Congratulations to BAA and BA for the successful opening of Terminal 5 - it's taken less than a week of live passenger testing to get the whole thing working pretty much as it's supposed to. If you think that achieving that kind of switchover in that kind of timeframe with the kind of really-rather-minor chaos … Continue reading Trebles all round
Month: March 2008
In the UK, all debt for which the government is ultimately liable appears as government debt on the national accounts. If the debt of a PFI company is guaranteed by the taxpayer (as for Metronet, for example, unwisely) then it appears as government debt on the national accounts. If it does not appear as government … Continue reading Point of order
In 1988, the UK government sold off its 100% stakes in British Leyland and British Steel, flogging the former to BAe and the latter on the stock market. So it's nice to see them reunited under common ownership 20 years later...
Tax Research has an article criticising the TaxPayers' Alliance for being a bunch of rentaquote extreme-right-wingers who distort the facts to bash Labour, socialism and anyone who thinks taxes should be higher than 1%, and also criticising the media for taking the TaxPayers' Alliance seriously. This is entirely true: the TPA is a lobby group … Continue reading Two bald men in ‘fight over comb’ shock
Sorry for radio silence, I've been in Istanbul (not Constantinople) doing Exciting but Hardworking things. Quick comment on the budget: many people, mostly on the "we believe in free markets except when, err, I'll get back to you on that one" right, seem to think that the government's rise in beer excise duty spells the … Continue reading You draconian what draconian?