September 20, 2010

IFAs, Tax and the Lib Dem Conference

So the pressure is building on the Advisory Sector to be careful that there is a clear line between respectable financial advice, and helping people pay less tax than the general public might like.  Confused?  We will be. Where the law is in all this, remains a mystery.  But the direction of political travel is getting clearer by the day. Everyone from IFAs to multinational advisory firms will need to think...

September 16, 2010

I have just emailed the pope

As everyone is talking about him, I thought I’d try talking to him.  It’s not hard.  He is on email.  At: benedictxvi@vatican.va But before you click on the link and ask for absolution or suchlike, beware.  You must call him “Your Holiness”.  Not “Your Eminence”.  This moniker is sheer rudeness and should only be used when you are sending emails to mere Cardinals.   I will let loyal readers know how I get on,...

September 15, 2010

More Guardian & Real IRA Ponderings

First off: Thanks to very clever (Social Media Expert) Tim Malbon who is to be found HERE and who pointed out that as a novice New Ager, I had forgotten to provide a link to the Guardian/Real IRA Story. This can now be found by clicking HERE. Bear in mind that, in print, this was an “exclusive” Front Page story.  And: I am also thankful that Tim found the story “sad”.  I did also.  A sad indictment of the...

The Guardian: mouthpiece of The Real IRA?

I’m getting slightly worried by The Guardian’s obsession with the wickedness of bankers. Now I know they are fat. And that they hoard money in the boot of Bentleys and in those small lockers on board their yachts in Cannes. And I accept that they must be depicted as feline and slimey in all the funniest cartoons. It’s a fair cop boys (and the odd girl). You are rich. Ergo...

September 14, 2010

What I do: business and politics fused

People reading my blog have been asking what I do, and why I am writing about tax and politics and suchlike (see older posts). The answer is that I have a marketing consultancy background, with a bit of agency planner and brand planner time served along the way. I help clients to be clearer about their organisation’s ambition and key market-facing messages. Simply and clearly, ideally. Increasingly, I find myself...

Mark & Evan Love Tax (less so Ed Balls)

It has been fascinating listening to the highly approachable Evan Davies educating us all about our tax system. Especially right now, given where we are in the tax and spend debate. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tpp4w/Evan_Loves_Tax_Episode_1/ As regular readers and friends may be aware, like Evan, I too “love tax”. Having worked with one of the Big Four Firms to deliver a number of international Tax Summits lately, I’ve become unexpectedly fascinated by a...

September 9, 2010

Tea with Alastair Campbell

A few folks (Roger, Elizabeth, hello) have “told me off” for having a blog and then not (a) updating it with news of what I’m up to business-wise and (b) not using it to share interesting stuff. So from now on, I will blog if something interesting stikes me. Yesterday was interesting. A chat with Alastair Campbell about his involvement in a major event. For my money, he is one...

July 29, 2009

Twit

If I called this a twitter would I be lying?

September 2, 2008

Credit Card Bet

Here is the bet: Open your wallet. Get out your credit cards. I bet that you can’t give a rational explanation for all the cards you own? I suspect that you are deeply irrational about the credit cards you have. Yes? No? Was I right? (Tip: click on “COMMENTS” just under my name, and then – as you fill in the comment – don’t worry about having a “google identity”,...

July 7, 2008

You never know who’s watching

The thing about a blog linked to a website, is that you never know who is watching. Will anyone in Romania read this? Can anyone in the UK work out why I am mentioning Romania? Is there any point to this blog? Feel free to comment in whatever real or surreal way strikes you: