The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[Dryce]

There's a damning article about HS2 on the BBC website:

HS2 blew billions - here's how and why

How did HS2 manage to go so far over its original budget?

www.bbc.co.uk

But what makes it more damning in my mind is the limited perspective:

HS2 promised gleaming new trains racing between English cities at even faster speeds.

And

“Unlike Spain or France or Germany, all the main cities of England are within 200 miles of all the others, apart from Newcastle,” he says.

No reference to Scotland in the article at all. Which I thought was a bit odd. To put this in context Scotland was let down by the West Coast Main Line improvements that were promised but never delivered 20 years ago. And with HS2 the emphasis was on saving minutes in the southern half of the UK and not really taking bigger chunks of time off the links to the north of the UK which often feel as if they are very very distant from the south.

 

[MSG2004]

Just trying to work out how, as a taxi driver, I can work from home?

Have you considered virtual taxi rides/fares?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

There's a damning article about HS2 on the BBC website:

HS2 blew billions - here's how and why

How did HS2 manage to go so far over its original budget?

www.bbc.co.uk

But what makes it more damning in my mind is the limited perspective:



And



No reference to Scotland in the article at all. Which I thought was a bit odd. To put this in context Scotland was let down by the West Coast Main Line improvements that were promised but never delivered 20 years ago. And with HS2 the emphasis was on saving minutes in the southern half of the UK and not really taking bigger chunks of time off the links to the north of the UK which often feel as if they are very very distant from the south.

It was a repeat of the Channel Tunnel con.

A grand visionary plan that made no commercial sense at all. Sold by corrupt Engineers and politicians using absolutely laughable forecasts of traffic levels.

It would have made far more sense to regionalise and incrementally upgrade the preferred methods of travel: road, rail and plane

 

[MSG2004]

Was it a stroke of genius?
Someone told me at a wedding we went to a couple of years ago that certain text pagers could be blown up. However, they'd need to be set up in a certain way, ie a special micro-processer

I guess the Hezbollah lot had been sold a job lot of Pagers.

IMO, it just shows no one respects weakness. EG, Hezbollah made a feeble attempt to respond to another of its leaders being taken out
on their own turf a couple of months ago.

I bet you the guys that signed the deal on the job lot Pagers are now in hiding

We often hear talk about "China..micro-chips could be switched off.." I took that with a pinch of salt until now.

 

[MSG2004]

Just a quick heads-up to those that may be interested re gifts given to MP's, Misters etc.
They/mp's have 30 days to dealre a gift. It has to bee OVER 500 quid, and if not, you
don't have to declare it

Why 500, why not any gift?

 

[Dryce]

Just a quick heads-up to those that may be interested re gifts given to MP's, Misters etc.
They/mp's have 30 days to dealre a gift. It has to bee OVER 500 quid, and if not, you
don't have to declare it

Why 500, why not any gift?

Similar to businesses and expensing small items of equipment that don't have be treated as capital purchases or mileage rates that don't need to be declared - or duty free allowances - or informal business earnings allowance for tax.

There's a threshold below which nobody wants the hassle of the paperwork.

 

[MSG2004]

Similar to businesses and expensing small items of equipment that don't have be treated as capital purchases or mileage rates that don't need to be declared - or duty free allowances - or informal business earnings allowance for tax.

There's a threshold below which nobody wants the hassle of the paperwork.

Re "business," that is fair enough as it is private money. However, MP's are public servants. Public sector workers have to declare all gifts, again we see double standards in favour of our greedy politicians. I wrongly assumed the rules had been tighter up after the 'expenses' fraud.

 

[markjay]

Why 500, why not any gift?

Because they make the rules........

 

[markjay]

Middle East latest: Blasts heard in Beirut as witnesses report devices exploding in southern Lebanon

At least 12 people were killed and thousands of others injured in a wave of page explosions across Lebanon yesterday. The militant group Hezbollah, whose members used the pagers to communicate, has blamed Israel for the attack.

news.sky.com

 

[poormansporsche]

I've got a job lot of Pagers here if any MPs are after a "Gift"

(As we all know smartfones can track their nefarious activities)

 

[SeagullFan]

Hardly.

The tradition goes back to the 1960’s with Wilson, Jenkins, Ernest Marples and Robert Maxwell.

Bolly Bolsheviks as June Whitfield explained to Saffy in AbFab

Surely Wilson was a beer and sandwiches man.

 

[SeagullFan]

Not sure about this. I thought this was an option for businesses turning over less than £135 million when actual payment of invoices runs a risk of being slow.

But there’ll be an Accountant along in a minute…

yes at £200 an hour

 

[m80]

Surely you’re not suggesting that she paid for that with her own money?

Why not? I think you disparage the lass for being charitable.
Or are you suggesting Oxfam gave it to her?

 

[m80]

Why 500, why not any gift?

It was never a gift to Mrs Jim Hacker.

Have they been gifted the clothes,
or are they merely promoting them before passing them to the Victoria & Kier Museum.

 

[John N]

Take £300 WHA away from Pensioner's and get the use of:



I wonder who pays for the Staff and Fine Dining?

 

[Darrell]

There's a damning article about HS2 on the BBC website:

HS2 blew billions - here's how and why

How did HS2 manage to go so far over its original budget?

www.bbc.co.uk

But what makes it more damning in my mind is the limited perspective:



And



No reference to Scotland in the article at all. Which I thought was a bit odd. To put this in context Scotland was let down by the West Coast Main Line improvements that were promised but never delivered 20 years ago. And with HS2 the emphasis was on saving minutes in the southern half of the UK and not really taking bigger chunks of time off the links to the north of the UK which often feel as if they are very very distant from the south.

There was a documentary on BBC1 yesterday.

 

[Darrell]

It was a repeat of the Channel Tunnel con.

A grand visionary plan that made no commercial sense at all. Sold by corrupt Engineers and politicians using absolutely laughable forecasts of traffic levels.

It would have made far more sense to regionalise and incrementally upgrade the preferred methods of travel: road, rail and plane

The issue with upgrading road and rail is that it takes at least 3 times longer therefore costing more and the inconvenience to passengers is huge.

 

[markjay]

The issue with upgrading road and rail is that it takes at least 3 times longer therefore costing more and the inconvenience to passengers is huge.

Plus, the benefits will be reaped by the next government.....

 

[Darrell]

Plus, the benefits will be reaped by the next government.....

And the one after that.

Also (as stated before) a new railway is a lot more than just track and getting somewhere a wee bit quicker than before.

Google the ‘comedian’ John Bishop and you’ll find out.

 

[markjay]

There was a documentary on BBC1 yesterday.

I read the article... how very informative - surprise surprise, governments are bad at delivering projects on time and on budget. Who knew.........?