oilslick wrote:They really are burning their bridges.
Get used to it, they'll tax you on everything and they'll sell everything to someone to charge you to use what you paid for in the first place.
Quality of life in the UK is only going one way as far as I can tell.
Oilslick, your comment reminds me of this article (Aug 09).
NM Rothschild pitches motorway privatisation plan
A radical plan to raise £100 billion by privatising the motorway network has been presented to the three main political parties by NM Rothschild, the influential investment bank.
Rothschild, an architect of several privatisations, made its pitch in the weeks running up to the summer recess on July 21, Whitehall sources said. Bankers told leading politicians that the sale of the roads overseen by the Highways Agency — all motorways and most big trunk roads — could help revive battered public finances. Toll-road companies and infrastructure funds would compete to operate and maintain stretches of the network . . . .
. . . . The Rothschild plan has already won the support of Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader and Treasury spokesman.
“This is an attractive, positive idea which could release considerable resources to the public finances and may have real environmental merits,” Cable said. “The scale of it is vast — it makes rail privatisation look like small beer.”
A classic case of bankers picking up indestructible assets (land etc) at knock-down prices in a recession. Ties in nicely with stuff I've read about the history of Rotschild, and the recent rant about Goldman Sachs for that matter.
Bankers told leading politicians that the sale of the roads overseen by the Highways Agency — all motorways and most big trunk roads — could help revive battered public finances. Toll-road companies and infrastructure funds would compete to operate and maintain stretches of the network
Actually, I find this news the clearest indication we are well and truly up the creek. It is the like the last desperate carboot sale to raise the next repayment before the bailiffs arrive.
foodinistar wrote:It is the like the last desperate carboot sale to raise the next repayment before the bailiffs arrive.
Yes. The Tories sold off the family silver last time they were in power.
They didn't really have a choice though, what with having to ask for an IMF loan. Would've been nice if they'd actually told the truth about exactly why they had to rather than the BS of "modernising Britain", but that's politicians for you.
Shouldn't assets be sold off when they're on a high?
We sold the peak output of North Sea oil when the price was at an all time low - and we pre-announced the sale of 400 tons of gold bullion in a series of high profile public auctions at just $275 an ounce. Now we're selling long held assets, during a global slump, when the world knows the UK is desperate for money.
Would you really trust a bunch of [insert your favourite expletive here] who can't even sort out their own expenses, to get a good deal when selling the family silver
foodinistar wrote:It is the like the last desperate carboot sale to raise the next repayment before the bailiffs arrive.
Yes. The Tories sold off the family silver last time they were in power.
They didn't really have a choice though, what with having to ask for an IMF loan. Would've been nice if they'd actually told the truth about exactly why they had to rather than the BS of "modernising Britain", but that's politicians for you.
I didn't know about this. I assumed privatisation was just a fundamental part of Tory ideology. Any references? I'd be interested to learn more.
"We're just waiting, looking skyward as the days go down / Someone promised there'd be answers if we stayed around."
