When I was an MP railing against more rules and higher taxes I still knew I had to pay all the taxes and obey all the rules I disagreed with. I would not have been a hypocrite to ignore them but I would have been breaking the rules and the laws.
Labour Ministers want higher taxes and more rules, especially on people like them who are paid more than three times the average wage. It means when they are breaking the rules they may not only be breaking the law but they are being hypocrites.
Angela Rayner thought she could carry on despite misunderstanding tax rules on her complex property portfolio. It turned out she could not. Blaming advisers did not help. She is a tax hawk who thinks people like her then on a big salary with large capital gains should pay more tax, not less. No surprise she had to resign.
The Chancellor has called for more places to require someone letting out their home to have to buy a licence and file various certificates to prove the house systems meet modern standards. It is therefore surprising she did not check the need for and the provision of a licence in her own case. We now have two different statements from her over why the licence was missed.
I think it is all too easy to miss a requirement when you do something new in an over regulated world.I think there should be a bit more tolerance of honest mistakes. I cannot see how this extends to the Chancellor who not only knew about licencing but was urging it to be more widely adopted. Failure to buy a licence and show the certificates is a criminal offence with a large possible fine. Surely the Chancellor should consider her position. She cannot say this was an over the top rule as they will not get rid of it. Why go easy on enforcement with a Minister who believes in this imposition.
November 1, 2025
Good morning.
Whilst I do not disagree with our kind host that the Chancer has broken the law and should consider her position, I think our kind host touches upon another point which I feel is quite important. Namely, that of over regulation by the State.
It is not uncommon for those on the continent to have in place a system where ‘papers’ are are required for just about everything. This not only creates a large and expensive bureaucracy but also potential for corruption. Not just in the financial sense, but also in the moral one as well. The latter we may see being played out over this matter before our very eyes.
TTK is now caught in a bind. Faced with either getting rid of his Chancer or, trying to tough it out and further damage both his reputation and that of his party.
As an aside I quickly browsed some landlord website / chat rooms to see what was being said. It came as a surprised to me as the fines for such as the offence that the Chancer is believed to have committed carries quite a substantial penalties. One such unfortunate soul had to pay fines of £66k.
Time for the Chancer to brush up on her CV methinks 😉
November 1, 2025
It’s alright if they do it or so they think. We have another politician renting out to a colleague. Move in 2TK says, nothing to see here. I’m beginning to think the majority of those in Westminster have a side hustle at our expense. Liebour are proving to be the best recruiting seargents for Reform.
The BBC made no mention of Thieves situation but ran a feature on how badly Reform councils are performing. This was counter productive when a Leicester councillor told them they had reallocated £2 million from the climate change budget to improve fluid defences.
November 1, 2025
Flood defences.
November 1, 2025
@Mark B. You mention the continent and corruption, in the context of over-regulation.
I managed/ran a couple of small businesses in France for 5 years or so. Red tape was horrendous, impossible for a small trader to know what regulations applied. There were no appeals for clemency if found lacking. The result was a corrupt system where traders had to keep sweet with the various local bureacracies. If someone there had a personal grudge, they could and would do all they could to make your life hell or close you down.
I saw this happen to a lovely chap running a plumbing business: he fired a worker whose best mate was a local bureaucrat. This guy started a thorough investigation of the poor plumbers’ paperwork by his administration, and others; naturally inadvertant “irregularities” were found. Fines and severe hassle resulted. The plumber withstood it for about 2 years but ended up laying off his staff and becoming a sole trader.
As for Ministers, for example up until 2018 the “verrou de Bercy” rule gave the tax Minister the sole power to authorise whether someone found to have evaded tax should be prosecuted. Whilst this blatantly corrupt rule was weakened, that mindset no doubt lingers in the higher echelons of government.
November 1, 2025
Someone in her constituency had to pay a fine of £16 k and had to sell the house to do it.
The chancellor must go.
November 1, 2025
The Tories should have scrapped the landlord licensing laws when then came in. They are a parasitic job creation scheme. It is not just the £900 fees but all the hassle, delays and admin costs. Might easily cost you £10,000 in delays, loss of rent, extra council taxes and admin. costs. It decreases supply and pushes up rents. It benefits no one but these parasitic workers. A back door part nationalisation or your property.
November 1, 2025
LL
Exactly, LL !! The same with things such as Stamp Duty and IHT. What has the government either done or offered to get ‘my money’ ? Nothing !
If I want a new Passport I can very well understand being charged for the ‘service’. But what do we get in return for the above, including this Landlords Tax ?
November 1, 2025
Re Inheritance Tax
How else will the country get back the debt the borrow and waste governments they voted for racked up?
November 1, 2025
Mark B
Would certainly agree with you about IHT, also the 7 year rule on limited gifting, this is all because the State cannot handle its own finances in a prudent manner, unlike those who have built up their savings/investments from taxed income.
Why can you not do what you want with your own money, and support your own offspring or other members of your family without complicated tax rules.
We wanted to pay our Granddaughters University fees, turns out if we pass away within 7 years of paying such, she will get a tax bill for receiving a gift within the previous 7 years.
She will now start her working life with a big debt funded by the taxpayer, which will not get paid should she either emigrate, or not earn enough.
Is it no wonder that people fall foul the rules when there are so many and complicated.
When two Ministers do not understand the rules when they are surrounded by experts, it surely shouts out to them that the system is broken and unfit for purpose.
We are now getting to the situation that those who have never earn’t large salaries, and who have only paid 20% tax in their lives, will have 40% deducted on part of their estate when they die.
Does this really encourage people to try and make the best of their lives, to be sensibly prudent, self sufficient, debt free ?
November 1, 2025
What you get back is interfering busybodies who make things worse for both landlords and tenants. It also harms the economy, reduces supply and reduced profits and thus income tax take. It also means properties empty for longer and prob. more thefts as a result and increased insurance costs!
Why too should landlords pay 12 month rent back to the tenants – what loss have they suffered? They prob. benefitted in fact by being able to move in earlier – rather than wait for a licence?
November 1, 2025
@Lifelogic – encouraging the homing of the homeless in a typical ill thought out ill-conceived Socialist way. Just think of all the State employees now involved.
November 1, 2025
Failure to buy a licence and show the certificates is a criminal offence with a large possible fine. Surely the Chancellor should consider her position
I saw yesterday that the bloody bbc did there usual to black out any news on the chancellor’s house fiasco but if it had been anything to do with the Reform Party they would have been working overtime with it, how much longer do we have to being screwed over by the government before a General Election can be called surly there must be some act of Parliament that can have the dust blown of it and implemented to get this bunch of muppets out of power
November 1, 2025
@Mick, another reminder on who issues the BBC its News Stories,who writes their PR puff pieces
November 1, 2025
Absolutely nothing in the right-wing press this weekend about the government’s announcement of a 90% reduction in electricity network charges for high-consumption industries, including steel, glass and cement. Around 500 of the UK’s most energy-intensive businesses are set to save up to £420 million per year on their electricity bills from next April
Some of the companies which will benefit from the change include Tata Steel at Port Talbot and INEOS in the Scottish town of Grangemouth
Over £30bn in profit was made in the UK’s energy sector in 2024 – while industrial energy bills included 29% of energy company profits. And roughly a third of what a UK household pays on energy bills in a year – about £500 – goes towards energy company profits.
This new decision on energy costs has been completely ignored by the net stupid anti-swans Reform limited company. Farage is still sticking to his discredited claim that our high electricity costs are caused by net zero and non-existent “subsidies” for our huge renewables sector.
Reply I have commented on X today on this. Telegraph did a good article saying too little too late. Industry crippled by high carbon taxes and energy costs.
November 1, 2025
SG
Very much closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Refineries have closed, steel, aluminium, ceramics and aluminium have all closed never to be seen again. What about small businesses and the hospitality section going bankrupt at an alarming rate. Again we have a headline announcement which does nothing to correct the situation for the rest of the country.
November 1, 2025
It’s basically an admission from the Eco Nutters in the Establishment that the lunatic Net Zero policy has destroyed British Industry. Easing the garrote around someone’s neck when they have already been killed by strangulation, achieves nothing.
Meanwhile, “The Telegraph reports that as a result of “updated modelling” the predicted efficiency of wind turbines is being reduced by more than a quarter” …. an admission that they will never produce sufficient reliable energy to power the country. But instead of recognising that “no wind means no power” and stopping the nonsense, they’re going to increase the subsidies.
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/10/30/ed-miliband-wind-power-is-worse-than-we-thought-so-we-need-to-subsidise-even-more-of-it/
November 1, 2025
As I have pointed out elsewhere all the jiggery pokery with auction parameters and use of 2012 and 2024 money is just an elaborate disguise for producing an auction demand curve which has the formula
Budget X Fudge Factor
_______________________ = Maximum Capacity at Strike Price
(Strike – Reference Fudge)
For AR7 the capacity at the auction price cap in 2024 prices of £113/MWh that works out to just under 3GW for offshore wind, increasing to 5GW if the auction clears at £80/MWh, which is below the price at which Ørsted cancelled Hornsea 4. To be on track for CP2030 Miliband needs at least 8GW. The budget parameter suggests that applications to bid have been disappointing. As the EMR Delivery Body won’t even say whether there will be an auction it’s even possible that like AR5 there are no bids at all.
Were I running a wind farm developer I would hold off from AR7. There are far too many cost uncertainties given factors such as rising copper prices, the effect of the CBAM on importing Chinese steel, and risks that projects will get cancelled anyway by the next government, so there is no point in wasting money on preparatory work. Plus if Miliband is truly desperate he will pay a higher price next time.
November 1, 2025
Yes, too little too late, but subsidising some industries using taxes levied on others is not the answer. All industries need cheap, reliable on demand energy as do the people. So we need to scrap net zero as the laws of physics will not change for deluded Miliband, net zero May or any other mad politician.
November 1, 2025
Ashly
Agreed, business needs a level playing field to compete.
Just look at the strike price Mr Miliband wants for the new wind farms as an example of fixing, and locking in high prices for the future.
I see it is being reported today that Mr Miliband is also increasing the fines/levy on all the gas boiler manufacturers, because they are not selling/manufacturing enough Heat Pumps compared to boilers, thus the cost of boilers will now rise.
It would seem that the 50% up to £7,500 taxpayer funded grant given to the heat pump potential customers, is simply not enough to encourage their use and installation, probably because it will cost customers far more than just £15,000 in total to modify the whole system with possible huge disruption as well. .
November 1, 2025
Interesting Sakara:
Quote, Farage is still sticking to his discredited claim that our high electricity costs are caused by net zero and non-existent “subsidies” for our huge renewables sector endquote.
£25.8 Billion/year is non-existant !!! £220 Billion in total since year 2002 !!! What planet are you on ??
November 1, 2025
If £220 billion is ‘nothing’ they should refund us, after all they admit we were all overcharged.
78% tax on ice energy companies was certainly overcharging.
November 1, 2025
Sakara is totally deluded. When renewables plus the cost of backup and connections can actually compete with on demand gas, coal, oil then fine, but rigging the market to encourage roll out of duff technology just gives you loads of duff technology littering the place and huge extra costs, taxes and bills.
Where does Mr Gold get all his duff propaganda/info from?
November 1, 2025
@Ashley – @Old Albion – all subsidies are someone else having to pay. The miss-placed thought is that it is the Government that pays, it is not it is everyone that pays taxes and inflated levies.
Tata is mentioned, and India Company paying its Taxes in India being subsidised by the UK Taxpayer so it can remove more of the UK’s wealth creation money from the UK. Of course many other Countries have companies paying their home tax accounts, being funded by the UK taxpayer. The prime movers of taking UK Tax pounds and running are those primarily Foreign owned so-called green-energy companies – they pay their taxes in their home country. That is money removed(UK taxpayer money) never to circulate in the UK economy – causing the UK economy to stall
Then the media conveniently forgets the energy windfall taxes that fall on UK companies, killing them off so at to be replaced those that pay taxes elsewhere.
The UK economy exists all the time it has it own money circulating with in it
November 1, 2025
Presumably, Sakara, you believe that American energy costs are a quarter of ours because of their extensive carbon-free generating capacity.
November 1, 2025
SG :
I couldn’t find any mention of this today in The Guardian. As Sir John has mentioned there is an article in the Telegraph. Why isn’t this subsidy starting until next April? Anyway, our energy prices are now so high that DESNZ now needs to subsidise industry. This is on top of the £26bn/year renewable subsidies which total £200bn since 2002. We now even need to subsidise the thermal generation to ensure grid stability when excess renewables and interconnector imports drive the wholesale prices negative. The average wholesale electricity price is around £70-£80/MWhr. The weighted (by installed capacity) average operational CfD price for offshore wind is £149/MWhr. This, together with all the additional costs of transmission and grid stability caused by generating chaotic intermittent energy out in the North Sea, is causing our high electricity prices. There is no climate crisis and the real goal of CAGW/Net Zero is electrification to enable control through rationing and smart meters.
November 1, 2025
The reason why the subsidy to cover the (unnecessary) cost of More Grid is delayed, with first payouts 12 months in arrears in 2027, is that it will be funded by extra levies on other customers, many of whom are on term fixed price contracts. Retailers objected to the losses they would incur on those sales due to the retrospective increase in levy costs after the contracts were negotiated. The sorry tale is inthe consultation response I linked.
November 1, 2025
Then again if we were paying ‘normal’ prices not Government inspired prices, additional over and above what every other entity pays, levies and taxes. The Government wouldn’t have to steal from the taxpayer to keep the foreign companies you mentioned happy.
Excluding INEOS all the other companies mentioned ‘steel, glass and cement’ are Foreign owned, paying taxes in their home Countries. The money they collect in the UK leaves the UK, therefore leaves the UK economy, therefore depletes the UK economy. In a open and free trading world it could be suggested that is the price we have to pay. But it is not like that, those involved in these industries ‘steel, glass and cement’ are protected in their home markets. Even if the UK was still involved as it used to be in those industries it wouldn’t be afforded the same consideration that those companies receive in the UK in their home countries. World Trade has been weaponised.
November 1, 2025
It isn’t quite as bad as you paint. The foreign owned enterprises generate jobs and taxes that we would not have if they closed. Remittances are from dividends paid, and interest and capital repayments on foreign loans. Obviously even British businesses borrow abroad, and loan issuance is a credit which will be partly spent in the UK, if not for plant that may be imported, then for at least some labour in installation.
November 2, 2025
@Mark – yet the up front cost to give hard earned tax pounds to UK enterprise is the same but cheaper as the money circulates the UK economy. It becomes self feeding, when it leaves the country it is lost. The main point is the Foreign Companies some State owned are protected in their home markets and UK companies are excluded from receiving their home market taxpayer funds. There is no reciprocity it is a one way street for removing UK Wealth.
Joe Biden, remember him. Wanted to splash taxpayer money everywhere to grow the US economy create growth and ear marked billions of dollars for it. This taxpayer money was up for grabs to all enterprises, the only condition was that the organisation was US domiciled and owned. It wasn’t a surprise that even some UK Enterprises jumped ship the hand out as to good to miss. So yes he pumped US Tax dollars into companies, they then spent it and circulated it boosting the economy as a whole. The UK Parliament effectively sends UK taxpayer money direct to foreign governments that keep it and grow their protected economies. The World and the UK Economy is all about the reciprocity.
November 1, 2025
I saw the announcenent, which came from the Business and Trade Department, not DESNZ. It was extremely confusing, not least because it did not explain how the discount was to be funded, beyond saying it would not be levied on taxpayers. It did not follow the terminology which applies to reductions in green charges for ROCs and CFD subsidies to the legally defined Energy Intensive Industries. In any case it is really a re-announcement of this announcement from June
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/powering-britains-future
The consultation result on that can be found here
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/network-charging-compensation-scheme-uplift-for-energy-intensive-industries/outcome/proposed-uplift-to-the-network-charging-compensation-scheme-for-energy-intensive-industries-eiis-government-consultation-response
and reveals that costs will be loaded onto other billpayers including both households and businesses, although they propose to limit price indexation on ROCs and FiTs to CPI rather than RPI used at present, which they count as a partial offset. The combined bill is of the order of £9bn p.a., so a reduction in indexation by 0.7% would reduce the subsidy cost by £63m, which is only a fraction of the cost of this proposal.
If they were serious about cutting costs they would do as Claire Coutinho proposed at the Conservative Party Conference, and abolish ROCs and UKA Carbon taxes to knock 20% off all bills. They would abandon Miliband’s costly CP2030 plan that won’t be achieved anyway and reject the CCC 7th carbon budget for being based on fantasy, while acknowledging the plan published at the behest of the courts is also an unachievable fantasy. They would halt the plans for costly massive grid buildouts and wind and solar, and reset policy with an eye to low cost nuclear and gas (possibly supplemented by modern coal). There is at least some sign of reining in the ONR.
November 2, 2025
Youv’e been nibbling at the wrong orchids ..
How will these subsidies to foreign companies be funded?
Betcha it will be households and small businesses who have neither the time nor resources to chase subsidy and relief applications and processes.
As for energy company profits – how much of energy and fuel costs are in our household and business bills for government taxes and climate duties, subsidies and arrangements, compliance with climate regulations, premiums paid for imported energy etc?
November 2, 2025
For completeness you should have noted there already is a 60% discount, so this is just 30% of network costs, payable 12 months in arrears with tge first payment not until April 2027. Jam tomorrow but never jam today.
November 1, 2025
She initially claimed they didn’t know they needed the licence, which didn’t stand up to scrutiny since she supported the extension of letting rules. As a landlord the onus is on her to comply with the rules and ignorance is no defence, so (I expect someone informed her) she needed a better excuse.
She then produced emails contradicting her initial claim of ignorance, which showed that they HAD been advised of the law and they thought the Managing Agent was obtaining it on their behalf.
Very conveniently for both her and the MA, the individual tasked with obtaining the licence apparently left the organisation and no-one else there picked up the task. But blaming the MA is no defence. The fact is she knew a licence was required; she might have thought it was being obtained; she didn’t check that it had been granted.
If the house had burned down and the occupants died, her Landlord Insurance (I presume she didn’t omit to get that as well) would be invalid. Basically, she qualifies as a rogue landlord. She is clearly incompetent; like Rayner, has a very flexible idea of complying with the law and has broken the Ministerial Code.
She should be sacked.
November 1, 2025
and never checked that she had been charged £900+ for the Licence fee, let alone the MA doing the application work of certificate copies etc.
November 1, 2025
Just before the millennium dot.com crash in 2000, Cisco’s market cap was equal to 3.9% of US GDP. Yesterday NVIDIA’s market capital loan is equal to an unbelievable 16% of the GDP in the US. Now, is that normal or is that a bubble? I tend to look at the bubble side. While history does not always repeat itself, it does sometimes rhyme
Of course, many argue this rally is different. Due to the profitability of companies like NVIDIA, which recently reported a 94% year-over-year revenue surge.
It’s worth pointing out that Cisco back in 2000 was also profitable.
November 1, 2025
The ‘Millennium Bug’ was a scam to extract billions for the computer industry.
AI (self-aware and self-programming computers) have not yet been introduced. They are so dangerous that they may never be. The huge ‘AI’ data centres in the US consume a lot of energy and employ nobody.
It’s not a bubble, it’s another scam.
November 1, 2025
I can understand the husband leaving this to the letting agent but when that person left abruptly, surely you would confirm the arrangements with the new agency contact? Personally, I think I would have noticed the missing £900 in their invoice too, let alone wondered why no paperwork from the Council had arrived. So it is more than unfortunate that they didn’t spot this lack of compliance themselves and thatw it was a newspaper that raised it. Ignorance is no defence under English Law, so he/she (joint ownership?) should be convicted and fined, as others have been. This is more serious than ‘cake on a plate’ but Starmer is roped to her on the mountain. She falls, he will get pulled down too – and he knows it.
November 1, 2025
Imagine if Starmer sacked his chancellor a month before she was due to present her budget to an expectant nation.
It would be a blow too hard, it would topple this government. So Starmer will ensure the facts are concealed, the water muddied and Rachael will carry on as though nothing happened.
By ‘eck this lot are an incompetent bunch of cheating charlatans.
November 1, 2025
Exactly so for Reeves’ necessary dismissal will be for the purpose of showing someone is taking responsibility for bad budgets and economic mismanagement so has to await her November statement.
November 1, 2025
I read, if it is accurate, that the husband has been drafted in at a convenient late stage plus a resigning staff member to try to put blame beyond Rachel where there is indeed a Complaint.
Significant fine ought to be imposed, and Starmer must be hastily boarding another plane to get away from the media.
November 1, 2025
The Black Belt Barrister has a wonderful clip on his video about the Reeves difficulties. Starmer is explaining why Conservative ministers should resign. He says, to paraphrase,that the rules are there and if I break them then there is no question but I would resign.
But this does highlight that a misunderstanding or innocent oversight can result in totally disproportionate fines and refunds to tenants. Reeves could have to pay around £80 in fine plus refund if she had been a normal private small landlord and the agent could be hit too.
The councils are just charging for collating epc, electrical and gas certificates and the tenancy agreements which are required by law and have to be shown to tenants anyway. They are supposed to inspect properties but there are so many that they are taking years. Then if they arrive without notice and find some condensation or blocking g of fire escape routes that is caused by the tenants, the landlord could face prosecution and more fines or imprisonment. It seems to be desti drive out smaller landlords and there are firms now offering to buy at a discount to be taken up by corporates.
November 1, 2025
£80K not £80.
November 1, 2025
Apparently Brazil is very nice at this time of year MT, provided he hasn’t booked an AirBnB in a Favela of course…
November 1, 2025
Reeves need to come out and say “I was deluded on everything but have now seen the light, I now realise mad OTT regulation does more harm than good and increasing taxes from the current over taxed position will not raise any more revenue just kill growth” Plus crying in the HoC is not good for confidence in the UK economy.
I will now cut the size of the state, cut and simplify taxes, ditch net zero and have cheap energy, stop the wars on landlords, employers, motorists, non doms, the rich and hard working, private school users… and have a bonfire of red tape. My doom loop agenda with be change for an engine to drive growth. Just saying we want growth, growth, growth does not work when all Labour policies were anti-growth.
As I have now finally found out at the age of 46 how could I ever have thought otherwise – but better late than never.
November 1, 2025
Another case of people in prominent high-profile positions who side-step the truth, offer only partial truth and expect excuses to be acceptable when the public get fined, castigated, sacked.
November 1, 2025
The difference in the Chancellor’s changed reasons indicate lying about the matter. She should be removed from such important office.
November 1, 2025
She should go just on what she is doing to the farmers. This landlord license issue is just a sideshow.
November 1, 2025
@Bloke – and what will Parliament its 650 MPs do? Those that are not in the executive are paid to hold the executive to account, when they don’t they are condoning and agreeing that corruption is the new norm
November 1, 2025
A large number are hastily checking they have covered their rented out properties with the required safety etc certificates and a Licence in that area.
November 1, 2025
The mentality where regulations are increasingly piled on is the same as on the continent where non-compliance is common and policing of the regulations is patchy.
It is a a recipie for corruption and undermines the law itself…. and socialists often end up strangling themselves in their own red tape!
November 1, 2025
Cutting OTT red tape is a win, win it helps the economy, releases state sector workers and compliance workers to do productive jobs rather than parasitic ones.
November 1, 2025
Politicians in general but left wing politicians in particular have form for do as I say not as I do behaviour.
Left wingers jide behind their desire to do good for all to get away with very poor behaviours.
I do look forward to the inadvertent mistake defence becoming the norm in future.
Similar to left wing campaigners using the free speech defence to get out of disruption and vandalism charges whereas those with more right wing sentiments are accused of inciting violence and hate crime. I feel pretty hated by refugee campaigners and just stop oil for just getting on with my life
November 1, 2025
What other sort of mistake is there?
A deliberate mistake?
November 1, 2025
I imagine all of us on here can detect the difference between a mistake and incompetence?
And again is an intention to avoid licence costs a mistake, incompetence or fraud?
November 3, 2025
Well it might only be a mistake given hindsight. We mad the mistake of taking the M4 rather than the A and B roads and then got stuck in a 3 hour traffic jam after a huge pile up!
November 1, 2025
What this episode in hypocrisy most brought home to me was the over-regulation we have got ourselves into. Some local authorities erect a whole new bureaucracy to licence some houses in some areas with certain tenancies – a recipe for confusion, and to what end? By all means provide legal rules for letting, but then allow the free market and a landlord/tenant relationship to enforce those rules.
November 1, 2025
One excuse is that it would worry the markets to get rid of her now just before the budget. But that is just an excuse.
It’s illuminating to see how careless such a minister can be about the finer points of legality that she should have known well. That leads one to suspect that her actions as chancellor will likewise be sloppy with a poor result.
Oh hang on – yes, she’s already shown that in her last budget with more sloppiness to come shortly – She is far from being a professional as far as being a chancellor is concerned.
November 1, 2025
Sir John
Parliament is becoming more and more riddled with hypocrites. When ‘One’ gets away with things and then another, it keeps growing to such an extent that those that sit in the HoC start to really believe they are above the Law. As the UK’s only legitimate Legislators they create, then get to amend and repeal all our Laws.
Boris Johnson started this trend by pretending that the Laws he set on the Country didn’t apply to him. Then we get phrases of its was an over-site, etc. Now the new shower are taking things a step further and is tainting the credibility not just of themselves, their Party but the whole of Parliament, the Establishment. This is creating a valid feeling that ‘all’ of the UK’s Establishment is just Corrupt, 3rd World Despot Corrupt.
This is a reflection just on those we know about, but every single member of the UK’s Legislator, its 650 MPs & the 700 odd Lords. They can no longer say ‘not me guv’, they all ‘own’ this corruption they are first and foremost paid and empowered to be there to keep the systems in check, their refusal and it is a refusal puts every single one of them equal to those that have strayed.
Our Legislators need reminded you cant be ‘a little bit pregnant’
November 1, 2025
Johnson introduced ‘covid guidelines’ – not laws. More fool you if you abide by guidelines.
November 2, 2025
@Lynn Atkinson – and the fines for non-compliance?
November 2, 2025
Covid and non-compliance? the Police haranguing the 2 female friends who drove separately to a park to walk apart with a coffee?
November 2, 2025
Not true. They created a Statutory Instrument to impose restrictions; that is a law, but one conveniently not approved by Parliament. The original SI was badly drafted and every time the idiots changed “the Rules” they simply compounded the errors, so those who were issued fines but chose to challenge it in Court generally won their case.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/contents
They deliberately confused the public (and Plod) by issuing Regulations and giving very confusing guidance. When it comes to “guidance” it could effectively be enforced by Plod because if you ignore an instruction given by a Police Officer they’ll charge you with “ignoring an instruction from an Officer of the Law who is carrying out his duty.”
November 1, 2025
As I have stated on these pages and elsewhere – “Show me a Socialist and I will show you a hypocrite. “
November 1, 2025
In the Financial world you had to be squeaky clean, honest and your training combined Attention to Detail knowing the rules with seeing the bigger picture and the main Objective.
Day 1 lesson “If in doubt, Check it out” and never assume as it makes an Ass of U and me!
Rachel has fallen at the first hurdle and her embellished CV is faked and continuous smiling won’t cut it. You would think after getting free designer clothes and many other freebies she could afford to pay the £1000 licence fee upfront on her massive Salary too.
So sad for us all to have to stomach this hypocrisy and totally unprofessional.
Not a role model for the first woman Chancellor, a dud who has proved totally unfit to be anywhere near financial matters, least of all the most important top job! Appalling.
November 1, 2025
Even crying won’t cut it.
November 1, 2025
I’m not so sure, i thought it was such great acting she ought to be invited to play a part in one of the soaps when Starmer throws her to the hungry wolves.
November 2, 2025
Well said.
I do not know the extent of the alleged “embellishment”, but §2 of the Fraud Act 2006 – q.v. – “Fraud by false representation” seems to me to offer very little wriggle room, if any.
The Act provides for sentence of 10 years after conviction on indictment!
November 1, 2025
So “Farage is still sticking to his discredited claim that our high electricity costs are caused by net zero and non-existent “subsidies” for our huge renewables sector.”
Wind farm subsidies for 2024 under the government “contracts for difference” was 1.9 BILLION in 2024. So, NOT non-existent … in fact huge.
November 1, 2025
The bill for FiTs will be around another £2bn, and for ROCs around £7.7bn for the current financial year. Those are just the direct subsidies, but there are many others including exemption from many network costs and balancing costs, and the benefit to ROC generators from carbon taxes, and selling REGO greenwash certificates.
November 1, 2025
I just wonder if every MP owns (just one vehicle in family) EV, has installed a heat-pump, stopped flying by plane and restrict there movement to 15 minutes of their address
November 1, 2025
Sir John
Many intertwined subjects this morning.
Logic you can’t expand the availability of homes by constraining every sector of it with ‘jobs worth’ red tape. No one even on a temporary basis is effectively going to hand over the ownership of something they own and then pay for the privilege. That is perverted thinking.
Just popped into my head, it’s like handing over the Chagos Islands the paying for the privilege.
You can’t grow the wealth of the Country by removing money from the economy. It hasn’t dawned on Parliament yet, that their perverse idea of removing money from the economy is just that the removal. The same way it hasn’t dawned on them that by increasing costs in the economy, means prices have to rise, and employment stalls. It is Parliament that has removed the Nations wealth and the ability to create it.
Fun fact! With NI and the new minimum wage, it costs the smallest economy creating entity £30,000 pa to take on a basic unskilled, inexperienced worker. Then factor in the protection being pushed through for workers from day one. Parliament has killed employment.
Trying o address ‘one off’ situation with what was once called ‘knee jerk’ actions is destruction not protection. What our Parliament sees as working in the Socialist Metro section of West London, just kills off the rest of the Country
November 1, 2025
The Unions should take note, they are funding those that are seeking destroy their members jobs and future.
November 1, 2025
Reeves is a proven liar, blaming today’s problems, caused by her, on Brexit. Then lies again, saying she did not know a license was required, before emails prove that she did know. Lies on her CV as well. It hardly gives you any confidence or belief that Reeves knows what she is doing in running the UK economy!
However, based on the past 16 months, we now know that Reeves has no clue, and the budget at the end of this month will be a disaster. Starmer needs to learn that if you accept mediocrity, that is what you get. But then I am forgetting that the mediocrity starts with him!
November 1, 2025
Reeves was it seems badly let down by her letting agent (and perhaps her spouse too) but her failure to manage such relationship and the transaction looks like negligence of a high order. That it saw her then in breach of the law suggests that confining her actions now to apologizing to the prime minister is not enough.
Much depends perhaps on Southwark Council’s response. Its published enforcement policy sets out a ladder of responses that indicates rather than a civil financial penalty (fine) or prosecution (either making Reeves’s resignation necessary I would think) it is very likely to act in conformity with its approach when faced with 1) Prompt compliance and informal resolution – When a landlord cooperates quickly—for example by submitting a valid licence application and paying the fee within a short timescale—Southwark can keep matters informal. The council may still recover additional officer time through an enhanced application fee if it had to identify the breach itself.
November 1, 2025
Hi sir john
People with lots of money have ways and means of fiddling the tax they pay
They know all the tricks they have their accountants to cover up the tricks
I’m sure you know what I am talking about john
November 1, 2025
We must be a filthy rich country if we can give away £52 million to a foreign folly
‘British taxpayers are funding a £52 million road through the Guyana Amazon’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/31/guyana-52-million-pound-climate-road-to-nowhere-british-taxpayers-funding/
November 1, 2025
George would you like to put a figure on what you think is “lots of money”
Would you also put a figure on the wealthy.
So far the Government have failed and are taxing the State pension.
Do you think anyone with a combined life time wealth that includes a, house, pension fund, savings, and car, a total of over £325,000, should pay 40% inheritance tax when they die.
That is the present tax allowance scale for a single person, with no Children !
November 1, 2025
Living in a council house and receiving benefits makes you wealthy. Work out the capital investment needed to produce the income to fund all of that post tax.
November 2, 2025
Don’t forget they do pay rent.
November 2, 2025
If they are on benefits we pay their rent.
November 3, 2025
@George – Please provide a list of all the tips and tricks.
Asking for a friend.
November 1, 2025
Why not have the budget on Monday, thereby avoiding another three weeks of anxiety and suppression of economic activity? Moreover, the Chancellor will still be in post to deliver it. By all means sack her after the budget …
November 1, 2025
The cost of these letting licences is yet another burden on renters, who will pay through their rent. It is clear that many councils, including Southwark that apparently covers the Chancellor’s Dulwich home, use it as a cash cow. It’s also evident that a few councils charge a much more cost based fee, and only apply it to HMOs. Aside from the possibility of securing a year rent free if the landlord transgresses, the real benefit for tenants is questionable. It probably needs urgent review and a mapping of cost.
There are much better ways of ensuring that a property is of acceptable standard. Soon a big part of the problem will be that landlords will not be able to secure EPC C at economic cost, and large swathes of property will be withdrawn from the market, leaving many homeless. More regulation that needs a dose of common sense.
November 1, 2025
Mapping of cost = capping of cost.
Autocorrect is insidious.
November 1, 2025
The PM’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus has decided in favour of the Chancellor, even though her failure is prima facie criminal and other landlords have been heavily penalised in very similar circumstances.
Governmental and Parliamentary ethics are now policed in a rules-based system, not one based on honour as in the past. Perhaps MPs are not expected to be honourable these days. The task of deciding whether the rules have been broken is delegated to an individual, in Sir Laurie’s case one without legal training, whose deliberations may be opaque and decisions unaccountable.
It cannot be good for democracy to hand judgement on democratically elected MPs to a mere civil servant; the possibility of abuse for political ends is obvious. Sir Laurie may be above suspicion personally but the process he operates is rotten. Justice not seen to be done is not justice at all, and public life is the loser.
November 1, 2025
Who checks the ethics of the ethics advisor?
November 1, 2025
If you need a ethics advisor, ….well you have no ethics
November 2, 2025
Parliament needs a long-term, cross-party plan about how to bring down debt and once debt down how to invest to help UK become even stronger in high tech.
November 2, 2025
Pure hypocrisy like all politician’s.
Well almost all John