Quote:
Originally Posted by GrimUpNorth
If I'm correct, Igni's other half is a teacher, so like the rest of us in public service the present government's treating us as their whippieng boys, and so among other things her pension IS being decimated through no fault of her own!
Cheers
Grim
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Yes I know she is - he's mentioned it more that once in several threads which I why I mentioned her. We're all too aware of how public sector pensions are being hit by HMG changing the rules - there have been many strikes for this reason. However it's not the value of the funds themselves which is the issue there (teacher's pensions are unfunded IIRC). No more comfort to those affected I know but very different reasons.
The point being made was that if/when companies like the banks are just allowed to fail it's not only well heeled fat cats who lose out. It's also ordinary people whose private sector pensions and savings are invested in those companies which by the very fact that they are so large have to form a part of any significant investment portfolio. Every time a PLC goes bust the shareholders lose out but you'd never think so given the usual rhetoric about greedy shareholders never suffering. Yes that is a risk shareholders take when they invest directly in shares but what real choice does the ordinary private sector worker have as to where his employer's pension fund is invested? So if you have sympathy for public sector workers have sympathy for private sector workers too whose pension funds suffer and also fluctuate with market volatility.
Anyway this is OT so perhaps we should leave the subject for another thread.
@Ignitionet - I refer the honourable gentleman to my post above.
---------- Post added at 11:33 ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
Meanwhile, back on the campaign trail, No supporters in my local area seem finally to have snapped. Until now, all the vandalism of campaign signage (and I mean, absolutely all of it) has been Yessers tearing down or spray painting No signs. However, in the last 24 hours there has been a spate of attacks on Yes signs. And a hillside local to me, which had an enormous Yes spelled out on it in white plastic (installed overnight and first visible Sunday morning) was entirely removed by 8am today.
I get the impression that there is a lot of pent-up indignation amongst people who are planning to vote No but have felt intimidated by how loud and in-your-face some of the so-called grassroots Yessers have been.
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Perhaps the saddest thing about all this is how it's given rise to so much bile and intimidation - something which the SNP seems to view as an acceptable means to an end. Whatever happens now there's going to be a lot of very bitter people in Scotland and if Westminster starts offering all sorts of financial 'concessions' there'll be a lot of unhappy folks in the rest of the UK too.
I wonder what Salmond's real legacy will be.