Referendum

[Rooster]

The thing is, Mike, that no-one really knows, although I do suspect that Snipe's gut feeling is probably correct (and there is no doubt that he's right about the economics of NI).
Sadly, I also think your final sentence is likely to be the over-arching case made by both sides.
Mind you, I think there is at least a case to be made for suggesting that a united Ireland (probably some kind of federal solution) could do well after an initial period that would be very difficult.
If Scotland goes and we are left with England and West England, our prospects will be truly frightening.
If they are already saying that they probably can't cover the money from the EU to the North-East of England, what chance is there that they will come close to matching the single farm payment, for example, let alone all the other money coming in from the EU.
If I were a North Antrim farmer, I would already be thinking that my no vote was a bit of a blunder.
Of course, I hope that I'm wrong..............

rocky.. maybe HM The Queen could give up her £450,000 yearly CAP payment and donate it.. could at least pull a couple of those North Antrim farmers out of a hole..

HM Betty doesn't get any CAP money, Crown Estate gets it and gives back to Treasury, anyway sure they won't be getting any CAP money anyway after 2018 unless the previous budget agreements still run in which case it will be 2020.
If that goes then the 350k a week savings won't kick in until 2021 so NHS need not be getting excited.

[Rooster]

In relation to the EU's CAP for the UK I recently read an article confirming that a FOI request in 2012 indicated that the Duke of Westminster (net worth £7.4b) was paid £748,718 in annual benefits with the Royal Family in receipt of £418,817 annually .. surely this is wrong.

There are reasons why these people are impossibly wealthy and no amount is ever enough. It's called a sense of entitlement, yet that is a word usually used by folk, like our departed friend DL, to describe the working poor who have the temerity to think they may well like something a little better than £7.20 an hour.

Gerald mind you is thought to be richer than a mere £7.4B, £9.35B closer to the mark, not bad for a lad leaving Harro' with 2 O levels.

Given his business interests you have to wonder how many people he employs at £7.20 an hour, gratefully allowing us, the long suffering taxpayer to support his employees through benefits to top up their meagre stipends?

I agree with you Cockers, it's not only wrong, it's just one of the reasons why the desperate gave the establishment a bloody nose on 23rd June, misguided as the fools were, for the rich will not suffer in a meaningful way, they very rarely do, their losses are almost always paper losses, for you don't lose a penny until you are forced to/need to sell the asset.

The poor another issue.

Well Gerald has passed away at the age of 64, from brought up in Ely Lodge on the shores of Lough Erne, just beside what is now the Erne Golf Resort and he never forgot his roots and early life there and I can only hope his son Hugh is half the gent he was.
The government now will be getting a serious wedge far beyond the EU payments or anything else

[BaggyTrousers]

You know what Rooster, never having met the man, as I know you did, I'm not judging him as much as the system that allows a fabulously wealthy individual to use it so their employees are effectively subsidised by the taxpayer, however the man himself is no different to our money spinning supermarkets or a myriad of businesses who do likewise.

As for the wedge to the government, I seriously doubt it will be as significant as you suspect. There are so many ways in which taxes can be minimised, I doubt he overlooked putting arrangements in place.

[big mervyn]

As for the wedge to the government, I seriously doubt it will be as significant as you suspect. There are so many ways in which taxes can be minimised, I doubt he overlooked putting arrangements in place.

Correct Bagster. According to the Torygraph: Clever use of trust structures enable the Grosvenor family - whose head is the Duke of Westminster - to pass assets down the generations without attracting inheritance tax, accountants say.

The Grosvenors' property fortune is estimated at £9bn. Yet the death of Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster, and the inheritance of his title by his son Hugh, is not expected to trigger vast death duties.

This is because successive generations are "trustees" rather than direct owners of the assets, which include swathes of London's most prestigious streets and squares.

They've learnt their lesson and no 4 billion windfall for the treasury. Apparently Pimlico had to be sold off when the 4th Duke shuffled off.

[Snipe Watson]

I was in a Restaurant in San Francisco couple of weeks back and after taking our order and bring our drinks, the waitress asked where we were from and when I told her she asked: "How do you feel about NI voting to remain in the EU while the UK as a whole voted leave?" . She's not a Trump voter.

[BaggyTrousers]

I was in a Restaurant in San Francisco couple of weeks back and after taking our order and bring our drinks, the waitress asked where we were from and when I told her she asked: "How do you feel about NI voting to remain in the EU while the UK as a whole voted leave?" . She's not a Trump voter.

That'll have been my niece.

Anyway, I suppose you told her you were disappointed by your fellow Ulstermen wanting to remain in a failed organisation.

[big mervyn]

Met some Dutch people IN cORK who told us they were glad "the English" were leaving the EU.

[Rooster]

As for the wedge to the government, I seriously doubt it will be as significant as you suspect. There are so many ways in which taxes can be minimised, I doubt he overlooked putting arrangements in place.

Correct Bagster. According to the Torygraph: Clever use of trust structures enable the Grosvenor family - whose head is the Duke of Westminster - to pass assets down the generations without attracting inheritance tax, accountants say.

The Grosvenors' property fortune is estimated at £9bn. Yet the death of Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster, and the inheritance of his title by his son Hugh, is not expected to trigger vast death duties.

This is because successive generations are "trustees" rather than direct owners of the assets, which include swathes of London's most prestigious streets and squares.

They've learnt their lesson and no 4 billion windfall for the treasury. Apparently Pimlico had to be sold off when the 4th Duke shuffled off.

They also are not allowed to sell it anyway, new Duke is just the caretaker till he drops off and next in line takes over.
They still have tax on personal wealth not the estate.

[BaggyTrousers]

As for the wedge to the government, I seriously doubt it will be as significant as you suspect. There are so many ways in which taxes can be minimised, I doubt he overlooked putting arrangements in place.

Correct Bagster. According to the Torygraph: Clever use of trust structures enable the Grosvenor family - whose head is the Duke of Westminster - to pass assets down the generations without attracting inheritance tax, accountants say.

The Grosvenors' property fortune is estimated at £9bn. Yet the death of Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster, and the inheritance of his title by his son Hugh, is not expected to trigger vast death duties.

This is because successive generations are "trustees" rather than direct owners of the assets, which include swathes of London's most prestigious streets and squares.

They've learnt their lesson and no 4 billion windfall for the treasury. Apparently Pimlico had to be sold off when the 4th Duke shuffled off.

They also are not allowed to sell it anyway, new Duke is just the caretaker till he drops off and next in line takes over.
They still have tax on personal wealth not the estate.

I'm sure they pay a hell of a lot more tax than I do ............then again, as a proportion of income, I'd be surprised if I'm not far ahead in percentage terms for I Brother Rooster do not have an accountant, indeed in Mrs Trousers Emporium, I AM the accountant. She also pays less than I do in percentage terms.

[big mervyn]

What killed him anyway? I hope he didn't die of anything serious.

[Rooster]

What killed him anyway? I hope he didn't die of anything serious.

Heart attack.

[BaggyTrousers]

Those filthy little englander scumbags are ruining my life as the arsehole drops out of the pound. Damn every cretin who voted out. This is costing me a bloody fortune.

Oh but look the stock market is hitting a record high, that must be good for Britain, the economy must be flying. Of FFFFFFS don't be so stupid, how many of the footsie companies do you think earn most of their income in pound notes you utter fool, they work in dollars and their dollars are worth 20% more than 4 months ago dickhead. Capiche?

This is the most firm indication that the rest of the world believes BRexit is the stupidest thing they have ever heard of, barring Donald J Trump saying he respects women very muchly in a bigly hearted sort of way, indeed nobody respects weemin more that whatly he does so they don't.

I think I'll go out and find some halfwit who voted for BRexit and behead them ............... almost certainly a double whammy as they are likely to be a dumbassed halfwitted b1ggotted wee backwoodsman DUPer.

[Rooster]

Wait till the cost of living goes up next year with imported goods all rising in price, also home produced products will go up as raw materials rise in price

[BaggyTrousers]

Wait till the cost of living goes up next year with imported goods all rising in price, also home produced products will go up as raw materials rise in price

Don't forget petrol, will be up 5p a litre before the end of the month.

What bemuses me is the number of people, including alleged experts & commentators who are saying, "see, we told you it wouldn't be a disaster", maybe someone could help me, are we still not in the EU, did I imagine the praying mantis in no.10 said she was going to get round to talking about it next year?

Anyone like to bet sterling may be on a par at best with the Euro by the time we exit?

Anyone realise that the sinking pound is indeed great for exports except our exports are minimal these days.

I have to say I'm bloody shocked at how few of our media are actually commenting on how the arsepeice is falling out of things. For the ordinary punter, the little sterling we own is devalued by 20% and diving, prices are set to rise significantly. Unless you have a significant share portfolio, I suggest you prepare your wallet for a serious feckin' shock.

In August 2016, the latest figures show that in that month our imports were £18 billion in excess of exports, currenc falling through the floor, imports become more expensive. Simple.

Who thought this would be a good idea? Great we are free to do our own trade deals Yeah, great -expect we buy more than we sell & our currency is worth the cubed root of sweet fookin' nowt and getting worse.

What was it Mr Micawber said?

Stupid Englishbastards.

Then you get the Praying Mantis & the three Brexiteering clowns she has put in dangerously important roles and I'm thinking they are the equivalent of Sir Bufton Tufton of Private Eye fame, the MP for Lymeswold. Doubtless at least one of the three clowns will be involved in Ugandan Discussions, another being incredibly angry and the other spending considerable time and energy perfecting his playing of the pink oboe.

To borrow another long time recurring Eye theme, time for a chap to become tired & emotional, chin chin.

(note to mods: malt smilie required, anyone know where to find one?)

[Dave]

Brexiters have gone quiet.