July 12, 2025 | Trump is an insecure man-child, always in need of praise and flattery. And yet he is the most powerful man in the world. He is becoming a dictator. He has surrounded himself with sycophants who dare not cross him.
Ice or Immigration Compliance Enforcement is a force of 21,000 thugs with a budget of $3 billion who are able to arrest and deport anyone without proper proceedings or due process.
The Tacos tariffs are a fiasco. Out of the '90 deals in 90 days' predicted by Trump only two have been agreed. Trump has now postponed the deals from July 1st to August 1st and is writing letters to various countries hoping to get a deal.
The approval for Donald Trump is now at minus 12%. Higher prices and shortages are expected very soon because of the tariffs. Moreover, the deportation of 3000 mimmigrants every week is leading to food shortages since there are no workers to harvest fruit in fruit-growing areas.
With falling popularity, rising prices, widely predicted shortages, lay-offs and firms closing, life in America is likely to become very much more difficult for many, including countless Maga supporters.
It may well be that Trump will see no option but to declare martial law, suspend elections indefinitely, and effectively become a dictator.
Of course the UK is flooded with illicit, cheap cigarettes from abroad. Successive governments on the right and the left have increased the tax on cigarettes so much and have made them so expensive that many people cannot afford to pay the ludicrous prices charged in regular shops for government-approved cigarettes. The taxation on cigarettes is out of all proportion to the value of the packet of cigarettes sold, out of all proportion to the pleasure derived therefrom, and out of all proportion to the wages and salaries earned by normal working people.
The government is never going to get to grips with this problem whilst they insist on taxing smokers to the hilt. Smokers WILL get their smokes one way or the other. No do-gooding government is going to stop them. And if they don’t get their pleasure from smoking, they will get their pleasure some other source, from some other substance.
This is precisely what has happened in Australia. Successive Australian governments have raised the prices of cigarettes so much that some sources say that 25% of all cigarettes sold in the country are illicit. In Melbourne, there is even gang warfare over illicit cigarettes! This is what happens when politicians are bereft of common sense! Politics is the art of the possible. Politicians should never forget that! This is Politics 101.
When I quit smoking back in April 2022, the price of a packet of Marlboro Reds in the UK was precisely £12.50. As I write this today, the same shop is selling them for £16.75! On top of that, the quality of cigarettes—all cigarettes sold in the UK—is poor indeed. Nothing like the quality of cigarettes sold in the country when I started smoking all those years ago.
This country will never get a handle on the influx of illicit cigarettes whilst they try and deprive hard-working people of all pleasures. And all in the name of improved health. Yes, of course smoking is not particularly healthy. But so are many other things consumed and enjoyed; moreover, the fact is, people’s health has not improved anyway. Arguably, it is far, far worse. Cardiovascular disease today, type 2 diabetes today, and obesity today are all much worse than they ever were when people enjoyed a cigarette. So, politicians, put that in your pipes and smoke it! Mull that over well!
Jun 21, 2025 | In this video, I visit Munich, the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany.
The German economy has suffered from the ending of gas supplies from Russia and from a decline in sales to China; however, there are few if any signs of economic decline in Munich.
Although I visited on days when the shops were closed, there were plenty of people in the city centre and pubs, restaurants, beer gardens, and beer halls were all very busy.
Although this was only a brief visit to a small part of the centre of the city, it was clear that the German economy will survive and adapt,
Whilst in Munich, I was also able to visit Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, where I filmed another video which can be viewed here.
June 14, 2025 | Under the leadership of Donald Trump, the United States is in chaos. His tariffs have badly damaged the economy and countries are not queueing up to do trade deals with the United States.
The random and ruthless deportation of 'undocumented' immigrants, many of whom have been working in the USA and paying taxes for many years, has been cruel.
Last week, a US congressman from California, Alex Padilla, was thrown to the ground and handcuffed for asking a question of Kirsti Noem, the head of Homeland Security.
Cuts to welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid in order to give tax breaks to already very rich Americans is unfair.
On June 14th, nationwide demonstrations against the Trump government are to be held in 1800 locations throughout the US.
Trumps only option may be to impose Martial Law as public anger increases. It is important that all demonstrations must remain peaceful, no matter if there is provocation. Senators and members of Congress may well be persuaded to reconsider their allegiance to Trump
Mar 15, 2025 | The UK economy is doing very badly. Donald Trump is ensuring that the US economy will also suffer by applying tariffs to America's neighbours and others all over the world. This is likely to seriously damage the US economy just as Brexit has damaged the UK economy.
T rump last week applied 25% tariffs to all imports into the US of aluminium and steel. The EU and others immediately responded with reciprocal tariffs. The UK did nothing, but will be sending the Secretary of State for Business to the US for talks.
In the meantime, Trump's state visit is still going ahead and promises to be a major embarrassment for the UK and King Charles.
The Labour government of Kier Starmer has decided to investigate benefit recipients for fraud. This is likely to be very expensive and to yield very little compared to the vast losses associated with Brexit, supplies of faulty PPE, and the writing off of £19.7 billion of unpaid Bounce Back loans.
The government under Starmer seems wary of offending the rich, whilst dirty money floods into London, often to take advantage of our tax havens.
Council tax needs reform when a £150 million house in London only pays £4000 per year.
Many retail businesses throughout the UK seem to be unviable and yet are able to continue to operate in what is almost certainly money laundering.
The government appears to be afraid of offending the many rich who come to London for whatever reason.
Mar 8, 2025 | Is Donald Trump a Russian agent? His behaviour would suggest that he is acting in the interests of Russia and not the United States.
Since becoming president Trump has made many decisions which will have had an adverse effect on Ukraine and benefitted Russia Trump seems to be under the influence and command of Vladimir Putin . Every decision seems to favour the Russians at the expense of the Ukrainians.
Trump refers to Zelenskyy as a dictator and claims Ukraine started the war. He has stopped all military shipments to Ukraine, has withdrawn any intelligence and is threatening to deport 240,000 Ukrainians living in the United States.
In this video I also read out several comments from Trump supporters in response to my video last week.
Mar 1, 2025 | Trump is under Putin's control. This is almost certainly because Trump will have accepted Russian money in the past to support his business empire. Putin will have let Trump know that if he fails to support Russia, he will release information which will bring down Trump's business empire.
Emmanuel Macron visited Trump in the White House this week and was forceful, being that he was speaking for 27 countries. A day later Keir Starmer visited, representing just one country, Global Britain. With no bargaining power, Starmer disarmed Trump by presenting him with a letter from King Charles inviting his to an unprecedented second state visit.
Finally, UK visitors to China require a visa which involves a lengthy application form, a visit to an embassy for fingerprinting and a fee of between £130 and £250. Visitors from any EU country can visit for 30 days without any visa.
Feb 15, 2025 | The UK economy is failing and there seems to be no way for it to recover without growth and there is very little possibility of this happening.
In this video, I point out three reasons why the UK economy is doing so badly.
First, London has become the world centre for money laundering, attracting dirty money, much of which ends up in British tax havens. In towns and cities throughout the UK can be found retailers who are almost certainly, and often by their own admission, laundering money.
Secondly, the UK made the mistake of privatising vital utilities, water, gas, electricity and the railways. The majority of these are now foreign-owned.
Thirdly, American companies now dominate much of the UK economy. They dominate much of the retail sector including fashion, food, and coffee shops. Amazon now commands 30% of the UK online market. Many of these US owned commercial giants pay little or no taxes in the UK. Instead, licensing payments and other devices are used to divert profits to friendlier tax jurisdictions such as Luxembourg and Ireland. A detailed account of American activities in the UK economy can be found in 'Vassal State' by Angus Hanton.
Finally, the UK has economy has been badly damaged by Brexit which is now widely acknowledged as being a massive and very costly failure. The UK is now alone in a world dominated by China, the EU, and an America which is now ruled by an eccentric and unreliable president. Despite the obvious damage which Brexit has caused to the UK economy, Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, insists that there will be no return to the Customs Union, the Single Market or to Freedom of Movement.
Given the above it seems impossible to see how the UK economy can even begin to recover.
Feb 8, 2025 | This week I am in Thailand visiting my son and his girlfriend who moved here 18 months ago and will not be returning to the UK. Thailand is a much poorer country than the UK. Both countries have similar populations of around 70 million but Thailand’s GDP per capita is only one seventh of that of the UK. Bankok, the capital of Thailand, is however is a very dynamic and bustling metropolis of 9 million. The quality of life for anyone with a reasonable income is very good indeed as I hope to show in a later video.
Given the deteriorating state of the UK economy, it is not at all surprising that so many young people, especially those with qualifications, are leaving the UK. London is now the 8th most expensive city of 226 cities surveyed by Mercer. High taxes, the cost-of-living, property prices and stagnant wages are all reasons to seek alternative places to live and work. It is hardly surprising that 30% of people surveyed by YouGov said that they were actively considering emigrating from the UK
Feb 1, 2025 | Earlier this week, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a number of major infrastructure projects. She announced plans for a railway linking Oxford and Cambridge which could result in eighteen new towns being built forming — a ‘Silicon Valley’ of new technology. She also announced a proposal to give the go-ahead to a new third runway at Heathrow airport. Both of these projects will take many years, possibly decades, to complete and neither will help in the government's urgent quest for growth.
In response to my video last week concerning Nigel Farage, I received more than 1600 comments. Although more than 95% were positive, there were plenty from Farage and Reform UK supporters which I have included in this video.
Jan 25, 2025 | Nigel Farage is a conman. He is only interested in his own fame and making money. For twenty years he was a member of the European parliament during which time he complained and argued incessantly for the UK to leave the EU ich resulted in the disastrous Brexit which has caused so much harm to the UK economy and reputation.
Nigel Farage is now an MP and yet he earns more than £1 million per year from outside activities and claims that he received more than £2 million in expenses over a ten-year period whilst he was an MEP.
He recently told reporters in America that he could be the next UK prime minister.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the World Economic Forum in Davos this week accompanied by Johnathan Reynolds the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade where they were both interviewed by Bloomberg . The interview was a disaster in which Reynolds demonstrated his lack of understanding of his job or how to create any growth in the UK economy.
It is difficult to see how Keir Starmer and Reeves can survive given the constant flow of bad economic news. One person who might be able to save the situation is the First Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones.
Jan 11, 2025 | London has become the money laundering capital of the world and the government seems unable or unwilling to put a stop it.
Corrupt foreign rulers of some of the poorest countries in the world are able to buy extensive property in London often using British tax havens.
Sheikha Hasina, Nawaz Sharif, the Kenyatta family, and many others are believed to own extensive property portfolios in London. Tulip Siddiq, the niece of Sheikha Hasina is a British government minister responsible for preventing fraud.
On UK High Streets there is an ever growing number of nail bar, American candy shops, Turkish barber shops, vape shop, car wash and other businesses which do not appear to be doing enough business to survive and which are widely suspected of laundering money.
I was told by one of those involved that the government and HMRC know exactly what they are doing but that they would not stop them because they are bringing money into the country and creating businesses.
Dec 21, 2024 | Tulip Siddiq, Treasury Economic Secretary, faces allegations of corruption linked to a £10bn 2013 deal with Russia, to build a nuclear power station in Bangladesh where her aunt Sheikh[a] Hasina was prime minister before being deposed in August of this year.
Hasina is accused of receiving up to £4bn of kickbacks in a deal which reportedly involved Tulip Siddiq who denies any wrongdoing. Despite photographic evidence of Siddiq's presence at the deal signing alongside Hasina and Vladimir Putin, Siddiq claims her involvement was a 'family occasion' although it is alleged by others that she was involved in negotiating the deal. Keir Starmer has stood by Siddiq, saying she has his full confidence and will still be responsible for tackling corruption on behalf of the government.
The economic impact of Brexit persists with UK exporters losing £27bn in EU goods sales due to trade barriers. Notably, 16,400 firms halted EU exports entirely. Labour leader Keir Starmer proposes renegotiating EU trade terms but maintains a firm stance against restoring freedom of movement even for young people on temporary visas.
Domestic challenges continue with Thames Water fined £18.2m for paying 'unjustified' dividends of £131m whilst the CEO of Severn Water was paid £3.2m in 2023 which is twenty times the salary of the prime minister.
Inflation is at 2.6%, (joint G7-highest with Japan) and there have been two successive months of no economic growth.
Meanwhile, Dover’s underfunded inspections revealed substantial smuggling of unsafe food, including 6 tonnes of rotten and potentially lethal meat raising public health concerns.
Boris Johnson has been telling television viewers in New Zealand that the UK is experiencing a 'brain drain' much of which was caused by his incompetence and dishonesty.
On January 1st the UK joins the CPTPP which will make any return to the EU almost impossible. It will be made even more difficult once the government's 72 Special Economic Zones and 14 Freeports open since these would not be acceptable to the EU given their well-known attraction to smugglers, tax evaders and money launderers. complicating prospects of ever rejoining the EU.
Dec 14, 2024 | Nowadays in the UK the police are often called to investigate minor incidents such as responding to online social media posts, silent protest, people holding signs which a very small minority might find offensive.
In the meantime. crime is increasing throughout the UK especially shoplifting and mobile phone snatching. The police say they are too busy to investigate.
Kerr Starmer has been in Saudi Arabia this week asking the Saudis to invest in the UK. They will not do so unless they see a real potential profit and all the world knows that the UK economy is in trouble.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, this week attended a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels. Having made it clear yet again that the UK does not wish to rejoin the Customs Union, the Single Market, or the EU, and will not agree to free movement even for students and young people. She sought better trading terms for the UK.
At the same time the EU has now introduced GSPR terms which will make it necessary for all goods exported to the EU or Northern Ireland to be tested in the EU and for every exporter to employ an approved agent with the EU to check that every consignment conforms with EU standards.
The EU signed a free trade agreement with MERCASUR, a group including Brazil, Argentina and others comprising 700 million consumers. Had the UK remained in the EU it would have benefited from this important deal.
In the meantime, the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, admitted on national television that Brexit has been a failure. Boris Johnson is also believed to have admitted to close associates that he deeply regrets Brexit.
Finally, Nigel Forage who, above all others, persuaded the British public to vote to leave the EU and who persuaded the farmers to vote ‘leave’ is now their champion appearing at their protests in Whitehall.
Begging the Saudis to invest in the UK will come at a very high price. Is Starmer so naïve that he doesn’t realise this? Saudi investment in the UK will accelerate the Islamisation of the country. Yes, of course they will want to profit from their investments in a business sense. But the Saudis will expect to profit from their investments politically and religiously, as well. Saudi Arabia, as we all know, is the home of Islam, and the Saudi king is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. (Please click here.) There is no way that the Saudi royal family will not want to further the cause of Islam in the UK in return for their generosity.
Dec 7, 2024 | Keir Starmer this week announced six new milestones to go with his 'Mission led' government. He made no mention of the economy or how he expects to pay for the missions.
Also discussed in a tongue-in-cheek manner pointing out how businesses are suffering and how the UK economy is suffering from new post Brexit regulations.
UK immigration has reached over 800,000 partly because of the shortage of workers following Brexit.
The UK government continues to blame Covid, the Ukraine, and the EU for their own failings.
Nov 23, 2024 | The UK economy is in a bad way and it is difficult to see how it can improve. Government borrowing in October was £17.4 billion, much more than expected and a record amount for any October since records began. Interest on the national debt is currently £102 billion per year, equal to twice the defence budget.
Retails sales in October were down and energy prices are set to rise further. The government's plan is to go for growth whilst businesses are closing, and many are struggling.
Electricity prices are 78% higher than the average in the EU and four times the rate in the USA. Foreign investors own much of our infrastructure and major businesses, and a Japanese consortium has just been contracted to operate the new Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), taking over from the Hong Kong Metro.
Government waste seems out of control. Under the Public Order Act, police are able to detain and punish anyone who expresses opinions which they disapprove of.
In another apparent waste of public money 470 delegates from the UK attended Cop29 in Baku in Azerbaijan, and the owner of Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd which provides accommodation for asylum seekers made a profit of £62.5 million in the year ending (y/e) January 2023 and £91 million in y/e January 2024. It is difficult to see any positive outcome for the British economy.
Michael, I wholeheartedly agree with your take on the state of the UK. I hate to sound negative, but I have lived long enough to see how the UK operates. I am sorry to say that I see no future whatsoever for this country. The country will just go on bungling along. First, we lost the Empire. Then, our economy went down and down until we became the “Sick Man of Europe”. Then, along came Lady Luck who shined upon us, blessing the nation with great good fortune — a fortunate stroke of serendipidy. We were given the chance to enter the then Common Market. The UK economy started to bloom again. That was until economically illiterate, backward-thinking people insisted that the British electorate be given that stupid Brexit referendum. The result is well-known, and its effects on the UK economy, too. So, we are now on a downward slide into poverty and insignificance.