Election Year or Fear!

[ramAnag]

but werent they scousers and with you being, in round terms, a mank.....surely you'd be fighting over that rat in the bin?

Think you mean ?Manc?, and I?m not. Lanc? Yes. Manc? Never. Like calling you Welsh.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Apologies, I thought your birthplace was in the metropolitan county of greater Manchester as a roughyed

[ramAnag]

Apologies, I thought your birthplace was in the metropolitan county of greater Manchester as a roughyed

Greater Manchester didn’t exist when I was born and anyway, I was born in Chester…yards from your favourite border.

[Andy_Faber]

I'm conscious that a few here go silent when there's anything that shows the current HMG up in a bad light, so I'll bring up the subject of Rachel Reeves' 'oversight'.

You'll be surprised to read, IMO, 'nothing to see here'. Whether it was an honest mistake who knows, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, who here hasn't made a gaff on a bit of paperwork that, in this case I'm sure, will get nodded through anyway. You'd expect HM Opposition (not just these, any) to make a fuss, but the media are whipping it up for all they are worth to fill screentime/column inches.

[MadAmster]

I'm conscious that a few here go silent when there's anything that shows the current HMG up in a bad light, so I'll bring up the subject of Rachel Reeves' 'oversight'.

You'll be surprised to read, IMO, 'nothing to see here'. Whether it was an honest mistake who knows, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, who here hasn't made a gaff on a bit of paperwork that, in this case I'm sure, will get nodded through anyway. You'd expect HM Opposition (not just these, any) to make a fuss, but the media are whipping it up for all they are worth to fill screentime/column inches.

What's the oversight please, AF?

[Andy_Faber]

What's the oversight please, AF?

Reeves family moved out of their family home for work reasons. They rented it out. They should have declared that to their local council but didn?t. The press (mail?) checked, found out and went public. Reeves apologised and put it right. Starmer accepted the apology. The press generally have got hold of it and it?s top story now. Tiries have called for her head on a plate of course

I will slightly qualify my comment if her failure to declare helped avoid/reduce council tax

[MadAmster]

Meanwhile, here in Clogland, the results from yesterday's General Election are coming in. PR is wonderful, intit?

With a handful of places plus the postal and international votes still to declare, PVV (Wilders) have 26 seats as do D66 (Jetten). The total votes counted thus far has PVV 2300 votes, nationwide, ahead of D66 as the largest party. The expectation is that most of the undeclared results will see little change in that difference. Where will the decision be made? Venray still has to declare and that is a PVV stronghold. Amsterdam is expected to see D66 do much better than the PVV. That leaves it up to postal/international votes and those results aren't expected until Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Quite why it will take that long I have no idea.

What does it all mean? I forecast when the current coalition was formed that it wouldn't last a year. It lasted 11 months. With the stance of the parties during the campaign on who would not be prepared to join in a coalition with certain other parties, the way the votes have panned out thus far, whether thoughts turn to a right wing coalition, a centrist (slightly left/right thereof) coalition or a left wing coalition, I can't see, and neither can the "experts" on the various election programmes, any coalition being formed unless they attempt a minority government. I am of the opinion that, if a coalition can't be formed, we'll be back at the polls inside 6 months. If someone tries to go down the minority route we'll be back inside 12 months. Whatever happens, the country has been at a stillstand for the past 2 years. Will remain so for the next few months while they try to form a coalition and pretty soon after that we'll be going back to the polls meaning another 4 months or so of still stand to the next election. The current cabinet fell on June 3rd, elections were yesterday. Ridiculous state of affairs that doesn't look like ending soon.

What a palaver and it shows the downside of PR.

[MadAmster]

Thanks AF. Over here, our version of council tax comes in 2 varieties. The property owner pays it on the property. The resident pays it too. Owner occupiers therefore pay both bits. Is that the same in the UK?

[Geoff Parkstone]

MA: failed to get appropriate licence from council when letting out her home after vacating it to move to #11. Hardly up there even with the Rayner stamp duty omission but how many more times will standing cabinet ministers make stupid oversights that basic (accurate) professional advise could avoid? Its just plain stupid but no big deal, although at a wider level it makes you question the fitness to govern if they keep cocking up on simple things.

Specially for rA, it seems the toolmakers lad has a cabinet full of tools.

[Andy_Faber]

Thanks AF. Over here, our version of council tax comes in 2 varieties. The property owner pays it on the property. The resident pays it too. Owner occupiers therefore pay both bits. Is that the same in the UK?

Occupiers whether owners or tenants are wholly responsible when the house is occupied. If the house is empty and not tenanted the owner is responsible, if empty because a tenant has vacated during a tenancy, the absentee tenant is responsible.