Who was our 'best' Prime Minister?

[noseall]

Yep.

The aftermath of Brown’s gold sell off​

When the UK sold its gold at around $275 an ounce, it was close to the lowest price seen in three decades.

Within just a month of the announcement, the value of Britain’s remaining gold reserves had fallen by around $650 million, dropping from $6.5 billion to $5.85 billion. At the time, critics warned the decision had already cost taxpayers more than£400 million, more than the cost of the Kosovo war.

In hindsight, the sell-off has been described as one of the most expensive financial decisions ever taken by a British chancellor, with recent estimates putting the long-term cost at around £36 billion.

Gordon Brown’s gold sale: what happened and what we learned - Gold Bank

Why did the UK sell its gold in 1999? Explore Gordon Brown’s gold sale, what happened, how gold prices later surged and the lessons for investors today.

goldbank.co.uk

Boris can beat that hands down. Pfft, small fry.

 

[Dec27]

Boris can beat that hands down. Pfft, small fry.

Boris cost us 47 billion with one single act ?

You make me laugh.

 

[warey4life]

Yep.

The aftermath of Brown’s gold sell off​

When the UK sold its gold at around $275 an ounce, it was close to the lowest price seen in three decades.

Within just a month of the announcement, the value of Britain’s remaining gold reserves had fallen by around $650 million, dropping from $6.5 billion to $5.85 billion. At the time, critics warned the decision had already cost taxpayers more than£400 million, more than the cost of the Kosovo war.

In hindsight, the sell-off has been described as one of the most expensive financial decisions ever taken by a British chancellor, with recent estimates putting the long-term cost at around £36 billion.

Gordon Brown’s gold sale: what happened and what we learned - Gold Bank

Why did the UK sell its gold in 1999? Explore Gordon Brown’s gold sale, what happened, how gold prices later surged and the lessons for investors today.

goldbank.co.uk

Peanuts compared to the ongoing cost to the economy of the Brexit disaster.

 

[warey4life]

Yep.

The aftermath of Brown’s gold sell off​

When the UK sold its gold at around $275 an ounce, it was close to the lowest price seen in three decades.

Within just a month of the announcement, the value of Britain’s remaining gold reserves had fallen by around $650 million, dropping from $6.5 billion to $5.85 billion. At the time, critics warned the decision had already cost taxpayers more than£400 million, more than the cost of the Kosovo war.

In hindsight, the sell-off has been described as one of the most expensive financial decisions ever taken by a British chancellor, with recent estimates putting the long-term cost at around £36 billion.

Gordon Brown’s gold sale: what happened and what we learned - Gold Bank

Why did the UK sell its gold in 1999? Explore Gordon Brown’s gold sale, what happened, how gold prices later surged and the lessons for investors today.

goldbank.co.uk

And don't forget Sunak's 11billion cock-up:

https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak-accused-of-wasting-11bn-by-paying-too-much-interest-on-government-debt-12631205

 

[Deluks]

Yeah I think the 47 billion he lost the uk was a lot.

You clearly don’t.

Ridiculous assessment. You can't have your cake and eat it.
We either have the gold, and it just sits there, or you cash it in.

 

[SPLINE]

Hang on, UK net migration fell by 48% in the year ending Dec 2025

Smoke and mirrors.

Boris cost us 47 billion with one single act

Boris cost us 500 billions with one single act: Covid.

 

[warey4life]

Thatcher definitely went too far with privatisation, but the sad truth was that the country was completely broke after being nearly destroyed by the Labour party. She did a good job of making unpopular decisions. She wasn't well liked, but was respected.

Then labour got another go, and nearly destroyed the country again - Cameron was something of a hero for the bitter medicine they had to force the country to take after 2010. But sadly he got scared before the next election and started spending like Labour just to woo the voters and remain in power, knowing that Labour would be promising limitless spending from the magic money tree as normal.

The best PMs are those that make tough decisions, almost always after Labour have been in power and have almost destroyed the country with tax, borrowing and runaway spending. We'll definitely need some kind of a super hero after 2029, after this current lot have finished spraying all the money up the wall.

The Tories were a disaster in the 60s and early 70s and Labour carried on the disaster. Thatcher did turn things around but she did some real long lasting damage to industry, utilities and energy. Major was a safish pair of hands, but then came Blair and Brown with their PFIs, their pursuing of fiscal policies to ramp up the property market, encouraging consumer debt, and deregulating the banks even more that the previous Tory government did. Cameron and Osborne's austerity, although some argue it was necessary, turned out to be very damaging in the long term, and then Cameron brought us the biggest disaster of all, BREXIT. The pandemic and Ukraine war did huge damage to the economy but no where near as deep and long lasting as Brexit. Those prominent politicians who campaigned for Brexit should be deported to Outer Mongolia.
Sunak wasn't too bad, Truss was insane, and Boris was an utter joke.
I think both Labour and the Tories both ruined the country in different ways, but the Tories definitely did the most long lasting damage, but there's still plenty of room for more damage and if Farage gets anywhere near government then this country will be ruined beyond repair.

 

[warey4life]

Yeah I agree about Major.

About ruining the rave scene?

 

[Diver Fred]

Brexit would never had occurred but for Bliar's desperation to be a/the headhoncho of the EU. He thought by not restricting immigration from the new 8 countries they would support his ambition. Instead it backfired badly as so many British tax payers objected to the amount of migrants and the amount of cash exported to those new 8 countries. He should have done what just about every other old 20 countries did and restricted the numbers of migrants from the new 8. Blair escaped before the SHTF, Camron was the fall guy who had to cause a referendum regarding EU membership - OK the retainers didn't really do enough to counter the arguments from Bojo, Farage and Rees-Mogg.

As I worked in many EU countries whilst all that was going on I knew the benefits and could see every country had issues with Brussels but never enough to leave. I voted to remain.

 

[noseall]

Boris cost us 47 billion with one single act ?

You make me laugh.

£4.7 billion is small fry compared to Boris' failures. He could lose that in heartbeat. Test and trace cost us £30 billion alone.

 

[noseall]

Peanuts compared to the ongoing cost to the economy of the Brexit disaster.

£100 billion+ per year.

Worst UK harming financial decision ever.

 

[Dec27]

About ruining the rave scene?

Yeah

 

[Dec27]

£4.7 billion is small fry compared to Boris' failures. He could lose that in heartbeat. Test and trace cost us £30 billion alone.

Hardly the same, Covid was unprecedented.

It was like going to war

 

[Brigadier]

Hardly the same, Covid was unprecedented.

It was like going to war

Covid was overblown : you said so yourself.

You change your tune to suit whatever position you've adopted at the time.

 

[Dec27]

Covid was overblown : you said so yourself.

You change your tune to suit whatever position you've adopted at the time.

Not one bit. Covid was overplayed, by our government. But comparing Covid to selling the gold off cheap isn’t a fair comparison.

I do like how you always protect nosey, it’s cute.