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You're costing me wrinkles, Roger! (desperate for beauty sleep but will breath on husbands glasses tomorrow!)
But do you not vote these people in? And what industry? Britain is now a technical and communications country is it not? Gas is the same price here...due to government tax. Don't explode, tell me!
Politicians start out as people like you who want to change 'stuff' but then they are effected by everything that is going on.
Personally I think subsidies of any sort are a mistake because they distort the market. And unions are worse because they corrupt and distort true commercial values. Although the ideal of unions supporting the worker is commendable.
Can't stay awake, gotta go, night!
Re the gas stuff, Britain had one of the largest resources of gas known. The Government decided to sell it to other countries, we in our 'progression' period sold it dirt cheap. Zee Germans etc. (very sensibly I might add) stockpiled it and we threw/gave it all away. Now we have to import it because we have no storage for it at huge costs and have probably the most expensive gas in Europe. Again I'm paraphrasing and cutting a long story short but you hopefully get the idea.
And no we DO NOT vote them in in Europe, well I have never been asked to at any rate.
And unions omg please don't get me on that one, one of the greatest **** ups this country ever made was due to a stupid union, funnily enough an alternative to gas 
Sleep tight Patricia, and thanks for this exciting topic
Topic 1. The gas problem today goes all the way back to the last conservative government, but you are correct the current lot have hardly corrected a few obvious flaws.
When the privitisation took place we as a country became far more dependent on short term solutions for power etc, and the need to return short term profits lead to our inability to plan lead to the current crisis (I know some of this was coming from the world market but we could have buffered ourselves better). also we became even more dependent on gas and coal through or lack of long term energy policy.
It is not a problem for the energy companies to not have storage. They can, and do pass on the price, witness it now. So stupid UK does not have enough storage (this is not a new issue it has been discussed in the energy market for some time), so excess gas sold in summer, buy it back at premium in winter. It requires state thinking and planning, something the UK mentality has a habit of moaning about and at.
Topic 2 Single currency. For trade etc a single currency would be good, who cares about the pound and the queens head on the paper, in fact lets ditch the monarchy right now.
But back on topic, and a big but, in the early days of the Euro the currency suffered and the UK benefited by following its own financial policies. The Euro was pulled down by bad decisions by the German and French governments. Ironically, on the old economy, this government has done a far better job than most in letting the UK not suffer.
The problem is in the Euro we will have to suffer the consequences of the other countries economic decisions. So yes one country has a lot of sense, but you need to take the consequences.
Myself I think the UK is just digging a hole for itself in the long run, whilst we are an island, we are also a tiny one. On trade etc we could worse than align ourselves more with the rest of Europe.
Quote: But do you not vote these people in?
No we do NOT vote them in - assuming you mean the European beaurocrats. They are self-appointed, unaccountable, unelected rulers of a bloated, incompetent, fraudulent system whose auditors have never yet been able to sign off the accounts because of fraud, accounting irregularities etc. OK, we may not have any industry left, but we have loads of other enterprises which are drowning under the weight of stupid regulations costing millions. Our politicians insist on enforcing every single EU regulation to the last letter, whilst other countries, Greece in particular, just ignore them. We put people out of business for selling a pound of bananas. In France, you can still buy a livre of bananas. Wake up, dear! Read the papers!
Quote: in fact lets ditch the monarchy right now
Quote: we could worse than align ourselves more with the rest of Europe
Strawman, I disagree with you so wholeheartedly I could argue all night, but my blood pressure is now so high, even though I've taken my pills, I've got to go and sit down quietly & drink several cans of Pedigree! 
Sorry Rog, I cannot see why we should keep the monarchy. Its time we became a fully democratic country. To command the role by birth, no way.
I have seen the UK, loose too much business due to the vagaries of the exchange rates and like it or lump it, the world , in terms of business is shrinking. We need to wise up and place ourselves where we can do business or sink further in the economic and wealth scales.
Quote: English, Wirral, Merseyside (now snobbishly calling itself Cheshire, but that's another gripe)
A small local diversion perhaps, but important. Prior to the local government reorganisation of 1974 Merseyside did not exist and the Wirral Penninsular was in Cheshire, after 1974 Wirral Borough Council was born and became part of Merseyside. In 1984 Merseyside County Council was abolished. A few years back Royal Mail changed our postcodes from Lxx to CHxx, some people have obviously taken this to mean that Wirral has returned to Cheshire.
Quote: Sorry Rog, I cannot see why we should keep the monarchy
OK, one last reply before my heart attack. Because, if for no other reason, it brings in more money than it costs. It also plays virtually no role in the running of the country.
Quote: Its time we became a fully democratic country
Democracy? Are you serious? As I said before. we are being railroaded into the most significant move in the history of the country. We are about to hand over the running of our country to a bunch of unelected, unaccountable incompetents in Europe without being given the chance to express our wishes. Look what happened in Ireland. They had a referendum. They voted No. What happened? They'll have to have another vote, or we'll have to think of a way round it. Nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of the grand plan. Democracy? It's a joke.
Anyway, had my medicine (Pedigree). Couple of glasses of wine now & bed. Will carry on the argument tomorrow if you like.
Rog
Quote: Quote:Sorry Rog, I cannot see why we should keep the monarchyOK, one last reply before my heart attack. Because, if for no other reason, it brings in more money than it costs. It also plays virtually no role in the running of the country.
Apso-blooming-lootly! The monarchy are admired from all corners of the globe. They are ours. The one really British thing about Britain. Our identity. If only the Queen had married Alf Garnet, LOL! Kidding.
Sorry I've got to go out for the day. Thanks for taking part in this. It was very interesting reading the comments.
Have a great day, Patricia, X
Quote: Democracy? Are you serious? As I said before. we are being railroaded into the most significant move in the history of the country. We are about to hand over the running of our country to a bunch of unelected, unaccountable incompetents in Europe without being given the chance to express our wishes.
And how many people have had a chance to express their wishes about Gordon Brown?
Until Britain ditches 'first past the post' and joins the rest of Europe by getting a voting system which does at least pay more than lip-service to representing the wishes of the people then it will continue to be one of the least democratic of all the so-called democracies.
The two party system, and the FPP voting system which underpins it, has given the British people zero real choice and dogmatic government which has done so much to make Britain the mess it is today. The insistence on a free-market economy above all else has been incredibly destructive. In much of Europe, where pragmatic government is ensured by the use of PR, a better balance has been struck between the needs of big business and those of the general population.
And lets not even start on Britain's ruinously expensive pretence of still being a military superpower...
Quote: The monarchy are admired from all corners of the globe. They are ours. The one really British thing about Britain. Our identity.
I'm not a huge fan of the monarchy, but as long as it stops us from having a president like George Bush, or President Blair, President Brown, they'll do for me! ; )
Quote: Our politicians insist on enforcing every single EU regulation to the last letter, whilst other countries, Greece in particular, just ignore them.!
Aree, and they certainly do get get penalised for it. Up until last year (year before?) the biggest net recipient of funds was Spain, now it is France, and they both, especially France, are renowned for ignoring any rules they don't fancy complying with. We seem to be the only silly s0ds playing by the rules.
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