I notice we haven't had a relaunch for a while,have they given up?.
March 14, 2009 at 9:26 AM
Anonymous
said...
Fuck off.
March 14, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Anonymous
said...
Anything that requires political courage?...McMental he of Dundee fame, of financial probity...he of a guaranteed pension for failure...nice start to Saturday.
Q: What's the difference between Bernard Madoff and Gordon Brown?
A: One has drained fortunes from gullible victims, plundering their income and savings to create an illusion of prosperity. The other is going to jail.
March 14, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Anonymous
said...
Fuck off Irish scum
March 14, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Anonymous
said...
The Royal family does pay tax - all of the profits of the Crown estate go the Treasury.
There are many people who deserve picking on in the financial crisis - but leave Her Majesty out of it Guido.
March 14, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Anonymous
said...
Aye! Tha's al' fine and well tae talk so!
Bu' tha' Majesty sa' tae me - I'll tell ye straight Broon, - or whater' ye name is - don't put ye thievin' mitts near MY gold - or it's curtains for ye!
An' I'll tell ye - arm scary fert that e'erone else wi' do tha' same if that leaks out! Cos' nuthen's'nae ma fult ye understand!
Gordon's just posturing as usual. If he and the House cared about the enormous waste of taxpayers money then they'd get rid of the pointless quangos that drain us of 100bil/year. Oh yes they promised that didn't they, but did they do anything? Did they fuck.
The clue is in the title - HM Government. It's Her Majesty's Government, so how can she pay tax to herself? Though I believe she does actually do so anyway, voluntarily.
As for the 'benefits', I assume you mean the Civil List. This is payment for vast tracts of land given to the nation mainly by George III I believe.
Anyway, the killer question for republicans is - if you get did of the Monarch, you would have to have a President. The President would be a politician. Does anybody seriously want a politician as Head of State? You might as well have a used-car salesman.
Funny, I thought she gave more in tax than she got from the civil list.
March 14, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Anonymous
said...
I might be more bothered if she spent her time cruising on her old yacht, now gone (to the detriment of British business) and spent her time stuffing her face with life's luxuries. As it is she gets her cornflakes out of Tupperware in the morning and at most banquets the food is always cold by the time she gets to eat it. The political gravy train looks far more comfortable.
It's simple, Her Madge and heirs have little to gain, already having a pile, they have no need for further looting. It is a fact that her and her accoutrement earn Britain a substantial sum each year.
Not something that could be said for Brown whose cohorts have spent the last ten years filling their boots. Imagine Blair or heaven forbid Brown as El Fucking Presidente the mad, cretinous, malicious bastard and I think that should answer anyone's doubts as to how lucky we are.
PS All this stuff about RBS and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs). In private banking a PEP would appear to be someone you can ignore as far as tax evasion and money laundering goes. Mr Mills passed his ill gotten gains through a number of banks without a problem.
March 14, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Anonymous
said...
HM Government. The clue is in the name.
March 14, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Anonymous
said...
As much as I dislike being arrse-raped for tax by Jonah, The royal family are a symbol that we are more than a minor north european democratic (maybe not for much longer) republic and should not be subject to the same treatment. The queen does a great deal of good for this country and for only a small return, going after them would have massive negative consequences. BTW, they do actually pay taxes. GB, when he was treasurer, used a VAT inspection on Prince Charles as a warning to the royal family that they should stop drawing attention to the terrible government treatment of UK troops in AFG and Iraq.
Are you pissed off that she's not executed the git?
You can't have this turd take on Betty's brigade - bang out of order.
March 14, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Anonymous
said...
Fuck off Guido, The Queen is off limits.
March 14, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Anonymous
said...
John Flood said...
Never understood why they were exempt anyway. -----
In theory, the Crown is the taxing body, so it should no more pay tax than I should charge myself rent for living in my home.
If the Crown renounced the Civil List and took back the income from the Crown Estates, it would be obvious what a good deal the country is currently getting from the Monarchy under the present system.
It's not just the Queen, Bank of England Nominees Ltd. has been available for decades to all the world's current heads of state to allow them anonymity when buying shares. Therefore, when a company publishes a share register and the Bank of England Nominees is listed, it is not possible to gauge whether the Queen, President Obama or even Robert Magabe is the true shareholder.
According to Hansard (HC Deb 21 April 1977 vol 930 cc151-2W)
Bank of England Nominees Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of England. They...hold securities as nominee...on behalf of Heads of State and their immediate family, Governments, official bodies controlled or closely related to Governments, and international organisations formed by Governments or official bodies
The Crown Estate does not belong to the Queen, it belongs to the nation and is held in trust by the reigning monarch.
It is a myth to say the Crown lands justifies their tax evasion.
As a test, do you really think the current Queen has the authority to sell off all of the UK's shoreline, which is part of the crown estates, in a private sale?
March 14, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Anonymous
said...
I can't believe you moderated away my post yesterday. I thought it was quite amusing. Never mind.
Fuck the queen. She's happy for our government to go round toppling other heads of state and Northern Ireland will never be hers no matter how many scot-prots she dumps there.
Replace her with the Osbournes. They too are embarrasing twats, but at least no-one will expect any better of them. Trust me the tourists will lap it up.
March 14, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Anonymous
said...
No Guido, wrong palace.
March 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Anonymous
said...
Tax dodger? Not really - it is a two-way agreement. The Royal Family still own (one way or another) a large chunk of UK plc, it's just that mostly they don't choose to call on their resources. It is quite remarkable how little our uncodified constitution has changed over hundreds of years. Try spending some time investigating topics like the Royal Parks and Crown Estate, you may be surprised by what you find.
March 14, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Anonymous
said...
Given the choice between being ruled over by Gordon or HM the Q, I'd take the latter anyday.
Return to a proper monarchy is looking more attractive by the day (not Big Ears, though). So leave them alone, cuntychops.
March 14, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Anonymous
said...
ah ze qveen! gvord bless her!
Gvord bless her
gord bless her :/
------
May they all hang. Together.
March 14, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Anonymous
said...
ROGER THE RAT. No not the name of a colorful children's character but a reference to the unsavouray practice ofrunning a smear campaign as practised by Malcolm Powers and Mike Orton ,in Berkshire.Does anyone know whether its true that there is a blog showing 'Three Tits'riding a giant rodent...or is it just a nasty urban myth...
March 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Anonymous
said...
Sorry Guido .. I normally back you to the hilt .. but you've got this wrong Old Son .. HM does pay Tax & has done so for a number of years ... The man brought in to oversee the operation Michael (now Sir Michael) Peat, formerly of KPMG ..
The background of Sir Michael, 53, is as appropriate as his appearance. Impeccably upper middle class - his father was a Privy Purse auditor, as was his great-grandfather William Barclay Peat - he went to Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, before doing an MBA at Europe's top-notch business school at Fontainebleau in France. He spent 20 years in the family accountancy firm KPMG (formerly Peat Marwick) where he made valuable contacts among the firm's many wealthy and aristocratic clients. Who better for the Palace to approach in 1990 with an invitation to join the Royal Household as Keeper of the Privy Purse in charge of the Queen's £20m domestic annual budget?
At once he embarked on a formidable campaign to put the finances in order. Within five years he had halved royal spending with a raft of measures which ranged from double-glazing the windows (to cut heating bills), renewing royal dishwashers (to break less crockery), replacing white marquees at garden parties (green ones are half the cost), to closing the subsidised staff bar (but cleverly giving staff a pay rise to lessen the pain).
He was the man who axed the royal train (after learning that it cost £35,000 for every outing). He replaced 100th birthday telegrams with congratulation cards (saving £19,000 a year). He cut back on the royal staff (many of whom thought they had a job for life). He also removed minor royals from the Civil List (leaving only the Queen and Prince Philip still being paid directly from the public purse). "He went through the place," one courtier said, "like a hot knife through butter."
But he did so with a winning combination of ruthlessness and charm. He forced the Duke of Edinburgh to start switching off lights when he left rooms. (Philip was heard to complain that Peat would have him using cheap OAP tickets next.) It was a report by him which concluded that Prince Edward's film company, Ardent Productions, was a dead loss, forcing the prince to pull out. More significantly it was Sir Michael who, just three years after his arrival, persuaded the Queen to start paying income tax on her private wealth.
Sir Michael's cuts in palace spending save the taxpayer £37m a year.
March 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Anonymous
said...
The civil list cost the UK taxpayer £40 million per year.
The Crown estates has a portfolio of £7.3 billion and generates an income to the treasury of approx £190 million.
How much income would a President of the UK and his hangers-on generate?
THe Monarchy and politics don't mix well in the UK. I suggest you leave it at that.
Guido Have you run out of material about Derek Draper - a real bore for most of us? If so, please find something that has some merit. The Royal family is worth more to the country than any 50 politicians combined and does pay tax, in the Queen's case it is voluntary. Without a monarch we would today have Kinnock or Mandelson as titular President, complete with their multiple pensions, blind trusts and assorted hangers-on all having sinecures.
March 14, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Anonymous
said...
Change the record Guido Whatever the rights and wrongs of the monarchy/ republik, the bald fact is that crime-ridden tax havens have helped create the hyperleveraged monster destroying the financial system and our future wealth. They were used by banks and hedge funds to convert 0% Japanese carry trade money into a sea of red ink. And what were the benefits? Aside from the illusion of economic growth at the time, that funny money bid up asset prices making housing unaffordable for many. Now we're sobering up, that 'growth' looks like nothing more than unsustainable debt.
There is no silver lining. The tax-avoiding scum enriching themselves while they grind the rest of us into poverty can fuk off for all I care. More civilised countries than Britain manage a higher standard of living without their stupid money. We need to do the same. Set against the trillions sheltered through tax-free havens, the costs of having a royal family is gnat's piss.
March 14, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Anonymous
said...
Out of interest, how much does "our" Royal Family rake off in tax-funded EU subsidies via the Common Agricultural Policy?
March 14, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Anonymous
said...
GORDON Brown was last night desperately battling to save his much-heralded global rescue summit from turning into a damp squib.
Downing Street officials yesterday tried to brush off suggestions of a rift with America after President Barack Obama’s administration signalled little enthusiasm for agreeing a new international economic plan at the London G20 Summit next month.
And tensions were understood to be intensifying between Number 10 and Chancellor Alistair Darling over Mr Brown’s demands for billions more pounds of borrowed cash for further bids to ease the recession.
An ally of the Chancellor said: “There is no money left.”
Mr Brown was shaken yesterday by a statement from the White House dampening expectations that the summit will produce a recession-busting deal to boost the world economy with a massive international cash injection.
March 14, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Anonymous
said...
Countdown to 2010.
Millions more to lose their jobs....plus many more migrants to fill the vacancies that really are vacant. We are set to become one of the most overcrowded countries on the globe, thus becoming one of the most generous contributors to the global warming scam.
More failing pupils in bright new shiny schools. I hope these retrained bankers are good at self defense, as they're gonna need it.
More prisoners let out on early release to rape, kill and maim the populous, 'cos you know, they're only human like us, and NuLab couldn't be arsed to build enough bright new shiny prisons for them.
The army will still continue to be treated like shit, and spat on by Muslims in their own country, and the police will still continue to ignore them, unless they're daft enough blow up a police station or a politician.
PTO...
March 14, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Anonymous
said...
Well worth looking at www.republic.org.uk before making some silly comments like the ones above.
The Queen doesn't do "a great deal of good for this country".
She pays voluntary taxes in a secret deal, so we don't know if she's paying the normal rate or 1%.
The Crown Estate is not her personal property and never was, so there is no personal loss to her when the CE pays money to the treasury.
If you don't like the politicians we have - which some of you clearly don't, stop for a minute and wonder why politicians support the monarchy - it's because the monarchy is pro-politician. It gives them unlimited and unaccountable power.
Want a real democracy? Get rid of the Crown.
March 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Anonymous
said...
The monarchy "costs" per year about half what the Italian and German presidencies each cost per year. It also "costs" less than the G20 London gathering is costing Britain.
That is if the monarchy can really be said to "cost" at all, granted that the Crown Estate profit goes straight to the Treasury and is a far larger incoming sum.
That income comes in quietly, whereas posturing politicians make a lot of noise over the smaller outgoings.
Contributions amounting to tax are made by the royal family where tax, as such, is not incurred.
March 14, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Anonymous
said...
Is this the most important issue right now? What about some comments regarding the other Republican issue. When those two murdering scum from the provos Adams and McGuinness were rewarded for their terrorist activity the British state gave the green light to others like them. Make a big enough nuisance of yourself and eventually we will give you far more than you could ever have got through the electoral system. The so called crackpot Islamic radicals have only to look at the peace process in N Ireland and see the obvious conclusion. Look forward to Abu hook hand as minister for communities and the environment.
March 14, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Anonymous
said...
Given that the Irish economy is in the process of imploding - with Cowan about to increase the speed of implosion with a not-so-mini budget, I am not sure that the Irish have anything to laugh at in the UK (except for the sad joke that is Brown)
I would normally stand up and defend The Queen and the Royal family, especially against an Irishman.
However, as Her Majesty has failed to protect her subjects, against the Brown Government and his refusal to call a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. I believe she should pay the price.
Anon at 9.56 has got it right. You are off target on this one, although I would like to ask Her Madge what she thinks she was doing gifting her subjects to Europe without asking them. She deserves a new yacht nevertheless. Britannia was a showcase. It will not take long to raise funds for a new one after 2010.
March 14, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Anonymous
said...
I would have thought the LAST thing Brown can afford is a spat with Her Majesty as she would have the support of the majority of the electorate if she was to exercise her Royal Prerogative( as the monarch may in theory unilaterally dismiss a Prime Minister) and prorogue Parliament causing an immediate election in view of the seriousness of the UK economic situation and impending national bankruptcy that Brown has delivered this country to ?
March 14, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Anonymous
said...
Disagree with you on this one Guido.
They bring a lot of money into the county, lets face tourism will be our only industry left soon way things are going...
March 14, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Anonymous
said...
Its been a while since this blog has gone massively against public opinion - I was wondering how you were going to change that.
Suddenly you are losing my sympathy, especially so soon after the murderers Adams and McGuiness have been back in the news with their nauseating statements about the "republican community".
March 14, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Anonymous
said...
Save your hate for the morons that have created regional assemblies, quangos, wasting billions on consultants, fucked up schooling, policing, NHS, Post Offices as well as hide the true figures of unemployment, crime, immigration and debt, whilst developing the biggest laziest chav culture of all time and pissing billions of pounds of taxpayers money down the drain.
March 14, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Anonymous
said...
So you're an Irish Republican! Presumably you also support the murderers in Noerthern Ireland.You should be hung,drawn and quartered - again.
March 14, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Anonymous
said...
Now now Guido, at least they don't give money to the Labour party.
March 14, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Anonymous
said...
"The clue is in the title - HM Government. It's Her Majesty's Government.."
dead right mate, it's not bloody mine, however it does put all us 'subjects' in our position though doesnt it???
I'm not the royal family's biggest fan, but I think they are thousand of times preferable to the alternative - Can you imagine President Tony and First Lady Cherie?!
Oh wait, we've already had that one!
If we had President Gordon - he would ban elections so that he could never be removed!!!! He might still do it! He probably wants to be the 'Great Father Saviour of the World (and the UK)' and wants to be worshipped properly for this
Liz and the family may not be perfect, but I would rather have someone who understands duty to the country as Head of State rather than a self-serving politician who only understands duty to him or herself!
March 14, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Anonymous
said...
Annual revenues from the Royal Estates (all handed straight to the govt.): ~£180 million/annum
Civil list, cost of security details, cost of maintaining palaces: ~£50 million
Who's making the profit here?
Oh, and for the value of tourist trade attracted by Royal Family (possibly in the hundreds of millions of £s per annum); you're welcome.
Shut up with the Schoolboy Republicanism until you've re-read Bagehot.
March 14, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Anonymous
said...
I suppose we could ask for a republican form of government, but few would be so bold. Withdrawing support for a wealthy tax payer funded hereditary monarchy is seen by many in the UK as being unpatriotic. Though a link to our history they may be, the vast majority of it has consisted of abuses of power and despotism. It is only relatively recently, where our form of government has taken on a republican quality (in that the monarch no longer exercises total control over our lives) that this abuse has abated. Sadly, a new breed of kings and aristocracy has arisen in Westminster, believing themselves they have a divine right to rule as their more regal counterparts did centuries ago.
March 14, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Anonymous
said...
Very disappointing.
Having the Monarchy isn't perfect, but do let us know when you come up with a better idea.
March 14, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Anonymous
said...
'Ands of our Lizzie! She's alwight that gel, deserves evry penny if you arsk me
March 14, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Anonymous
said...
When one gravy train pulls out of the station, another is due to arrive. Be on the right platform; clue - it won't be up on the describer board until it's comfy seats are massively ensconced.
March 14, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Anonymous
said...
Why should the royal family be expected to pay taxes when they ae not allowed to vote. It would not be fair for them to have to pay, whilst having no say in who decides the tax rates.
March 14, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Anonymous
said...
Only one queen I'm bothered about - McLiberace.
March 14, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous
said...
Really twattish post.Would you prefer President Hattersley perhaps?Thank God we have a non party constitutional Head of State.Or perhaps you would want the next general election run like Glenrothes?
More on Gordon McMadpoof and his poncey queen economy
March 14, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Anonymous
said...
Come off it, pal.
March 14, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Anonymous
said...
Glad to see so many supporters of the Monarchy speaking up shows we haven't totally gone to the dogs yet,President Brown or Blair God help this country if it comes to that.
March 14, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Anonymous
said...
The country is awash with oligarchs and other foreign crooks who freely boast that they've cursed us with their presence for tax avoidance reasons. And then there are the sleazy businessmen who own most of the trash emporium on our high streets and live abroad for what they claim to be the qualifying period for tax avoidance. The Royal family is a long way down the list of people who need to be pursued or evicted for tax purposes. Gordon's first act on being appointed Chancellor was to sell off the Inland Revenue's property portfolio at a knockdown price to a George Soros' tax haven based company - a fairly clear indication of where he stood on tax avoidance. He approves of it when it suits him.
March 14, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Anonymous
said...
All those defending the monarchy to safeguard old Queenie might want to contemplate what will happen in the not too distant future when that jug-eared Nazi Luddite hater-of-the-normal-person wannabe tampon Charles takes over. Cut them all off financially, we don't need a whole in-bred family jetting off round the world at our expense spouting climate change crap and dissing the "deniers".
March 14, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Anonymous
said...
Brown is scraping around to get his hands on all the money he can, to use to try to buy votes.
It's too late for that, Brown is finished, but it won't stop him trying to steal your money in your savings accounts, and not just the offshore ones.
Royalty is the worship of the worthless by the witless. During her entire reign Mrs. Battenburg has never refused to sign any Act against democracy or which is detrimental to the welfare of pensioners etc. Perhaps she gets threatened that her benefit will stop?
March 14, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, you are many years out of date. Long ago (was it soon after Diana died?) the Queen agreed voluntarily to pay tax on her private income. Her investments may not be subject to what you call "normal financial reporting requirements" but they are still disclosed to the Inland Revenue.
And as someone else pointed out, the income from the Crown Estate goes to the Treasury, in return for the (much smaller) Civil List.
I agree that deposits would shift to the Middle East or elsewhere if the looters have their way.
March 14, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido is short of material today. He has not even noticed that the Queen gave notice some time ago that she would no longer put up with living in that awful stage set whivh is the insdie of Buckingham Palace.
Can't Guido pick up on something chronic but more interesting such as the great good Tony Blair is not doing to the Near East; and the great good he is doing to the Blair family fortune? or the weaselly ways of Alex Salmon as he tries to get a referendum on Scottish independence which isn't on independence fro Scotland but could be presented as if it were should Alex get a favopurable result?
(order-order is being sabotaged, by Draper? The word verification is showing 'progr ').
March 14, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Anonymous
said...
I am amazed at how royalists get uptight when we republicans just ask for equality. Out they come with the same old statements of 'imagine Blair as president' or the good old one of 'royalty brings in the tourists'. Whether you royalists like it or not our nation will one day scrap the monarchy. It serves no useful purpose for our people. It's just expensive wrapping paper that needs to be taken off and thrown in the bin.
Perhaps they have got some local tax arrangments, but really they are comparatively small fry these days, financially, after offset costs are taken into account. And we know who they are and where they live, unlike too many of the others.
March 14, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Anonymous
said...
When the ridiculous Princess Tracy had her crash, and the entire country went into synchronised emotional overload, I wrote a spoof 'Sun' report for friends, which described the Royal Family as:
Pensioners Philip and Elizabeth Battenberg control the extensive Windsor crime syndicate and live, with their extended 'family', in a number of large council-houses protected by a private army. They are currently at Balmoral, a Scottish estate. They pay no tax, anywhere.
Complete bollocks, Fawkes. The Royal Family is a massive net contributor to the economy, as you well know.
Ask Hymen Birdturdler III and his wife Bessie from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, as they book into the Hyde Park Hotel and plan their day's schedule - changing of the guard, Buck House tour, Windsor Castle Expedition.
Ask Endo Nagasaki and his lady wife from Yokohama, as they put an extra 20MB memory card in their digital cameras and take twenty three identical photos of each other with the Mall or St James's Palace as backdrop.
If you had your wicked Fenian way, we would have a banal housewife like Mary Robinson watching Deal or No Deal all day at taxpayers' expense, before making a feeble attempt at small talk with the visiting King of Tonga. Before long, Cherie Blair will have elbowed her way in.
The decline of Guido continues. Sad, when John Reid and Labour are so snout ridden every day.
March 14, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Anonymous
said...
Thanks Guido - you have turned my dislike for this lot of mongels into absolute fury. Only an England trouncing of the Frogs will restore me to normality for a right royal outing this evening( with a friend who has just awarded a bloody gong)!
You can take the paddy out of the bog but you can't take the bog out of the paddy.
This whole country's been going downhill since we gave Catholics the vote. It was madness to assume that the slaves of the bishop of Rome could ever feel loyalty to a non-Catholic country.
March 14, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Anonymous
said...
No Capital Gains Tax.
No Income Tax.
No Capital Transfer Tax.
Barclays Bank Account if you want it.
The Seychelles.
Regards,
Tom
March 14, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Anonymous
said...
Leave Her Majesty alone!
March 14, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Anonymous
said...
and how much tax to you pay in the UK?
March 14, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Anonymous
said...
It would seem that Republic has an awful lot of educating to do going by some of the comments here.
The Royals 'voluntarily' pay some tax but get back far more than they ever pay in despite their enormous income.
A President would not have to be a politician but whoever, will be fairly and democraticically elected and if they don't perform acceptably we can vote them out. That is called democracy; anything less is feudal and an anacronism of the past.
March 14, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Anonymous
said...
For once, I can honestly say you are completely right.
The Queen has done an excellent job in her reign as Head of State. More than be said for some of her family.
The continuity she has offered has been invaluable and I believe her cost is around 60p a head per year.
Mind you, if you have some really filthy rich friends, it's a good smoke screen to lay down on their behalf :-)
Ampers
March 14, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Anonymous
said...
DOZY ROSA DOES IT AGAIN!
The Telegraph front page story on Ed Miliband's girlfriend Justine Thornton, who works as a leading counsel for the nuclear industry, is a disgrace. It insinuates that he has a conflict of interest as the man in charge of Britain's energy policy. The paper says "Ed Miliband kept the identity of his girlfriend secret from the media, although his department is aware of who she is." Bollocks.
He did nothing of the sort. She has featured in a Guardian profile, and he freely talked about her to me when I did a profile of him and his brother in GQ last year. Just because Rosa Prince didn't know about her, doesn't make her a secret.
The story goes on... "The revelation has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest and aides to Mr Miliband confirmed last night that he had not excused himself from any decisions taken at the department."
And nor should he. Stories like this are from the school of thought that assumes all politicians are on the make or easy to influence in a malign way. And it is a story which not only should never have made the Telegraph front page.
UPDATE: Dizzy disagrees.
UPDATE: I have just read my copy of the Daily Telegraph (which is a later edition) and the story has not only disappeared from the front page but the entire newspaper. Instead on page 4 there is a story about Ministers' relatives in general, in which Ed Miliband rates a one line mention.
March 14, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Anonymous
said...
I thought tax havens were designed to hide wealth from tax authorities. How is a trust called Bank of England Nominees hidden? If Gordon wants to see what she owns he only has to look. God save the Queen.
March 14, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Anonymous
said...
Dear Luftwaffe: come back, all is forgiven.
(with apologies to Five Feet of Fury)
March 14, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Anonymous
said...
Whoops.
Uncharacteristic mis-call, Fawkes.
The Crown Estates were swapped for the civil list back in late C18th.
last year the Crown estate made £211m out of which the Royals were paid.
Perhaps you think that Government should pay tax to itself on the £150m+ annual CE profit?
The UK has made a stack of money after confiscating the CE. The Queen now also pays tax, as does Wales on his Duchy income, which is used to fund his offices and staff.
No Guido you're way out there. The Queen is the symbol of national unity, and keeps uppitty politicos from imagining they are Top Dog. Worth every penny, to avoid the horrors of President Cherie or President Prescott.
March 14, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Anonymous
said...
Before someone punts the tourism angle, was your last trip to France ruined by their lack of a hereditary monarchy?
March 14, 2009 at 1:59 PM
Anonymous
said...
I couldn't agree more. And why some responders take offence to this makes me remember why I despise this country. You are all fucking mad.
March 14, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Anonymous
said...
As an earlier poster said said, if you get rid of Her Majesty, you'd have to have a President, even if elected now and again, and ask yourself are you actually going to have a say in this, I mean who is going to appoint Blair. The Queen does a lot of work, and probably works harder for this cuntry ( no it's not a spelling mistake, I'm just pissed off ) than any of us. I just wish she'd call in her Generals and tell them to Kick the door in on these One world fuckwits. I mean come on your Maj, how do you want to be remebered, as the queen who went down with a Winmper.
Since Liz and Phil pull in billions of pounds into this country through tourists who want to photpgraph and gawk at them, I don't give a damn that we give them a little bit back in return.
It's not the sort of job i'd want.
March 14, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido. Please lay off the Royal Family. Every state needs a Head. Our constitutional monarchy has served us very well. The alternatives are too awful to contemplate. Had we had a Presidential system like France there is no doubt in my mind that both Thatcher and Blair at the height of their popularity would have won a Presidential election. What a ghastly thought. The Monarchy is one way of keeping politicians from kingly pretensions. The Royal Family come pretty cheap and worth every penny. A pauper monarch would be pointless.
March 14, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Anonymous
said...
Leave Her Maj out of it! Don't forget she's the only thing standing between Gordo and total military control of the nation. There may come a point when the Army are put on the streets by this govt. The only person who could contermand such orders is Her Maj. In such a stand off I reckon the Army would side with the Monarchy ( and the people) against the govt. Its all we got really.....
March 14, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Anonymous
said...
Leave Her Majesty alone.
It is the one decent thing we have left and you go and attack it.
You picked the wrong one here Guido.
Major mistake of judgement.
Piss off.
March 14, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Anonymous
said...
She gave up her property in return for present arrangements.
She does pay taxes.
You are ignorant Guido. You just do not know what you are talking about.
Do you want to help Labour rip out everything? You are helping Labour sandblast everything.
March 14, 2009 at 2:43 PM
Anonymous
said...
Gueed, leave HM out O'thisone if you please.
March 14, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Anonymous
said...
Wrong target Guido. The royals could take possession of the royal collection - valued at tens of billions - and use that to start paying tax.
If the royals were brought into line it would cost the nation far more.
Besides: we Brits rather like our royals. It's only socialist regime-changers who target the royals. They think that if they can turn Britain into a republic we'll be one step closer to being a Marxist paradise.
Just look at the list of prominent Republicans listed on their site: Toynbee Yasmin Alibhai Brown Brendan O'Neill Julie Burchill Jonathan Freeland Mick Hume
It's a Guardian lefty ego-trip.
Wrong target. And most definitely the wrong lobby group to promote. What next? Eulogising Compass?
At some point in the future the UK might have the breathing space and renewed integrity to start to look in all of the dimly lit corners; maybe even get a constitution together? Meanwhile there is much more to do and the McBroon (and EU) will enjoy "heroically" trying to drag a few billion out of the tax havens, plenty of them offering perfectly legal services. After all the Great Leader is rapidly leading the country towards the almost universal status of "sans culottes" financially, if not politically in any case and that offshore cash is required urgently. Expect a half hearted phoney war with the Isle of Man to start with as per the Cod Wars of the mid-70's and much flag waving around the duty to pay tax (and give back huge pensions? sorry, forgot, that is so last week). Anyway my view as always is that a 10% flat tax would sort it all out...
March 14, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Anonymous
said...
FFS
You must be dead bored or dead lazy to post this shite.
March 14, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Anonymous
said...
Passengers leaving every international sea port, station or airport will have to supply detailed personal information as well as their travel plans.
They've got it the wrong way 'round as usual.
They should be tracking those entering the country.
March 14, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Anonymous
said...
Lets see who the armed forces back if brown makes a move. Queen 1 goverment 0
go on brown, show how little power you realy have. you can only push around the poor you loser.
see how polite that was, i didn't call him a one eyed scottish hoon once!
March 14, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Anonymous
said...
OT, but I liked Hector Sants' speech on Thursday about the future of the FSA, shame they didn't realise this earlier :
"A principles-based approach does not work with individuals who have no principles."
:-)
March 14, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Anonymous
said...
I'm a little disappointed with you Guido, The Civil List is a exceedingly small drop in a very large ocean of goverment spending. It doesn't take an independent study or a degree in economics to see that the the presence of the monarchy has a net financial benefit for this country with or without whatever tax perks they may enjoy.
Would you rather have a political shitwit in the post? The system is by no means perfect but having a cheap, powerless figurehead who has spent the vast majority of his/her life essentially in training for the role of head of state seems infinitely better to me than someone like Harriet Harman being appointed to the role.
Yes it would essentially be an appointment as the Government of the day would certainly put forward a party member and their majority in The House plurality of votes from the general public would make it a dead cert.
The system is by no means perfect but I can think of no better. Me thinks there's a certain amount of good old class hatred coming through her that is blocking your usual pragmatic side
March 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Anonymous
said...
Oy, now you've gone too far. Leave my Queen alone, you Irish git! Bloody bogtrotters... mumble, mumble
March 14, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, Are you tired of moderating and trying to reduce your future traffic? Wrong target!
Bad choice of target Master Fawkes. Stick to the scumabgs at the other end of The Mall.
March 14, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Anonymous
said...
The Crown Estates, which several posters have mentioned in defence of the Windsors, are irrelevant here. They were never the property of the monarch personally. Yes, the Queen does pay tax - to the Crown, not to herself personally, again to the confusion of some posters - but her affairs, as Guido points out, remain shrouded from normal supervision.
March 14, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Anonymous
said...
ITN NEWS
Brown confident of G20 success
The Prime Minister sought to present a united front with his German counterpart Angela Merkel as she visited Downing Street ahead of the London G20 Summit.
But, at a joint press conference following their meeting, the German Chancellor played down the need for any additional fiscal injections beyond those her government was already committed to. Standing alongside Ms Merkel in Number 10, Mr Brown said: "Of course we will review this as we look at what we do at the G20. "But I think you will find that countries will be agreeing together about what we are going to do in future, both in fiscal and monetary policy and in the regulatory system."
He added: "I believe that we are setting a path with the G20 where one by one we are reaching agreement on the big issues for the future."
Ms Merkel stressed that Germany had already committed to a fiscal stimulus worth 4.2 per cent of GDP, putting her country in the "vanguard".
March 14, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Anonymous
said...
If Gordo McSnotfelcher even so much as suggests getting his hands on The Queen's income he can expect a Glasgee kiss from Brenda during his next audience, followed by a toe up his arse from Prince Phillip as he is swiftly evicted via the tradesman's entrance, his pockets stuffed full of Corgi shit.
March 14, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Anonymous
said...
Those that support the system of a monarchy come in two categories
a: the plain stupid who think they somehow profit from the system but don’t and b: those few that profit handsomely at the taxpayers expense.
No royalty = no class system.
No class system = no perks and favour for the comparative few that prop up this grubby little club. No knighthoods, Lords and Ladies.
No cash for honours
The Monarchy works for those that prop it up it never worked for the British People, nor was it ever intended to.
March 14, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Anonymous
said...
Funny how many whine on about how the Monarchy is the best thing since sliced bread, also funny how most countries I’ve visited and lived in seem to do pretty well without it, too.
March 14, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Anonymous
said...
The case for retaining the British royal family condensed into two words:
President Brown
Makes your blood go cold to even think about it, doesn't it?
The Monarchy is the only thing holding this Nation together at the moment.
March 14, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Anonymous
said...
Hey, order-order.com is 404ing.
March 14, 2009 at 6:46 PM
Anonymous
said...
I believe a) the Royal Family should keep their wealth; b)they should be taxed on the income from it (and the tax laws should be changed so that they and all the other obscenely wealthy chaps - yeh including Russian oligarch friends of Mandy - should actually have to pay some); and c) the should be financially self- sufficient and the civil list should go.
March 14, 2009 at 7:32 PM
Anonymous
said...
The idea that we could all "pay less" if all the nasty evaders/avoiders paid their "fair share" is pure tripe. It is not only untrue it is the exact opposite of the truth.Any population cowardly enough to hand over whatever the political scum demanded would very soon find that the demands would be whizzing ever-upward until said scum had taken everything there was to steal.That is the only thing that stops thieves unless people stand up to them.Slavery, as someone said, is oply 100% taxation. Taxes are kept down by the fact they get harder to collect the more thieving they are. Bollocks to "social justice". This world needs tax defiers who will fight to keep their hard earned money out of the hands of thieving tyrannical scum.The Royals should keep their money and so should the rest of us. Instead of avoidence, brazen defiance coupled with whatever degree of violence is needed to protect your income from the violent thieves who call themselves "The State".
Amazing you just cannot say anything about the Saxe-Coburg-Family without the predictable outpourings of the Queen is responsible for every tourist that has even landed on these shores, that she has done a great job for a million years etc etc etc.
Lets just erase from the collective memory, that her great Uncle deserted his post in WWII, was involved is some fairly heavy duty black market currency dealing, and of course was frightfully approving of that nice Mr Hitler.
The problem with Monarchy is that you never know who is going to pop out of the Royal Bed.
the duchy of cornwall is exempt from capital gains tax, and so had an enormous tax advantage during the property boom
March 14, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Anonymous
said...
Anyone having probs accessing this site?
March 14, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Anonymous
said...
Stasi Purists will have noticed that the 32AA former cook is introducing commy style Stasi-fascist border notification of travel and checks to combat islamo-fascist junketings. Rich innit? Wimmin will have to leave a used pair of knickers in a glass jar at Border Controls. Men will have to leave a sample of DNA - yer kno wot that euphemism means doncha?!
But that's the state to which we've brought this once proud nation.
Also, - thanks to Mitch - owe yer one mate! - it IS high time we re-launched Old-Noo(née Noo-Old)BoringLiars. I thought there was something we had missed lately! Let's see, will this be the fiftieth time?
Hardly surprising really - what wiv all me jobbys I've had to do!.
And now, a special message to Hattie Harperson : better not go for a walk in the woods this weekend Hat! Think of yer family. Think what happens to inconvenient bleeders (no pun intended!) when they get up the nose of The Leader.
Anyway - I'll leave that thought wiv yer my buxom roxy doxy.
Old-Noo(née Noo-Old)BoringLiars - WASTING YOUR MONEY on something POINTLESS NEAR YOU!
Why is France now committing fully to NATO. How many shares in various arms companies has Nicolas Sarkozy bought in the past 12 months.
We will never know because they will have been purchased and possessed by his secretive offshore bankers, BANK OF ENGLAND NOMINEES LIMITED
March 14, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Anonymous
said...
Browns bollocks should be cut off, one mounted on a steel spike and the other squashed in a vice, and displayed in the Tower of London, symbolic how he has fucked over British industry.
Ed Milliband just needs lamping for being a cunt
March 14, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Anonymous
said...
Personally I think the royals are worth their corn, even if #1 son is as nutty as a fruitcake and being completely anal on his save the planet crusade
Gawd bless 'er but i'll do a great job as head of state. I'm a pretty straight kinda guy.
March 14, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Anonymous
said...
Guido I love you but you're wrong and misjudged on this. The Monarchy is one of the very few things that helps me live in this rapidly declining state.
Royalist right wingers who despise Brown and Labour might be interested to know that every one of Labour's disasterous bills has been signed into law by their lovely queen. Doesnt that make it all her fault? A President would be just as useless, but a lot cheaper.
As for the tourism argument, do you know where the most visited palace in the world is... Versailles.
Your web redirect for order-order is now working. DNS problems?
March 14, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Anonymous
said...
By my reckoning Generals, you and her Maj could bank on 2 Million able bodied, how about it, think about it, we could form an alliance with Russia and we'd have the Fucking EU surrounded.
Go for it, we all know you want to.
March 14, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Anonymous
said...
Bill d'Sarse said:
The civil list cost the UK taxpayer £40 million per year.
The Crown estates has a portfolio of £7.3 billion and generates an income to the treasury of approx £190 million.
How much income would a President of the UK and his hangers-on generate?
The Monarchy and politics don't mix well in the UK. I suggest you leave it at that.
I agree, Bill. When people start up with: "What about the bloody Queen, eh? What about the bloody Royal family, then?" It usually means that their thought processes have almost come to an end.
A badly chosen target with a poorly executed attack, Guido.
Though it has raised the excitement of several republican knuckle-draggers...
March 14, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Anonymous
said...
I was under the impression that Ireland was already a republic, Guido?
March 14, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Anonymous
said...
This is fucking funny, watching all the monarchist twats come out of the woodwork. The Royal family are sponging scum who should be lined up for shooting. When Diana died, I laughed my fucking arse off - one less sloane bitch to be killed come the revolution. Nice one, Guido!
March 14, 2009 at 11:45 PM
Anonymous
said...
What's going on with Order-order.com?
Doesn't seem to be working at my end.
March 14, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Anonymous
said...
Do they pay death duties?
I was a member of a students union once that had a men only bar. I voted against that bar, many of us right on types did. In the end it fell to the modern view and became mixed. What a fucking disaster. The best bar on campus was as shit as the rest.
So a republic would be democratic. Its only right we should elect our head of state. And when its president Thatcher, or president Blair, or president Jade Goody, we'll have done the right thing. But it will be a fucking disaster.
Some stuff is crap. But thats how we do stuff here, and you know what? It works. For all the wrong reasons.
Best leave well alone.
March 14, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Anonymous
said...
GV
Thank you. Fully appreciate Mr Fawkes' might not like the monarchy (Irish blood, 1921, Michael Collins and all that). As for the rest of you sad Labour wankers... the airport is at Heathrow. I suggest you buy a one way ticket to Havana and fuck off out of this country if you don't like it. Not as if you fuckwipes have not devoted enough of your time to destroying this country in the first place, is it?
March 15, 2009 at 12:06 AM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, you are a complete and utter cunt.
Order-Order bombed all evening and only now do I find, thanks to Old Holborn's blog, this weird address.
Even my useless local council gives warning of road works - why couldn't you? Cunt.
March 15, 2009 at 12:42 AM
Anonymous
said...
Why are people worried about the idea of a 'President Brown'?
It's nothing like a Prime Minister. He couldn't backstab and snipe his way up through a party to get at that job. For President he would need to be elected by the entire nation.
There is no way he would be popular enough to do that, and that is why he would never try to turn our monarchy into a republic. Also it would make the PM role much less powerful, and he wouldn't want to share power now would he? That piss-dribbling little shit stain of a man.
March 15, 2009 at 12:47 AM
Anonymous
said...
'Defender of the Faith' That faith being the least Dogmatic and harmful in historical terms. Strange how Republicans like Cherie (Booth)Blair are reluctant to bow to the queen but prostrate themselves to an unelected Head of State called the Pope. Beware the motives of the champions of Republicanism. Do some digging and you will see.
March 15, 2009 at 1:00 AM
Anonymous
said...
Just read Fraser Nelson's piece about RBS demanding to know your personal political affiliations before granting your company use of Streamline, and the bit about LBG targetting companies and people in "Tory" areas to cancel their loans or overdrafts. High time that everyone just moved their bank accounts either to Barclays or to any bank not liable to be nationalised by Brown.
someone's linked http://www.order-order.com/ to 5thnovember.blogspot.com.com best fix it!
March 15, 2009 at 6:48 AM
Anonymous
said...
Normally in agreement with Mr Fawkes but on this...
may one day a portrait of Queen Liz the 33rd be hanging in a pub on Alpha Centauri.
March 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Anonymous
said...
Guido, I apologise for calling you a cunt last night. That was my friend Mr Jacob Creek speaking.
However, having just read this thread properly to find you insulting The Queen, I still think you are a cunt. So is the person who pathetically argues "Other countries manage well enough without a monarchy". Other countries manage well enough without roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Doesn't mean it should be abolished.
March 15, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Anonymous
said...
Sorry Guido, any republican tendencies I may have entertained in the past were destroyed by the likes of Cherie Blair (who would love to be a President I'm sure) and with this authoritarian lot in power I'm quite relieved that the Royal family is around.
You're barking up the wrong tree. Just think of the royal yacht we could afford with a fraction of the money that's wasted on failed IT projects.
Never mind a helipad, it could have it's own runway!
March 15, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Anonymous
said...
So you're in th Irish Republic? Well fucking stay there you fucking republican.
March 15, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Anonymous
said...
People in glass-houses shouldn't throw stones
March 15, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Anonymous
said...
My last posting which was factual and to the point has not been posted never mind. The monarchists have been ranting complete irrational nonsense as always with the usual sack loads of expletives. For example to comment that "the queen is orff limits" is absurd and illustrates the dreadful absolutism that the Queen and the Monarchy represents and is the antithesis of real democracy. The so called bleating "facts" about tax and income from tourism is the finest example of misinformation you could ever hope to get. Finally we got rid of our crippling royals and the monarchy ages ago. Sent them to you in blighty - a still anacronistic cob-webbed society that labels itself the so called mother-of-all-parliaments - what a joke.
ITS costing a lot less than it would if Gordon had his hands on it.....wha a money earner the Royals have been........I dont think many tourists would come here to see Msss Harman and co!!!
158 comments:
More pointless posturing from the pointless one.
I notice we haven't had a relaunch for a while,have they given up?.
Fuck off.
Anything that requires political courage?...McMental he of Dundee fame, of financial probity...he of a guaranteed pension for failure...nice start to Saturday.
Q: What's the difference between Bernard Madoff and Gordon Brown?
A: One has drained fortunes from gullible victims, plundering their income and savings to create an illusion of prosperity. The other is going to jail.
Fuck off Irish scum
The Royal family does pay tax - all of the profits of the Crown estate go the Treasury.
There are many people who deserve picking on in the financial crisis - but leave Her Majesty out of it Guido.
Aye! Tha's al' fine and well tae talk so!
Bu' tha' Majesty sa' tae me -
I'll tell ye straight Broon, - or whater' ye name is - don't put ye thievin' mitts near MY gold - or it's curtains for ye!
An' I'll tell ye - arm scary fert that e'erone else wi' do tha' same if that leaks out!
Cos' nuthen's'nae ma fult ye understand!
Ironically this is the day Republic have launched their new website at www.republic.org.uk
Joined up thinking perhap?! I am presuming Guido is a republican given that he once tried to blow up the King.
Never understood why they were exempt anyway. How many of the family don't pay tax?
Gordon's just posturing as usual. If he and the House cared about the enormous waste of taxpayers money then they'd get rid of the pointless quangos that drain us of 100bil/year. Oh yes they promised that didn't they, but did they do anything? Did they fuck.
GOVERNMENT TO TRACK ALL TRAVEL PLANS!
The clue is in the title - HM Government. It's Her Majesty's Government, so how can she pay tax to herself? Though I believe she does actually do so anyway, voluntarily.
As for the 'benefits', I assume you mean the Civil List. This is payment for vast tracts of land given to the nation mainly by George III I believe.
Anyway, the killer question for republicans is - if you get did of the Monarch, you would have to have a President. The President would be a politician. Does anybody seriously want a politician as Head of State? You might as well have a used-car salesman.
Didn't know you were a Republican? Excellent!
Funny, I thought she gave more in tax than she got from the civil list.
I might be more bothered if she spent her time cruising on her old yacht, now gone (to the detriment of British business) and spent her time stuffing her face with life's luxuries. As it is she gets her cornflakes out of Tupperware in the morning and at most banquets the food is always cold by the time she gets to eat it. The political gravy train looks far more comfortable.
It's simple, Her Madge and heirs have little to gain, already having a pile, they have no need for further looting. It is a fact that her and her accoutrement earn Britain a substantial sum each year.
Not something that could be said for Brown whose cohorts have spent the last ten years filling their boots. Imagine Blair or heaven forbid Brown as El Fucking Presidente the mad, cretinous, malicious bastard and I think that should answer anyone's doubts as to how lucky we are.
PS All this stuff about RBS and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs). In private banking a PEP would appear to be someone you can ignore as far as tax evasion and money laundering goes. Mr Mills passed his ill gotten gains through a number of banks without a problem.
HM Government. The clue is in the name.
As much as I dislike being arrse-raped for tax by Jonah, The royal family are a symbol that we are more than a minor north european democratic (maybe not for much longer) republic and should not be subject to the same treatment. The queen does a great deal of good for this country and for only a small return, going after them would have massive negative consequences. BTW, they do actually pay taxes. GB, when he was treasurer, used a VAT inspection on Prince Charles as a warning to the royal family that they should stop drawing attention to the terrible government treatment of UK troops in AFG and Iraq.
SkiCarver
Are you pissed off that she's not executed the git?
You can't have this turd take on Betty's brigade - bang out of order.
Fuck off Guido, The Queen is off limits.
John Flood said...
Never understood why they were exempt anyway.
-----
In theory, the Crown is the taxing body, so it should no more pay tax than I should charge myself rent for living in my home.
If the Crown renounced the Civil List and took back the income from the Crown Estates, it would be obvious what a good deal the country is currently getting from the Monarchy under the present system.
It's not just the Queen, Bank of England Nominees Ltd. has been available for decades to all the world's current heads of state to allow them anonymity when buying shares. Therefore, when a company publishes a share register and the Bank of England Nominees is listed, it is not possible to gauge whether the Queen, President Obama or even Robert Magabe is the true shareholder.
According to Hansard (HC Deb 21 April 1977 vol 930 cc151-2W)
Bank of England Nominees Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of England. They...hold securities as nominee...on behalf of Heads of State and their immediate family, Governments, official bodies controlled or closely related to Governments, and international organisations formed by Governments or official bodies
The Crown Estate does not belong to the Queen, it belongs to the nation and is held in trust by the reigning monarch.
It is a myth to say the Crown lands justifies their tax evasion.
As a test, do you really think the current Queen has the authority to sell off all of the UK's shoreline, which is part of the crown estates, in a private sale?
I can't believe you moderated away my post yesterday. I thought it was quite amusing. Never mind.
Fuck the queen. She's happy for our government to go round toppling other heads of state and Northern Ireland will never be hers no matter how many scot-prots she dumps there.
Replace her with the Osbournes. They too are embarrasing twats, but at least no-one will expect any better of them. Trust me the tourists will lap it up.
No Guido, wrong palace.
Tax dodger? Not really - it is a two-way agreement. The Royal Family still own (one way or another) a large chunk of UK plc, it's just that mostly they don't choose to call on their resources. It is quite remarkable how little our uncodified constitution has changed over hundreds of years. Try spending some time investigating topics like the Royal Parks and Crown Estate, you may be surprised by what you find.
Given the choice between being ruled over by Gordon or HM the Q, I'd take the latter anyday.
Return to a proper monarchy is looking more attractive by the day (not Big Ears, though). So leave them alone, cuntychops.
ah ze qveen! gvord bless her!
Gvord bless her
gord bless her :/
------
May they all hang. Together.
ROGER THE RAT.
No not the name of a colorful children's character but a reference to the unsavouray practice ofrunning a smear campaign as practised by Malcolm Powers and Mike Orton ,in Berkshire.Does anyone know whether its true that there is a blog showing 'Three Tits'riding a giant rodent...or is it just a nasty urban myth...
Sorry Guido .. I normally back you to the hilt .. but you've got this wrong Old Son .. HM does pay Tax & has done so for a number of years ... The man brought in to oversee the operation Michael (now Sir Michael) Peat, formerly of KPMG ..
The background of Sir Michael, 53, is as appropriate as his appearance. Impeccably upper middle class - his father was a Privy Purse auditor, as was his great-grandfather William Barclay Peat - he went to Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, before doing an MBA at Europe's top-notch business school at Fontainebleau in France. He spent 20 years in the family accountancy firm KPMG (formerly Peat Marwick) where he made valuable contacts among the firm's many wealthy and aristocratic clients. Who better for the Palace to approach in 1990 with an invitation to join the Royal Household as Keeper of the Privy Purse in charge of the Queen's £20m domestic annual budget?
At once he embarked on a formidable campaign to put the finances in order. Within five years he had halved royal spending with a raft of measures which ranged from double-glazing the windows (to cut heating bills), renewing royal dishwashers (to break less crockery), replacing white marquees at garden parties (green ones are half the cost), to closing the subsidised staff bar (but cleverly giving staff a pay rise to lessen the pain).
He was the man who axed the royal train (after learning that it cost £35,000 for every outing). He replaced 100th birthday telegrams with congratulation cards (saving £19,000 a year). He cut back on the royal staff (many of whom thought they had a job for life). He also removed minor royals from the Civil List (leaving only the Queen and Prince Philip still being paid directly from the public purse). "He went through the place," one courtier said, "like a hot knife through butter."
But he did so with a winning combination of ruthlessness and charm. He forced the Duke of Edinburgh to start switching off lights when he left rooms. (Philip was heard to complain that Peat would have him using cheap OAP tickets next.) It was a report by him which concluded that Prince Edward's film company, Ardent Productions, was a dead loss, forcing the prince to pull out. More significantly it was Sir Michael who, just three years after his arrival, persuaded the Queen to start paying income tax on her private wealth.
Sir Michael's cuts in palace spending save the taxpayer £37m a year.
The civil list cost the UK taxpayer £40 million per year.
The Crown estates has a portfolio of £7.3 billion and generates an income to the treasury of approx £190 million.
How much income would a President of the UK and his hangers-on generate?
THe Monarchy and politics don't mix well in the UK. I suggest you leave it at that.
Guido
Have you run out of material about Derek Draper - a real bore for most of us?
If so, please find something that has some merit. The Royal family is worth more to the country than any 50 politicians combined and does pay tax, in the Queen's case it is voluntary.
Without a monarch we would today have Kinnock or Mandelson as titular President, complete with their multiple pensions, blind trusts and assorted hangers-on all having sinecures.
Change the record Guido
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the monarchy/ republik, the bald fact is that crime-ridden tax havens have helped create the hyperleveraged monster destroying the financial system and our future wealth. They were used by banks and hedge funds to convert 0% Japanese carry trade money into a sea of red ink. And what were the benefits? Aside from the illusion of economic growth at the time, that funny money bid up asset prices making housing unaffordable for many. Now we're sobering up, that 'growth' looks like nothing more than unsustainable debt.
There is no silver lining. The tax-avoiding scum enriching themselves while they grind the rest of us into poverty can fuk off for all I care. More civilised countries than Britain manage a higher standard of living without their stupid money. We need to do the same. Set against the trillions sheltered through tax-free havens, the costs of having a royal family is gnat's piss.
Out of interest, how much does "our" Royal Family rake off in tax-funded EU subsidies via the Common Agricultural Policy?
GORDON Brown was last night desperately battling to save his much-heralded global rescue summit from turning into a damp squib.
Downing Street officials yesterday tried to brush off suggestions of a rift with America after President Barack Obama’s administration signalled little enthusiasm for agreeing a new international economic plan at the London G20 Summit next month.
And tensions were understood to be intensifying between Number 10 and Chancellor Alistair Darling over Mr Brown’s demands for billions more pounds of borrowed cash for further bids to ease the recession.
An ally of the Chancellor said: “There is no money left.”
Mr Brown was shaken yesterday by a statement from the White House dampening expectations that the summit will produce a recession-busting deal to boost the world economy with a massive international cash injection.
Countdown to 2010.
Millions more to lose their jobs....plus many more migrants to fill the vacancies that really are vacant. We are set to become one of the most overcrowded countries on the globe, thus becoming one of the most generous contributors to the global warming scam.
More failing pupils in bright new shiny schools. I hope these retrained bankers are good at self defense, as they're gonna need it.
More prisoners let out on early release to rape, kill and maim the populous, 'cos you know, they're only human like us, and NuLab couldn't be arsed to build enough bright new shiny prisons for them.
The army will still continue to be treated like shit, and spat on by Muslims in their own country, and the police will still continue to ignore them, unless they're daft enough blow up a police station or a politician.
PTO...
Well worth looking at www.republic.org.uk before making some silly comments like the ones above.
The Queen doesn't do "a great deal of good for this country".
She pays voluntary taxes in a secret deal, so we don't know if she's paying the normal rate or 1%.
The Crown Estate is not her personal property and never was, so there is no personal loss to her when the CE pays money to the treasury.
If you don't like the politicians we have - which some of you clearly don't, stop for a minute and wonder why politicians support the monarchy - it's because the monarchy is pro-politician. It gives them unlimited and unaccountable power.
Want a real democracy? Get rid of the Crown.
The monarchy "costs" per year about half what the Italian and German presidencies each cost per year. It also "costs" less than the G20 London gathering is costing Britain.
That is if the monarchy can really be said to "cost" at all, granted that the Crown Estate profit goes straight to the Treasury and is a far larger incoming sum.
That income comes in quietly, whereas posturing politicians make a lot of noise over the smaller outgoings.
Contributions amounting to tax are made by the royal family where tax, as such, is not incurred.
Is this the most important issue right now? What about some comments regarding the other Republican issue. When those two murdering scum from the provos Adams and McGuinness were rewarded for their terrorist activity the British state gave the green light to others like them. Make a big enough nuisance of yourself and eventually we will give you far more than you could ever have got through the electoral system.
The so called crackpot Islamic radicals have only to look at the peace process in N Ireland and see the obvious conclusion.
Look forward to Abu hook hand as minister for communities and the environment.
Given that the Irish economy is in the process of imploding - with Cowan about to increase the speed of implosion with a not-so-mini budget, I am not sure that the Irish have anything to laugh at in the UK (except for the sad joke that is Brown)
I would normally stand up and defend The Queen and the Royal family, especially against an Irishman.
However, as Her Majesty has failed to protect her subjects, against the Brown Government and his refusal to call a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. I believe she should pay the price.
That price is proper and full taxation.
Anon at 9.56 has got it right. You are off target on this one, although I would like to ask Her Madge what she thinks she was doing gifting her subjects to Europe without asking them.
She deserves a new yacht nevertheless. Britannia was a showcase. It will not take long to raise funds for a new one after 2010.
I would have thought the LAST thing Brown can afford is a spat with Her Majesty as she would have the support of the majority of the electorate if she was to exercise her Royal Prerogative( as the monarch may in theory unilaterally dismiss a Prime Minister) and prorogue Parliament causing an immediate election in view of the seriousness of the UK economic situation and impending national bankruptcy that Brown has delivered this country to ?
Disagree with you on this one Guido.
They bring a lot of money into the county, lets face tourism will be our only industry left soon way things are going...
Its been a while since this blog has gone massively against public opinion - I was wondering how you were going to change that.
Suddenly you are losing my sympathy, especially so soon after the murderers Adams and McGuiness have been back in the news with their nauseating statements about the "republican community".
Save your hate for the morons that have created regional assemblies, quangos, wasting billions on consultants, fucked up schooling, policing, NHS, Post Offices as well as hide the true figures of unemployment, crime, immigration and debt, whilst developing the biggest laziest chav culture of all time and pissing billions of pounds of taxpayers money down the drain.
So you're an Irish Republican! Presumably you also support the murderers in Noerthern Ireland.You should be hung,drawn and quartered - again.
Now now Guido, at least they don't give money to the Labour party.
"The clue is in the title - HM Government. It's Her Majesty's Government.."
dead right mate, it's not bloody mine, however it does put all us 'subjects' in our position though doesnt it???
fuck the royals for all they're worth
I'm not the royal family's biggest fan, but I think they are thousand of times preferable to the alternative - Can you imagine President Tony and First Lady Cherie?!
Oh wait, we've already had that one!
If we had President Gordon - he would ban elections so that he could never be removed!!!! He might still do it! He probably wants to be the 'Great Father Saviour of the World (and the UK)' and wants to be worshipped properly for this
Liz and the family may not be perfect, but I would rather have someone who understands duty to the country as Head of State rather than a self-serving politician who only understands duty to him or herself!
Annual revenues from the Royal Estates (all handed straight to the govt.): ~£180 million/annum
Civil list, cost of security details, cost of maintaining palaces: ~£50 million
Who's making the profit here?
Oh, and for the value of tourist trade attracted by Royal Family (possibly in the hundreds of millions of £s per annum); you're welcome.
Shut up with the Schoolboy Republicanism until you've re-read Bagehot.
I suppose we could ask for a republican form of government, but few would be so bold. Withdrawing support for a wealthy tax payer funded hereditary monarchy is seen by many in the UK as being unpatriotic. Though a link to our history they may be, the vast majority of it has consisted of abuses of power and despotism. It is only relatively recently, where our form of government has taken on a republican quality (in that the monarch no longer exercises total control over our lives) that this abuse has abated. Sadly, a new breed of kings and aristocracy has arisen in Westminster, believing themselves they have a divine right to rule as their more regal counterparts did centuries ago.
Very disappointing.
Having the Monarchy isn't perfect, but do let us know when you come up with a better idea.
'Ands of our Lizzie! She's alwight that gel, deserves evry penny if you arsk me
When one gravy train pulls out of the station, another is due to arrive. Be on the right platform; clue - it won't be up on the describer board until it's comfy seats are massively ensconced.
Why should the royal family be expected to pay taxes when they ae not allowed to vote. It would not be fair for them to have to pay, whilst having no say in who decides the tax rates.
Only one queen I'm bothered about - McLiberace.
Really twattish post.Would you prefer President Hattersley perhaps?Thank God we have a non party constitutional Head of State.Or perhaps you would want the next general election run like Glenrothes?
Hungover this morning are we?
Wrong target you tax dodging Irish Hoon! (+:
More on Gordon McMadpoof and his poncey queen economy
Come off it, pal.
Glad to see so many supporters of the Monarchy speaking up shows we haven't totally gone to the dogs yet,President Brown or Blair God help this country if it comes to that.
The country is awash with oligarchs and other foreign crooks who freely boast that they've cursed us with their presence for tax avoidance reasons. And then there are the sleazy businessmen who own most of the trash emporium on our high streets and live abroad for what they claim to be the qualifying period for tax avoidance. The Royal family is a long way down the list of people who need to be pursued or evicted for tax purposes.
Gordon's first act on being appointed Chancellor was to sell off the Inland Revenue's property portfolio at a knockdown price to a George Soros' tax haven based company - a fairly clear indication of where he stood on tax avoidance. He approves of it when it suits him.
All those defending the monarchy to safeguard old Queenie might want to contemplate what will happen in the not too distant future when that jug-eared Nazi Luddite hater-of-the-normal-person wannabe tampon Charles takes over. Cut them all off financially, we don't need a whole in-bred family jetting off round the world at our expense spouting climate change crap and dissing the "deniers".
Brown is scraping around to get his hands on all the money he can, to use to try to buy votes.
It's too late for that, Brown is finished, but it won't stop him trying to steal your money in your savings accounts, and not just the offshore ones.
9:28 AM Good Morning, Philip.
Wrong target.
Royalty is the worship of the worthless by the witless.
During her entire reign Mrs. Battenburg has never refused to sign any Act against democracy or which is detrimental to the welfare of pensioners etc.
Perhaps she gets threatened that her benefit will stop?
Guido, you are many years out of date. Long ago (was it soon after Diana died?) the Queen agreed voluntarily to pay tax on her private income. Her investments may not be subject to what you call "normal financial reporting requirements" but they are still disclosed to the Inland Revenue.
And as someone else pointed out, the income from the Crown Estate goes to the Treasury, in return for the (much smaller) Civil List.
I agree that deposits would shift to the Middle East or elsewhere if the looters have their way.
Guido is short of material today. He has not even noticed that the Queen gave notice some time ago that she would no longer put up with living in that awful stage set whivh is the insdie of Buckingham Palace.
Can't Guido pick up on something chronic but more interesting such as the great good Tony Blair is not doing to the Near East; and the great good he is doing to the Blair family fortune? or the weaselly ways of Alex Salmon as he tries to get a referendum on Scottish independence which isn't on independence fro Scotland but could be presented as if it were should Alex get a favopurable result?
(order-order is being sabotaged, by Draper? The word verification is showing 'progr ').
I am amazed at how royalists get uptight when we republicans just ask for equality. Out they come with the same old statements of 'imagine Blair as president' or the good old one of 'royalty brings in the tourists'. Whether you royalists like it or not our nation will one day scrap the monarchy. It serves no useful purpose for our people. It's just expensive wrapping paper that needs to be taken off and thrown in the bin.
Perhaps they have got some local tax arrangments, but really they are comparatively small fry these days, financially, after offset costs are taken into account. And we know who they are and where they live, unlike too many of the others.
When the ridiculous Princess Tracy had her crash, and the entire country went into synchronised emotional overload, I wrote a spoof 'Sun' report for friends, which described the Royal Family as:
Pensioners Philip and Elizabeth Battenberg control the extensive Windsor crime syndicate and live, with their extended 'family', in a number of large council-houses protected by a private army. They are currently at Balmoral, a Scottish estate. They pay no tax, anywhere.
fuck off paddy
"See also www.Republic.org.uk."
Being hit in the face by Alibaba Brown's name at the front of the membership list is an immediate off putter to any further interest.
Complete bollocks, Fawkes. The Royal Family is a massive net contributor to the economy, as you well know.
Ask Hymen Birdturdler III and his wife Bessie from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, as they book into the Hyde Park Hotel and plan their day's schedule - changing of the guard, Buck House tour, Windsor Castle Expedition.
Ask Endo Nagasaki and his lady wife from Yokohama, as they put an extra 20MB memory card in their digital cameras and take twenty three identical photos of each other with the Mall or St James's Palace as backdrop.
If you had your wicked Fenian way, we would have a banal housewife like Mary Robinson watching Deal or No Deal all day at taxpayers' expense, before making a feeble attempt at small talk with the visiting King of Tonga. Before long, Cherie Blair will have elbowed her way in.
The decline of Guido continues. Sad, when John Reid and Labour are so snout ridden every day.
Thanks Guido - you have turned my dislike for this lot of mongels into absolute fury. Only an England trouncing of the Frogs will restore me to normality for a right royal outing this evening( with a friend who has just awarded a bloody gong)!
I'd rather go after the Guardian, myself.
You can take the paddy out of the bog but you can't take the bog out of the paddy.
This whole country's been going downhill since we gave Catholics the vote. It was madness to assume that the slaves of the bishop of Rome could ever feel loyalty to a non-Catholic country.
No Capital Gains Tax.
No Income Tax.
No Capital Transfer Tax.
Barclays Bank Account if you want it.
The Seychelles.
Regards,
Tom
Leave Her Majesty alone!
and how much tax to you pay in the UK?
It would seem that Republic has an awful lot of educating to do going by some of the comments here.
The Royals 'voluntarily' pay some tax but get back far more than they ever pay in despite their enormous income.
A President would not have to be a politician but whoever, will be fairly and democraticically elected and if they don't perform acceptably we can vote them out. That is called democracy; anything less is feudal and an anacronism of the past.
For once, I can honestly say you are completely right.
We aren't all republicans Guy.
The Queen has done an excellent job in her reign as Head of State. More than be said for some of her family.
The continuity she has offered has been invaluable and I believe her cost is around 60p a head per year.
Mind you, if you have some really filthy rich friends, it's a good smoke screen to lay down on their behalf :-)
Ampers
DOZY ROSA DOES IT AGAIN!
The Telegraph front page story on Ed Miliband's girlfriend Justine Thornton, who works as a leading counsel for the nuclear industry, is a disgrace. It insinuates that he has a conflict of interest as the man in charge of Britain's energy policy. The paper says "Ed Miliband kept the identity of his girlfriend secret from the media, although his department is aware of who she is." Bollocks.
He did nothing of the sort. She has featured in a Guardian profile, and he freely talked about her to me when I did a profile of him and his brother in GQ last year. Just because Rosa Prince didn't know about her, doesn't make her a secret.
The story goes on... "The revelation has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest and aides to Mr Miliband confirmed last night that he had not excused himself from any decisions taken at the department."
And nor should he. Stories like this are from the school of thought that assumes all politicians are on the make or easy to influence in a malign way. And it is a story which not only should never have made the Telegraph front page.
UPDATE: Dizzy disagrees.
UPDATE: I have just read my copy of the Daily Telegraph (which is a later edition) and the story has not only disappeared from the front page but the entire newspaper. Instead on page 4 there is a story about Ministers' relatives in general, in which Ed Miliband rates a one line mention.
I thought tax havens were designed to hide wealth from tax authorities. How is a trust called Bank of England Nominees hidden? If Gordon wants to see what she owns he only has to look.
God save the Queen.
Dear Luftwaffe: come back, all is forgiven.
(with apologies to Five Feet of Fury)
Whoops.
Uncharacteristic mis-call, Fawkes.
The Crown Estates were swapped for the civil list back in late C18th.
http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/
http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/2008_annual_report.pdf
last year the Crown estate made £211m out of which the Royals were paid.
Perhaps you think that Government should pay tax to itself on the £150m+ annual CE profit?
The UK has made a stack of money after confiscating the CE. The Queen now also pays tax, as does Wales on his Duchy income, which is used to fund his offices and staff.
Move along, no scandal here...
WV - nonsonce!
No Guido you're way out there. The Queen is the symbol of national unity, and keeps uppitty politicos from imagining they are Top Dog. Worth every penny, to avoid the horrors of President Cherie or President Prescott.
Before someone punts the tourism angle, was your last trip to France ruined by their lack of a hereditary monarchy?
I couldn't agree more. And why some responders take offence to this makes me remember why I despise this country. You are all fucking mad.
As an earlier poster said said, if you get rid of Her Majesty, you'd have to have a President, even if elected now and again, and ask yourself are you actually going to have a say in this, I mean who is going to appoint Blair.
The Queen does a lot of work, and probably works harder for this cuntry ( no it's not a spelling mistake, I'm just pissed off )
than any of us.
I just wish she'd call in her Generals and tell them to Kick the door in on these One world fuckwits.
I mean come on your Maj, how do you want to be remebered, as the queen who went down with a Winmper.
Or like this
You traitorous nonce.
Since Liz and Phil pull in billions of pounds into this country through tourists who want to photpgraph and gawk at them, I don't give a damn that we give them a little bit back in return.
It's not the sort of job i'd want.
Guido. Please lay off the Royal Family.
Every state needs a Head. Our constitutional monarchy has served us very well. The alternatives are too awful to contemplate.
Had we had a Presidential system like France there is no doubt in my mind that both Thatcher and Blair at the height of their popularity would have won a Presidential election. What a ghastly thought. The Monarchy is one way of keeping politicians from kingly pretensions.
The Royal Family come pretty cheap and worth every penny. A pauper monarch would be pointless.
Leave Her Maj out of it! Don't forget she's the only thing standing between Gordo and total military control of the nation. There may come a point when the Army are put on the streets by this govt. The only person who could contermand such orders is Her Maj. In such a stand off I reckon the Army would side with the Monarchy ( and the people) against the govt. Its all we got really.....
Leave Her Majesty alone.
It is the one decent thing we have left and you go and attack it.
You picked the wrong one here Guido.
Major mistake of judgement.
Piss off.
She gave up her property in return for present arrangements.
She does pay taxes.
You are ignorant Guido. You just do not know what you are talking about.
Do you want to help Labour rip out everything? You are helping Labour sandblast everything.
Gueed, leave HM out O'thisone if you please.
Wrong target Guido. The royals could take possession of the royal collection - valued at tens of billions - and use that to start paying tax.
If the royals were brought into line it would cost the nation far more.
Besides: we Brits rather like our royals. It's only socialist regime-changers who target the royals. They think that if they can turn Britain into a republic we'll be one step closer to being a Marxist paradise.
Just look at the list of prominent Republicans listed on their site:
Toynbee
Yasmin Alibhai Brown
Brendan O'Neill
Julie Burchill
Jonathan Freeland
Mick Hume
It's a Guardian lefty ego-trip.
Wrong target. And most definitely the wrong lobby group to promote. What next? Eulogising Compass?
At some point in the future the UK might have the breathing space and renewed integrity to start to look in all of the dimly lit corners; maybe even get a constitution together? Meanwhile there is much more to do and the McBroon (and EU) will enjoy "heroically" trying to drag a few billion out of the tax havens, plenty of them offering perfectly legal services. After all the Great Leader is rapidly leading the country towards the almost universal status of "sans culottes" financially, if not politically in any case and that offshore cash is required urgently. Expect a half hearted phoney war with the Isle of Man to start with as per the Cod Wars of the mid-70's and much flag waving around the duty to pay tax (and give back huge pensions? sorry, forgot, that is so last week). Anyway my view as always is that a 10% flat tax would sort it all out...
FFS
You must be dead bored or dead lazy to post this shite.
Passengers leaving every international sea port, station or airport will have to supply detailed personal information as well as their travel plans.
They've got it the wrong way 'round as usual.
They should be tracking those entering the country.
Lets see who the armed forces back if brown makes a move.
Queen 1 goverment 0
go on brown, show how little power you realy have.
you can only push around the poor you loser.
see how polite that was, i didn't call him a one eyed scottish hoon once!
OT, but I liked Hector Sants' speech on Thursday about the future of the FSA, shame they didn't realise this earlier :
"A principles-based approach does not work with individuals who have no principles."
:-)
I'm a little disappointed with you Guido, The Civil List is a exceedingly small drop in a very large ocean of goverment spending. It doesn't take an independent study or a degree in economics to see that the the presence of the monarchy has a net financial benefit for this country with or without whatever tax perks they may enjoy.
Would you rather have a political shitwit in the post? The system is by no means perfect but having a cheap, powerless figurehead who has spent the vast majority of his/her life essentially in training for the role of head of state seems infinitely better to me than someone like Harriet Harman being appointed to the role.
Yes it would essentially be an appointment as the Government of the day would certainly put forward a party member and their majority in The House plurality of votes from the general public would make it a dead cert.
The system is by no means perfect but I can think of no better. Me thinks there's a certain amount of good old class hatred coming through her that is blocking your usual pragmatic side
Oy, now you've gone too far. Leave my Queen alone, you Irish git! Bloody bogtrotters... mumble, mumble
Guido,
Are you tired of moderating and trying to reduce your future traffic?
Wrong target!
Was McBroon seen at Old Trafford today?
Bad choice of target Master Fawkes. Stick to the scumabgs at the other end of The Mall.
The Crown Estates, which several posters have mentioned in defence of the Windsors, are irrelevant here. They were never the property of the monarch personally. Yes, the Queen does pay tax - to the Crown, not to herself personally, again to the confusion of some posters - but her affairs, as Guido points out, remain shrouded from normal supervision.
ITN NEWS
Brown confident of G20 success
The Prime Minister sought to present a united front with his German counterpart Angela Merkel as she visited Downing Street ahead of the London G20 Summit.
But, at a joint press conference following their meeting, the German Chancellor played down the need for any additional fiscal injections beyond those her government was already committed to.
Standing alongside Ms Merkel in Number 10, Mr Brown said: "Of course we will review this as we look at what we do at the G20.
"But I think you will find that countries will be agreeing together about what we are going to do in future, both in fiscal and monetary policy and in the regulatory system."
He added: "I believe that we are setting a path with the G20 where one by one we are reaching agreement on the big issues for the future."
Ms Merkel stressed that Germany had already committed to a fiscal stimulus worth 4.2 per cent of GDP, putting her country in the "vanguard".
If Gordo McSnotfelcher even so much as suggests getting his hands on The Queen's income he can expect a Glasgee kiss from Brenda during his next audience, followed by a toe up his arse from Prince Phillip as he is swiftly evicted via the tradesman's entrance, his pockets stuffed full of Corgi shit.
Those that support the system of a monarchy come in two categories
a: the plain stupid who think they somehow profit from the system but don’t and b: those few that profit handsomely at the taxpayers expense.
No royalty = no class system.
No class system = no perks and favour for the comparative few that prop up this grubby little club. No knighthoods, Lords and Ladies.
No cash for honours
The Monarchy works for those that prop it up it never worked for the British People, nor was it ever intended to.
Funny how many whine on about how the Monarchy is the best thing since sliced bread, also funny how most countries I’ve visited and lived in seem to do pretty well without it, too.
The case for retaining the British royal family condensed into two words:
President Brown
Makes your blood go cold to even think about it, doesn't it?
Guido, why the change of domain?
Yeah, let's elect another bloody politician. Great idea, Guido.
Fuck off, Guido.
The Monarchy is the only thing holding this Nation together at the moment.
Hey, order-order.com is 404ing.
I believe a) the Royal Family should keep their wealth; b)they should be taxed on the income from it (and the tax laws should be changed so that they and all the other obscenely wealthy chaps - yeh including Russian oligarch friends of Mandy - should actually have to pay some); and c) the should be financially self- sufficient and the civil list should go.
The idea that we could all "pay less" if all the nasty evaders/avoiders paid their "fair share" is pure tripe. It is not only untrue it is the exact opposite of the truth.Any population cowardly enough to hand over whatever the political scum demanded would very soon find that the demands would be whizzing ever-upward until said scum had taken everything there was to steal.That is the only thing that stops thieves unless people stand up to them.Slavery, as someone said, is oply 100% taxation. Taxes are kept down by the fact they get harder to collect the more thieving they are. Bollocks to "social justice". This world needs tax defiers who will fight to keep their hard earned money out of the hands of thieving tyrannical scum.The Royals should keep their money and so should the rest of us. Instead of avoidence, brazen defiance coupled with whatever degree of violence is needed to protect your income from the violent thieves who call themselves "The State".
Amazing you just cannot say anything about the Saxe-Coburg-Family without the predictable outpourings of the Queen is responsible for every tourist that has even landed on these shores, that she has done a great job for a million years etc etc etc.
Lets just erase from the collective memory, that her great Uncle deserted his post in WWII, was involved is some fairly heavy duty black market currency dealing, and of course was frightfully approving of that nice Mr Hitler.
The problem with Monarchy is that you never know who is going to pop out of the Royal Bed.
piss off Guido.
Britain is the Queen's possession.
Stick to slimey politicians.
the duchy of cornwall is exempt from capital gains tax, and so had an enormous tax advantage during the property boom
Anyone having probs accessing this site?
Stasi Purists will have noticed that the 32AA former cook is introducing commy style Stasi-fascist border notification of travel and checks to combat islamo-fascist junketings. Rich innit? Wimmin will have to leave a used pair of knickers in a glass jar at Border Controls. Men will have to leave a sample of DNA - yer kno wot that euphemism means doncha?!
But that's the state to which we've brought this once proud nation.
Also, - thanks to Mitch - owe yer one mate! - it IS high time we re-launched Old-Noo(née Noo-Old)BoringLiars. I thought there was something we had missed lately! Let's see, will this be the fiftieth time?
Hardly surprising really - what wiv all me jobbys I've had to do!.
And now, a special message to Hattie Harperson : better not go for a walk in the woods this weekend Hat! Think of yer family. Think what happens to inconvenient bleeders (no pun intended!) when they get up the nose of The Leader.
Anyway - I'll leave that thought wiv yer my buxom roxy doxy.
Old-Noo(née Noo-Old)BoringLiars - WASTING YOUR MONEY on something POINTLESS NEAR YOU!
Why is France now committing fully to NATO. How many shares in various arms companies has Nicolas Sarkozy bought in the past 12 months.
We will never know because they will have been purchased and possessed by his secretive offshore bankers, BANK OF ENGLAND NOMINEES LIMITED
Browns bollocks should be cut off, one mounted on a steel spike and the other squashed in a vice, and displayed in the Tower of London, symbolic how he has fucked over British industry.
Ed Milliband just needs lamping for being a cunt
Personally I think the royals are worth their corn, even if #1 son is as nutty as a fruitcake and being completely anal on his save the planet crusade
Have to say I normally agree with almost everything you post, Guido. But on this occasion, I think you've got it badly wrong.
Have you got nothing better to write about? More about Dolly Draper, for instance?
order-order is 404, are you being censored or did you forget to pay your webhost?
wots happened to order-order?!
Gawd bless 'er but i'll do a great job as head of state. I'm a pretty straight kinda guy.
Guido I love you but you're wrong and misjudged on this. The Monarchy is one of the very few things that helps me live in this rapidly declining state.
Andrew
cut their heads off.
Royalist right wingers who despise Brown and Labour might be interested to know that every one of Labour's disasterous bills has been signed into law by their lovely queen. Doesnt that make it all her fault? A President would be just as useless, but a lot cheaper.
As for the tourism argument, do you know where the most visited palace in the world is... Versailles.
Your web redirect for order-order is now working. DNS problems?
By my reckoning Generals, you and her Maj could bank on 2 Million able bodied, how about it, think about it, we could form an alliance with Russia and we'd have the Fucking EU surrounded.
Go for it, we all know you want to.
Bill d'Sarse said:
The civil list cost the UK taxpayer £40 million per year.
The Crown estates has a portfolio of £7.3 billion and generates an income to the treasury of approx £190 million.
How much income would a President of the UK and his hangers-on generate?
The Monarchy and politics don't mix well in the UK. I suggest you leave it at that.
I agree, Bill. When people start up with: "What about the bloody Queen, eh? What about the bloody Royal family, then?" It usually means that their thought processes have almost come to an end.
A badly chosen target with a poorly executed attack, Guido.
Though it has raised the excitement of several republican knuckle-draggers...
I was under the impression that Ireland was already a republic, Guido?
This is fucking funny, watching all the monarchist twats come out of the woodwork. The Royal family are sponging scum who should be lined up for shooting. When Diana died, I laughed my fucking arse off - one less sloane bitch to be killed come the revolution. Nice one, Guido!
What's going on with Order-order.com?
Doesn't seem to be working at my end.
Do they pay death duties?
I was a member of a students union once that had a men only bar. I voted against that bar, many of us right on types did. In the end it fell to the modern view and became mixed. What a fucking disaster. The best bar on campus was as shit as the rest.
So a republic would be democratic. Its only right we should elect our head of state. And when its president Thatcher, or president Blair, or president Jade Goody, we'll have done the right thing. But it will be a fucking disaster.
Some stuff is crap. But thats how we do stuff here, and you know what? It works. For all the wrong reasons.
Best leave well alone.
GV
Thank you. Fully appreciate Mr Fawkes' might not like the monarchy (Irish blood, 1921, Michael Collins and all that). As for the rest of you sad Labour wankers... the airport is at Heathrow. I suggest you buy a one way ticket to Havana and fuck off out of this country if you don't like it. Not as if you fuckwipes have not devoted enough of your time to destroying this country in the first place, is it?
Guido, you are a complete and utter cunt.
Order-Order bombed all evening and only now do I find, thanks to Old Holborn's blog, this weird address.
Even my useless local council gives warning of road works - why couldn't you? Cunt.
Why are people worried about the idea of a 'President Brown'?
It's nothing like a Prime Minister. He couldn't backstab and snipe his way up through a party to get at that job. For President he would need to be elected by the entire nation.
There is no way he would be popular enough to do that, and that is why he would never try to turn our monarchy into a republic. Also it would make the PM role much less powerful, and he wouldn't want to share power now would he? That piss-dribbling little shit stain of a man.
'Defender of the Faith'
That faith being the least Dogmatic and harmful in historical terms.
Strange how Republicans like Cherie (Booth)Blair are reluctant to bow to the queen but prostrate themselves to an unelected Head of State called the Pope.
Beware the motives of the champions of Republicanism.
Do some digging and you will see.
Just read Fraser Nelson's piece about RBS demanding to know your personal political affiliations before granting your company use of Streamline, and the bit about LBG targetting companies and people in "Tory" areas to cancel their loans or overdrafts. High time that everyone just moved their bank accounts either to Barclays or to any bank not liable to be nationalised by Brown.
someone's linked http://www.order-order.com/ to 5thnovember.blogspot.com.com best fix it!
Normally in agreement with Mr Fawkes but on this...
may one day a portrait of Queen Liz the 33rd be hanging in a pub on Alpha Centauri.
Guido, I apologise for calling you a cunt last night. That was my friend Mr Jacob Creek speaking.
However, having just read this thread properly to find you insulting The Queen, I still think you are a cunt. So is the person who pathetically argues "Other countries manage well enough without a monarchy". Other countries manage well enough without roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Doesn't mean it should be abolished.
Sorry Guido, any republican tendencies I may have entertained in the past were destroyed by the likes of Cherie Blair (who would love to be a President I'm sure) and with this authoritarian lot in power I'm quite relieved that the Royal family is around.
You're barking up the wrong tree.
Just think of the royal yacht we could afford with a fraction of the money that's wasted on failed IT projects.
Never mind a helipad, it could have it's own runway!
So you're in th Irish Republic? Well fucking stay there you fucking republican.
People in glass-houses shouldn't throw stones
My last posting which was factual and to the point has not been posted never mind. The monarchists have been ranting complete irrational nonsense as always with the usual sack loads of expletives. For example to comment that "the queen is orff limits" is absurd and illustrates the dreadful absolutism that the Queen and the Monarchy represents and is the antithesis of real democracy. The so called bleating "facts" about tax and income from tourism is the finest example of misinformation you could ever hope to get. Finally we got rid of our crippling royals and the monarchy ages ago. Sent them to you in blighty - a still anacronistic cob-webbed society that labels itself the so called mother-of-all-parliaments - what a joke.
SO17
The pope is elected.
ITS costing a lot less than it would if Gordon had his hands on it.....wha a money earner the Royals have been........I dont think many tourists would come here to see Msss Harman and co!!!