A 3rd chance for Tax Credits

It was announced today that for the second year running there has been an overpayment in the Chancellor's pet project – the tax credit – by £2 billion. The Treasury said that about £1 billion of this would have to be written off as they could not claw it back from the poor families it was given two in error. Again the usual government press release was put out: it has made a real difference to real people but we must do better…

Will it be third time lucky or will we hear the government's stock reply again?

: 25 Apr 2006 23:30 |  Tags: Politics |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Responsibility, rolling heads and deportation.

This has happened several times before and it really annoys me. I heard this earlier today on PM during Tony McNalty:

Tony McNalty: "It is a quite shocking state of affairs...a real systemic failure"

Interviewer: " what are you saying is to blame, incompetence, lack of oversight?"

TM "both..."

Int: "Shouldn't heads be rolling?"

TM: ".....Then if heads should roll then heads should roll..."

Int: "whose heads?"

TM: "I don't know....Earlier on today the Home Secretary took full responsibility for this"

Int: "Then surely his head should roll?"

TM: "No, No...."

Since when does taking responsibility for something absolve you of all responsibility for it?

: 25 Apr 2006 23:18 |  Tags: Politics |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Funny

I saw this the other day and it made me smile, then a friend of mine sent it to me…

: 07 Apr 2006 20:45 |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Removal

Further to my reincarnation I have also now moved. I am now living up in Leam and will be about to see anyone up here (now you've all gone home for Easter)! But I'm afraid I'll be working hard as I've got to learn some maths and also got to find a job up here too. Hope to see you all around…

: 13 Mar 2006 13:52 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Reincarnation

Today I was born again – I now exist. After ceasing to exist once I had graduated I am now a fully signed up and paid up member of the WGA hence I can now exist…. And I might even blog occasionally!

: 27 Feb 2006 18:53 |  Comments (7) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Questions

What is the only body which asks questions which if you get the "wrong" you can be asked again until you get it right?

Some of you in exam time may find this idea appealing however I am not talking about exams. The answer is the EU and referenda. France will today probably vote no to the constitution and the Netherlands similarly on Wednesday. Now before Ireland voted no to the Euro before being asked to please think again and similarly Denmark with Maastricht. However this time I think that as France is a big enough country and also a founder member of the European Project that the commission cannot force another referendum and will have to accept the no vote and find that elusive "Plan B".

But the real question is should they? The French are voting against the treaty because it is too Anglo-Saxon and free market, however Eurosceptics in this country argue against it for being not free market enough. Both sides cannot be right, but who is? Perhaps it is because this treaty, originally to bring EU democracy closer to the "citizens", is written in legalese hence is utterly incomprehensible to just about every person in the EU. Is this the message Europe needs to reform?

: 29 May 2005 18:23 |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The world of blogging

I find myself now finished my degree and not really knowing where I am going. My Mum in fact when I spoke to her after my last exam asked me if I felt lost and I had no real answer. Still in the next 4 weeks there is Figaro to learn and now I can enter the world of the Blog, where many of my friends have visited but I have not felt I had the time or energy to go. We live in interesting times, roll on the next 4 weeks…

: 29 May 2005 18:22 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem