Tuesday 2nd December 2014

[citizenJA]

Thanks all.

Congratulations my friend! I wish you every success & happiness. Thank you for letting me know. Good news indeed.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

winnie davies retweeted
John Mann MP ‏@JohnMannMP Nov 23
Next week I will reveal the known scale of MP involvement in the child sex abuse scandal and encourage more witnesses to come forward.

[TechnicalEphemera]

He's not sodding "nuanced". He reckons he can get away with counting a rebate he was due anyway as a reduction in a surcharge he said he wasn't going to pay, but did.

He reckons he can con us with new money for the NHS, when it isn't new.

Etc. etc. he's a transparent charlatan like Dave, Nick and the rest.

Oh and didn't he recommend Coulson for the job with Dave?

Yeah but I got to post this rant in the G

Firstly a warning to Rushbridger, never ever let this guy interview anybody for a job. He is such an awful judge of capability that he will land you with the sort of idiot that would take out your company unless watched 24x7.

Osborne will go down in history as one of the most incompetent chancellors ever. He has been wrong on every point, Osbornomics lasted 30 minutes before it was exposed as rubbish, yet it remains the essential reason for an increasing tax gap and growing deficit.
Osbornes plans for the next parliament have been declared non-credible and inferior to Labour's by that well known Marxist magazine The Economist. By a number of accounts city bankers pretty much openly laugh at him behind his back. He has two jobs, Tory strategist and chancellor but he is rubbish at both, throwing away any chance of a majority in 2010 and creating the slowest recovery ever.
He is utterly incompetent, but in his own mind a genius. The fact that this minor aristocrat armed only with an offshore trust fund and a ton of connections was able to secure high office is testament to the power of the British establishment and the old school tie over merit and capability. This is the man who in opposition wanted to emulate the Irish economy and in power has actually done it, stoking a housing bubble by underwriting the riskiest portions of 100 billion of loans with tax payers money. A policy - described by a respected economist as - The most stupid economic policy in history. A man happiest when announcing budgets to hammer the poor while cutting taxes for the rich, a man responsible for the legendary Omnishambles budget.

Amusingly his decision, at the last minute, to switch to 5 year fixed parliaments rather than four may doom him. This winter looks pretty tricky for the NHS, the non existent flood defences, our creaking power grid, oh and the world economy.

But according to Mr Behr George is brilliant. Post truth politics from inside the Westminster bubble.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Just noting that we have only one Chancellor among our members.

So, letsskip, hoping for a great Statement from you tomorrow

[TechnicalEphemera]

By the way Mr Behr has put in a very strong candidate for The Groan awards.

Talking of which, it takes about a week to nominate and a week to vote for The Groans. Last year we published them New Years Eve in Sparrows readers edition, do we want to publish them earlier or on the same day. We could aim for the last Sparrow politics edition (if we knew when it was).

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This is brilliant stuff

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNA sequencing shows that the remains of Richard III are definitely him. BUT his royal "descendants" definitely are not descended from him

[Eric_WLothian]

There have been a few comments on here about the attitude of Nats to Gordon Brown. It would appear that offensiveness is not confined to the 'hangers-on':

A video showing three SNP councillors burning a copy of the Smith Commission report on more powers for Scotland has been condemned as "offensive".
The stunt, filmed outside Renfrewshire Council's headquarters, was posted on YouTube but later removed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... s-30302865

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This is brilliant stuff

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNA sequencing shows that the remains of Richard III are definitely him. BUT his royal "descendants" definitely are not descended from him

BTW it's not inconceivable that this is indeed a politics story. Anyone got a decent claim to the throne?

[ErnstRemarx]

Interesting...

Iranian jets join allies in the fight against Islamic State in Iraq

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -Iraq.html

British, American and other allied forces are now fighting directly alongside their former rivals Iran, according to new footage of the war in Iraq.

An Iranian jet has been filmed for the first time bombing positions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), during a battle for the town of Saadiya, north-east of Baghdad.

United State Air Force jets have been flying missions over Iraq since August, and the RAF since September.

Iranian advisers are known to have been embedded with the Iraqi army and militia forces fighting Isil. But this is the first proof that the Islamic Republic and the countries it famously termed the “Great and Little Satan” - America and Britain - are taking part in missions on the same side.

Mad Mel must be furious...

She'll be foaming at the gob - even more than usual, that is.

The Iranian government are probably not too keen on the idea of having a bunch a religious fanatics dictating the shape of the Middle East (unless it's them, of course). This is simply self protection, however I imagine they'll be a little wary about making it known that's what they're up to. Tehran is rather too close to Syria for comfort.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This is a good piece by Sadiq Khan on voter registration and the changes to it

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sadiq-k ... 55392.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Twitter storm on #CameronMustGo planned for tomorrow at noon to swamp LetsSkip's Autumn Statement

[rebeccariots2]

This is a good piece by Sadiq Khan on voter registration and the changes to it

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sadiq-k ... 55392.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He's been really good lately. Gone up in my estimation.

[rebeccariots2]

Louise Baldock ‏@LouiseBaldock 10m10 minutes ago
Met a nurse tonight full of rage because one night last week James Cook Hospital RAN OUT of blankets and patients were cold #CameronMustGo

[ErnstRemarx]

Thanks all.

Congratulations my friend! I wish you every success & happiness. Thank you for letting me know. Good news indeed.

Hi JA, well, I still have to negotiate the next interview and get references in - the latter contingent upon the former - but it's a damn sight less gloomy at Remarx Towers (I like that, so I'm nicking it) after this afternoon's efforts.

Now all I need to see is a 5 point gap between us and the Tories, and I'll consider it a pretty good week thus far.

And, when I report my intermittent good news, up there in my consciousness is the fact that many FTNers are in a tough place with government calumny bearing down on them from many directions. I hate that such horrible circumstances and events are being forced upon you, and I'm by equal parts sorry and angry that my online family are being put through this shit.

Take courage and do not give up. That's exactly what those bastards want you to do. Stand together peeps, and always, always remember:

'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.'

[AngryAsWell]

Whilst your on line Ernst - Congrats and best of good luck on potential job

[Spacedone]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Thanks all.

Congratulations my friend! I wish you every success & happiness. Thank you for letting me know. Good news indeed.

Hi JA, well, I still have to negotiae the next interview and get references in - the latter contingent upon the former - but it's a damn sight less gloomy at Remarx Towers (I like that, so I'm nicking it) after this afternoon's efforts.

Now all I need to see is a 5 point gap between us and the Tories, and I'll consider it a pretty good week thus far.

And, when I report my intermittent good news, up there in my consciousness is the fact that many FTNers are in a tough place with government calumny bearing down on them from many directions. I hate that such horrible circumstances and events are being forced upon you, and I'm by equal parts sorry and angry that my online family are being put through this shit.

Take courage and do not give up. That's exactly what those bastards want you to do. Stand together peeps, and always, always remember:

'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.'

Wish not granted I'm afraid Mate

General Election ‏@UKELECTIONS2015 2m2 minutes ago
YouGov/Sun poll tonight -

Labour have a one-point lead:

LABOUR 33%
CONSERVATIVES 32%
UKIP 16%
LIBDEMS 7%
GREEN 7%

at least not by Yougov

[PaulfromYorkshire]

PS thanks for the Shelley - stirring stuff

[ErnstRemarx]

Whilst your on line Ernst - Congrats and best of good luck on potential job

Thanks - it's a better place to be so we'll see what comes next. But I'm grateful to you and everyone who's been so generous with praise and congratulations.

[mbc1955]

This is brilliant stuff

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNA sequencing shows that the remains of Richard III are definitely him. BUT his royal "descendants" definitely are not descended from him

BTW it's not inconceivable that this is indeed a politics story. Anyone got a decent claim to the throne?

Maybe there's a nuance here that I'm missing (in which case, do NOT ask Gideon Osborne to explain it) but wasn't the whole point of Richard III that his descendants did not ascend the throne but that his line, the House of York, was usurped by Henry VII and the House of Tudor.So the lack of any DNA consistency to the Happy Windsrs does not, at first glance, appear to be of significance.

I would be intrigued to be corrected.

[rebeccariots2]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

I think even they realise they can't ignore the glaring - pulsating - fact that the debt has mushroomed. Peston on BBC News tonight with balloons with different amounts on them - asking members of the public if they thought it had gone up, stayed the same, or been reduced. No one thought it had been reduced. Most of them guessed it was now at 1.5 trillion.

We know they think we're dog ends ..... but we're not stupid dog ends.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

Guess we have to remember our Twitter feeds are probably a teensy bit biased but yes I think something is happening.

News that the deficit is rising will be impossibly toxic to Osborne. It's the absolute bedrock of the austerity narrative and people who've stayed with him tightening their belts will be simply furious.

[Spacedone]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

I think even they realise they can't ignore the glaring - pulsating - fact that the debt has mushroomed. Peston on BBC News tonight with balloons with different amounts on them - asking members of the public if they thought it had gone up, stayed the same, or been reduced. No one thought it had been reduced. Most of them guessed it was now at 1.5 trillion.

We know they think we're dog ends ..... but we're not stupid dog ends.

That's not what Sarah Wollaston was saying on Twitter the other day. Apparently we know nothing about economics (despite correctly predicting so many of Osbornes' failures).

Know your place dog end!

[StephenDolan]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

I think even they realise they can't ignore the glaring - pulsating - fact that the debt has mushroomed. Peston on BBC News tonight with balloons with different amounts on them - asking members of the public if they thought it had gone up, stayed the same, or been reduced. No one thought it had been reduced. Most of them guessed it was now at 1.5 trillion.

We know they think we're dog ends ..... but we're not stupid dog ends.

Unfortunately there'll be plenty of OP's swooning over his political genius post speech (I'm especially looking at you DFH, Watt, Wintour and White) and how this is VeryBadForMiliband.

If there is a three line whip on some "cunning plan", lets hope Labour MPs act accordingly and force the Lib Dems to highlight their true colours.

[adam]

The story is behind the Sun's paywall, but their headline to accompany their wider polling mentioned above is

Osborne's economy poll lead slipping.
GEORGE Osborne's huge lead over Labour on the economy is slipping as pessimism over the economy returns, a poll has revealed.

[citizenJA]

Thanks all.

Congratulations my friend! I wish you every success & happiness. Thank you for letting me know. Good news indeed.

Hi JA, well, I still have to negotiate the next interview and get references in - the latter contingent upon the former - but it's a damn sight less gloomy at Remarx Towers (I like that, so I'm nicking it) after this afternoon's efforts.

Now all I need to see is a 5 point gap between us and the Tories, and I'll consider it a pretty good week thus far.

And, when I report my intermittent good news, up there in my consciousness is the fact that many FTNers are in a tough place with government calumny bearing down on them from many directions. I hate that such horrible circumstances and events are being forced upon you, and I'm by equal parts sorry and angry that my online family are being put through this shit.

Take courage and do not give up. That's exactly what those bastards want you to do. Stand together peeps, and always, always remember:

'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.'

Thank you - yes, we stand together - I'm moved by your kind post here for me. We stand together. Your post was an unexpected loveliness helping to finish my day.

I wish you & everyone here a good night; sleep sound & well. We'll work together & laugh more often than cry.

Love,
JA

[PaulfromYorkshire]

This is brilliant stuff

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNA sequencing shows that the remains of Richard III are definitely him. BUT his royal "descendants" definitely are not descended from him

BTW it's not inconceivable that this is indeed a politics story. Anyone got a decent claim to the throne?

Maybe there's a nuance here that I'm missing (in which case, do NOT ask Gideon Osborne to explain it) but wasn't the whole point of Richard III that his descendants did not ascend the throne but that his line, the House of York, was usurped by Henry VII and the House of Tudor.So the lack of any DNA consistency to the Happy Windsrs does not, at first glance, appear to be of significance.

I would be intrigued to be corrected.

From the Nature paper

A false-paternity between Edward III (1312–1377) and John would mean that John’s son, Henry IV (1367–1413), and Henry’s direct descendants (Henry V and Henry VI) would have had no legitimate claim to the crown. This would also hold true, indirectly, for the entire Tudor dynasty (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I) since their claim to the crown also rested, in part, on their descent from John of Gaunt. The claim of the Tudor dynasty would also be brought into question if the false paternity occurred between John of Gaunt and his son, John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset. If the false paternity occurred in either of the three generations between Edward III and Richard, Duke of York, the father of Edward IV and Richard III, then neither of their claims to the crown would have been legitimate.

[Hobiejoe]

Sorry, but did Evan Davis just talk over Clarke talking about tax rises?

I might have missed that, but....

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Here's the link to the Nature paper on Richard III

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/14120 ... ms6631.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hobiejoe]

I think that Paxman may rest easy over his legacy. Clarke is making Davis look a complete amateur.

[Spacedone]

My twitter feed is full of journalists posting negative stories about George Osborne's claim to economic competency... has the cheap gloss finally worn off?

I think even they realise they can't ignore the glaring - pulsating - fact that the debt has mushroomed. Peston on BBC News tonight with balloons with different amounts on them - asking members of the public if they thought it had gone up, stayed the same, or been reduced. No one thought it had been reduced. Most of them guessed it was now at 1.5 trillion.

We know they think we're dog ends ..... but we're not stupid dog ends.

Unfortunately there'll be plenty of OP's swooning over his political genius post speech (I'm especially looking at you DFH, Watt, Wintour and White) and how this is VeryBadForMiliband.

If there is a three line whip on some "cunning plan", lets hope Labour MPs act accordingly and force the Lib Dems to highlight their true colours.

If the "cunning plan" is to try and pretend they can bind the next Government to a Conservative target (and one that would require some pretty hideous cuts to spending) then Labour simply need to say that they won't have their economic plans constrained by the parties that missed every single one of their targets on the economy.

The cheerleaders will definitely be out but frankly they're not fool anyone anymore.

[Hobiejoe]

And one last thought - yet another puff-piece for this DNA testing kit, this time on Newsnight, a kit banned in the USA. Big piece on PM this evening as well. This seems most unusual.

Anyone know of any interesting share holders?

[Hobiejoe]

Crikey. With that many posts in such a short period of time I feel that I must take to my repose before, la! I swoon.

G'night.

[Spacedone]

The OBR have warned the Treasury against making spending promises that rely on 'cracking down on tax avoidance' for funding.

[mbc1955]

BTW it's not inconceivable that this is indeed a politics story. Anyone got a decent claim to the throne?

Maybe there's a nuance here that I'm missing (in which case, do NOT ask Gideon Osborne to explain it) but wasn't the whole point of Richard III that his descendants did not ascend the throne but that his line, the House of York, was usurped by Henry VII and the House of Tudor.So the lack of any DNA consistency to the Happy Windsrs does not, at first glance, appear to be of significance.

I would be intrigued to be corrected.

From the Nature paper

A false-paternity between Edward III (1312–1377) and John would mean that John’s son, Henry IV (1367–1413), and Henry’s direct descendants (Henry V and Henry VI) would have had no legitimate claim to the crown. This would also hold true, indirectly, for the entire Tudor dynasty (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I) since their claim to the crown also rested, in part, on their descent from John of Gaunt. The claim of the Tudor dynasty would also be brought into question if the false paternity occurred between John of Gaunt and his son, John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset. If the false paternity occurred in either of the three generations between Edward III and Richard, Duke of York, the father of Edward IV and Richard III, then neither of their claims to the crown would have been legitimate.

Intriguing indeed. So the suggestion is not that the lack of a genetic connection between Richard III and our own dear Queen puts her legitimacy at issue but that a break in the generic chain at any point up to five prior generations would invalidate Richard and eveybody since.

Needs a dose more thinking about, and more than I've time for just now, though my instant response is that I can't see it making any practical difference now: no such 'evidence' or even evidence would likely be admitted as valid, and I'm waiting for the backlash against Charles to end the whole schmear, because if he gets passed over in favour of William, the principle of hereditary monarchy in this country will have been destroyed.

[Spacedone]

I like the bit in that Times article that says that Osborne is going to announce (reannounce) a crackdown on Google, Amazon etc. Hmm I seem to recall that the EU are already doing that, having launched investigations into the tax arrangements of both Ireland and Luxembourg and talked about making them repay the avoided tax. Is Osborne attempting to take credit for something he hasn't done himself?

[HindleA]

William Bain on the cuts to the Disabled Students Allowance,particularly the £200 charge for essential assistive technology .


http://labourlist.org/2014/12/how-the-g ... -students/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Eric_WLothian]

Not politics, but here's a bit of nostalgia for those of us of a (ahem) certain age:

FOR a generation of players, it was the machine that revolutionised home computing and laid the foundations for a thriving Scottish industry.
Now, nearly three decades after the last units rolled off the production lines of Dundee’s Timex factory, the Spectrum is on the verge of an unlikely rebirth.

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/techn ... -1-3622381

[rebeccariots2]

I think that Paxman may rest easy over his legacy. Clarke is making Davis look a complete amateur.

Clarke has just demonstrated - to a T - the interview equivalent of filibustering out a bill you don't want to be passed / voted on. He just kept chuntering on. As Mr Riots said 'He's flannelling'. And he was - no proper responses. Cameron and Osborne have found out what to do with him - wheel out cuddly Ken Clarke to gasbag at endless length but with charm ... any dodgy topic, Ken's your man. (Well mostly any dodgy topic - don't let get him started on whether it's a serious rape or not ...).

[Spacedone]

Not politics, but here's a bit of nostalgia for those of us of a (ahem) certain age:

FOR a generation of players, it was the machine that revolutionised home computing and laid the foundations for a thriving Scottish industry.
Now, nearly three decades after the last units rolled off the production lines of Dundee’s Timex factory, the Spectrum is on the verge of an unlikely rebirth.

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/techn ... -1-3622381

I was a Commadore 64 man myself. 16 colours! Take that Spectrum!

[PaulfromYorkshire]

I like the bit in that Times article that says that Osborne is going to announce (reannounce) a crackdown on Google, Amazon etc. Hmm I seem to recall that the EU are already doing that, having launched investigations into the tax arrangements of both Ireland and Luxembourg and talked about making them repay the avoided tax. Is Osborne attempting to take credit for something he hasn't done himself?

Yes I've mentioned this before

[frightful_oik]

I've still got my BBC computer. I learned how to program on an early Apple II.

[Eric_WLothian]

Not politics, but here's a bit of nostalgia for those of us of a (ahem) certain age:

FOR a generation of players, it was the machine that revolutionised home computing and laid the foundations for a thriving Scottish industry.
Now, nearly three decades after the last units rolled off the production lines of Dundee’s Timex factory, the Spectrum is on the verge of an unlikely rebirth.

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/techn ... -1-3622381

I was a Commadore 64 man myself. 16 colours! Take that Spectrum!

I bought my son an Amiga - technically superior at the time. Anybody want a second-hand Betamax video recorder?

[rebeccariots2]

Louisa Clarence ‏@LouisaWimbledon 6h6 hours ago
'We beat Boris' - NHS nurses and school workers celebrate after their evictions are called off http://bit.ly/11P3zOD" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Families living on a police-owned estate have been celebrating "beating Boris" after their evictions were suddenly called off by the Mayor of London's office last week.

Twenty key worker families living at Raynesfield in Raynes Park have faced months of uncertainty after the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) announced it planned to sell the property in March.

But after visiting the estate on Thursday, the Deputy Mayor of London Stephen Greenhalgh announced he was cancelling the sale of the estate and permanently calling off the evictions. ...
Kery Isaacs, a former nurse at St George's Hospital who lives on the estate with her four children, said: "They reduced me to the point of not actually valuing myself as a person because I came face to face with not having a roof over my childrens' head."

She said she was forced to consider moving her family to Scotland because there was no other social housing available in the area.

Zizipho Fato, a nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital who lives on the estate with her 60-year-old mother, said: "I'm feeling happy because me and my mum know that we have a permanent place. It's a good feeling but now it's about getting our life back together."

Miss Fato and her mother have spent the past three weeks sleeping on the floor after selling most of their furniture and TV because they couldn't afford to keep it in storage...

So it's not just nasty American corporates that have been threatening to evict long term tenants so they can cash in on the property ... Boris is up to it as well. He's kept that a bit quiet ... or rather the MSM have.

[rebeccariots2]

John McDonnell ‏@johnmcdonnellMP 33m33 minutes ago
Newsnight allowing Ken Clarke to drone on & on unchallenged has effectively become a party political broadcast for the Conservative Party.

Quite. Show some gumption Evan.

[rebeccariots2]

According to artist Jeremy Deller on Newsnight, who went to school with him, Farage was in the CCF so used to spend a lot of time in a uniform running around shouting. Sounds about right somehow.

[RogerOThornhill]

Talking of tax avoidance...I just posted this elsewhere...

I remembered that in 2013 Osborne made a big thing about how much he was going to get from people hiding their cash in Swiss accounts...so I thought I'd take a look at the forecasts.
2013 budget.....£3.2bn
2014 budget.....£0.9bn

Oh dear...

I also recall that the Treasury must have convinced the ONS that the money was as good as in the bank...so the ONS went ahead and booked the cash in their monthly borrowing report...only to have to back it out again when it became clear that the forecasts were wildly wrong - as can be seen from the above

Ah well...

[Spacedone]

Talking of tax avoidance...I just posted this elsewhere...

I remembered that in 2013 Osborne made a big thing about how much he was going to get from people hiding their cash in Swiss accounts...so I thought I'd take a look at the forecasts.
2013 budget.....£3.2bn
2014 budget.....£0.9bn

Oh dear...

I also recall that the Treasury must have convinced the ONS that the money was as good as in the bank...so the ONS went ahead and booked the cash in their monthly borrowing report...only to have to back it out again when it became clear that the forecasts were wildly wrong - as can be seen from the above

Ah well...

Hence the Times report on the OBR warning I posted above... They're not falling for that again it seems.

[Spacedone]

Actually come to think of it before I had a Commadore I had (well my older brother had... I was about 4) a Dragon 32. It was rubbish and yet brilliant at the same time.

[RogerOThornhill]

Talking of tax avoidance...I just posted this elsewhere...

I remembered that in 2013 Osborne made a big thing about how much he was going to get from people hiding their cash in Swiss accounts...so I thought I'd take a look at the forecasts.
2013 budget.....£3.2bn
2014 budget.....£0.9bn

Oh dear...

I also recall that the Treasury must have convinced the ONS that the money was as good as in the bank...so the ONS went ahead and booked the cash in their monthly borrowing report...only to have to back it out again when it became clear that the forecasts were wildly wrong - as can be seen from the above

Ah well...

Hence the Times report on the OBR warning I posted above... They're not falling for that again it seems.

It was the ONS's attitude that shocked me at the time...although maybe it shouldn't - as they hadn't actually received any of it at the time, only what was thought to come in at some point.

In my financial accountant days, something like that would have only been booked once we'd got the cash in.