BRITAIN'S EU PROBLEMS

One can only admire the courage of David Cameron and George Osborne, enshrined in their "Austerity Plan", to correct 13 years of the Socialists non-control of their financial objectives.

It will take at least five years of pain to reverse the effects of New Labour's spend-spend mentality to bring Britain back onto a sound financial basis. At present Britain is bankrupt and will remain so unless the "Austerity Plan" is firmly carried out.


There is of course another huge problem which awaits the Conservative and Liberal Coalition. This is the absolute non-control by the EU of EU policies.


Ten years ago the EURO was introduced as a currency. Now, already, there are at least three or four countries in dire straits facing "Bankruptcy" . Why ? Is it not due to a non-control mentality ? Have the highly paid EU Eurocrats been asleep and not really controled the activities of member countries ? The answer is evident !!!

When a trading company loses money, for whatever reason, and it cannot find finance, creditors close in and the company is ultimately dissolved. Creditors are the losers !!! Is a EU member country different ? Should any EU member country and its taxpayers help to save, for example, Greece ?

It is certainly not the highly paid, sleeping Eurocrats who will accept to pay up !!!

The EU started with six original member countries. Over the years the EU has grown and there are now 27, and there are more potential candidates on the horizon, knocking on the door !!!

The original ideas and principles were defined fifty years ago. Treaties were drafted to which new member countries were obliged to adhere. Years later these culminated in the so called "Treaty of Lisbon". This was a massive political fraud !!! It was adopted by European Parliaments without being required to call for a vote by the electorate of their country. The ultimate taxpayers did not have a word to say !!!

Eurocrats, elected or not, are paid graciously and guide all policies or decisions ultimately voted by the EU parliament members. No EU member country has anything ressembling a majority influence in the EU parliament.

However, member countries are obliged to accept and introduce EU directives in their countries' laws. The costs are often not reimbursed !!!

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and the House of Lords cannot refuse to apply EU laws. Judges in the UK are no longer independent of the EU. British judicial decisions can be appealed and overturned to take into account principles which contradict what a British citizen or politician would accept as justice !!!

This Blog is not the place to enter into greater detail about the growing shortcomings of the EU. However, there are serious economies possible if Britain were to insist on a complete revision of the conditions which govern membership of the EU !!!

The moment is ripe ! Many countries are aware of the EU shortcomings. All countries are not ready for all the EU directives; they cannot afford them. Many of these countries are too small to be able to voice their disapproval !!!

There is social unrest in several countries, in others unrest is brewing !!! France is a perfect example !!! Eurocrats do not face the brunt, local elected politicians do.

It is to be hoped that David Cameron and Nick Clegg look closely at the EU problems for their next raft of economies !!!

A NEW TAX FOR GRADUATES ?

The floated idea of a new "Backdoor Tax on Graduates" is just another type of "Wealth Tax" or should one say "Stealth Tax" ? This time it is aimed not at those who have money but those who could, in the future, earn a good income !!!

It is aimed at students who have attained their objective. They have graduated in their chosen subject !!!

The Lib.Dems and the Tory majority should not confuse the issue for their supporters !!! Nick Clegg and David Cameron must iron out their differences on this issue. They were not elected to introduce new Gordon Brown style Stealth Taxes.

They should look at the "Front Door" entry system into University Education instead and look there for possible savings!!! It is no good to encourage "students", who obviously will never get beyond the first year, to go to University !!!

Saving the costs of obvious "Front Door" failures would more than cover the expected net income (receipts minus recovery costs) from a graduate tax !!!

Finally one should be practical. All graduates do not earn as much as MPs !!! If in spite of this they still get taxed, some will certainly move abroad !!!

THE BLACK ECONOMY

What is this ?

It is people working for cash which they do not declare as income ! The person who pays does not declare he has employed anyone !

The consequences are that illegal imigrants survive and scroungers living on National Health handouts remain undetected !!! So called employers avoid paying Social Security charges but taxpayers and the State ultimately suffer all the consequences.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg must address this problem and would do well to appoint a specialist to look at the system which operates in France.

The system encourages people who need short term or long term family help from workers like cleaners, gardners, home helps and teachers, etc, to declare payments made to them. The costs which include social security and pension contributions are deductable from the personal income tax payable by the employer. The worker profits from the pension contributions and national insurance. The system is appreciated by both employer and employee.

The existence of this system does not absolve the State from verifying that companies and businesses do not employ "black labour" !!! Restaurants and building sites are well known black labour employers, but they are not the only ones.

FIFA IS STILL STAGNANT

The only thing that has happened during the last year is that FIFA is now basking in the glory of having staged the 2010 World Cup !!!

We saw the usual number of dubious refereeing decisions, but the referees never did have the right to consult instant video replays. Some of these referees will reach the official age limit and disappear, others will be quietly sidelined.

Likewise, some of the managers of countries in the World Cup have been uncerimoniously sacked because their country did not win the Cup. Sometimes refereeing decisions were not in their favour and sometimes their star players did not perform as expected. Such players can also expect to find themselves on the scrap heap !!!

The big and urgent question is: " How long will it be before FIFA or another international football association permits the use of instant video replays to help referees ? " The technology is already available !!! The members of the FIFA board need only to sneek a view of a televised rugby or tennis match, to understand why referees sometimes want instant replays.

Why do EUFA and Michel Platini not lead the way and thus show FIFA and Sepp Blatter what needs to be done !!!

Before the next Council Elections for FIFA take place, there are many people who would like to see age limits set for candidates to key posts. Likewise the total length of service for key positions should also be limited. At the present time FIFA is under-performing in this modern world !!!

BRITAINS' POST ELECTION PROBLEMS

Fundamentally David Cameron and the Tories have been landed with two main problems;

- those which arise from the uncontrolled policies introduced by the Socialists during their 13 years in power;

- those which result from the surrender by the Socialists to the E.U. of Britains' rights to determine its own fundamental policies.

Correcting uncontrolled policies has started and revealed the extent taxpayers' money has been wasted.

What cannot be reversed are the ever increasing powers of the E.U. and its Directives !!! The only way out would seem to be a unilateral withdrawal from the E.U.. The referendum promised by the Conservatives could come into play.



However, if Britain clearly states that in order to continue to stay in the E.U. it would want to renegotiate a certain number of obligations and conditions, this could have a sympathetic ripple effect throughout the E.U.. There are a great number of people in Europe who feel uncomfortable at the present moment about how certain decisions are arrived at and imposed.

CAMERON NEEDS TO EXPLAIN !!!

Every day one reads in the press details of the latest discoveries, and the costs, of overpayments to scroungers of the social benefits system. The last Socialist Government, during 13 years, paid without ever querying, Billions of pounds which were not justified. Withdrawing such benefits would have been extremely unpopular !!! This policy avoided a landslide Conservative Majority at the last election !!!

The same Socialist Frontbench Politicians are now fighting each other to step into the shoes of Gordon Brown !!!

Let us not be duped for the second time. The new socialist leader, when he is elected, will not accept to be responsible for the failings of the Blair/Brown years. It will never be NEW LABOUR reinvigorated !!! It will be another Labour in new sheep's clothing !!!

They will never defend the past. They will always attack the new Coalition of Cameron/Clegg for what they can get without proposing constructive new policicies. They will only ever want to embarass.

It is therefore time that David Cameron should consider a speech in the mould of a "Statement to the Nation" when when Parliament resumes after the summer break.

What is required is a Financial Statement which highlights the cost of the scocialist neglect of non-control of "Public Funds".


Press leaks is one thing; Responsible reporting to the Electorate is another.

POLITICIANS AND BANKS

Gordon Brown, the saviour of the Western World during the recent Banking crisis, left an uncontrolled mess in Britain when he was ousted from power at the recent elections. David Cameron now finds himself in the unenviable situation of having to clear up this mess !!!

This Blog clearly said early this year (February, 4,10, and 28), that any Government must legislate to control the activities of Banks.

Diplomatic words and promises by Politicians or Bankers to each other will achieve nothing !!! What is required are new, fundamental constraints which oblige Banks and Bankers to change their ways. Without laws and sanctions nothing will change.

Bankers, and above all International Bankers, have a duty to enrich their shareholders. They have no legal responsibility to do what a Government would find agreeable if it does not enrich the Bank's shareholders.

President Obama clearly said that Banks are too big !!! He is absolutely right !!! No one country can pass laws which could bring multi-national, multi-continental Banks to heel. Some of the big Banks are even bigger than the countries in which they operate.

Only two alternatives are available to legislaters to control the situation;
- agreement on a world-wide basis to control Multinational banks. This would necessarily become a long term project.
- local legislation to favour "National Local Banks" which are independent of foreign control.

If Multinational Banks are deprived of local cheap "Tap" money, this would favour local banks who could then lend the money to industry and local clients at reasonable interest rates. This would enable a government to introduce policies to help those in most need. The interest rates which the Big Banks want to impose cripple anything a Government has in mind.

Everyone knows that Banks were bailed-out after they made losses not from investments but speculative "bets" on financial markets. Had they stuck to the well tried principles of yesteryear the current tensions and suspicions surrounding the financial market today would not exist.

Who talks about usurious interest rates or exhorbitant bank or credit card charges ? Only the consumer !!! There are too many similar examples to mention for an article like this !!!

David Cameron must lead the way in Britain, legislate and introduce sanctions. He must coerse the Banks to fall into line !!! The E.U. will not help, only talk, talk, and talk. There is no majority in the E.U. Parliament !!!