About time

[brionon]

Is it not that the people 'Born to Rule' will soon govern Old England.
Old Etonians to a man . Away with those simple working class yobs with only two Jags to their names,the Super rich will take their Rightful place and Rule.

[sp1214]

The last time an Etonian was elected Prime Minister, Douglas Hume, his reign was so short he was unable to re-arrange the chairs in No 10. The poor people were starving and all he said was 'let them eat cake' after reading books on Mary Antoinette. That was the days when an incumbant PM designated his successor. He was famous for saying 'you've never had it so good' attributed to Harold MacMillan also an Etonian and the poor were begging on the streets.

[sp1214]

Other quotes my Harold McMillan

http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/political/har old_mcmillan

[New Judge]

I don't care how rich they are or what school they went to.

If they manage to get rid of this tax-mad profligate predominantly Scottish bunch of control freaks then more power to their elbow.

Yes, I've lived under Tory governments (and some previous Labour administrations too) and, as neither a rich nor poor person, I know which I prefer.

[bazwillrun]

New Judge

spot on

[jno]

Boris Jonson has promised to get rid of bendy buses from London. Cost: �100m.

Tories profligate? Never!

[brionon]

New Judge
You liked 17% inflation then ?

[New Judge]

Yes, enjoyed it enormously, brionon.

Stacks of decent pay rises, decent interest rates for the hard-pressed saver, with individuals and companies forced to be more prudent when the cost of borrowing was realistic. Yes, I did have a mortgage during that time, but was still much better off than I am now.

What we have now is similar (or higher) inflation rates to those you mention, but artificially depressed by the method of measurement, and concomitant low interest rates and pay deals.

Once again, having lived through both scenarios, I know which I prefer.

[New Judge]

Oh, I forgot, jno, the �100m you mention will be good value for Londoners - unlike the �20 billion (at least) it is costing each year to employ the additional 800,000 state employees who have filled "vacancies" in the state sector in the past 10 years.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1214 (why 1214 not 1814?)

If you must delve back into history, please try and get it right.

Marie Antoinette

Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel

To revert back to the question, it's about time the educated classes were put back in charge of running this country.

Surely they can do a better job than the "numb skulls" we have in power now?

[jno]

old git, her name was Maria Antonia. The French called her by the French version, Marie; I see no reason why the English can't use the English version, Mary.

And how are Londoners to get a �100 million return from scrapping bendy buses?

[New Judge]

Those unfortunate enough to have to live in, work in or visit the capital will see far less costly congestion. Those using the buses will see swifter journey times and those paying for it all (council taxpayers in the Greater London area, many of whom see no bendy buses and precious few buses of any other type) will see less fare evasion.

Will that do?

Bendy buses are completely unsuitable for London and should never have been introduced. I seem to remember the fomer (Labour) mayor stating at the beginning of his reign, something like "only a moron would get rid of Routemasters". Within two years they were all gone (bar the handful that run on two "heritage routes".

[tigerlily11]

I also lived through both. I would not want the Tories back for love nor money.
Most of the people living in central London have the money never to have to use the buses. Only the rich, the very rich can live there.

[New Judge]

It is a popular misconception that everyone who lives in London is filthy rich.

Vast numbers of "not so rich" people live in areas of London where bendy buses run, tigerlily.

And even greater numbers live in the suburbs where there are no bendy buses, few other buses, but they are forced to pay for services in the "Inner City" from which they derive little or no benefit.

Many of these people voted for Boris in the hope that the mayor's office would recognise this fact and stop concentrating resources (for which they pay dearly) in areas which have no relevance to them.

[ELVIS68]

Only 4 in 10 people in London are English, and that`s debatable

[jno]

New Judge, I entirely agree that the bendy buses are unsuited to London's narrow streets and should never have been introduced. But that's a different matter from spending �100 million to get rid of them again. That's a lot of money and I'm unconvinced that it will be recouped by decongesting the streets. (You may have a point about the fare dodging, but I wonder just how much of that actually happens and how much is just people's fevered imaginations.)

[mata hati]

How does it cost �100m to get rid of bendy buses - surely you just stop running them and sell them on ?

[New Judge]

Yes mata the "sums" offered up are very debateable. However, it will cost a large sum to replace them, but insignificant when compared to the mayor's total budget of about �12bn per annum.

As for fare dodging, I've used bendy buses quite a bit and can tell you that when they are "swamped" by ticket inspectors the number of miscreants apprehended is alarmingly high.

Anyway, as has been rightly pointed out in a couple of replies, we're straying very much from the original question!

[tigerlily11]

Newjudge, if you look at the centre of London it is full of the very wealthy simply because they are the only ones who can afford it. The outer areas of London are still expensive. I lived there for a while and have friends there still. A guy I know who works in the Houses Of Parliment has to live all the way out in Shirley to afford anything at all in his range. He used to live closer but the cost of living was to high.
I shall consult my brother about the bendy bus thing. He should know, he works on London transport.
He lives in Stamford Hill. �180 a week for a poxy bedsit. When he was in Tottenhamcourt road it was �200 a week for the same thing.