Rip Off Britain

[Mathius]

I don't think we even know what inflation is any more. There seem to be half a dozen different yardsticks that are selectively quoted or ignored by the Government at will. I begin to wonder if in this era of a global market infkation is something the Government like to wheel out to scare us now and again but is unlikley to really kick off. How independent the Bank of England really is will be tested if they decide to push interest rates up again despite the latest slow down in mortgage lending...hang on...Christ I'm dull.

[Curtana]

I don't think we even know what inflation is any more. There seem to be half a dozen different yardsticks that are selectively quoted or ignored by the Government at will.

If the inflation figures don't please Gordy B or whichever minion he replaces himself with will just reinsert house prices into the official equation. Wait..aaargh....too bored to go on.....losing Will to continue living..nooooo

[Tom Paine]

Except that Gordon has been trying to control the inflation - and overall, hasn't done too bad a job. The fact is that the housing market is increasing its prices at a rate which is both unfeasible and totally out of line with any measurement of inflation... and Gordon, or the government, can't do a thing about it without people screaming about government interference in private enterprise. Make up your minds folks.

[Tabell]

'the best safeguard against inflation is the concentration camp'

maybe something less extreme, but still something drastic has to be done

[Gary88]

It's funny to see British people comparing their prices with other EU ones (And that comparison being easier because of the Euro) and complaining how bad they are considering how much we also hear the myth of how the Euro caused inflation. If you want to bring inflation rates in line with the rest of Europe, the best way is to join the Euro. I'm not suggesting it will bring absolute or perfect correlation though. Note that I said inflation rates; not prices.

if we joined the Euro alot of people would be confused by the value of what money was anymore. by that i mean if shops charged 2Euros for a loaf of bread people wouldnt know if that was good value or not. it would only last for a while but i can assure you shops would just take advantage of this to **** us over and put prices up across the board.

[wilting]

it would only last for a while but i can assure you shops would just take advantage of this to **** us over and put prices up across the board.

This is one of the myths I was talking about. In fact, the effect of the Euro on inflation has been marginal. Different countries have adapted to the Euro better than others; Ireland adapted fairly quickly and Italy fairly slowly. One might account for this being due to the relative correlation between the currencies. Irish people were used to fairly similar numerical values and had a fairly simple exchange rate with the Euro; Italians were used to paying for things in hundreds and thousands. I suspect the British experience would be fairly similar to the Irish one.

[Curtana]

This is one of the myths I was talking about. In fact, the effect of the Euro on inflation has been marginal. Different countries have adapted to the Euro better than others; Ireland adapted fairly quickly and Italy fairly slowly. One might account for this being due to the relative correlation between the currencies. Irish people were used to fairly similar numerical values and had a fairly simple exchange rate with the Euro; Italians were used to paying for things in hundreds and thousands. I suspect the British experience would be fairly similar to the Irish one.

"Adapted" ....nice euphemism.
Different countries finances respond to the Euro differently. The labour supply across Europe will never be entirely fluid. In the US Utah might suffer because of a particular fiscal policy, whereas New York might benefit because of same. Utah accepts the policy because it benefits the whole country including them.
Why does Germany willingly suffer at the hands of the European central bank in order to benefit Ireland?

[Tom Paine]

Because overall it doesn't actually suffer, especially given the protectionist nature of the EU trade policies.

[Denny Crane!]

This happened long before the euro came about so the point is moot. Joining the Euro would not solve our problems in the slightest unless of course we suffered the massive inflation of the retail price Index that Spain and Italy suffered at which point we are paying even more than europe again.

I couldn't see it doing anything more than exasperating the problem. Being part of Europe isn't the problem and integrating further would not help one jot. The problem is in the consumers, and in the British Government.

[Tom Paine]

So what's the government meant to do? Interfere less and the problem is exacerbated, not reduced; interfere more and cries of outrage come in droves from the rightwing.

[Denny Crane!]

So what's the government meant to do? Interfere less and the problem is exacerbated, not reduced; interfere more and cries of outrage come in droves from the rightwing.

How about not ruling against the free movement of goods like the article pointed out in the first post. That is governemnt interference and the only thing that would have been made worse would be the situation of companies ripping us off.

[wilting]

"Adapted" ....nice euphemism.

I was referring to the daily use of the new currency by consumers

Different countries finances respond to the Euro differently.

Yes...

The labour supply across Europe will never be entirely fluid.

Well I prefer to avoid the term 'never', but for all intents and purposes I agree.

In the US Utah might suffer because of a particular fiscal policy, whereas New York might benefit because of same. Utah accepts the policy because it benefits the whole country including them.

Which brings us to Germany... [Aren't we talking about monetary policy?]

Why does Germany willingly suffer at the hands of the European central bank in order to benefit Ireland?

Because Germany has political motivations, not just economic ones, and like Utah recognises the wider and indirect benefits.

[LoZz]

We still get a large rebate, access to a massive overseas market and it's much better to be inside the EU, influencing it, now, because it will only be more powerful and relevent as time passes.

tony blair gave up our rebate, we get nothing.

we suffer a net lose when it comes to the EU, we give more then we get out. (this is the EU organisation, not the EEC or the nations of europe themselves)

the overseas market is done by the EEC not the EU.

[Tom Paine]

I presume you mean the European Economic Community, then called the European Community, and since Maastricht the European Union?

I might add that Blair gave up part of the rebate, not by any means all, and that we get something like second most from the CAP...

[LoZz]

I presume you mean the European Economic Community, then called the European Community, and since Maastricht the European Union?

I might add that Blair gave up part of the rebate, not by any means all, and that we get something like second most from the CAP...

our rebate was only 3 billion to begin with, think about it, not everyone in europe is going to get more then they give, they cant make money out of thin air, we being a richer nation give more money to the EU then we get out. it goes to eastern europe and ireland

[Mathius]

I might add that Blair gave up part of the rebate, not by any means all, and that we get something like second most from the CAP...

I think we need to clarify just what the rebate is...its not as if the EU is giving us money here. The rebate is simply a proportion of the total previous years contribution returned to the UK (although the mechanism by which this happens is, this being Europe, much more contrived than that). Even taking the rebate into account, the UK was the second biggest net contributor (payments to EU - payments from EU, including CAP) in 2004 (the last commission figures I've seen) behind Germany. All this is off topic really but needed tidying up.

[lewis16666]

Entirely the problem is that in this country we, the consumers, are not (less so now I think) prepared to complain or shop around. The other problem is that business from bus companies to match makers just dont have to compete in the same way as in the States.

I mean when you fill the car up do you really believe that fuel companies can manage a price spectrum of a few pennies in competition. Is it competition or is it loose cartelism. You cant go into a petrol station and say look I'll fill up only if you give me a price of 84p a litre.

I personelly think that things are changing, look at people trying to reclaim bank charges but then again look at the recent two cases the bank won, but we have a helluva way to go.

You should do as I do just do without things that arent essentials...

[removeduser_487563287433]

tony blair gave up our rebate, we get nothing.

we suffer a net lose when it comes to the EU, we give more then we get out. (this is the EU organisation, not the EEC or the nations of europe themselves)

the overseas market is done by the EEC not the EU.

As already pointed out we only surrendered a proportion, and still get a large amount, along with other concessions.