BUDGET? CAN’T WAIT….

/0 Comments/in /by

Call it a review, call it whatever you like but whichever way you look at it we have had for a number of years now two budgets per annum. This year is not going to be any different.

On Wednesday, November 26th the House will be packed to hear the latest report from Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. No doubt there will be much made of what this government inherited from the previous government. In the 58th General Election held in this country, Labour won with a fraction over a third of the vote. That means that two-thirds of the voting public didn’t vote for them. The actual turn-out was the second lowest ever. The lowest was in 2001 when Tony Blair was re-elected. To be fair, there was a lower turn out in 1918 when a Liberal-Conservative coalition was formed with David Lloyd George taking the lead role. The circumstances were very different then of course.

The point is that in what we might call ‘modern’ times whatever party is elected spends the next 18 moths or so blaming the previous government for everything that is wrong.

So far in recent weeks we have heard that taxes are going to rise, only then to be told they are not going to rise. Why the quick turn around? Because the government is desperately trying to living up to the ‘we are the good guys’ image they created for themselves to get their majority election vote.

If you don’t increase Income Tax it is not a great problem because you have the other tax to play with – National Insurance. You can fiddle around with various other taxes too. Don’t displease the Labour voters too much but hit those with estates, farms and so on. Don’t hurt the investors from overseas because you will end up bailing them out to save jobs including those of Labour voters. It is a conundrum.

One thing is certain. If it doesn’t hurt it will be a cowardly turn around to save face. If it does hurt then let us hope that whatever money is extracted from us is spent wisely and not simply another contribution to our financial sickness.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO INTEREST RATES?

/0 Comments/in /by

Those who appear to be ‘in the know’ are predicting that there will be a further interest rate cut on Thursday 18th of December. That might seem to be good news for many but is it?

There was nearly a cut in November. Those who take the big decision are the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee. There are nine of them and November’s vote saw four of those members vote in favour of a further cut. That was the closest for some time.

It seems that many with large savings are urgently seeking alternatives to protect their nest-eggs. Are they over-reacting?

The European Central Bank has been working hard to cut its main interest rate and earlier this year achieved a drop to 2%. In America the Federal Reserve cut its bank rate to between 3.75% and 4%.

If you have savings that could present a problem in that your reserve is likely to fall in value. If you have a mortgage that is better news but for many it is too late.

Repossessions are already at their highest level for years and the signs are that the peak has not yet been reached.

Heat and power bills have reduced a little – at least for a while – and that accounts for the inflation figures looking a little brighter. However, general shopping seems to rise every week and the faces of those shopping are looking more and more stressed.

Is there an answer?

“There is always an answer,” said Perry Offer. “When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 she inherited a worse economy than this. She tackled it bravely in that it did not make her very popular. However, she succeeded and often said that her greatest moment was when she saw that Britain had finally got into the black again after years of going further and further into the red. Thatcher’s heritage has been destroyed but her methods could work again. Cut out the incredible financial wastage we have, stop pandering to people who demand much but contribute nothing. Cut back on the excessive rules and complications that strangle enterprise and there is a good chance we can recover once again. We need to find the same kind of leadership we had in Margaret Thatcher. I’m still looking…..”

Inflation put into perspective and how we can do something about it

/0 Comments/in /by

Perry Offer champions simplicity

“What have the UK, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Sir Lanka, Egypt, Ghana, Venezuela, Nigeria and countless other countries got in common? No prizes for answering – inflation.

“Others may be in denial but let us be honest, the world is in a financial mess of the highest order. What is the cause and what can be done about it? Putting it simply the global economy is a victim of complication brought about by too much imagery and vote-catching and not enough reality checks and positive action.

“As an example in the last few days it has been announced that nearly 200,000 people on benefits could have their debts to energy suppliers cancelled if they make some effort to pay. Sounds good, doesn’t it. At the same time bills for some of the country’s most intensive business energy users will be cut by £420m from next year, the government has said.

“These lavish gestures are not acts of extreme generosity. They will be paid for by more complications. Other energy users will see their bills go up yet again next year if the debts are cleared, they will be paying for it. This whole gesture is riddled with more complication. Those who are to helped need to be identified, how much has to be calculated and then comes the passing of that particular economic onto the other customers. Why not just have a debt amnesty? Let’s face it, the energy supply cpaniess can afford it. They are largely owned by investors from outside the UK so how we stop the huge siphoning off of profits and put some of it to good use within the UK.

“As for the government generously providing a 90% discount to about 500 businesses in the steel, glass and cement sectors, well we can all be generous with someone’s money. Who’s money? Yours actually. The current government took over an economic mess with the promise of sorting it. They must be congratulated because they have sorted it and it is now worse than ever and we are borrowing more and more to keep the national debt under control.

“This is a classic example of how complications cause problems and putting more complications on the fire doesn’t put it out. We are all victims of this and the point is proven that The Law of Diminishing Simplicity is driving us into the same brick wall as so many of those other countries mentioned.

“What is the answer? Tear up the complicated laws of procedure and release the talent we have from the pressure cooker that has been created. Does that sound too simple to be true? That is because we are so used to being strangled by red tape and unnecessary complications in the way we run our businesses and indeed our own lives.”

ANOTHER FINE MESS………….!

/0 Comments/in /by

As the BBC tries to move on from its latest self-inflicted catastrophe, globally lauded business rescuer and enhancer Perry Offer reveals the real reason behind the demise of this once-justifiably heralded ‘national institution’.

“You couldn’t make it up,” says Perry. “I have been talking for some time about the Law of Diminishing Simplicity in business and other organisations and here we have a classic example as the BBC seems to almost be going into denial of its latest malfunction

“Let us look at what has actually happened and then analyse how it could have been avoided. The BBC broadcast a speech by a world leader that had been heavily edited to make that leader seem guilty of the gross crime of incitement. Was that someone else’s fault? How could it have been? There are more editors at the BBC than burgers at Macdonald’s. Did none of them check the authenticity of this item? It is all very well the top people resigning but that still leaves behind the people actually responsible, hiding under their desks until the tornado passes and then carrying on as if nothing had happened. Is that a little harsh? Look back at the disgraceful treatment of Sir Cliff Richard and the despicable non-handling of prominent BBC on-screen icons who were sex offenders. Now tell me if that is harsh? Those are just the cases we know about.

“The BBC was once probably the most trustworthy broadcasting organisation in the world. That reputation has been destroyed by the Corporation allowing in and even encouraging the death-watch beetle of vested interests. By that we are talking about people with extreme political views, extreme opinions of what is actually socially acceptable to most TV licence subscribers and people who want to control even the thinking of viewers. How often do you see a BBC newsreader interviewing another BBC journalist to ensure that the opinion you are taking on board is the one that they want to impose on you.

“What has that to do with Diminishing Simplicity.? Very much. The BBC had been allowed to set its own agendas, set its own financial benchmarks and general mess up the whole ethos and system which once worked so well. How? By creating jobs for pals, huge salaries for people who don’t deserve them and money wasted left, right and centre.

“What was once a smooth operation has now been poisoned by complications and bias. The simplicity has gone and self-interest has taken its place.

“What can be done about it? There is only one choice. Infections do not go away on their own. Your body needs some medicine to aid its combat. Clearly some medicine is needed to cure the BBC. The simplicity and smooth running can be restored by getting rid of the various local radio and TV stations. Sell them off. Their very presence means that they have some commercial worth. Review the entire staff structure of the main functions of the BBC, stop overpaying people, stop funding programmes which are little more than ego trips and self indulgence for those presenting them. That’s just for starters. How about doing away with the Licence and making it imperative for the BBC to balance their books properly?

“The BBC has had its day and has been left off numerous disgraceful hooks for the last couple of decades. It is time to take much more simplified action and switch it off.”

DON’T THEY KNOW THERE IS A WAR ON?! – is this really the time for entitlement???

/0 Comments/in /by

“Yes, of course there are the most horrendous things going on in the name of entitlement,” says PERRY OFFER

“What is that all about? Entitlement? This country claims to be entitled to a portion of that country or wants revenge for something or other. At the same time they will take an hour or two off to remember the fallen of the past, lay a wreath and then get back to launching more drones or sending more troops into conflict knowing full well that only a portion of them will return in one piece. Meanwhile those manufacturing the weaponry are rubbing their hands in delight. What a mess!

“Yes there are wars on and not just military conflicts. There is a war on to save the planet. On the one side there are those who are genuinely concerned and try to make a difference. On the other side of the trenches are those who say all the right things, make promises they have little or no intention of keeping and at the same time sanction more tree felling and other environmental acts of vandalism.

“There are also wars against crime, wars against major health issues and addictions. Is there a part of life not touched by some kind of conflict? Probably not. The business world is touched in some way by all the things mentioned but there is also another war going on quite insidiously – the battle against stifling and murderous complication. Any business owner will tell you that running a business now is more difficult than it was five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago. Survival is more of a battle now than ever before. Why? Because the powers-that-be have overcome simplicity by strangling it with more and more bureaucracy and many have wittingly or unwittingly subscribed to it.

“If the ‘Law of Diminishing Simplicity’ is responsible for destroying the performance and effectiveness of millions of businesses around the world, why is it that we’ve allowed everything we do to be based upon the ethos that is crumbling our existence – the Law of Diminishing Simplicity?

“During the past century alone, we and our predecessors have simply listened to the words we want to hear and put a tick against a name of someone we don’t really know and thereby granted them power over our lives and our financial standing based on the illusionary promise that doing so would enable them to make our lives better, as assured.

“Unfortunately, in giving them those levels of power we have actually abdicated everything we have and everything we are and allowed them to create the biggest case of Diminishing Simplicity ever recorded. The evidence of the catastrophic impact that is wreaking havoc on your life is not only outside your front day every day but is also on your television, your computer and on your phone every minute of every day.

“How is this impacting your life? Have you noticed that nothing politicians touch ever actually works? That’s the harsh but real result of Diminishing Simplicity Syndrome. The unavoidable prospect is that as long as the system remains unchanged our politicians never will make anything work. In fact they will actually blame you for their failures.

“According to ‘statista’, “With government debt approaching 100 percent of GDP, the UK finds itself in a tricky fiscal situation. If the UK can’t reduce its spending, or increase its revenue, the government will have to continue borrowing large amounts, increasing the debt further. Adding to the problem, is the fact that financing this debthas got steadily more expensive recently, with the government currently spending more on debt interest than it does on defence, transport, and public order and safety”

“That is just part of the story of course. The next budget will almost certainly be stinging although opinion polls might task those taking the decisions not to be too harsh. We could go on and on.

“This is not simply about politics though, it is about business and the stampede towards oblivion. Someone shouts ‘fire!’ and everyone runs. Isn’t it a good idea to find out where the fire is, to avoid running into it? Of course, it is, simple isn’t it. Those that do not find out are heading into danger – that is the result of the Law of Diminishing Simplicity.”