dutchie01

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-labour-conference-demands-keir-33747307
 

so democracy works after all!

Sorry but i have to disagree. One has to remember that the vast majority of car buyers are not interested in the technical background of the car they are buying. Moreover, if you buy a brandnew Toyota or Lexus you EXPECT it will work, always. Reading a manual is something from the age when cars went blip when you did not follow it. I find it remarkable that Lexus has approved the car for release with this 12v dead Battery problem. I fully understand Elaines disappointment. My brandnew Lexus is dead and now they tell me i had to read the manual like its my fault? It clearly is a Lexus issue nothing else.

55 minutes ago, Kevin Williams said:

https://news.sky.com/story/starmer-faces-investigation-over-possible-breach-of-parliamentary-rules-after-labour-donor-pays-for-wifes-clothes-13215216

19 k on work clothes?? Reminds me of French Macron with 9k a month for his hairdresser. Seems roman times are still here. Personally i do find it bizarre that cost cuttings/ savings are done by targeting the elderly ESPECIALLY by a left wing government that will defend the weak by nature. I am not living in the UK and as such do not see a solution to the political situation but oh boy this sounds bad.  On another note the NHS. Look at the financials and the number of people using it. It is unsustainable with the current finances. In the netherlands we pay some 130 euros per month for this. The weak are supported. And even here its very very complicated

10 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

Inevitable 👍

Which country to follow one might ask

I can go on but you get the picture. Why do we have to continue with professional politicians that have never had a real job? Middle aged men looking like the head of  a finance department? That just wont leave like now in France? Isnt it time to hand it over to the new generation surely it cant be worse!

well done Malc almost 500k!!

And Sweden

And Denmark

And Estonia

no idea what she stands for but she will have my vote. Previous PM of Finland.

1 hour ago, Boomer54 said:

In that interview the words "difficult choice" features large. There seems to be some implication that difficult over rides choice. Policy is always about choice irrespective of it being hard ,or indeed easy. What I would like to know is who decided this was a wise choice and why? I would also like to know who thought this logistical approach setting the barrier at it's current level was a wise choice, or even a fair choice? In other words I want to know the real thinking on this policy ,because as choices go it just looks to be not understandable. Why pick a fight with 10 million pensioners for numbers like £1.5 billion.

Plucked straight off todays tabliod;

"Record numbers of migrants living in Britain and not working are costing the taxpayer an estimated £8 billion a year, a new report warns.

Official figures show 1,689,000 non-UK nationals are either unemployed or classed as economically inactive because they are not looking for a job."

"The Centre for Migration Control put the cost to taxpayers at £8.5 billion a year."

Hardly an unbiased source ,but picked anyway ,because the numbers don't even have to be nearly right to make the point. I am very confident I could compile a list of 10 too 20 issues where the numbers would probably be more significant than those at the heart of this Winter Fuel issue.

Over and above whatever I might think about the 'fairness' of this new policy, I can't move past the core issue of it just looks politically irrational and ill thought out. If I want to pick a fight tonight that I can win and be thought well about I am not going to pick on a 6ft 5 inch behemoth who is also the pillar of his community. No, I look for a wimpy 5 footer who just stole the old ladies purse.

May be we should attribute all this to having not been in political power for so long they have no worthwhile experience of how to wield it? Oh dear, if my middle name was Caesar I would be very worried about October, March ,and every month inbetween, because even without eyes in the back of my head I can feel the dagger coming.

Political correctness is the cause this will not be on the agenda. Any politician trying to adress this and name the facts as they are will be canceled, called racist, fascist,nazi, right wing etc etc. End of career. Best to keep it silent so it does not exist? Seems the Scandinavians have finally got it with the welfare state under threath resulting in new policies.

1 hour ago, Linas.P said:

Most of "products" are not made in Europe, so France is not much different in that regard - the clotting will be Moroccan, Turkish, Egyptian, Malaysian etc. and most of electronics Chinese.

The "produce" will be mostly French, although all international brants like Heinz etc. will also be there. But in my opinion that is just because French "produce" is better and unlike majority of consumers in UK, French are willing to pay the price for quality... although with extreme inflation in UK for last couple of years shopping in France almost seems cheap now.

As for British shelves being packed with goods from around the world - that is true, but I think it is less of protectionism or nationalism in France, but simply the fact that imported goods are better than local goods in UK, but not France. So the ratio of local to imported goods is indeed different, but it is not because French are protective, rather because their goods are simply better. Why import farmed salmon from Scotland, when you have wild salmon caught in North Atlantic... for less actually.  

Its just a cultural difference nothing else. In France the opinion on food is very different than in the UK or Holland. Take French out for lunch and first there will be a discussion of 20 minutes about the food followed by another 20 minutes about what wine to pair it with. Every village has a market where farmers sell their produce and cooking is more than using a microwave.

1 hour ago, Boomer54 said:

Yes, the French have been very pro buy French for literally decades. If you go to a supermarket there you instantly notice the absence, minimalisation of non French product. It has changed a little over the years, but still it is very much in evidence now

The French are very pro French in every aspect. Regarding cars i have customers there that can only choose French companycars.

9 hours ago, Linas.P said:

we really just need to abolish VED. Remove double taxation of duty and perhaps increase the duty itself...

Don't count on it. Tax that will be abolished? Like snow in August. It is the TAX office you are talking about and their only task seems to get as much fund from the public as possible. In all countries the same. More tax points means more tax = more free money to spend for the Government. Like malc says motorists are an easy and soft target, not organized. Increase tax and total silence. Increase company Tax and all hell breaks loose.  

37 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

But you do already have "pay per mile road" tax when buying fuel... don't you? 

Oh yes, about 80 cents per litre and on top of that 21% vat. And in spite of roadtax you have to pay to park your car somewhere in town or village. And dont mention the co2 tax plus vat if you buy your car. And like mentioned in this tread all this tax creates a mountain of money to spend! Hooray! Free money. Throw it at a problem and if it does not work the politicians will already be in a different position so who cares? Its not only in the uk but also here. Spend billions on a high speed railtrack for 350kmh travel and then buy trains with a vmax of 220. And nobody responsible. Try doing that in a company! It makes me madmadmad

Over here in Holland there has been talk of pay per km or roadpricing for at least 10 years. The idea is to provide every car a "black box"that registers the number of km and thats what you pay. Another way is automatically scanning the cars by licenceplate or transponder when it passes a scanning station. That of course will cover the entire country! Time and again it failed and stayed where it started, a discussion. Privacy regulation will not allow it and maybe even more important, the political party that will push it through will find itself out of government for decades. Political suicide. So we stay with the current roadtax connected to the licenceplate and owner has to pay. My Volvo XC60 T6 is costing me 100 euro per month. If it would have been a diesel it is euro 278. PER MONTH. And here it comes, if is is a BEV it is zero. No roadtax.

2 hours ago, GMB said:

I know winter fuel payments are an important issue for some of us but what really concerns me is how the submarine can dive if he's stuck in that hatch?

This is the first green sub i have seen looks like a WW2 one?

Very amusing tread especially for someone not living in the UK. I don't know the regulations discussed but i take it they are there to protect and help the weakest members of society just like in every other decent society. Also it seems to be about a match who benefits most, the young or the elderly?  Linas, if you reach my ( and most members here ) age you will see things different. First of all homeowners have been paying their mortgage all their life and IF the house is paid for it theirs. Nobody ever will be allowed to tell or suggest them what to do with it. Then there is the why don't they move. Well, whereto? If you grow older your social network gets stronger, kids, grandchildren, friends you have known for 50 years, the butcher, the pub, this is your place where you belong, your roots and want to live until the end. And again nobody can tell anybody to move, period. Then the young 30 something apparently paying 2500 a month for housing. Why oh why? Just move! to a rural part of the UK or go to wherever it is cheap be a digital nomad. For this age group it will be very easy to start a new life 1000 kms away unlike the elderly that are fully rooted. Don't rent in London and complain about the rent. Your wages will give you a much better lifestyle somewhere else just go for it, like you say, it is a choice!  Apart from that the housing market in the UK seems to be identical as in the Netherlands. Population has grown immensely over the last 10 years that the market ( and NHS apparently) cannot keep up.

Exactly that is why all cars come in the same color nowadays. If i look outside is see all shades of grey from silver to black and some dark blue or white. Everything looks the same. It is my personal opinion but for a car as striking as the RC ( or LC for that matter) i would always go for the color i adore and red or blue or wonderful metallic darkgreen will do just fine. Some of us will be old enough to remember the 70/80s. the wide spread of colors on the road? Orange! Yellow Red Lightblue Green everything!!

On 7/27/2024 at 9:49 PM, GMB said:

2 x classic scenarios just today. First  one - mature male cyclist riding down one way street the wrong way. Standard practice methinks, nothing unusual about that.

Second one this evening 5pm. Waiting at red lights on a one way street, no entry to oncoming traffic, cyclist appears coming down the one way street the wrong way. Lights on red and he cuts across in front to go past on the wrong side down the next one way street through the red light.  If it wasn't so stupid and dangerous it would be funny. Nothing we can do, just grin and bear it and see the antics as "amusing" or "interesting behaviour" from our barmy friends.

I think that is the core of the "cycling problem". In lots of cases its pure anarchy, no rules, no regulations for me me me as i am above all that on my bike. As, like with us overhere, the cyclist is always defended by law in case of an accident and found innocent even when driving drunk, blindfolded, against traffic, on the pavement at night without lights and hits your car YOU are to blame and will have to pay all damage. I really think that has contributed to the lack of morale and attitude of cycling in general. On the other hand if you drive your bike to work in the city or from village to village and will get overtaken by cars and lorries if you are invisible who is the enemy? Cars and bikes should not be on thesame road, never.

3 hours ago, TraktorDriver said:

Water is the real adult drink. Followed by a proper coffee made with proper beans in a proper Barista Coffee machine.

If all that fails, a Pinã Colada will suffice for me. 😅🤣

i am looking for a new machine, full automatic bean. Tempting to go for Jura but dont know enough about them to justify that amount yet. Do you have any advise?

Unfortunately i seem to drink faster than i collect.

France before the war the government launcheda campain to reduce drinking of wine. They did this by printing posters with a warning to not drink more than 3 litres of wine. Per Day!. In the fifties this was reduced to 1 litre again per day. Below a pic of a schoollunch before the war where you guessed it red wine was served.

Duvel, one of the most dangerous beers around. It will hit you if you drink it as a normal beer you will need a taxi home if lucky. The way they drink it in Belgium tells it all. Glass from the freezer, cold beer slowly slowly poored into the glass leaving the residue in the bottle and then well, just take your time. Nip it taste it and enjoy it. Slow food, slow drink and you will be fine. Cross the line and you will regret it.

For daily use a nice bottle of white Spanish Verdejo will do just fine. Change it to cava every now and then.  For me wine only, no longer drink beer fills me up immensely and stay away from the hard liquor, too strong. Used to like brandy but stopped years ago. Seems the body changes with the years! 

5 hours ago, DnG said:

Nice eye, I did not see the vents cracks, I'm aiming to get it down to £3.500.

What from I've seen on other IS250s the valves do rattle so I'm not 100% sure what sound to listen out for. And as for the oil, I guess if he's a good car salesman he will clean everything and add fresh oil beforehand so that's something I'll have to check later down the road

Never trust a car salesman. They wont do anything with a 3500 Pound car just buy and sell and hope to make some profit. Best to check the oil yourself. Take out the dipstick, is it at level? look at the color is it nice light brown and smell it, does it smell like oil? Or is it dark to almost black and smells burnt? If so and they tell you it was just serviced walk away immediately. Unscrew the fillercap and look for residue or strange whiter color oil sticking around, if so could be water in oil so again walk away.  The six cylinder engines are rock solid but they do need proper maintenance. Good luck with the test