If you think the UK economy is bad, look at this

[AtW]

But they are audtied and the reason why "funny" expenses come out is due to Press and all putting in FIA requests and thing being revealed.

No, that was no audit that helped those expenses come out - FIA is not to be confused with audit.

[Liability]

No, that was no audit that helped those expenses come out - FIA is not to be confused with audit.

Agree - my point is that alot of the media headlines we saw about expenses in the previous year were due to FIA's. Remeber the Tony Blair and G Brown expenses for I think it was 2005 ot 2007? That was via FIA if memory serves me right.

[AtW]

Agree - my point is that alot of the media headlines we saw about expenses in the previous year were due to FIA's. Remeber the Tony Blair and G Brown expenses for I think it was 2005 ot 2007? That was via FIA if memory serves me right.

Yep, it was all FIA - which is fine and it should be reinforced, so far it works well.

This is however nowhere near proper audit.

[sasguru]

but anyway, you are trying to change the subject.

Course he is.

He hasn't answered the points about :

1) What a mess several countries in Europe are in. By comparison we're doing OK - and have more flexiblity to change as have full control over economic policy.

2) If he loves the great weather and the Euro so much, he hasn't explained why he simply doesn't go and live there

[AtW]

1) What a mess several countries in Europe are in. By comparison we're doing OK - and have more flexiblity to change as have full control over economic policy.

It's like bankrupt company is saying that their bigger competitor is having problems with some of its business units, sure they do (but you are screwed anyway) but due to diversification (do they teach this term in the City?) the other business units will put them out, what's hard to understand that?

[AtW]

2) If he loves the great weather and the Euro so much, he hasn't explained why he simply doesn't go and live there

It's my home here - it can and should be improved.

[mrdonuts]

if you think the UK economy is bad have a look at this

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology...ory?id=6544247


uberdoomed as they say

[Cyberman]

That's the thing - all sort of EU companies invest into UK and they would sure as heck prefer UK to be in euro zone - otherwise in light of falling sterling they earn less euros here, it becomes less predictable and less attractive.

That's not necessarily true. Cost of salaries in pounds in the UK is reducing for Eurozone companies as the Euro strengthens, which is beneficial to them.

[Doggy Styles]

Yep, it was all FIA - which is fine and it should be reinforced, so far it works well.

This is however nowhere near proper audit.

Who are you to say that? How do you know?

Here we are talking about the whole EU budget, and you are moaning about politicians' expenses.

If that's your justification for NOT moaning about the EU budget, then it is the weakest argument I've ever heard. There's absolutely no comparison, no argument there at all.

Quite apart from which, politicians' expenses ARE properly audited, otherwise we could never have found out about the dodgy ones, we'd just have found a black hole.

Now, is anyone complaining that the UK budget is not audited properly? (Believe it or not AtW, the UK budget is not the same thing as politicians' expenses)

[AtW]

Who are you to say that? How do you know?

Here we are talking about the whole EU budget, and you are moaning about politicians' expenses.

First of all EU budget is very small, secondly can you point out me to the direction of UK budget being audited? It is not even debated properbly in parliament since the opposition has no power to change it!

Now, is anyone complaining that the UK budget is not audited properly? (Believe it or not AtW, the UK budget is not the same thing as politicians' expenses)

UK budget is a lot bigger than UK and personally myself (as UK taxpayer) I am far more interested in UK budget audit than any other budget - EU, Russian, Honduras or whatever.

It's not the Brussels that rips people off in this country - it is Gordon Brown, being in euro zone would help prevent a number of dirty tricks politicians use to hide their mismanagement.