Proceedings of the Castle Aching Parish Council, 1905

[Ian Simpson]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

That looks like  fun.

 

 

Yes, my first thought on seeing the clip was "well, at least she seems to be enjoying it".

My second thought was "oh ****, we really do not need another cheerful Prime Minister".     

 

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Ian Simpson said:

 

Yes, my first thought on seeing the clip was "well, at least she seems to be enjoying it".

My second thought was "oh ****, we really do not need another cheerful Prime Minister".     

 

 

 

If you replay it at the 30 second mark and replace the bit where she's excited  about selling  tea to China with "We will fight on the beaches - Yorkshire beaches!",  makes you think that had she been wartime PM she might have made the Blitz as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.

Edited August 20, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[Edwardian]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

That looks like  fun. Less so for you guys though.

 

I always think, whenever the curtains are parted to reveal our  latest Prime Minister, that in a land  of 25 million people, brilliant scientists, business leaders and humanitarians among them,  is that seriously the one person among us all  that we were allowed to  choose as the leader of the entire country?

 

Then I ask myself that if I was running a  small or medium sized business and they'd applied for a lower management role I'd advertised, would they even make it past the first interview?

 

It's enough to make one wonder if the true purpose of democracy in Britain is to provide a mechanism to enable those without merit to thrive in a meritocracy.

[Hroth]

Probably a development of  the old aristocratic system; eldest gets the land, the others go  to the Army, the Church and so on .  Nowadays the loopiest goes into politics.

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Hroth

[wagonman]

16 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

Are you absolutely sure that a Right Wing majority couldn't pass legislation allowing them to dispense with General Elections - and at the same time start eliminating the opposition and trade unions.

 

 

Theoretically there is absolutely nothing to stop them – indeed that is pretty much what they are already doing, or at least saying they will do. Most of the checks and balances supposed to constrain such behaviour have been neutralised, or were never more than theoretical constructs – for instance the Monarch could refuse to sign such legislation but in reality never would. So, be afraid, be very afraid. Or better still be very angry.

 

 

Richard 

[drmditch]

6 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

It's enough to make one wonder if the true purpose of democracy in Britain is to provide a mechanism to enable those without merit to thrive in a meritocracy.

 

If you haven't encountered it before, there is a nice (and totally politically incorrect) definition of 'Demah-Kerazi which is a demon inhabiting crowds and assemblies' in a rather entertaining (and totally politically incorrect) short story by R Kipling entitled Little Foxes

 

This is not to say that I, in any way, support 'Imperialism' or and 'imperialist' view of the world. 

 

In relation to Wagonman's post above, in addition to fear and anger, I wonder whether I should now be surveying the countryside for a 'last ditch' in case I am forced into it.

'

Edited August 20, 2022 by drmditch

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, drmditch said:

 

In relation to Wagonman's post above, in addition to fear and anger, I wonder whether I should now be surveying the countryside for a 'last ditch' in case I am forced into it.

'

 

Sadly, one of our PM's many lies and broken promises was his pledge to go and die in a ditch.

 

I'm happy to dig the ditch.

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

I'm happy to dig the ditch.

Ah'll haud yer jaiket!  Being retired I am reluctant to do any actual work!  it's not that I don't like work, in fact I could watch someone working for hours!

 

Jim (having used the 'W' word several times I will now go and wash my mouth out.)

[alastairq]

Being retired, the concept of 'work' actually now scares me. I doubt I'd have the energy or the lack of cynicism to enter a workplace ever again. I cannot imagine displaying loyalty to a profiteering 'boss'...I care not for the welfare of shareholders. I have enough trouble with next door's cats, who have become my not-my-cats....They seem to think I'm on beck & call 24/7 as well. Still, as long as next doors continue to feed, frontline and pay the inevitable vets bills, I suppose I am getting something of a reasonable deal out of the relationship?

Anyway,work, as it stands, wouldn't pay me sufficiently to warrant my presence within a workplace...since I pay tax of part of my pension income. So, money-wise [financially to all you posh gits]....I wouldn't get much benefit.

It really is about time all those of State-pensionable age got their State pensions absolutely tax-free....Instead, the Govt insist on adding the State pension to the tax free allowance...thus making it all pretty meaningless.

[Caley Jim]

Having been self-employed for all but 9 months or so, I never had the burden of pleasing the boss(es), though persuading the NHS mandarins that you were perfectly entitled to the payment you had claimed could prove trying at times!

 

Jim

[Nearholmer]

2 hours ago, alastairq said:

It really is about time all those of State-pensionable age got their State pensions absolutely tax-free

You do, don’t you, in that the full State Pension is less than the personal allowance on which you pay no income tax, and no NI is charged?

 

What you end-up paying income tax (but not I think NI) on is occupational pension income (even if the occupational pension is paid by the state) if it takes your total income above the tax-free threshold.

 

I suppose that if the occupational pension is paid by the state that is a case of the state giving with one hand and taking with the other, but it’s hard to see how any other option would respect the principle of progressive income tax: if the occupational pension from the state was simply reduced across the board to avoid giving and taking back, that would unfairly disadvantage the recipients of small pensions, and if it was kept at the same level and no tax charged that would unfairly advantage the recipients of large pensions. Personally, I think the principle of progressive income tax is a good one, worth preserving.

 

 

[alastairq]

35 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

You do, don’t you, in that the full State Pension is less than the personal allowance on which you pay no income tax, and no NI is charged?

Yes, NI payments cease at age 65{?}

The State pension is taxable income.

But, for administrative reasons, the DW&P don't apply tax directly.

The State pension is counted as part of one's income...Which means, part of one's personal allowance. Thus if one's overall income [including State pensions, etc] exceeds the personal allowance,the excess is subject to tax.

If one has [like me] several small bits of pension coming in each month, the Inland Revenue apply the tax code to one pension [source of income] only...the others simply pay the full amount of tax. Thus one ends up not overpaying.

Now, if the State pension should not be counted as 'income' for taxation purposes, then I wouldn;t pay any tax!

I don't receive all the State pension to which I normally would be entitled, simply because one of my occupational pension was the sort that got some tax advantages, which are deducted from what I would receive from State pension had I not been in receipt of that type of works pension....if you see what I mean.

To top it all, that is the pension that has just been reduced because they made a booboo 30 years ago.

I have a civil service pension, for 20 years of service {!}   It's so good, the State pension is at least one third bigger! The CS pension does increase, but in very tiny increments each year......a percentage rate that nobody would want their savings to be in.

[wagonman]

6 hours ago, drmditch said:

 

If you haven't encountered it before, there is a nice (and totally politically incorrect) definition of 'Demah-Kerazi which is a demon inhabiting crowds and assemblies' in a rather entertaining (and totally politically incorrect) short story by R Kipling entitled Little Foxes

 

There is another word – Kakistocracy – which seems to sum up our most recent governments.

 

6 hours ago, drmditch said:

 

In relation to Wagonman's post above, in addition to fear and anger, I wonder whether I should now be surveying the countryside for a 'last ditch' in case I am forced into it.

'

 

Make sure it's a big ditch as you may have company. A lot of it.

 

 

[wagonman]

5 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

Sadly, one of our PM's many lies and broken promises was his pledge to go and die in a ditch.

 

I'm happy to dig the ditch.

 

I'm afraid I have forgotten on what condition he would die in a ditch. Anyone care to refresh my ageing memory?

[Caley Jim]

43 minutes ago, wagonman said:

 

I'm afraid I have forgotten on what condition he would die in a ditch. Anyone care to refresh my ageing memory?

I think it was something to do with Brexit, but I can't recall exactly what, due to having the same memory issue as yourself, @wagonman.

 

Jim

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, alastairq said:

The State pension is taxable income.

Indeed, I never said otherwise, but if that is all of a person’s income, they pay no income tax, because it all falls within the allowance for which no tax is payable.

 

I can’t see why the State Pension should not be counted as income for tax purposes, because it incontrovertibly is income, and pretending it isn’t would breach the principle of progressive income tax. Ceasing to count the State Pension as income would be of absolutely no help at all to the least well off (those for whom it is the only income), and would be of the greatest advantage to the most well off.

 

I get that none of us much like paying tax, I don’t exactly jubilate about paying it myself, but I’d rather pay tax and have public services than pay no tax and have none, especially as inch towards State Pension age myself, and head towards the years in which one really, really needs public services more than ever before.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Nearholmer

[teaky]

1 hour ago, wagonman said:

 

I'm afraid I have forgotten on what condition he would die in a ditch. Anyone care to refresh my ageing memory?

He said it when asked about extending the Brexit deadline from October 31st.  Not long before the deadline was extended by three months.

[Compound2632]

On 08/08/2022 at 21:21, Edwardian said:

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry just catching up after a fortnight away myself. I see you had snow...

[Andy Hayter]

Please don't get me started on state pensions.

 

The UK state pension is pitiful and frankly a disgrace.  

I contributed or was credited with 32 years of contributions.  I contributed 9.5 years to the German state pension.  Depending on the exchange rate on the day they both pay roughly the same. 

 

Anyone relying on the UK state pension alone gets my sincere sympathies - even though they will be able to claim pension support in addition.   That alone says it all.  Why have pension support if the UK pension is sufficient to support its pensioners. 

[rocor]

16 hours ago, teaky said:

He said it when asked about extending the Brexit deadline from October 31st.  Not long before the deadline was extended by three months.

 

He is still searching for a ditch that suits him.

[teaky]

53 minutes ago, rocor said:

 

He is still searching for a ditch that suits him.

He probably can't decide between the ditch and the bulldozer he was going to lie down in front of in order to prevent the third runway at Heathrow (in his constituency) being built.  (The one he felt so strongly about that he was absent from Parliament on the day of the vote.)

 

I expect he is waiting for a rich friend to buy him a freezer to hide in, in exchange for a peerage.

[Nearholmer]

Imagine him emerging from cryogenic storage hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years in the future, like a sort of shambolic, self-obsessed mammoth blundering about the place. Imagine also the anguished cries of “Flamin’ ‘eck! What on earth made you think that thawing that one out would be a good idea?!”.

[Ian Simpson]

 

 

Ah, yes, that would be this Jacob Rees-Mogg:

 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ian Simpson said:

 

 

Ah, yes, that would be this Jacob Rees-Mogg:

 

 

 

Thats next level graft - "Hard Graft". 

 

(From Macquarie Dictionary)

 

Aussie Word of the Week

 I am flat out like a lizard drinking at the Macquarie office this week. This scaly phrase is a way of saying that we are working as hard or as fast as possible. 

Australian English has some great ways of saying you are working hard. Graft simply means hard work. Aussie slang since the 1890s, graft is also a verb: we'd been grafting all day long. Hence, grafter, a hard worker. Hard graft sits one level up from graft. Australians have been rolling up their sleeves and getting down to the hard graft since the 1870s. 

 

Yakka or hard yakka is an iconic Aussie phrase. Meaning hard work, especially manual labour, yakka has been part of Aussie slang since at least the 1880s. Yakka comes from the Aboriginal language Yagara, from the Brisbane region. Yakka is commonly heard in the phrase all yack and no yakka, used to describe someone who's always talking about what they're going to do instead of doing it.

[Dunsignalling]

19 hours ago, rocor said:

 

He is still searching for a ditch that suits him.

Presumably has to be roomy enough to throw the odd party.....