Foreign Sec. Boris Johnson Extols the virtues of a Bridge across the English Channel

[Phil Perry]

Yes, OK Boris, what could possibly go wrong with building a 'Bridge' across the busiest commercial sea lane in the world. . . Oh, and then, er, let's look at the financial disaster that the Channel Tunnel turned out to be. . .

 

From the diary of John Redwood MP, who was involved in the original planning for aforementioned tunnel. . .

 

The Channel tunnel has proved to be an expensive and disappointing investment

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

One of the problems with UK government culture is that it sees itself as a corporation (and an exceedingly incompetent one at that). Provision of public services by definition cannot be measured by a quantitative return on investment alone. This is not the way things should be - and sometimes people should be prepared to pay on receipt of service. A balance has to be struck between the affordable (or free) availability of a service to the population v the profits it generates - is this not part of the redistribution of wealth doctrine?

 

[edit] Whenever I go to France not flying myself there, it is the chunnel all the way... [edit again] It is not susceptible to the winds that the ferries are...

 

 

[Phil Perry]

One of the problems with UK government culture is that it sees itself as a corporation (and an exceedingly incompetent one at that). Provision of public services by definition cannot be measured by a quantitative return on investment alone. This is not the way things should be - and sometimes people should be prepared to pay on receipt of service. A balance has to be struck between the affordable (or free) availability of a service to the population v the profits it generates - is this not part of the redistribution of wealth doctrine?

[edit] Whenever I go to France not flying myself there, it is the chunnel all the way... [edit again] It is not susceptible to the winds that the ferries are...

 

I would prefer the 'Chunnel' train, on which I have travelled many times to France,. . . to driving across a bridge at night whilst one of the 'Bridge Piers were being hit by a pi$$ed up container ship captain and thereby consigned to the deep in my car,,along with my family. . .after my Government had spent a godzillion of taxpayer debt, based upon finance over 200 years credit, which they would never get repaid. .. . . . on such a bloody stupid exercise. . . . A very good friend of mine invested £12,000 of his capital in Channel Tunnel shares,. . . he lost all of his investment but I'm sure that the financiers came out of it OK. . . .as they always appear to do. . . .

 

 

[facthunter]

Getting rich using other peoples money is "best of both worlds" You get the spoils (they get the crumbs but carry the risk) THAT seems fair, doesn't it? It's the basis of the " top management is entitled to hundreds of times what a worker gets", fallacy. Nev

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Getting rich using other peoples money is "best of both worlds" You get the spoils (they get the crumbs but carry the risk) THAT seems fair, doesn't it? It's the basis of the " top management is entitled to hundreds of times what a worker gets", fallacy. Nev

Unf, when you talk getting rich and PPP (public private partnership) in the UK, it never, or at least rarely happens. Google carillion and you will see what I mean. There are too many like it for me to even think about (metronet or something like that is another huge failure).

 

 

[facthunter]

I can't think of an outstanding success of any PPP. nor do I believe in unfettered growth of Public services, but there comes a time if the PS is decimated Government's don't have the expertise to evaluate complex offers. External consulting cost can be excessively high and subject to corruption (influence by affected Parties). We have Monopolies in Toll roads and Insurance here, and everyone hates the 4 Banks. Power companies just add nearly 20% to the cost without any obvious benefit. Price gouging common when demand high. USER pays (and pays). Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

Yes, OK Boris, what could possibly go wrong with building a 'Bridge' across the busiest commercial sea lane in the world. . . Oh, and then, er, let's look at the financial disaster that the Channel Tunnel turned out to be. . .

From the diary of John Redwood MP, who was involved in the original planning for aforementioned tunnel. . .

 

The Channel tunnel has proved to be an expensive and disappointing investment

Boris just wants to prove he can build a bigger one than Vladimir.