WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008
+++ MFI & Woolies Bust +++
Keen readers will notice the change to the portfolio on the right hand side for the first time in a month. Guido has just shorted FTSE futures and Dow futures. Combination of bad local news and a sense that there is a mood of bailout fatigue in the U.S. There is usually a "Santa Claus rally" in the markets at year end. Not sure Santa is going to come this year...
Loans for Lordships Converted Into Donations
Actually when you break it down it looks like Lord Sainsbury wrote off £2,511,808 in loans and interest, converting the debt into a donation, Sir David Garrard did the same for £352,278 and Sir Gulam Noon likewise for £307,576. J K Rowling put £1 million of her Potter profits into propping up Labour. The rest of the money came from the unions apart from a donation-in-kindfrom Saatchi and Saatchi for their crap "Not Flash, Just Gordon" campaign.
UPDATE : Contrary to the Press Association report which all the rest of the media (both broadcast and print) are using for their reports, the total figure for loans converted is not £2.25m. It totals £3,171,662 in loans and interest written off from Lord Sainsbury, Sir Gulam Noon and Sir David Gerrard - the latter in the form of a partial conversion of his loan and interest into a donation. Guido just confirmed this with the Electoral Commission. Don't they check their sources? Guido 1, Big Media 0.
Boulton v Brillo
Sky's coverage was more like sports reporting, which is how it should be.PMQs is a bloodsport...
VAT Charade Shows Politicians in a True Light
- He isn't able to tell the voters the truth.
- He dithers: clearly the intention is to hike VAT later to recoup the revenue lost from the VAT cut now. They were planning to announce that. Cowardice got hold of them and they backed away from admitting it at the last moment.
- Incompetence: they hastily re-jig the Pre-Budget-Report to hide this intention, but neglect to delete the truth from all the documents released and fail to fully recalculate the figures. The numbers now don't add up and there is a £100 billion black hole unexplained. The suspicion is that other tax hikes are being hidden.
Well here is a chance for them to demonstrate their superior powers of political analysis of this fundamental dishonesty with the voters. Go on Michael/Polly, stop sneering in the margins, explain how this is in the public interest and not narrow party electoral interest. Go on, for once:justify this behaviour.