, every time !

[quote]Tony Benn, John Smith, Enoc Powell and Cyril Smith all of whom failed

to become PM. Seems all honesty does is put you on the back bench.[/quote]

Tony Benn ?  John Smith died in 1994 when he was in the running at

the next election and may well have carried it off, Enoch

Powell......jeepers even taking the racist element out, which was

always misquoted anyway, well apart from a few times, especially when he

said that Birmingham was in danger of becoming a black colony, he was

not much of a politician in many things in reality. Cyril Smith, well

the odds on him  ever being PM was million to one for obvious

reasons...Politics is obviously not your strong point, still that

shouldn't stop anyone from an opinion, however poor ones knowledgeon

the subject actually is !

[quote] I know of very few who could actually run their own life let

alone such import things as these and I’m talking any party.[/quote]

Classic sentence............but do you actually know an MP and can you

name the few who could run their own lives? There are over 650 MP's in

the commons and you state

you know of very few.  Strange quote really and a shot in the dark which missed by a mile !

For many, it is not the cost of the Royal Family that grates, just

having said family and the umpteen hangers on should be shot, MP's at

least go to work for their salaries (in

general)..............................

As for the water.................I totally agree and any power, such as

gas and electric, should be in the public domain not down to some

shareholders concerned only with a dividends and juicy profits.

[Benjamin]

Oo..er,I think I can taste bile.

Benjamin

[Miki]

[quote user="Benjamin"]Oo..er,I think I can taste bile.

Benjamin

[/quote]

Been overdoing it a bit then.................lay off the 9 euro menus for a while !

[Benjamin]

And there's me thinking I should be safe after they put it up to 9,30 euros.

Benjamin

[Miki]

'Fraid not, same mush, more dosh...................same result......

[Norman]

Miki wrote:

"in 1997 I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet several new MP's of all 3 parties and I can say now, that all that I met, told me the same thing and from their answers and their body manner, all more or less said they stood, as they were there to become honest parliamentarians and to help change things. I also met some that won and were there as it had long been there ambition and their life's work to enter the Commons."

Don`t they all say that at the begining? would`nt do much for there case if they said otherwise. So after 9 years what`s the verdict, have they remained true to their word?

Miki wrote:

"and for those in France, well what do you read to get information ?"

For british politics I tend to listen to the "Today" programme on radio 4, if only to hear a proper robust interview, unlike the "softy, don`t ask too many difficult questions or I`ll sue the arse off you" type journalism you get over here.

If people think politicians are dishonest in the UK then the world of french politics is going to give you nightmares!

Miki wrote:

Why not write to him ? On second thoughts, you would not believe the reply and there lies the rub, at the end of the day, it is once again, as is normal, simply  a case of showing displeasure at the party one does not like.

I think that`s fair enough, if your goverment is`nt doing what you thought it said it would do or you don`t like where it`s taking you and your country, then I think you still have the right to moan. It`s something we do quite well.... non?

Miki wrote:

what does make me laugh though, is how so many say I ain't going back, I am here to stay...well to them, get over the UK, thats for others in the UK to worry about, is it not ? And now get on with French politics..

I agree, but with only a right to vote at municipal level we don`t have much of a say, and I wonder sometimes just how many expats can even be bothered to do that. If our local communauté des communes is anything to go by, you`d be hard pressed to find a bigger sack of squirmy weasels.

Norman.

[Miki]

Norman,

[quote] Don`t they all say that at the begining? would`nt do much for there

case if they said otherwise. So after 9 years what`s the verdict, have

they remained true to their word?[/quote]

Well that part is not as straight forward as it might be read. Not all

were Labour MP's, so a little more difficult to know how they are doing

on that front now. For the Labourites, not really had any real feedback

to know the fuller picture BUT, the point I was making, was that many

prospective MP's, especially those that gain seats in landslide

victories and who entered the political arena with more hope than

certainty, will have, for the greater part, wished to enter the commons

to make a difference to peoples lives and truly believe that. So in

that vein, you will in general, have people with honesty hopefully

etched in their future political lives. What happens later will depend

on many things but for that period in their life, hope and honesty is

high on their agenda. I, of course as you are, fully aware of those

that wish to follow someones footsteps and become an MP as a way of

life right from Uni (or wherever), it is those that really ought to

have done a job in the "real world" (horrible phrase but perhaps

correct in this meaning)  before entering politics. I find that

theyw ill know all the correct words to say at interviews and for the

press and yes, the first words are as you state, to make that vital

difference...sometimes, I am sure you can see the honesty in their eyes

and sometimes you can just hear the oft repeated

message.....................

[quote]If people think politicians are dishonest in the UK then the

world of french politics is going to give you nightmares![/quote]

And that's it, sure we cannot vote in the "general" elections but we

can try to understand more, rather than continiously hark on about the

right, left and centre politics (sorry, of course I meant the shades of

centre !!) in the UK. We too (as I have mentioned on more than one

occasion) have seen Mayors and councils

that have taken a few liberties here and indeed with one Mayor, it was

delight to see him get the order of the boot at the ballot box, which

of course, as long as we meet the requirements, participate in!

[quote]If our local communauté des communes is anything to go by, you`d

be hard pressed to find a bigger sack of squirmy weasels[/quote]

[:)] [:)][:)] Think I kind of get the picture and been there !!

[Norman]

"For the Labourites, not really had any real feedback

to know the fuller picture BUT, the point I was making, was that many

prospective MP's, especially those that gain seats in landslide

victories and who entered the political arena with more hope than

certainty, will have, for the greater part, wished to enter the commons

to make a difference to peoples lives and truly believe that."

I`m sure that`s very true, but I think what we see all to often is after a certain amount of time with their feet under the table, that initial wish gets somewhat diluted and instead of wanting to change the world it turns into a damage limitation exercise, and for me some of the worst culprits are not polititians but civil servants.

Writing that, my thoughts fill immediately with images of Humphrey (Yes Minister), great stuff if only it was`nt so blimin true ;)

Norman.

[Miki]

True of course but it does not make them dishonest does it, powerless

perhaps, dishonest, absolutely not. And that was the judgement on  All MP's but a few.

I have known a few civil servants and here's the real crack, one of Mr P's circle of 

civil servants is very well known to us and he has some stories, not

all bad but not all good of course either (allegedly of course !!).

Yes Minister was certainly a very good pointer to what happens....made us and perhaps more importantly, the friend laugh !!

[Quillan]

I remember listening to Tony Benn on the old Jimmy Young program, I never really had much time for the man before that as I considered him extremely left wing but he said a few things that seemed quite sensible. The reason for being on the JY prog was to promote his one man show where he was travelling round the country, sitting on a stage and just talking about politics. As I said I found what he said interesting and decided to go and see his show.

He sat on a chair with a flask of tea and just chatted. The thing I most liked was what he said about politicians in general which ties in with what Norman said. Basically he said that the public were in a state of apathy with regards to politicians and whilst in the elections the parties would say there was a good turnout and could present figures (turnout percentages) to prove this what they didn’t count were the amount people who were entitled to vote but did not bother to register on the electoral role because basically they could no longer be bothered. If you added them in to the calculation then the actual percentage voting was very small.

The question he then asked was why was this and then went on to explain why in his mind it happened. He felt that many MP’s had ‘lost their way’. The new ‘breed’ of MP’s who for example went to university to study politics were wildly out of touch with people on the street and in Labours case with the working class. They had forgotten that their job is to represent their constituents and not always to vote how they morally felt they should vote.

To ‘dumb down’ a politicians job he likened it to trade unions (you can’t all fit in a room with the boss to negotiate pay and conditions) and explained that we can’t all fit in to the house of commons so we elect somebody to speak for us. Now of course MP’s are normally members of a party and a party has a manifesto of things they are going to do. As he said you should vote for the person whose parties manifesto you like. The problem comes when things happen that are important and not in the manifesto like the Gulf War (the first one). He said that basically it was not up to what the MP felt, it was what his constituents wanted and if they overwhelmingly indicated they didn’t want the UK involved he should have voted against it and likewise the other way round. As Benn said we can’t have a referendum for everything outside the norm so that’s why we have MP’s to speak for us and represent our views. How do they know what we want? They go round knocking on doors and asking, just like they did when they pleaded for our votes.

His contention was that MP’s rather looked down on those that vote them in and once in they tend to ignore their constituents wants and needs.

I actually think he is quite and actually it’s getting worse. I think some enter politics (as has been said) full of good intentions but they quickly, or at least appear to, go out of the window. People ‘on the street’ as has been proved in polls and demonstrations never did and do not want our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan yet they are. The politicians have ignored the peoples wish’s and wants yet again without any explanation or worst have fed them a sting of lies. Only today MP’s have returned from Afghanistan and said what a wonderful job our soldiers are doing ‘on a shoe string’. Why on a shoe string, if we don’t have the kit why put these guys life in danger in a place where they should not really be but then that’s another issue.

And of course there’s always the real big controversial questions, why can’t we have a referendum on bringing back capital punishment (with or without limitations) and also one for pulling out of Northern Island and Iraq. The answer is because the politicians think we are to stupid and can’t possibly understand the reasons why we don’t have or do any of these things. It’s best left to them to decide because they know and we don’t. Not to mention that there’s a slight possibility that we would vote to bring back hanging, pull out of Northern Island and Iraq if we did have a referendum. I’m sure people will say I’m being stupid, well as somebody said we are all entitled to our opinions and a vote would prove me or them right or wrong and lay these things to rest but guess what, we aren’t allowed to. We could also add to the list Scottish MP’s voting in an English parliament and a few other things that do not appear to be in any parties manifest.

As for voting in France, I signed up after the first year of being here. You can vote for the mayor and Prefectorial representatives but not for a ‘MP’ or president but as they (mayor etc) are the people that are most likely to effect your day to day living that seems fair to me. I was told we can vote for our French MEP as well but I don’t know if that’s true. To sign up go to your mayors office and there is a form called Liste Electorales Complémentaires (Modéle A2E)  CERFA 20 3250, fill this in. take it back to your mayors office, get it stamped and keep the pink copy.

Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister has been re-run on Sky recently, still very good entertainment and very funny.

[Renaud]

Food for thought, Quillan.

Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister now seem to relate to a lost age. Sadly, I think The thick of it, as more accurate of this government.

[WendyG]

Has anyone read Tuesday and Wednesday Daily Express?  It would appear that he has now brought in powers to local authorities to take over anyone's empty house together with its contents in the UK if it has been empty for more than 6 months!

 

[Hoddy]

Here's a more balanced report of what is proposed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4364184.stm

Hoddy

[Russethouse]

 I'm trying to get my head around Lord Levy being arrested and also the Nat West three, plus the guy who commited suicide.

It all seems very odd.[8-)]

[WendyG]

Thanks for info but unable to get site up - keeps saying unavailable.

[Deimos]

 Squatting is a great problem, even more so when done by councils and governments. It is a sorry state of affairs when the government no longer respects rights of ownership. It is a reflection of how "out-of-control" the UK government really is. To just take somebodies house because they are not using it.

And why are holiday homes and second homes exempt ? I would have thought these are ideal candidates.

I would be interesting to see what happens when it is the councils themselves that own such houses (as happened several years back in Oxford).

Ian

[Viv]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

 I'm trying to get my head around Lord Levy being arrested and also the Nat West three, plus the guy who commited suicide.

It all seems very odd.[8-)]

[/quote]

I may have misheard this, but has the police officer that arrested Lord Levy been called to tell Parliamentary Standard body, why the arrest was made?

If that is right, then it seems totally wrong to me when there is an ongoing criminal investigation into the possible misconduct of MPs. Let the police do their job without fear nor favour.

[Russethouse]

Ian Mc Cartney and Lord Sainsbury were questioned this morning, but not arrested. There are accusations that the Levy arrest was a publicity seeking act on behalf of the police.

From what I read yesterday the bankers may have been very good at PR. Their guilt or innocence isn't really the question, its more why are we letting them be extradited under an agreement that the country requesting the extradition hasn't even rattified yet.?