Election Year or Fear!

[ramAnag]

Our rA knows his birds! I knew there was a talent hidden away there somewhere ��. How are you on the marsupials of Staffordshire?

Saw a couple of wallabies when rock climbing at the Roaches once, back in the early seventies. Don’t know if they’re still around and don’t tell Farage. He’ll want to have ‘em deported.

[ramAnag]

I stand corrected. Always called geese round my way

Hmmm, but then there seem to be a few examples of ‘compelling evidence’ for things that don’t actually exist ‘round your way’.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Saw a couple of wallabies when rock climbing at the Roaches once, back in the early seventies. Don’t know if they’re still around and don’t tell Farage. He’ll want to have ‘em deported.

the lifespan of a wallaby is 10-15 years so its unlikely that ones you saw in the early 70's would still be around at over 50!

[ramAnag]

the lifespan of a wallaby is 10-15 years so its unlikely that ones you saw in the early 70's would still be around at over 50!

Indeed, very, but I meant the ‘community’. I believe there were quite a few post war that established themselves beyond the seventies. Surprising really. Gets very cold and bleak up there in winter.

[SithHappens]

Wouldn't even be 10-15 years now what with all the ravenous immigrants eating wildlife left right and centre

[Geoff Parkstone]

Ah most of those illegal immigrants havent got that far north yet, they are still feasting on the seagulls in the south coast, but when they are all gone.....

[SithHappens]

Indeed, very, but I meant the ?community?. I believe there were quite a few post war that established themselves beyond the seventies. Surprising really. Gets very cold and bleak up there in winter.

It was before the war, some rich guys private collection escaped. They do say a harsh winter killed a lot off but there are still isolated sightings.

[SithHappens]

Nigels buddy in trouble

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6xwy015ngo

[MadAmster]

But thers no point pnationalising it without a solid commitment to invest those billions in infrastructure projects, otherwise you are simply moving the deck chairs around the Titanic. That's where the cost is - in remedying decades of under investment, not in simply removing the carcass of a sick company

... and it's Thames who have not invested in repairs and maintenance, built up huge debts yet still think it's OK to pay out billions in shareholder dividends and get emergency loans from the taxpayer. And there was I thinking dividends were shareholder's cut of the profits... it seems that you can lose billions, have billions of pounds worth of R&M backlogs but still look after your shareholders. The R&M has to be done. Thames is broke. The taxpayer and Thames' customers will have to pay for it. Might as well nationalise it and avoid having to pay for dividends on the back of losses. The taxpayer has covered the losses. Water is a necessity. Get the R&M done, screw the shareholders who, IMO, have been undeservedly getting dividend for years, nationalise Thames and, if it ever turns a profit, it goes into the Treasury rather than shareholder bank accounts.

I'm not anti shareholder. I do, however, believe that dividends on the back of perennial losses is abhorrent. I also believe that utilities such as gas, electric, water and maybe more things, should be provided to the public at cost. There shouldn't be a profit made out of necessities.

[ramAnag]

I'm not anti shareholder. I do, however, believe that dividends on the back of perennial losses is abhorrent. I also believe that utilities such as gas, electric, water and maybe more things, should be provided to the public at cost. There shouldn't be a profit made out of necessities.

Absolute sense. Post of the week.

[MadAmster]

Digital ID.

I suppose it all depends on how far the digital ID goes. We've had them in the Netherlands since 2004, online, not a physical card. You use it for all communications with government, both local and national. It's used so that doctors, hospitals etc have access to medical records when treating you. New health issue, different hospital, the new hospital can see what other issues you have and what meds you're on. You use it for your annual tax returns. That's the scope of it. Nothing sinister in it. There's no tracking of whereabouts. No bank transactions checked. Not connected to retail outlets. There's no controlling of what you spend, where or what on. There's nothing sinister in it whatsoever. If the UK goes as far as NL I see no problems. Go further and then it does raise serious issues. My opinion based on 21 years of having a digital ID issued under tight conditions for its use.

[Andy_Faber]

Digital ID.

I suppose it all depends on how far the digital ID goes. We've had them in the Netherlands since 2004, online, not a physical card. You use it for all communications with government, both local and national. It's used so that doctors, hospitals etc have access to medical records when treating you. New health issue, different hospital, the new hospital can see what other issues you have and what meds you're on. You use it for your annual tax returns. That's the scope of it. Nothing sinister in it. There's no tracking of whereabouts. No bank transactions checked. Not connected to retail outlets. There's no controlling of what you spend, where or what on. There's nothing sinister in it whatsoever. If the UK goes as far as NL I see no problems. Go further and then it does raise serious issues. My opinion based on 21 years of having a digital ID issued under tight conditions for its use.

I have problem with it personally, in fact t I think it would be an improvement over the many digital IDs I already have. But I’m don’t see how it will make a significant dent on the activities of those who seek to circumvent the laws, civil or criminal.

[Geoff Parkstone]

... and it's Thames who have not invested in repairs and maintenance, built up huge debts yet still think it's OK to pay out billions in shareholder dividends and get emergency loans from the taxpayer. And there was I thinking dividends were shareholder's cut of the profits... it seems that you can lose billions, have billions of pounds worth of R&M backlogs but still look after your shareholders. The R&M has to be done. Thames is broke. The taxpayer and Thames' customers will have to pay for it. Might as well nationalise it and avoid having to pay for dividends on the back of losses. The taxpayer has covered the losses. Water is a necessity. Get the R&M done, screw the shareholders who, IMO, have been undeservedly getting dividend for years, nationalise Thames and, if it ever turns a profit, it goes into the Treasury rather than shareholder bank accounts.

I'm not anti shareholder. I do, however, believe that dividends on the back of perennial losses is abhorrent. I also believe that utilities such as gas, electric, water and maybe more things, should be provided to the public at cost. There shouldn't be a profit made out of necessities.

Under company law a company can only pay dividends out of retained profits, not out of for example capital.

You might care to fact check your assertion that billions have been paid out in dividends when billions have been made in losses.

If this had been done then the directors and auditors should be held personally responsible

[ramAnag]

Under company law a company can only pay dividends out of retained profits, not out of for example capital.

You might care to fact check your assertion that billions have been paid out in dividends when billions have been made in losses.

If this had been done then the directors and auditors should be held personally responsible

You have a more professional insight into such matters than most,Rog, but the facts seem to be that Thames Water has accrued 22 billion GDP of debt since it was privatised in 1989 and that it only recently ceased paying dividends to shareholders.
I believe they’ve paid out 7 billion GDP in dividends since privatisation, which would seem to back up MA’s assertion. I also believe they’re unlikely to pay further dividends before 2030, but that seems to be a case of ‘shutting the proverbial stable door after the horse has bolted’.

Perfectly happy to be corrected if I’ve misunderstood.

[Geoff Parkstone]

As an initial observation, accruing debt does not mean the same as making trading losses. Consider you probably have been in debt much of your life via mortgage, but you still had income via salary.

The cessor of dividends recently suggests they no longer have retained earnings to distribute and aren't budgeting for any going forward.

So sorry, the above is not fact checking on historic performance which is understandable as you're not an accountant.

I'll have a look myself - have no great skin in the game as to whether Thames Water acted illegally or not but I do doubt it given the scrutiny that they've been under in recent years.