DON'T PUT 4p on BEER put a fiver on a bottle of champagne..
So here we are in the middle of a credit crisis and what are we doing as a country ?
Borrowing a miilion pounds an hour to balance our budget.
Even as a country we can't keep our credit card in our pocket.
The working man/woman deserves a beer. They deserve two, three, as many as they like. Don't tax them in an effort to curb binge drinking. Ban alcopops and all shots, raise the legal drinking age to 21, accept that alcohol is an addictive drug yet it's legal ! What's going on there.
Tax the rich, I am one, I have always paid all my taxes, I will never forget the tax cheque I wrote out to the inland revenue H.M. Customs and Excise for 12 and a half million quid - I think it's only right. Redistribute the wealth. Fine by me, go ahead, fill your boots.
And House of Commons bar - discounted, honestly, subsidised, what the f*&£.
We have to wealthy people to stop dodging and start paying. We have to pay nurses, firemen and policemen more. We have to figure out how much land there is in Great Britain divide it by the number of people here and give everyone their own bit. Even if we did that with half the land available everyone would be sorted. Most of the historically owned land was won through bloodshed illegality anyway.
Nonsense absolute nonsense.
Let everyone build a home on their own little green patch of God's earth.
Seriously it's not rocket science is it ?
CLP.
2008.
P.S. I am not anti labour. I'm anti ignoring the bleeding obvious.
X.
Comments
hear blxxdy hear,at least you have the decency to admit you are rich and don't mind paying your dues ,which is not very often the case with those who are more well off.
if you ever get bored with radio maybe politics !
hey Christof.
Start a new political party. I could be your ....... Screaming the Bleeding Obvious Spokesperson.
Or, Start The Weekend Earlier Spokesperson,
or, Start a Decimal Calendar Spokesperson... where we have a ten day week - 5 days work, 5 days weekend. !yeahhhhh. How good would that be. 50 Days a Month. 10 Months a year.
We would have two summers.... How Cool???
DWNB
If it's that obvious, why has nobody with the authority to do it already done it? Perhaps because the people with the authority to do it aren't thinking of the universal greater good. If they were, how on earth did they come up with a benefits system which traps the impoverished? Who exactly does that benefit and why is it so easy to abuse?
CLP - I love you!!!! A bloody marvel...
Jen Ewan
xx
PS Isn't the ides of any month the 15th not the 12th?
j-e x
Agree Agree Agree I am not exactly skint but everything old fish mouth has done has been wrong wrong wrong - for everyone. Who told him he could flog our gold reserves.
Jobs for the kids!! of please! - my brother took on an apprentice - paid well over the odds and all the extras at college then the little rat turned round and told him he "couldn't hack it"!!
Me - I have just received a business tax demand for over £200 for working in MY summer house at the bottom of MY garden! Greatly reduced I may add as I am a "small business". I used to sit in traffic for an hour getting to office, (same job) now I walk!
I pay more road tax for my little 1600cc car 'cos its petrol and auto than the other half who has a 2500cc car (but is LPG!) Most family cars are 1300 or 1600!
I could go on and on and on and on!!!
Must run - musn't stand still - may tax my feet for touching the ground!
Little bit of politics there...
It's a sign of our times (or more to the point, an indication of the direction of the Labour party has gone in) that you can level a criticism at a Labour government that they're not taxing the rich and not helping the poor enough.
Even David Cameron said as much after Mr Darling's speech.
Tuh! What IS the world coming to?
Not sure I'd go as far as giving everyone their own bit of land though - you'd only find that people started selling theirs and we'd eventually end up in the same situation as we've got now.
Happy days
PeeBee
now...why isn't there one party out there that actually talks common sense !!!
no wonder the number of people voting keeps going down
if you asked the average man in the street he would give you 100 ideas to improve britain...but does any of the parties take them on board.....do they heck as like !!!!!!
Awlight,
Bingo Star ere.
Christoof Man - Very well said, I don't know why all these politicians are such indecisive imbersiles, (is that 'ow yer spell imbersile?).
Tory/ Labour all the damn same ter me!!!!
If the land is gonna be divided equally & all are gonna ave abit, can I ave some land close BC 'ouse, or your abode just so I can boast I live near ter a top celeb??
There's no 'ope for us though.... we've goot Joe90 as chanceller!!!!!!
PS - LFC played well last nite, great match..... goooooaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!! - if they play like that for the rest of the Euro Champ they will be Champions again!!!!!!
Chow!
If only every politician spoke the same way Chris - from the heart and not with an eye on making sure he gets in again next time. You're right, too many policies are short term with no real long term strategy to make Britain better, hence no national pride and the live for today attitude of the binge drinkers!
How can it be that professional gamblers (stock brokers) can earn £1M bonuses on essentially the toss of a coin - some even win when they lose - yet brave souls such as soldiers, firmen, police and lifeboat folk get just over minimum wage and in some places we rely on vounteers!
What is wrong with the world, i need a beer!!
Early ARF request - Mardy Bum by the Arctic Monkeys, dedicated to Britains WORST PM ever - Gordon Brown!
Cheers
Don't mention champagne Chris, I have a bottle in the fridge calling me....Lent is nearly over and I can't wait to hear that cork pop. When does Lent actually end, does anyone know? (Please say tomorrow night!) How's your sort of abstaining from alcohol going Chris?
I kind of agree with you about the budget but I do think some of today's working class still make sure they have satellite TV, the latest trainers etc, but they don't work for it unlike their grandparents and parents. I never thought I would turn into such a Tory but...do you think it's because I am nearly 40?!
Em xx
PS I am not a Mail reader!!
Em xx
Great blog today Chris, couldn't agree more.
By the way, I bought "Dogs today" and there you, the Mrs and the dogs are ! Poor old Enzo and his exploded discs. Is it a GSD trait, as I notice that page 113 also had a comment about a GSD with the same problem?
I bet Beth is heavy, I hope Mrs E didn't have to hold him for too long.
Usually miss the show between 5.30 and 6 as I'm walking the dog, but have bought a new phone that has a radio, so hopefully will catch it from now on.
Love the show
Lotty
Respect Chris - cant you get yourself infront of that turd Gordon Brown - I cannot believe that someone with no charisma and drive is running our country.
Yeh, so much for the bleeding obvious! As long as they get their freebies and they themselves are ok, they dont give a shit!
Please get yourself on Question Time, you could make a difference
Liz x
Hi CLP I agree with you alcopops and shots should have a lot more tax on them to make them expensive and then younger people won't drink as much cos they can't afford it.
I also think that if you are on benefits as unemployed and you aren't caring for children under the age of 5 then you should be doing community work or forced to work to help the agricultural busineesses as they are having to employ foreign workers who will work for 7.50 ph whereas the locals don't want to do such hard work and would rather just get unemployment benefit instead. I think all children when they leave secondary school should do a gap year where they do something like operation raleigh and go to other countries or other communities in our country and learn respect and how other people live.
Rant over
Phoenix out
Clp for PM!
Looks like my earlier comments didn't pass the blog censor!!! Don't suppose many will!
Chris, Just to save you a bit of effort for the redistribution of your wealth. If I give you my address could you just stick my share of the 12 mill in used fivers in a brown envelope and send it on.
Actually put all the money for the firemen and nurses in there too and I'll make sure they get it!
Luv & kisses
If only life was that simple Chris. You can divide all the money in the world between all the people in the world and eventually it would end up exactly where it started. Some of that money would move because of illegality and corruption and some through honest endeavour, but it would still happen.
Also, if you give something to someone it loses it's true value. Not the value as displayed on the price ticket but the true value of having had to work for something. It's a fact that working for something increases it's value to you. You can give all you want to criminals and layabouts but they will still steal and want more, it will never be enough for them.
Further, the whole of world economics is based on people working and earning. If you give away land will you give them a house on that land? If not the land is valueless to them. So they will need a house to live in. Some will be able to afford to pay to have one built and many wont. If you take away incentive to work you would cripple the economy.
With regard to the tax increases it is clear that the current government is a tax and spend one. It has raised many tens of billions extra in taxes, including pensions and windfall taxes but it has stilled borrowed an additional £39 billion to cover expenditure and it is us that will have to pay that bill, a mortgage we can ill-afford.
Based on the figures I got from the interwebnet the comparison between £5 on a bottle of champagne and 4pence on beer in duty raised is as follows, Champagne £180M Beer £5,320M. Seems we drink a tad more beer than champers.
It would be nice to see a bit more reflection before the government started spending our money and was a bit more truthful about where and how it was spent and with other statistics. For example, with regard to crime, all the quoted stats say crime is reducing but we all know many people who are the victims of unreported crime. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to show that the police are now a business rather than a public service.
Chris you speak such sense!! Why should I be penalised for enjoying a glass of wine after a hard days work, and my partner enjoys a little tot of the hard stuff. We are not binge drinkers, we have a drink at home. You are quite right, alcopops and shots should be banned, kids are encouraged to buy them. Lets encourage them to appreciate wine (like they do in France).
PS love the show.
Not sure I agree with the alcohol comments, being a 19 year old uni student myself. Everyone deserves to go a bit crazy when they're young, and although I'm not one of them, I do see why people do it. Drinks in clubs are expensive enough already, and people still drink them, so raising prices won't do anything. And raising the legal age means nothing, trust me. I know many 14 year old binge drinkers. What needs to change is society's view on drinking- laws won't do anything.
VaughnJess from Down Under
I, of course, agree with CLP
Bingo you are showing your age - Joe90 indeed!!
Have a great day everyone x x x
here, here, chris im voting evans in the next election.98% of the money is controlled by2% of the population.
Watched as much as I could stand of the budget broadcast last night. Did anyone else see the strings?
Who the heck voted the zombies back in?
Three cheers, Chris! I have just read your blog out loud to the office nd everyone agrees with you. Well said!
JDB X
Stating the bleeding obvious goes beyond that....why build new housing in the South East - build them in parts of the country where we have more land and move the people and the jobs. In this day and age there is no reason why the majority of people should live in and work in one city.
Still whilst that view persists I am happy in my bit of the North's green and pleasant land!
Nev
Feeling a Wolfie Smith moment coming on...(and I'm NOT showing my age here - I remember the re-runs!) Anyone fancy starting a CLP Popular Front?
jen ewan - blimey, if the ides don't start until Saturday, we better really batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst!
Who feels like a drink?
Rosie x
RosieRoo
Chris 'woolfie' Evans for PM..... up the bloggers...
ooo good idea..mines an ice cold half a Guiness
or a glass o red...
X R
Em M - sorry but Lent ends on Easter Sunday (I think it's 40 days and 40 nights after Shrove Tuesday so starts on Ash Wednesday). Just think of the good you're doing your liver - and how good that champers will taste on Easter Sunday - with or without the choccie eggs.
Rozzer
I whole heartedly agree with Chris, they always hit the soft target, the working person. Raising the price of a pint will not stop alcohol abuse, it may push people into drugs for their kicks!.
After all they are not regulated and I imagine easily obtainable.
I have two kids at uni not earning yet they have to pay to go to the dentist and prescriptions. Oh please do not start me on that one!!!!!
Could u not run the country part time in tandem with the show, sure Jonnie and the girls will muck in!!
Great comments Chris but the whole situation is so complicated. Our legal system is so archaic that implementing a policy takes an age, ‘banning alcopops’ how many politicians would vote against it who were mates with the owners of those companies. With probably getting a back hander! We want lower tax but the Government could not put more police on the street. We want are politicians to have common sense but we have such a low representative of working class politicians (Yes I’m saying the working class have better common sense than the middle class). The middle classes become politicians because they can afford to, how many working class fathers could quit there job, run a campaign, not get elected and pay there mortgage. This is why when politicians are elected they live in a bubble and most have no real concept of the plight of the people who can’t afford to even put there heating on!
£50 extra allowance for the elderly on heating when the average gas bill has gone up 12%, joke! Yet I can’t help but thinking, how are politicians supposed to balance the books when the average person can’t stop getting themselves into more debt. I’m 26 and at university (paying for it myself from being a full time baggage handler) but when I go shopping in the local supermarket there are people who don’t look like they can afford food let alone the lottery tickets and cigarettes they are buying. I also don’t want the to be taxed at 50%+ if I go on to earn a good amount of money that I’ve worked hard for.
Everyone needs to take more responsibility for their own actions. Take away anyone’s benefit if they haven’t worked in 6 months. Take away giving flats and money to new mothers under 21, make them or their parents support them. Add the tax on cigarettes to £10 a packet, cider £1 and stop blaming the youths for anything and everything. What do people expect the disintegration of the family when marriage tax is taken away and the average family is a single mum with no male influence.
Nicely put Chris. Its strange that so much seems straight forward and obvious but for some reason the polically elite seems to be within a different realm of reality.
Either they have lost touch with straight forward logic and wisdom or they have a different agenda and are so used to spinning they have completely forgot the ability to be straight forward and up front let alone truthfull.
rich - I agree with the majority of you post but I would like to point out that you cannot tar all single mothers with the same sterio-typical brush.
I became a single mother through no fault of my own (husband ran off with someone else). i have never taken from the state I work hard as a Cancer Specialist Nurse, I have arranged my hours to ensure I take my children to school and collect them so they don't run wild on the streets, I pay my taxes, pay my own bills and have gained a degree by studying in the evening while my girls are in bed. I am convinced I contribute more to society than I take and I am bringing my girls up to be strong independant women who I hope will also contribute and benefit society in the future. And all without a male role model............... we are a perfect little family!
C
Chris, your grasp of politics is as feeble as your grasp of history. That's why you're a gob-on-a-stick and better people run the country. Put a sock in it.
Well put! I'm just about sick of ALL politicians and Europe. The ridiculous just gets more ridiculous by the day, hour..... I call for a day of MASS demonstration - just to remind the 'Powers that be' that the united people (with varying view points, I should add) have the ultimate power - so please don't take the Michael.
Well said Christof,
My husband and I have recently retired, and no we are not old gits, we are young in mind and body, enjoy a drink like the next person, so what does Dahling do??? increase the tax on beer and wine, but to sweeten the blow for us wrinklies increased the fuel 'present' by £50.00/year. Big deal!
We both run cars and pay accordidngly. Big deal!
Thanks but no thanks, because we are old doesn't mean we should be forgotten to just rot in our lovely warm houses. Because of tax changes last year I am now receiving less than and now have to pay more on one of lifes little luxuries which we have worked very hard for.
This Government is crap, need I say more.
CHRISTOF FOR PRIME MINISTER
Chris
A man after my own heart.
I am retired, income of less that £10K a year but I still have to pay tax.
WHY?
I like your idea regarding the redistribution of land in the UK. It is never mentioned. You will hear from all our do gooders about land redistribution in the thirld world but the UK. I believe that more that 90% of the land in the UK is owned by less than 10% of the people,
THIS IS A DISGRACE.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Keep up the good work Chris.
taxing any drinks will not solve the problem. if you look at binge drinkers and youngsters drinking - they drink the "cheapest" drinks, not the drinks that are too cheap. in other words they will simply buy whatever is cheapest in front of them. so if every drink went up equally by £10, then they'd still buy the cheapest drinks. its not a question of pricing them out of it at all.
as for binge drinking then its a bigger problem than the price, and until you hit on that you won;t change anything. people will simply move onto what they can afford. its our culture and we have to change it in other ways.
don't politicains learn anything from expereince? look at drugs for instance. they have been illegal and around for decades, yet nothing we do stops them. just legalise the lot and let the druggie kill themselves. we could even then charge tax on them and give us drivers some tax relief.
and as to why politicians never say anything that is common sense - well they're so hung up about trying to please everyone (or at least look like it), that they end up pleasing no one.
please everyone - at the next election just write "NONE OF THEM" on your ballot paper. lets see if they listen then!!!
Dear Chris,
TOTALLY agree ... and more. I believe there are 4 basic principles all political leaders should follow, whether left, right or (where they nearly all are now) in the middle and they are ...
1. PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE SAFE. Let's make sure the Police and judiciary are equipped with the numbers and the backing of the law to clamp down on those in society that are driving our neighbourhoods to no-go zones. Enough of this PC-pampering to criminals.
2. PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO WARMTH AND LIGHT. So why are there so many people who live on the streets, families who sit in cold, damp and squallied conditions?
3. PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO GROW. This does not mean everyone has to go through higher education, as some people are talented without exams just as there are those who are talented with. Innovation and expression for everyone ... for life.
4. PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO GOOD HEALTH. I want to know just how can we allow people to feel they have to take their own teeth out because they cannot find a dentist who can (or will) take them on as NHS patients, or struggle to get good quality medical care they can't really afford in a postcode area that isn't the right one?
Sadly I didn't write a cheque for millions to the taxman (unlike yourself) but I'm still lucky enough to know how fortunate I am and how unfortunate others are.
My efforts are primarily to give away a % of my company profits to good causes and worthy individuals, and I know governing a country is complicated but subsidised bars, corruption and scandal with certain individuals doesn't inspire me as a citizen.
Chris, great article was just wondering why the lickfold was closed today? beautiful pub really love the atnosphere. we went to the mulberry instead lovely building but the food was not up too much. is the lickfold closed for good?
"Ban alcopops and shots"
I've been saying the same for ages, nice one fella.
Alcohol, tobacco/cigarettes, driving & cars, all taxable! If we stopped using them, the government (whichever party is in power) will just raise the taxes on other things (income tax, N.I. contributions would rocket). We're already seeing the price of bread and butter going up and up! Think how much worse it would be, even if 5% of each of the drivers, smokers & drinkers all quit!
We're in a lose lose society sadly!
"Two certainties in life, Death & Taxes" & they're both going to come from somewhere!
I couldn't agree more......
Why doesn't Brown and gang of stooges just admit they want to take more and more of our money, and stop using health or the environment as an excuse.
They want to stop people binge drinking, well they want address how they've managed to make people so miserable with their policies over the years, that the only light relief some people can get is to have a few too many on the weekend.
What's this, common sense...?
That can't be right, surely!
First time I have logged on to the blog but I am feeling uplifted by the common sense here. Why does the vocal minority run the country with crazy nanny state stuff? Here's to living life!
spot on
Hear hear!...nope, rocket science is certainly isn't, hard to believe though watching some of the buffoons that purport to run our country trying to do just that and failing dismally!
Well said chris, this is the way i feel, i never realised some of you rich folk though it too, the meek shall inherit the earth and it's up to b'stards like us to make sure they do!!
Well said chris, this is the way i feel, i never realised some of you rich folk though it too, the meek shall inherit the earth and it's up to b'stards like us to make sure they do!!
Hi, My daughter told me about your comments and I thought 'at last!! someone who really understands!!'
In September 2007 my husband invested his hard earned money after 25 years with the same company in a Public Free House in North Warnborough near Odiham Hampshire. A 500 year old building near the Basingstoke Canal, with charm and reputed ghosts!!
We gave up our home; I even gave up two weekly radio shows I did as a Radio 'Agony Aunt'
My daughter and son-in-law gave up work and a home and we all moved in with our 6 year old granddaughter to work, support and live together. I have a disability and I also wanted to support my daughter who suffers from depression and is a self harmer.
We love the work, challenge and the people we serve; but after 3 months it was apparent we were having to subsidize the establishment, each month we had to make up the short fall of 4k, 6k and 5k. Added to all this none of us has had any wages of any kind, and we have had to effectively 'pay' for the privilege of having a roof over our heads.
Despite our best efforts we realised we were in deep trouble; and all our buffer money has now gone in overheads. We have worked hard, even on Christmas day to help boost the income, and now I fear this last act of the government will see us homeless.
I sent out a press release to the local paper about the government taking a big target (all the pubs/bars/clubs) to solve the binge drinking problem, and then firing a lead shot at it, and tough if you get caught in the cross fire!!
My locals and visitors are mainly 28 plus, with the average being in their 40's to 50's, and binge drinking is only something they read about, and without doubt never do!!
So we will if we cannot get help be one of the 50+ pubs that will close per month never to be seen again.
My family will have to seek assistance and social housing, all because the government are determined to close pubs down, no matter what. The saddest part is this is ripping the heart out of communities.
We have made a difference to the community we serve, we have entertainment where there was none and host parties just for Children, and we are not failing - but the squeeze being put on us for everything such as £600 a month for electricity and continued high prices means we are not sustainable.
I also heard you were starting a campaign, if so please let me know as so far publicans are talking about it and doing nothing.
Thank you for making a stand; let us hope those in power have listened!!!
Jo
What a refreshing change to hear from a bloke who has done well for himself and does not mind paying his way - good on you mate.
Spaeaking as a copper who has been recently shafted by HM Government, hear hear for the fairer pay for police, fire, ambulance etc.
Keep it up Chris - you should be the PM and jeremy Clarkson as your deputy!