That Conservative Party Draft EU Bill In Full...

DRAFT European Union (Referendum) Bill

A

BILL

TO

Make provision for the holding of a referendum in the United Kingdom on the United Kingdom’s continued membership of the European Union.



Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-


1. Referendum on the United Kingdom’s continued membership of the European Union
(1) A referendum is to be held on the United Kingdom’s continued membership of the European Union.
(1A) Oh yes it will.
(1B)  No, really.
(1C) Look, we mean it this time.  We really do.
(1D) OK, I know we said we have one like this before and didn't, but this time it's different, Nigel Farage is at the door and he's looking very smug.
(2) The referendum must be held before 31 December 2017.
(2A) Or... ummm... Douglas Carswell will get really upset.
(2B) Unless the government of the day decides not to hold it after all.
(2C) Which they will be perfectly entitled to do.
(3) The Secretary of State shall by order appoint the day on which the referendum is to be held.
(3A) Unless he puts forward a Bill to rescind this Bill.
(4) An order under this section may not be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
(5) The question that is to appear on the ballot papers is—
       “Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union?”
(6) In Wales, a Welsh version of the question is also to appear on the ballot papers, as provided by order.
(6A) Scotland & Northern Ireland can cope with just an English question.
(6B) England probably won't, if someone could kindly translate the question into Polish, that'd be great, thanks.

[...]

6. Short title
(1) This Act may be cited as the Desperately Trying to Save Our Bacon (Farage) Act 2013.

In defence of free and open speech

Stephen Fry, on respect for others in the language we use and on the need to prevent language being directed and used against specific groups.

A salutary reminder.

The letter home that he quotes is chilling, and a plain example of where politically correct euphemism can lead.  So, please, say what you mean, mean what you say, and criticise others for the views they hold - not the manner in which they express themselves.  

The reality of business in the UK

My practice has now been trading for exactly a year, as of today (yay!).  So I thought I'd look back at where the spoils went.

Now, you will all know my views by now.  So I was (I admit) expecting a particular result.  But it still took me by surprise:

These are the actual figures.  Cross my heart.  They consist of:

Me - this is the net cash received by me, i.e. the cash I have drawn from the business to live on minus the cash I put in to start it off with.

Staff - a simple one, their net salaries over the year.

Government - is the total due in respect of the year, including my own personal tax due for the year in question (based on the income ascribed to me under HMRC rules), the total PAYE and NI that I have paid to HMRC in respect of my staff's salaries, the total VAT I have paid for the year, and the official fees I have paid to HMG or its proxies on behalf of clients.

Note, there is no Corporation tax in there.  None.  Zero.  I avoided it entirely by incorporating as an LLP.  So, go on - call me a tax dodger.  Accuse me of not making my fair contribution.

Go on.  I dare you.