PaulRogan

A fine example that Gordon Brown will go to any lengths to keep himself in #10.

Allowing this knee-jerk solution, let alone promoting it, is not the act of a proper leader of a political party, let alone this country.

What about the interests of employees?

What about the needs of the areas which will be affected? And I am more concerned here about Halifax, leaving Alex Salmond to raise concerns for Scotland?

What about HBOS shareholders?

What about the Laws of the Land? Sorry, ‘waive the competition requirements'. Laws or requirements made for good reason we must suppose, simply swept aside because the needs of one man are more pressing?

Some of my concerns have already been reported in the regional press....

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Taskforce-prepares-to-help-laidoff.4503828.jp

Whilst listening to reports yesterday, financial commentators were loath to use the word ‘crash' when it came to the drop in value of HBOS shares. When losses over the last few days total an 80% fall in value, I wonder when the word CRASH could apply. I certainly fear that a devastating crash on the local economy will be the price Calderdale has to pay to keep Gordon in his job.

'Fiscal decentralisation' to solve English question.

Reviewing the formula used to allocate public money given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the first step towards an English parliament, it was suggested last night.

A panel of experts convened at the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth to look at the "ticking timebomb" of the English question.

Debate over the need for an English parliament has risen in recent years, with prime minister Gordon Brown consistently emphasising his 'Britishness' in an effort to avert the separatist ambitions of Scotland.

Kenyon Wright, former chair of the Scottish constitutional convention, said: "An English parliament would certainly break the union as it is at present. But would it means the end of any kind of meaningful union? No."

He expects the Barnett formula will exacerbate tensions. At present it is used to distribute public spending between the UK's four countries. Scotland receives 22 per cent more spending per head than England, while Wales (14 per cent) and Northern Ireland (30 per cent) also receive more.

IPPR director Guy Isaby said: "Devolution has magnified the funding disparities... the Barnett formula squeezed the idea that spending would converge."

And Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said a Conservative government faced a "win-win" situation where giving back fiscal autonomy to Scotland could help both sides.

"The Barnett formula is already being revived from a Scottish perspective through the Calman Commission," he pointed out, adding it is "creating the need for change."

The polls appear to suggest the only area of devolution issues where opinion is moving is on the financial settlement. At the start of the decade, one-fifth said it was unfair; that is now up to one-third in Scotland.

Mr Isaby added: "There has to be a policy intervention... scrap the Barnett formula and move to a system of fiscal decentralisation."

He suggested, however, that such a move is unlikely in the near future. "The current position of the government is to hope this goes away," he added. "But not doing anything is not the answer."

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/conferences/lib-dem-conference/-fiscal-decentralisation-to-solve-english-question-$1240676.htm

The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) presents a new and comprehensive study of the Barnett Formula, the Government system used to calculate the distribution of public spending between the four countries of the UK, that reveals the staggering cost to taxpayers of the spending gap between England and the three better-funded devolved territories(Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The full report can be found here.

In the last week, with the SNP Government in Edinburgh proposing radical tax changes and Gordon Brown pledging an investigation into the financial responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament, the issue of the funding settlement between England and the devolved territories has hit the headlines once again. The TPA's report, written by former Treasury economist Mike Denham, explores the troubled history of that funding settlement, details the burden placed on taxpayers by the Barnett Formula and puts forward the case for an end to the Formula and its replacement with true fiscal decentralisation. The report will be submitted as evidence to the Calman Commission and to the House of Lords committee currently investigating the Barnett Formula.

KEY FINDINGS

Identifiable public spending per head in England is £7,535 pa (2007-08). But in Scotland it is 22 per cent (£1,644) higher, Wales 14 per cent (£1,042) higher, and Northern Ireland an extraordinary 30 per cent (£2,254) higher.

1. Just over the last two decades (since 1985-86), higher spending in the three devolved territories has cost UK taxpayers a cumulative £200 billion (£102 billion in Scotland; £43 billion in Wales; £57 billion in Northern Ireland).

•  
  •  
    North Sea Oil has not funded the Scottish spending gap, despite Scottish Nationalist claims to the contrary. In only five of the last 23 years have North Sea Oil receipts exceeded the cost of higher funding paid to Scotland. Even with current high oil prices, the income from the Scottish share of North Sea Oil only just covers the spending gap, and North Sea Oil output is projected to fall by 50 per cent by 2020.
To read the full report, click here.

Mike Denham, a former Treasury economist and author of the report, said:

"The Barnett Formula has a troubled history and has failed to address the extremely unfair situation of English taxpayers heavily subsiding Scotland. Everyone is struggling to make ends meet, and it is long overdue for the Government to lift this burden from taxpayers' shoulders. English taxpayers want an end to subsidising Scotland, and the Scottish Government wants financial control devolved to Holyrood, so now is the ideal time to consign the Barnett Formula to history."

For all media enquiries and to arrange interviews with Mike Denham, please contact Mark Wallace, Campaign Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance: Office: 0845 330 9554
Mobile: 0773 600 9548 Email: http://webmail.tiscali.co.uk/cp/ps/Mail/

Notes to Editors

1) The TaxPayers' Alliance is Britain's independent, grassroots campaign for lower taxes and better government.

2) Mike Denham is a former Treasury economist who worked extensively on public spending and fiscal analysis during the 1970s and early 1980s. His work included cost benefit appraisal of public projects, analysis of public sector cost inflation and value for money studies. For the next 20 years he worked in the City as an investment manager, closely following fiscal and monetary policy developments. Now semi-retired, he scrutinises public spending on his blog, Burning Our Money.

3) The full report can be downloaded here: http://ukimages.images11.com/sendlink.asp?HitID=1220949668348&StID=5024&SID=6&EmID=6822015&Link=aHR0cDovL3RwYS50eXBlcGFkLmNvbS9ob21lL2ZpbGVzL3VuZXF1YWxfc2hhcmVzX3RoZV9iYXJuZXR0X2Zvcm11bGEucGRm 

http://ukimages.images11.com/sendlink.asp?HitID=1220949668348&StID=5024&SID=6&EmID=6822015&Link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50YXhwYXllcnNhbGxpYW5jZS5jb20v

Malcolm Akroyd, Waste Services Manager has written to Elected Members to make us aware of the arrangements for the improvement works at Brighouse HWRC which involves the closure of the site from 22^nd September until just before Xmas.

The improvements will be undertaken by Amey LG who were successful in a competitive tender for the works. They will include for providing better, level access to most of the skips making it much easier for customers to unload their vehicle and  better traffic management to reduce queuing and improve site visit times.

Altogether it will mean that more waste will be recycled and less waste will be sent to landfill and the improvements will mean that visiting the site will be a much more pleasant experience all round.

A notice will be placed in the Evening Courier, Huddersfield Examiner and Brighouse Echo for 2 weeks. In addition we will use  LED signboards strategically placed at the approaches to Atlas Mill Road to advertise the closure. Finally we will be handing out information leaflets to all visitors to the site from now until closure and will have notices erected on the site and at the site entrance

The site will be closed from 1600 hours on Sunday the 21^st September 2008 and is planned to  re-open for the Christmas period, week commencing 22^nd December 2008. Arrangements are currently underway through our neighbouring authority at Kirklees to come to an agreement for Calderdale residents to have the temporary use of the Emerald street Household Waste  Recycling Centre at Huddersfield and of course, the other sites in Calderdale which are available are at Halifax, Elland  and Sowerby Bridge

SITA UK, who now manage the site for the Council, will have staff on site during the early part of the closure to advise any residents on any recycling matter and to clear up any dumping at the site entrance in order to reduce the impact on our neighbours.

Councillors will be kept advised of matters surrounding the site closure but,  for any further assistance,  please do not hesitate to contact the waste disposal officer, Bob Wilkinson on 01422 392303, Email. Robert.wilkinson@calderdale.gov.uk .

Rastrick residents can also contact me with any comments or concerns, voice@rastrick.org.uk

Gordon Brown flies into Washington , still an unknown quantity to most people in the U.S. despite his bizarre appearance on American Idol recently. In advance of the trip, profiles of the Prime Minister have been appearing in the U.S. This column tuned in by satellite to Eye-Witness News, Palm Beach , for a preview of the visit:

'Good morning America , how are you? This is your favourite son, Chad Hanging, reporting. The President of Englandland, Norman Brown, is arriving in our nation's capital this afternoon to meet with President Bush. But just who is this guy? Let's cross to our special correspondent Brit Limey.'

Hey, Chad . As you can see, I'm standing in the world-famous Trafalgar Circus, with the House of Fayed directly behind me.

So what can you tell us about Norman Brown?

Well, Chad , he has been President for twelve months now. He used to be Chancellor.

What, you mean he's, like, German?

No, that's what they call their Treasury Secretary over here.

And is he a Conservative, like President Tony Blair?

No, Chad . He's Labour. President Blair wasn't a Conservative, either. He only pretended to be.

So how did Brown get the job?

He just kept shouting at President Blair until he stood down.

But he won an election, right?

No, Chad , there wasn't an election. He did think about calling one, but decided against it because he was frightened he might lose.

How can you change Presidents without having an election? I mean, it's not like President Blair was assassinated.

That's just the way it works in Englandland. The leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Lords gets to be President.

So Norman Brown was elected leader of the Labour Party?

Negative, again, Chad . He did raise money and have a leadership campaign, but no one stood against him.

What, nobody? No primaries, no general election, nothing?

Affirmative, Chad .

Let me get this straight. His party hasn't elected him, the country hasn't elected him, yet he still gets to be President. Sounds like a tinpot Commie dictatorship to me.

You could say that, Chad . Norman Brown doesn't really like anyone being given the chance to vote on anything.

Someone must have voted for him, some time.

Oh, yes. He was elected to the House of Lords by his constituents in Scotlandland.

He's Scoddish, then?

That's a big Ten-Four, Chad.

So is he President of Scotlandland, too?

No, that's a guy called Alan Salmon.

Hang on, if Brown's from Scotlandland, how can he be President of Englandland?

That's just the way it goes in this crazy country, Chad . Brown can make laws for Englandland, but not for his own people in Scotlandland. Not that it matters much because Brown has signed away most of Englandland's lawmaking powers to unelected European bureaucrats in Brussels , Belgiumland.

That would be like stripping Congress of the power to make laws in America and handing it over to Mexico .

I guess so.

How in the Hell did the people of Englandland vote for that.

They didn't. Brown wouldn't let them, even though it was a solemn promise in his party's manifesto the last time people were allowed to vote.

Couldn't the Supreme Court have stopped him?

Not really. The Supreme Court of Englandland is now in Strasbourg , where the geese come from.

Isn't there any opposition?

There's a guy called Boris.

Sounds Russian.

I wouldn't be surprised, Chad . There are millions of Eastern Europeans living here now, mainly in Peterburl.  Englandland has seen mass immigration over the past ten years, but no one voted for that, either.

What in the name of Ulysses S. Grant is going on over there, Brit?
We're talking about the country which gave us Magna Carta, saw off the Armada, stood alone against Hitler and invented parliamentary democracy. How does Norman Brown get away with it? He must be a popular guy.

Far from it, Chad . According to the latest opinion polls, he's the most unpopular President ever. His approval ratings are even worse than George Dubya Bush. There's talk about him having to stand down soon. He's already promised the job to some guy who works for him - name of Balls.

Say again, Brit, you're breaking up.

Balls.

You're damn right there, buddy.

Still referred to by many as the ‘Rates', more properly called the ‘Community Charge'; was despised by many as the ‘Poll Tax' when introduced some years ago.

It has been accepted for many years that the present system of local taxation is both unfair and inappropriate. Mrs. Thatcher tried to reform the ‘rates' system which many believe was the first nail in her leadership coffin. A quick fix backtrack was put into place when the Poll Tax failed. The principle of the Poll Tax was clear, each adult consumed local services therefore each should shoulder the burden of cost. The failure was that ‘ability to pay' was not taken into account. Since the Poll Tax failure, the Tories have skirted around the issue leaving the Lib-Dems to call for a fairer system based on income. In the meantime Labour have been planning to re-value homes in England, in what I see as an attempt to squeeze more tax out of those they consider to be ‘well off' living in ‘big' homes.

This idea is as massively flawed as was the Poll Tax. What about the elderly, living in their life-long homes? No longer with an income other than a meager pension, not wishing to move and the home bought years ago for a few thousand (in those days still a lifetimes worth of work) now re-valued and to cost more in Local Tax than they get income from their savings?

The SNP's idea of a local income tax is not new.... it is the system used in many States in the USA to collect local tax. The other system is a purchase tax. The latter would be difficult here as we would have to first calculate 17.5% Euro Tax (sorry, mean VAT), then add Local Sales Tax... a tax on tax... Hardly surprising the SNP have opted for a supplementary income tax.

On the face of GOOD.... The English Democrats view is that we are happy for the Scots to be able to do it and would like to do likewise.

BUT there is a sting.... There always is.... Any new tax system introduced will raise more tax than the old one, so the average person is bound to be worse off.

The Regional Government, in this case Scotland, by becoming a direct tax levying body is yet a further nail in the Union's coffin. It enhances the power base of the Scottish Assembly, further distancing it from Westminster and further separating Scotland from the UK.

All well and good for Scotland but we in England are lagging miles behind! No English voice or Parliament, no English identity, no England; just a plan to divide up the world's oldest Nation State into European Sized Regions.

More details on the SNP taxation ideas at BBC NEWS | Scotland | Scots legislation plans unveiled

POLL PREDICTS 32 MORE SNP SEATS

A NEW poll yesterday showed the SNP has grown even more popular during August with the party on course to pick up more than 30 seats at Westminster...More info in the Scottish Sunday Express | UK News | Poll predicts 32 more SNP seats | Poll predicts 32 more SNP seats

Wouldn't it be rather nice if the headline read England instead of Scotland and EDP instead of SNP?