Meh, he's a mediocre manager who will no doubt find a new club fairly soon (Villa anyone?). He'll be part of the rotating group of crappy managers that does the rounds in Britain and who stop new blood coming through the ranks.

To offer 2-5 on O'Neil becoming the new manager either shows that Sky have massive inside info (which I doubt or the Betfair price would be closer to this) or that they have just opened up a fictitious market. (Or are massively taking the piss, which is also an option)

43.

No point trying to charm the lady by deliberately guessing well below her actual age.

Time for a Guess that Age competition?

[I'd have 'em all shot. Loudly.]

We were filming in High Wycombe High Street on Sunday. I don't do High Streets, ever, & it was interesting to note a new (to me) phenomonom.

Flash gits in sexed-up cars - spoilers, tinted windows, big exhausts, the usual kiddy-stuff - drove up & down the High Street, windows wide open, with their Radios on full-blast, with the Bass set at maximum.

Which everyone for 300 yards around had to listen to.

What is it with these guys? They think they look clever, cool, it's good to invade everyone's sound privacy with their frigging music?

I'd have 'em all shot. Loudly.

he he.

WPWP

omg!

The desperation of a terrible strike hits

I hadnt heard the Jeremy Clarkson kerfuffle, but having heard what UNISON have just said - i lol'd hard

#worldgonemad

He advocated shooting everyone that went on strike. 

[ ] he meant it
[ ] people who complained should be taken seriously

• people who complained should be taken out and shot [ ] literally

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100120977/jeremy-clarksons-critics-should-be-taken-out-and-shot/

@ the BBC apologising. Could not agree more with James Delingpole here (Other than his last paragraph)

I'm thinking of switching to Liverpool, it's only a quirk of fate that I'm an Arsenal fan. If Charlie George hadn't got the winner in '71 I woulda been so scouse it would hurt.

Anyway, any welcome messages that could tip me towards youse would be appreciated.

If you want to switch allegiances, maybe try Citeh.  They're going to be winning a lot over the next few years.

Nah, he's an Arsenal supporter..not a Chelsea hanger-on.

Taxing you more will motivate you to be more succesful to earn more money to cover the amount you're losing, win win?

Taxing poor people more and rich people less seems like a good motivator for everyone to want to be successful.

People trust poker operators more than facebook? 

Was thinking this myself. A decently regulated, in the UK, Facebook Poker network or some shoddily regulated pokersite. I know where I'd rather stick my money.

It does show though that only the rich can be taxed more to effectively get more money in.

That was a point of mine earlier, increasing tax might not increase revenues and vice versa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve)

Or, to quote JFK:
"It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now ... Cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus."

Now I can't be sure that applies now but it seems, politically, discussion about whether or not we could increase revenues by cutting taxes is unpalatable.

Obv you're right, it is about finding the ideal taxation point...but does anyone really know what it is?

Happy birthday indeed!

Lol at Hopkin being rich.

Do you not realise how much he spends following Boldie's tips?

The shrewd among us just lay those tips and coin it

lolz, harsh but fair.

[less]

My question would be where do you draw the line then? You could tax me an extra 5% or maybe they were going to make it 48% previously but then they have already added an extra 2%

Would someone earning £250 a week really notice £2.50 less a week?

We can't tax the crap out of you obviously. You are in the position to just naff off to another country and take your business with you. But a tiny squeeze here and there, as long as it doesn't affect your business (and this is the main thing..less Tax for business more for individuals means you can pay yourself more moneeeeeeeeeeeeeys), will have a decent impact and will allow the govt to squeeze spending harder.

TBH, the main problem I have with tax increases is that they are ussually hailed as temporary...and they never reverse them which is massively dissapointing.

Not sure you're right there boldie (about the middle's 1% being more than the top's 2%), apparently the top 1% of earners pay 25% of income tax:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/tax/8321369/Top-1-of-workers-pay-quarter-of-all-income-tax.html

Yeah you're right, sorry. Shows you how long it's been since I studied anything to do with economics.

 This is where that figure comes from;


http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn09.pdf

Of a UK adult population of around 51 million, it is estimated that there
will be 29.9 million taxpayers in 2011–12. Around 3.7 million of these will
pay tax at the higher rate, providing 34.3% of total income tax revenue,
and 308,000 taxpayers will pay tax at the additional rate, providing 28.1%
of total income tax revenue.

That also states;

Although less than 14% of income taxpayers face higher rates of income
tax, that group pays a very large share of the total amount of income tax
that is paid. Table 15 shows that the top 10% of income taxpayers now pay
over half of all the income tax paid, and the top 1% (most of whom face the
additional 50% marginal tax rate) pay 28% of all that is paid. These shares
have risen substantially since 1978–79, despite reductions in the higher
rates.


Screw that then, if people in my bracket already contribute to 50% + of the income tax intake that's enough.

It does show though that only the rich can be taxed more to effectively get more money in.
For the rest it's easier to just cut spending.

PSV to beat Warsaw tonight @ 11-8 is pretty tasty. We should be able to counter attack all night long and we're rather decent at that.

Fielding a strong side with only a couple of first team players out due to injury.

Yippee, top result for us.

i am not a pie in the sky 'tax the rich' lefty btw, although i do think they should be taxed more!

Please expand on why you think this.

I wonder how many people who think the 'rich' should be taxed more - know how much they're being taxed at the moment?

I strongly suspect that their view is pretty much - however much they're paying now, they should be paying more.

Yeah just kind of makes me sick to hear that someone thinks that in return for creating 70 jobs I should be taxed even more than I am now.

Noone thinks that you should be taxed more because you create 70 extra jobs...we just think you should be taxed more because we like to shaft you and cus we're jealous as you live the drrrrrrrrrrrrreaaaaaaaaaam


Seriously though, I do agree that those better off need to pay a bit more.

MrsB and myself are fairly comfortable, I wouldn't have an issue paying 1% more in tax TBH. It wouldn't make a difference to the way we spend our money (I might buy a doughnut less when we go to NY in May but noone will go bust).
Those better off than MrsB and myself (and there are a few obv as we're very middleclass) should be taxed more than we are. Nothing massive, I don't think you should have to give up one of your 5 holidays a year () but if you are paying loads of tax you probably have a pretty poor financial advisor (or you've taken a decision to not exploit every angle the govt offers you).

It's about a fair system for all; I think you should be rewarded for doing well, so you should have 5 holidays a year and go out to dinner 4 times a week. Happy days, I hope to be able to do the same one of these days and it is obv stimulating the economy. I think that's massively important.

BUT; Taxing you an extra 2% might help the govt sell taxing me an extra 1% and, let's be honest, the 1% people like myself would be paying more is the stuff that would make a difference.
Your 2% doesn't make much difference as the "well off" or "rich" (What a terrible phrase BTW) nr much fewer than the middle classes but you have to sell a tax increase to the middle classes to get the money in you actually need.


edit; Just read that back...Not having a pop at you or the life you have ATM Bopkin, hope it doesn't come across as such.