“The Financial Jigsaw” has been serialised here and is replaced by this weekly “Letter from Great Britain.” NOTE – If anyone would like an electronic copy of the complete book, I should be pleased to email a free PDF on request to: [email protected].
Last week we had the annual government budget fiasco and as usual it was nothing to write home about. Normal stuff really, ‘the rich get richer and the poor get stuffed’ yet again. Rishi Sunak (the Chancellor) has brought down a ‘spend now, pay later’ budget that combines life support for the economy with the biggest tax increases since 1993.
The chancellor said he would “go long”– extending many pandemic support measures, including furlough, until the end of September at a cost to the Treasury of £65bn. But two years in which the budget deficit would be the highest in peacetime history meant he had no choice but to freeze personal tax allowances and raise corporation tax from 19% to 25% in one jump in 2023. “It’s going to take this country – and the whole world – a long time to recover from this extraordinary economic situation.”
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility has pencilled in a rapid bounce-back of 7.3% growth next year but even so the long-term damage from Covid-19 is expected to leave the economy 3% smaller in five years’ time than it would otherwise have been. Sunak announced that the personal tax-free allowance and higher rate threshold will be frozen from April 2022 to April 2026 instead of rising in line with inflation, bringing 1.3 million people into the tax system and creating a million higher rate taxpayers by the middle of the decade. In addition, Sunak became the first chancellor since Denis Healey in the 1970s to raise the corporation tax rate – reversing most of the cuts made by George Osborne after 2010. Business will, though, get a new “super deduction” allowing them to offset 130% of the cost of capital investment against tax.
“The chancellor [has] said he was being “honest” with the public about the need to rein in the record peacetime deficit of more than £350bn this year, but the IFS’s director said he was unconvinced that Sunak would really turn himself from “Santa into Scrooge”, with £65bn of immediate support for the pandemic-ravaged economy followed by almost £50bn of tax increases and spending cuts.
Paul Johnson, the director of the IFS, said the “spending plans in particular don’t look deliverable, at least not without considerable pain” and predicted that the government would have to spend more. “Are we really going to spend £16bn less on public services than we were planning pre-pandemic? Is the NHS really going to revert to its pre-Covid spending plans after April 2022? “In reality, there will be pressures from all sorts of directions. The NHS is perhaps the most obvious. The chancellor’s medium-term spending plans simply look implausibly low.”https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/04/tax-and-spending-experts
“Do as I say, not as I do”. A familiar imperative for most of us when we were children and it seems that governments, scientists and public health authorities are treating us plebs as naughty children who know nothing and must be dictated to by the ‘experts’. I have been sceptical about all those great and good elites who publically ‘take the vaccine’ wondering whether they were faking it. This article says it all.
“Just do a Google Search: “politicians who don’t follow the rules” and you’ll get quite a few hits — leaders who have run off to remote islands with their girlfriends during lockdowns — some who have gathered with families over the recent holidays — one in particular (in Canada) who publicly, and unashamedly, announced that government officials were exempt from the rules that the general population had to succumb to.
There have also been numerous videos and still photos of politicians and “people of import” smiling for the camera as they allegedly received their Covid-19 vaccine — where it is clearly seen the vaccination was faked — syringes with caps still on, already “fired” with plungers down, or no plunger even pressed, some with no needles attached — what a blatant expression of “we don’t have to play with the rest of you, we are special.”
It certainly seems like an unconscious (conscious?) expression of superiority seeing it was so obvious the injection of the actual vaccine was faked. Why not just inject saline if you are trying to keep a secret? It seems a clear thumbing of the nose. When Marie Antoinette arrogantly exclaimed “let them eat cake” when confronted with the suffering of her oppressed subjects she lost her head for it.
We, on this side of the fence, can hope that eventually this ruse will be exposed and the previously loyal children under the oppression of the tyrannical parents of government will turn on them in defiance and demand their heads—hopefully only metaphorically and through due process of the law.” https://off-guardian.org/2021/03/03/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/
What can we learn from the last article? It seems that everyone I meet these days keeps asking whether I have ‘had my jab’. It appears that they are rather insecure in having succumbed to the propaganda and are seeking affirmation that ‘we are all in this together’. It must be kind of reassuring for them that others are as mad as they are. When I reply in the negative, they disappear quickly looking for another common member of their cult.
Here is some sound advice from someone who knows: “Dilbert-cartoon creator Scott Adams makes this observation on page 13 of his book Loserthink: “One thing I can say with complete certainty is that it is a bad idea to trust the majority of experts in any domain in which both complexity and large amounts of money are involved.” This perfectly describes the situation with antibodies for the novel coronavirus; buyer beware, follow the money and stay tuned. https://off-guardian.org/2021/03/06/the-antibody-deception/
We have a diversion from the scamdemic this week as Harry & Megan instigate a Royal Fiasco with their interview being screened on UK TV last Monday. There are many differing views about whom, what and why but what it really comes down to is the fossilised nature of Britain’s head of state and her family.
Brits are generally very supportive of the Royals and they do sterling work as their innocent ceremonial duties give some colour to our grey and dull island – we think it is worth the expense. It’s a diversion that is welcome by most and is an integral part of Britain’s long history. IMO they have adapted to 21st century pressures as best as they could without actually falling apart.
Harry and Megan offered an impossible challenge to the status quo as a woman of colour entered the exclusive ‘firm’, as it is commonly known. History repeated as when Harry’s mother was planning to marry a Muslim all those years ago which could never be allowed to contaminate the ‘firm’ and we all know what happened to her. It seems that Megan was travelling along the same road until her loving husband, (which for Diana was AWOL), https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/08/meghan-and-harry gave up everything as he rescued her from a fate worse than death – to which she alluded during her interview.
I am sympathetic to both parties and take no sides in these explosive revelations but I am pretty sure that the prestigious royal family line could not be allowed a diversion into the 21st century ‘inclusive’ culture which of course has been dividing America ever since the first Africans arrived on their shores. Here’s what the British press are touting as they duck and dive in between. From a ‘genetic reveal’ to a secret wedding and rifts with other royal family members, there was a lot to unpack from the interview: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/08/meghan-and-prince-harry 12-things-we-learned AND here is a mix of the press reactions on Tuesday: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/09/what-have-they-done
I have to ask whether our uniquely British medieval institutions have any chance of surviving the current social trends extant today. Minorities of all kinds have been given unjustified platforms to perpetuate their impossible demands on to a silent majority thanks to a rapid expansion of technology megacorps with their leaders acting as ‘guardians’ of the current MSM narrative. It is time that the overwhelming number of sensible people eschews these technocrats and get back to the basics of living sans wokerism, me-too and the plethora alphabetic soups we continue to quietly tolerate.
Children returned to school last Monday but Boris is uncertain whether his ‘road map’ for opening up the economy can be maintained. Speaking after millions of pupils returned to schools across England on Monday, deluded Boris said the number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 each day was eight times higher than “the lows of last summer”, and reiterated that people must still follow the “stay at home” message.
“Of course, there will be a risk of increased transmission, that’s inevitable if you open up schools for millions of kids across the country. That is going to happen,” he told a Downing Street press conference.
Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical adviser for England, said infection rates remained at the same levels as in late September, even without the effect of schools returning. That was the same period when government scientists became so concerned about infection rates that the government was advised to consider a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown. Harries said although there was now a steep decline in cases and deaths, infections were still causing a “substantial strain on the NHS”.
“The case rate is still falling, it’s below 100 per 100,000 in every region across the country, but it’s not uniformly across the country,” she said. “You can see that the rate is now back where it was in the end of September. So, still quite a high level, this is a level from which a new wave could easily take off. The Brits are not off the hook yet, not by a long chalk, so mask-up: https://johnplatinumgoss.com/2021/03/09/masks-health-risk-to-children/
UK has agreed a trade deal with the EU. I will comment on the progression of this deal as it affects the UK economy.
The EU has warned it will launch legal action “very soon” following a move by the UK to unilaterally delay implementation of part of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland. The European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, said the announcement by the government on Wednesday had come as a “very negative surprise”. Britain has extended a series of “grace periods” designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods – and the UK while permanent arrangements are worked out. Šefčovič told the FT the European commission was now working on “infringement proceedings”.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/05/brexit-eu-to-launch-legal-proceedings
“Exports into the EU from the UK have been subject to controls since 1 January, but the British government decided to delay import controls until the summer to give traders time to prepare. From 1 July, however, ministers expect checks to take place at more than 30 designated border control posts (BCPs), where goods, plants and animals entering from the EU by sea, rail or air can be inspected.
“It’s obvious not all of the facilities are going to be ready; how much of it will be is still up for debate,” said Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the trade body British Ports Association (BPA). “Our frustration with government is they are not willing to share what the plan B is.”
With less than four months to go, construction has only just begun at ports including Portsmouth, Purfleet on Thames in Essex, and Killingholme on the Humber. The National Farmers Union (NFU) is warning that livestock trades could grind to a halt, because no Channel port is planning facilities to check incoming farm animals.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/07/british-ports-say-they-are-not-ready-for-brexit-customs-checks
To be continued next week.
WHY???????????
That’s rhetorical, Peter … no response expected. That’s because you could give me a hundred reasons, and I still wouldn’t get it.
Royalty (British, and others) in a nutshell: “We’re special. You’re not. Kneel, serf!”)
How in the world someone can live with that crap is beyond my understanding.
Whats worse is the billions they are given, tax payer money. They have no real expenses as all the castles and property given to them is maintained with… tax payer monies. BUT… the little people can say they have some overly filthy rich people whom, if you are lucky enough, might possibly pay your organization a visit and say something pithy. and they, the little people, will be happy about it.
They own everything and enjoy it.
brian,
i bet they pay their own way when you factor in the amount of tourist $ they bring in,esp from asians & effed up American women who forget who we fought the revolution against–
Quite so brian, but they do bring in lots of tourism and generate a perception of a stable state where foreign investment is encouraged to rest its billions – it keeps our capital based living standards far higher than would have been the case if we were to rely on trade alone.
I appreciate the question Stucky and this is what Google confirms:
“In May 2012, in the lead up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, an Ipsos MORI poll of 1,006 British adults found that 80% were in favour of the monarchy, with 13% in favour of the United Kingdom becoming a republic. This was thought to be a record high figure in recent years in favour of the monarchy.”
So I can’t argue against the majority who are in favour of the monarchy. I think it is because it creates the ‘illusion’ of content peasants labouring happily under a benevolent ceremonial head of state – it creates a kind of warm feeling in the perception of a fairy tale castle from the medieval times. We haven’t really moved on from feudalism.
We had our civil war and it didn’t work out so it has been the ‘status quo’ ever since. I am too old now to concern myself with any leanings towards a republic – it is what it is – the last surviving vestige of a former age.
Megan should visit Paris. Take a tour in a fancy Mercedes. Make sure to take the tunnel entrance at Pont de l’Alma. Drive fast. It’s more fun that way. Godspeed.
The only thing colored about Megan is her thinking which is a rainbow of screwed up stupid liberal nonsense just like almost all other liberal White Useful Idiots, only she is very rich, spoiled and famous with a huge soap box and audience.
Its nice to know that the UK is still leading the pack of Commonwealth countries into the sewer pit. Although we here in canukistan are desperately trying to take the lead. Fortunately, our dear leader is a complete woke retard that would have velcro clasps on his shoes if it were not for his wife. So like in the Monty Python skit of the idiots race, our boi is still at the starting line picking his nose.
I wonder if Britain has their testing like we did where it invites lots of false positives. There’s a long term agenda to all of this.
At Last TBP has a posting that covers something important. How will the Royals finally decide how to best handle their pet nigger?
Better look again, she’s as White as the King and Queen. Sometimes the Daddy ain’t the Daddy (Mommy’s baby, Daddy’s maybe; & the Kingston Trio’s “such a lovely family”: go man go, your daddy ain’t your daddy but your daddy don’t know). Sometimes Nigger genes are hybrid and don’t get passed on. If she’s a Nigger, I’m a Nigger…and if she wasn’t such a stupid liberal jerk, I be proud to take her home; besides, half the Southern White women (and 99% in South America) might be considered Niggers if she’s the benchmark. Pass the hot fried chicken please and save me some cold watermelon…
Quite so rhs jr, this is often the case. This article explains it all and concludes with this:
“They asked a number of questions including whether they had conceived a child at a time when they had multiple sexual partners? I was surprised that no more than 2% of women admitted to this.
That suggests a low rate of misattributed paternity; but note the data are presented per woman, not per child. The poll does suggest that mating with multiple men around the time of conception is neither rampant nor pathologically rare.
These results marry comfortably with DNA estimates of misattributed paternity from samples that cross a broad range of societies which suggest the rate is between 1% and 3%, and with Prof Gilding’s estimate of between 0.7% and 2%.
The number of children whose biological father isn’t their social dad is probably far smaller than you’ve been led to believe, although the 30% figure seems to be a zombie-statistic that refuses to die.
But even a 1% rate of misattributed paternity still adds up to millions of individual children, world-wide, each part of an interesting, sometimes tenuous and often heart-breaking story.”
https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-chances-that-your-dad-isnt-your-father-24802
The ‘firm’ have already isolated this case and we will hear no more from them IMHO – they have been ditched permanently.
Harry’s the douche in this whole matter. So somebody in his family supposedly probably made a joke like “we’re going to have to see exactly how dark this baby is before we make him a royal” – in other words, the kind of joke black people would make inside their own family every goddamn day of the week. Instead of covering for his grandpa or whoever said it – as he fucking should have – he went and told his goddamn wife like a pussy. It’s because he’s a woke leftist and they have NO GODDAMN SENSE OF HUMOR at all. Every single man – white, black, Mexican or Chinese – has to deal with this same shit even if he’s married to a woman of his same race: If your buddy makes a sexist joke (one that is probably funny as fuck), do you run off and tell your wife about the abominably sexist comment your friend mad? If you do, you’re not only a traitor to manhood, but a fucking idiot. And I’m sure women have jokes about men that they keep to themselves – and thank God for that.
People need to keep shit to themselves for fuck’s sake. You think Obama hasn’t made a joke or two to Michelle about Mexicans or whites or Asians or whatever? I fucking guarantee he has, but Michelle doesn’t go rat him out to their daughters so they could post it online. It would be good if this Megan chick had the sense to keep this stuff to herself, but she’s 1) a woman and 2) an American and 3) under 40 so tact isn’t something she possesses. Harry should have known that, but we always knew he was the stupid son.
You were doing ok until you got to Big Mike ratting to their daughters.
Could it be that Obama has also joked about the size of “Michelle’s” manhood?
“Harry should have known that, but we always knew he was the stupid son.”
And many Brits have noticed the extreme disconnect from William and Charles – red hair and characteristics of a former lover – it is never said though, in polite circles. Very convenient that Harry has decided to remove himself from the ‘firm’ which keeps the line pure going back to 1066.
I’ll take Rishi Sunak seriously when India’s defence minister is named Micheal Johnstone.
Megan married into the family that during the 16th and 17th centuries where one of the big players in the African slave trade and she’s surprised at that comment. Sounds like the city folks who want to move out to the country so they buy some land and build a house next to a pig farm then complain about the smell.
AP – sorry I do not respond as much as I should to your articles. You Ofer touch on areas where I do not feel competent to comment.
But I want you to know I value your articles, I read them, and I consider you a giant on this site. Thanks for your contributions. Truly.
Thank you so much for your kind words Llpoh – glad to be welcome in the club!