Comments on: Is Britain going bankrupt? Inside the DMO

By: b.wightman

b.wightman — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:11:10 +0000

if we get back to basics and be prepared for radical action we can deal with a few problems at once
it is not efficient use of taxpayers money to be forever paying off interest on the buy today pay tomorrow doings of consecutive governments
we have more going out than we have coming in and it is the opposite in international trade
there is so much we can do to reverse these trends but that requires cooperation and not bickering between the liblab con
a forlorn hope perhaps or do we just plod on for another 50 years until the wealth of the country is completely drained?

By: Edwin White

Edwin White — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:10:51 +0000

What, in your opinion is the future of the British Pound in relation (exchange rate) to the US dollar and the Euro within the next 12 months?

By: Anthony Martin

Anthony Martin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:59:04 +0000

‘Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round…’ But greedy corrupt people make it stop.

By: jim smith

jim smith — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:38:43 +0000

To Faisal Islam: I am hearing rumours about the high level of the euro from people who have contact with hedge fund managers who are saying that when the dreadful state of Austria’s finances are made public the value of the euro will hit the floor. As soon-to-be ex-pat in france I have a vested interest in the strength of the pound against the euro. Is this something that Faisal is aware of?…and perhaps he might investigate it with his contacts among hedge fund managers?

By: asproclear

asproclear — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:27:06 +0000

Yes, you could go on, but would it add anything?

In your focus on the apparent costs or benefits of Identity Cards which, for the record, I do not oppose other than that I still await to see any Minister hold an open and honest debate about how they would be used and paid for, you have not yet addressed my wider – and, frankly, more important, economic points about how to start building a truly sustainable economic recovery – social, economic and environmental.

If you can do that you deserve to be elected to the next House of Commons – should you wish that.

Good luck and regards,

asproclear1

By: Vespasian

Vespasian — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:18:19 +0000

Asproclear – how does cancelling ID cards save the public purse billions exactly? It’s a cost recovery system just like passports. The cost of issuing ID cards is met by the payment made by the person purchasing the card.

The cost of running the passport and ID card service over the next ten years in £5billion, but it’s all recovered from selling passports and ID cards. It’s not taxpayers money that can be spent on somethign else or somehow ’saved’ by the Government. I suppose you could propose to leave that money in the economy to be spent by individuals on other things, by sinply not issuing passports and ID cards for the next ten years, but I’m not sure you’d get anyone rational to agree with you. It’d put all our airlines, airports and travel agents out of business for a start. And anyone with a holiday home abroad and a passport that’s expired would be more than a bit annoyed with you too. I could go on….

By: asproclear

asproclear — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:01:52 +0000

Britain does not ‘need’ to run out of money.

China has been buying USA debt for years. But has this been part of the problem with the USA ignoring what is now evident – that its consumer-led spending spree was unsustainable, in all meanings of that word?

Provided the UK is happy to follow suit, and overseas nations and investors are willing to keep buying our debts, our ‘leaders’ can continue to say that ‘everything possible is being done’ to mend the economy.

That is short for: ‘Let’s get back to where we were just before the crash.’ What a prospect.

How China and other creditors will use their hold over the UK / US economies in any power-play is to be seen.

Meanwhile, the fear that Britain is bust is being used by Mr Cameron et al to talk tough about public services having to share the pain of the financial crisis.

The crisis originated in arcane sections of the private sector albeit with the collusion of government and the unwitting acceptance of pliant consumers.

When your money has run out you must start using your brain, the saying goes.

So if Britain is bust – and even if it isn’t – it’s time to review big ticket items like: ID cards; Trident, bank bailouts, PFI mortgaging of hospitals and schools, dodgy road schemes, Ministry of Defence handling of contracts etc…

I’m off to the pawnbroker.