Not a tax haven.

[pongo]

There was a massive electoral swing to the SNP after the referendum in Scotland. You think UKIP would benefit the same way, when they vote to stay in Pongo?

 

 

Conservative unity in May 2015 held together on the promise of a referendum. UKIP is, more or less, the lower-middle-class wing of the Conservative Party in internal exile. UKIP is not going to cease to exist unless the UK quits the EU or the EU miraculously gains in popularity. If the UK votes to remain within the EU it no longer seems likely that UKIP or the Conservative grassroots will gracefully accept the outcome. Those MPs on the sensible business orientated wing of the Conservative Party, just like much of the moderate Parliamentary Labour Party, already seem increasingly isolated vs the grassroots. There is going to be a great big hole at the middle of British politics after the referendum.

 

And there is the issue of the leadership succession. There is a strong possibility that, whatever the outcome of the referendum, Cameron will be replaced with an anti-EU populist or someone who has lately decided to represent himself as anti-EU for opportunistic reasons = Boris. But Boris is a loose-cannon. He is also incredibly wealthy and well born + Eton at a time when, just like in the 1960s, the Conservatives badly need a state educated, less 'elite' seeming, leadership.

 

It's no so much that Labour seem likely to win an election. It's that the Conservatives, divided, will likely give away the advantage they enjoyed just a year ago. And sooner or later Labour and the SNP could team-up, at least in Parliament. On the May 2015 numbers the Conservative are only about 30 seats ahead of Lab + SNP + Plaid + Lib combined. Increased support for UKIP, by contrast, is likely to only split the Conservative vote.

[Tarne]

the Conservative are only about 30 seats ahead of Lab + SNP + Plaid + Lib combined.

 

 

Feck me, they have done well. Ah, we'll find out what happens after the referendum. So far the Tories seem to be doing an ok job, but you can already see the creep of corruption. If Labour got their act together, got a proper white person like Tony Blair, and not a shady skinned Ed Miliband or old duffer Corden, they might do alright.

[woolley]

I think the Tony Blair card was well and truly played. Nobody falling for that one again.

[pongo]

I think the Tony Blair card was well and truly played. Nobody falling for that one again.

1st May 1997 - 11 Sept 2001 was a great time for many British people. And even after that there was a long period of economic boom. At the 2001 General Election Labour won 418 seats vs 166 for the Conservatives. It was a hugely popular govt. I think that many people would absolutely go for Blair II. That is also what Cameron has aspired to be.

 

The anti EU conspiracy right and, lately, the Labour left have poisoned the wells. But the pragmatic moderate centre is still where elections will be won and lost.

[woolley]

This is true. But it is also true that the 1997 Labour government was lucky to be bequeathed a golden legacy on the economy and did very little other than follow the previous Tory policy. That's what Blair was about. Power for its own sake, not to achieve anything.

[Non-Believer]

This is true. But it is also true that the 1997 Labour government was lucky to be bequeathed a golden legacy on the economy and did very little other than follow the previous Tory policy. That's what Blair was about. Power for its own sake, not to achieve anything.

 

IMHO Blair came in preaching a very blue shade of red. And why not? Britain had been "conditioned" to centre right (and further right) politics by 18 years of Conservative rule. But the Tories under Major were stale and to most of the electorate Blair was a breath of fresh air though not too far removed from what they were used to, to be too radical to elect.

 

I well remember the morning the election results were announced (I was in the UK at the time), it was like a huge wave of elation swept over most of the country and the clouds had been lifted. An ultimately unaffordable wave of spending followed and was ridden with credit offered even to the uncreditworthy the feelgood factor was high and seemingly would never end.

 

Oops........meltdown, starting in the US and quickly making its way here, as I recall.......

[Tweek]

I think the Tony Blair card was well and truly played

The Labour pack is not short of jokers.

[Augustus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36117374

 

Major news item. Not a peep on Manx Radio News (paid for by me and you). Already covered by Energy and 3FM yesterday.

[Gladys]

We can hardly be described as non-co-operative.

[pongo]

We can hardly be described as non-co-operative.

Isn't that story about implementing the blacklist which the EU produced last year? The Isle of Man is not on that list. Surely the only reason for repeating the process would be to remove jurisdictions from the list if they have come up to standard.

 

The blacklist countries are Andorra, Liechtenstein, Guernsey, Monaco, Mauritius, Liberia, Seychelles, Brunei, Hong Kong, Maldives, Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, Panama, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands.

 

The details are searchable here. A jurisdiction need 10 down votes to be on the blacklist. The Isle of Man only got 7. So did not make the list.

 

FWIW the countries which voted down the IOM were - Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain.

Edited April 23, 2016 by pongo

[NoTail]

Why isn't Delaware on this list?

[Andy Onchan]

Why isn't Delaware on this list?

And Nevada?

[thesultanofsheight]

 

Why isn't Delaware on this list?

And Nevada?

Because those who draw up the lists get to decide who the bogey men are. These lists are just mechanisms to pursue commercial and political agendas which have little to do with whether a country facilitates tax abuse or money laundering. Sadly these are the very same countries who end up setting up detainment camps in neutral terrories as their own laws don't allow them to operate in the way they want to. Or those who keep on allowing places like Delaware to exist as it gives them a base from which they can conduct their own commercial black ops with complete impunity.

[oldmanxfella]

 

the Conservative are only about 30 seats ahead of Lab + SNP + Plaid + Lib combined.

 

Feck me, they have done well. Ah, we'll find out what happens after the referendum. So far the Tories seem to be doing an ok job, but you can already see the creep of corruption. If Labour got their act together, got a proper white person like Tony Blair, and not a shady skinned Ed Miliband or old duffer Corden, they might do alright.

Yes Blairs a proper white person - evil, crooked, arrogant, and with more than a touch of megalomania.

[woolley]

Does that description fit every white person you know?