Issue 82 - 10th April 2008
Sentiment
‘It’s a complete shambles. You’re a disgrace. You’re fired!’ so says Sir Alan Sugar on the UK reality game show The Apprentice as he points his finger to the unlucky candidate. We all know the Peter Principle where people are constantly promoted until they reach the job that they are incapable of performing. And haven’t we got the perfect example in the UK’s beleaguered Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Issue 81 - 12th March 2008
Sentiment
Much has been written over the past few months in regard to the proposed changes to the UK tax system. Tomorrow we have Darling’s Budget of March (a bad play on the Darling Buds of May for anyone who remembers the BBC sitcom…), and we are waiting to see what the big man does. Does he back down and defer the introduction of the new laws or does he go full steam ahead with legislation which has caused a real hum drum? Who knows but whatever happens I can’t help but feel irreparable damage has been done to the UK’s reputation.
Issue 80 - 15 February 2008
Sentiment
Lady Margaret Thatcher’s most famous phrase when confronting the trade unions was “U-Turn if you want to; this lady’s not for turning”. How Alastair Darling (the current UK Chancellor of the Exchequer) must wish he could say the same thing, but he has U-turned twice since our last ITN to his utter discredit and to the chagrin of the Labour Government. Never has a Minister revealed proposed legislation in as much detail as he has done, and then said in a Government sponsored release this week something like “Well I didn’t really mean what the legislation says, it was badly drafted by HMRC and the Government had no intention of taxing retrospective gains of non-domiciliaries”. Similar to his comments a couple of weeks ago “Well I didn’t really mean to increase the 10% capital gains tax rate for entrepreneurs to 18%, so I have very kindly listened to the furore I have created and decided to introduce a 10% entrepreneur’s relief instead”.
Issue 79 - 23rd January 2008
Sentiment
Welcome to the first ITN of 2008 – it seems only yesterday since I welcomed you to the first edition of 2007. How time passes us by…. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas (thank God it’s over), and that 2008 is a happy, successful and healthy one.
Now the pleasantries are over, lets get down to the nitty gritty. 2007 was an interesting year to say the least – and 2008 has started with a bang.
