Grumble Thread

[LMcD]

I thought water privatisation a terrible deception. The shares were sold to the public at unrealistically low price so they would sell them to the big furture owners at a profit. A colleague of mine thought it wonderfful . 'Everyone wins' he said. I tried to tell him he was buying something he already owned and then losing it to sharpers who would make him pay more and more for water in future.

It may sound absurd to think of Britain as a water-poor country considering our rainfall , but when you compare the number of new houses being built with the number of reservoirs constructed in the last 50 years, I think we're heading for a crisis.

The crisis my well be upon us already, but - as usual - any attempts to deal with it will be frustrated by the impossibility of bringing anybody to account because everything will, we shall be told, be everybody else's fault. Have you asked your colleague whether he's changed his mind?

[Serial_Apologist]

The crisis my well be upon us already, but - as usual - any attempts to deal with it will be frustrated by the impossibility of bringing anybody to account because everything will, we shall be told, be everybody else's fault. Have you asked your colleague whether he's changed his mind?

The image immediately to mind is that of a river delta, where the origins of the river allow for no overview, and what the actual river is cannot be ascertained.

[LMcD]

The image immediately to mind is that of a river delta, where the origins of the river allow for no overview, and what the actual river is cannot be ascertained.

.... but we have a nasty suspicion what it might contain!

[Serial_Apologist]

.... but we have a nasty suspicion what it might contain!

That too!!!

[eighthobstruction]

The image immediately to mind is that of a river delta, where the origins of the river allow for no overview, and what the actual river is cannot be ascertained.

....Perhaps an oath sworn on the Styx....

[Dave2002]

If I remember it was an OBR estimate of how much is currently produced by VED, so takes account that there are more EVs on the road - and perhaps estimates by how much revenue is set to decrease (unless the cost of the duty increases, of course).

Update: the forecast is £8.2bn for year 2024-25. Wiki says:

"After 1937, this reservation of vehicle revenue for roads was ended, and instead the revenue was paid into the Consolidated Fund – the general pot of money held by government. Since then, maintenance of the UK road network has been funded out of general taxation, of which VED is a part."

I'm not sure if that is quite correct. My understanding now is that the major roads are funded by the Highways Agency[s?] - not sure if these are different in Scotland, Wales or NI - and are funded by central government [which one - are highways devolved?]. Local roads - which may be where there are more potholes come under local council administration - and of course if they're strapped for cash - which is highly likely - potholes aren't going to be fixed.

Am I wrong?

[Cockney Sparrow]

I read articles (Times online, Scottish section) about the infamous decades long issue of the duelling of the A9 - is it north of Inverness or even south of there? A matter of funding by the devolved Holyrood government but strong suspicion there are insufficient SNP votes in the eye watering cost of bringing it about. They would rather spend their money (including the Barnett formula addition) on eye-catching handouts like baby boxes.......(gifts for the new born)

[Dave2002]

I read articles (Times online, Scottish section) about the infamous decades long issue of the duelling of the A9 - is it north of Inverness or even south of there? A matter of funding by the devolved Holyrood government but strong suspicion there are insufficient SNP votes in the eye watering cost of bringing it about. They would rather spend their money (including the Barnett formula addition) on eye-catching handouts like baby boxes.......(gifts for the new born)

The A9 is not fully duelled north of Perth, but it's perhaps not really such a big deal. There's not much dual carriageway north of Inverness.

More interesting is the funding [whole or partial?] of ships for operating the ferry lines to the islands. The newer ones seem even less reliable than the older ones.

However there are big infrastructure projects which benefit England - and new ones coming along - so don't knock all of it.

[french frank]

My understanding now is that the major roads are funded by the Highways Agency[s?]

The Highways Agency is a company owned by the Department for Transport, so I assume would be funded out of the various transport allocations:

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/about-us/who-we-work-with/

[vinteuil]

... the infamous decades long issue of the duelling of the A9

... duelling still a thing north of the border?

.

[LMcD]

... duelling still a thing north of the border?

.

Claymores at 20 paces.

[vinteuil]

Claymores at 20 paces.

... better than the pipes at 100 paces

.

[Dave2002]

I guess it should have been dualling - as in this news item about an English road ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04lnek2d2xo

[Mario]

Hello.

I’m European, and my tiny little island (a rock actually, in the middle of the Med), is not only a member of the Union, but also in the European continent.

Last time I looked, the UK was not part of the Union, but certainly considered in the European continent.

I’m furious to be called “pathetic” by some American chappie, and my Mediterranean temperament is seriously being tested.

YOU were also called a small country etc, etc.

Are you angry too?

Remedies, medications, palliatives?

Maybe some music?

Am I being over-theatrical and dramatic?

So, “Rage over a lost penny” is apt, maybe?

[LMcD]

Hello.

I’m European, and my tiny little island (a rock actually, in the middle of the Med), is not only a member of the Union, but also in the European continent.

Last time I looked, the UK was not part of the Union, but certainly considered in the European continent.

I’m furious to be called “pathetic” by some American chappie, and my Mediterranean temperament is seriously being tested.

YOU were also called a small country etc, etc.

Are you angry too?

Remedies, medications, palliatives?

Maybe some music?

Am I being over-theatrical and dramatic?

So, “Rage over a lost penny” is apt, maybe?

Well, we are a fairly small country off the European mainland, and no longer the Great Power we used to be (or thought we were) but we're certainly not pathetic, and still have much of which to be proud. There's a very loud musical 'raspberry' in Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra that might be an appropriate response to all the rubbish emanating from Washington DC. Whenever I feel I'm in danger of getting angry or worried about all the surrounding madness, I pop on a Mozart piano concerto, although other musical 'calming measures' are now available, I'm told.