Speaking for Myself

'Speaking for Myself' is the title of Cherie Blair's book which apparently has been rushed out earlier than the planned autumn release date. Perhaps she is worried that by the October no-one will have £18.99 spare cash left to waste on a work of fiction/faction. Speaking for Myself I find the idea of reading 'Speaking for Myself' by Cherie Blair to be a complete waste of time. It sounds as if she is trying to get us to like her and see everything from Tony's point of view. But all it appears to do is highlight how greedy, vulgar and self deceiving the woman is. Cherie must think we are all less than intelligent. Why should we believe any of this? After all she has admitted she is not incapable of telling 'pork pies'. Her husband is also a stranger to the truth. She only confessed to fibbing when 'found out'.

Speaking for Myself I'm also amazed that she was so embarrassed by being found to have a 'contraceptive' device in her luggage that she decided to leave it at home. Why not carry it in her handbag? Being such a devout Catholic female maybe this was the contraceptive device she chose for Tony to use.

At least this latest outing of the B Liars serves to remind us of just how grateful we should be that bungling Gordon 'Prudence' Brown did manage to remove Teflon Tony and the 'Cat Trainer' from office.

Update: 16th May - and who would like to guess just who this eager beaver of a reader and reviewer on the Amazon website is?? Me thinks it is probably a publisher/editor desperate to get the sales up - or maybe even a 'pen' name of Cherry Booth/Blair QC.

I agree with the Judge who thought she should resign as part- time Judge. Imagine standing in court and having this loose mouthed loose morals female pronouncing Judgement on your behaviour! HUH!

What is the True Rate of Inflation?

Gordon Brown as Chancellor and latterly as Prime Minister does boast about the low rate of inflation in comparison to the years under the Conservatives.

However, several years ago the Labour Govt. changed the measure of inflation from the Retail Price Index [RPI] to the Consumer Price Index [CPI] . As can be seen from the graph from the ONS website these rates of inflation do differ by a substantial amount.

The govt can only boast about low inflation when quoting the CPI because the index is made up of many non essential items or one off purchases. However, the old RPI consists of mortgage rates, fuel costs and basic food items - all the necessities of life. The rate of RPI compared to CPI is consistently higher e.g. Nov 2007 RPI = 4.3 % CPI = 2.1 %

I find it particularly interesting that the Govt quote CPI rate of inflation when it serves its own ends and then uses the 'defunct' RPI when to its advantage. Therefore when working out the rate needed to increase the state pension it will use the CPI. Many local govt/civil service pensions are increased annually by the RPI rate. But students' loans will have the interest rate calculated using the RPI rate.

In other words, it appears to me, that if the Govt have to pay out money then they use the CPI but if they are claiming money back from us or to award themselves pay/pension increases then its the RPI figures that are used. MP's pensions are the best available - and are costing taxpayers a fortune.