Hockney is there a good one ? Does the swimming pool double up as a sheep dip? I visited Dalí at Figueres at the weekend Bloke’s jewellery est tip top Bloody Hockney
Yes my friend I do but at the end of the day... I just don’t get it anymore if you know what I mean? Not sure any of my European pals and chums get it either old boy
The £740bn Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund is going to invest more in British assets, looking for a return in a 30 year time span. It already owns Regent Street and a chunk of BP and HSBC. They say it’s a decent bet whatever the Brexit outcome. Arguments ensue over whether this is a vote of confidence in the UK and it’s ‘free markets after Brexit’ (Jacob Rees Mogg) or a reflection that British assets are cheap and could offer good returns once the dust has settled. Who knows? I’m more interested in the Soveriegn Wealth Fund itself. It is the Norwegian government’s official state pension fund, created from their oil and gas profits, for the benefit of Norwegian citizens. Many countries with oil and gas reserves have soveriegn wealth funds. Why the **** don’t we? How exactly have British citizens benefited from 50 years of North Sea oil? Where has the money gone? Answers on a postcard.
In 2011 Tom Parker Bowles, stepson and godson of Prince Charles, delighted his surrogate dad by setting up Mr Trotters Great British Pork Crackling, because he was (quote) ‘incensed’ that most pork scratchings sold in the UK was made from Danish pig skin. The selling point was his support for outdoor reared British pigs and their tasty skins. The firm has recently been forced to divulge the source of its ingredients through the Happerly scheme, which some retailers insist on, which requires producers to be transparent about the stuff they use so we consumers know what we are eating. Turns out their pig skins are Danish, Dutch and German, and they are unable to confirm the welfare of the animals concerned, saying some might live their entire lives indoors. I try not to be cynical, but ****ers like this make it really hard.
Not in my book. And I have discovered, through trial and error and maxing the heat on the oven, that you can make great crackling without stroke inducing amounts of salt. I just don’t like being lied to. But I’ve got used to it.
Net migration to the UK from outside the EU has risen to its highest level since 2004, whilst numbers from within the EU continue to fall. To put it in generalised UKIP terms, white Eastern European people are going home and are being replaced by brown people from Asia. Still, they knew exactly what they were voting for.
Wish we had Trump doing the negotiations with the EU. He said he is always willing to walk away from a bad deal! We got a remoaner negotiating.
The SNP used this as a selling point in the Independance Referendum, promising to set up a similar fund from North Sea oil & gas production. Great idea, pity they didn't have a scooby what to do about the currency/defence/border (sound familiar) - actually glad they didn't win now, as based on the shambles of Brexit and seeing how politicians cope with great change **** only knows what would've happened.
Just read this. Also interesting is that most of these non EU migrants are coming to join family or even more to ‘study’, not to work. Still, we can put a stop to it any time we want. Or so I’m told.
If they had at the time won their referendum the subsequent collapse of the oil price would have basically bankrupted them, lucky escape...
Keeping income tax at a low while finding the money needed by increasing VAT and NI contributions so that successive governments can bribe voters to vote for them - it certainly hasn't been invested in 21st century improvements in levels of public service but I dare say there are plenty in the City who've reaped the rewards of that so-called oil wealth. Then again, expect we've paid our way to fund pointless wars at the behest of our friends in America.
