The word “billion” is chucked around by politicians more often than a rugby ball, but it is a difficult number to comprehend.
According to a study, a billion seconds ago it was 1959 and a billion pounds ago was only 13 hours and 12 minutes at the rate the Labour government is spending it. That’s quite a scary thought. And here’s another one.
In the past 13 years, the government has put 35 per cent more taxes on individuals and businesses to cater for its appetite for spending. This has been overseen by a man who has decimated our gold reserves and saw to it that we were the last country to come out of recession (and only by a hair’s breadth).
For those who want more bills on their desks such as the Food Licence Tax, the Luxury Tax and the Workers’ Compensation Tax, Gordon Brown’s your man. The thing is, I can’t see how any right-minded businessperson would be putting a cross in the Labour box, especially when you consider the National Insurance farce (another demonstration of Labour’s desire to squeeze as much out of business as possible).
While the “billion” figure may be one that is hard to comprehend, I don’t think many business people would have a problem thinking about a billion reasons for a change in government!
Another thing synonymous with the Labour governments is strike action. Yet another strike is on the horizon in the form of AA patrol men over the May bank holiday weekend.
Strikes have never settled anything apart from leaving consumers high and dry – or, in this case, abandoned by the side of road. But that’s exactly what will happen if the 2,500 AA workers get their way and leave the travelling and working public broken down on the hard shoulder.
There’s always an alternative to striking, so they get no sympathy from me. What makes my blood boil even more is the effect this strike could have on business. It’s going to hit thousands of companies who will lose the vital backup they need to do their jobs and earn a crust.
Over the bank holiday, Pimlico Plumbers will have a full 24-hour service in operation and we will have customers relying on us to get to plumbing and heating emergencies. This just won’t be possible if we’ve got vans broken down on the side of the Old Kent Road.
We’ve got 129 vehicles covered by the AA and, believe me, if this strike goes ahead, I’m taking my business elsewhere. I’m sure I’m not the only business owner managing a fleet of vehicles thinking the same thing. We are in the middle of a recession and having our livelihoods held to ransom just won’t wash.
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