The Big Society?

Of course the post-Christmas period can be something of an anticlimax, especially if like me you find Christmas a magical time. But it is more than that. After digesting huge amounts of political rhetoric over the past six months I am attempting to understand what is really being said.

The odd thing is that the numerous U-turns, mind changes, broken promises and a myriad of other devices simply confuse us all. Poor old Vince Cable seems to be bouncing around all over the place, which is a shame because he is actually a clever man with, I thought, his feet on the ground. At the moment he appears to be in training to the British 2012 Olympic Gymnastics team, with the finest series of political flick flacks that I have seen for a very long time.

Watching the New Trinity of Cameron, Osborne and Clegg makes me shiver. Did you see the Captain SKA You Tube video clip? Worth a watch and I have added the link at the bottom of this rant. The thing is I didn’t vote for a coalition government and it upset me when Clegg jumped into bed with Cameron. Parliament, in my opinion, works best without a huge bundle of lemming politicians rushing in different directions when the pack leader coughs.

It was pleasing to see Torbay MP Adrian Sanders making a stand the other day and attempting to demonstrate that not all Liberal Democrats fly a flag of political convenience! Sometimes you have to stand up for what is right rather then being swooned by the offer of a ministerial chauffer driven car.

What 2011 holds really is in the proverbial lap of the gods since we are living though uncharted times and being buffeted by an international fiscal storm. If we are to get through these troubled times then we really must pull together and share the wealth. It seems to me that the evidence is stacked against that in this present political landscape and the worry is that the social disorder demonstrated by students recently will start to spread as more and more people become marginalised and disengaged.

So, let your life be lived for the good of all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFwxw57NBI

The Sad Self-Certified Mortgage departs

I wrote this back in 2003 and posted on the BBC Moneybox website....



"Self-certification is all too easy of course. In a society where debt is the norm, does listing a unrealistic salary matter? Of course it matters. And it matters very much when the house is lost and sold on to one of the many folk out there just waiting for property to fall back on to the market at a silly price through mortgage default. So no, unchecked self-certification is not a good idea. Frank Sobey"



If you have listened to the news today you will gather that at last these poisonous mortgages, which in part have been responsible to the Credit Crunch by ripping off the less fiscally aware whilst boosting the bonus culture, will cease. Those caught in the trap had not a leg to stand on because THEY had signed to say that their income was much more than it actually was. Those responsible too often were hugely irresponsible!



Just needed to get that off my chest!

Pain and little gain....?

Well he seems happy enough, which is more than can be said for many. In point of fact too many. It's a tough old world and getting tougher by the hour. I didn't vote for this new Conservative Government ( I voted Lib DEm!) but I guess that is democracy - or is it?



I am still a believer in representation by the the people, that those who live in an area represent their neighbours at a national level. Now many say that nothing would ever get done, nothing would be achieved, too much would never get to a vote. I somehow doubt that because the fact that perhaps a majority voting freely doesn't pass something that a political faction wants is often a good thing.



We all know that times are hard, but the comments made by George's boss yesterday did little other than scare ordinary folk and probably slowed the economy yet again.



.....and it's raining again....