[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I'd correct this to warfare but there hasn't been any. Pasties are gross anyway.

I rarely if ever eat a bought one, only the ones my Mum makes.

[Kizzy]

Aw thats lovely, my mums are way nicer too

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by kizzy

Aw thats lovely, my mums are way nicer too

They'll be a million times better than bought ones I dare bet.

[Kizzy]

If more people made food there would be less to pay in tax, makes sense I think

[letmein]

One issue people are taking with this, is that they just gave massive tax breaks to the wealthiest, and then did this.

[Jords]

Originally Posted by InOne

Greggs is chav food anyway, never bother with it.

wtf

Our Greggs is amazing.

[Kizzy]

Its just a pasty...chav food....
What about great british fish n chips....are they chav food?
people on low incomes eat them outside ...they are cheap and greasy...

[InOne]

Greggs is awful, their speciality is something known as the cat-**** pasty. The rest of it is burnt dry and tasteless

[Livia]

Greggs has a peculiar smell when you walk past... well, my local one does. It's not a smell that would make me want to buy anything in there.

[MTVN]

Their corned beef pasties

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by InOne

Greggs is chav food anyway, never bother with it.

[Scarlett.]

Stick with Oddies or Hampsons

[Livia]

Percy Ingle's Bakeries are a little bit marvellous. I think they're just in London though, and that's a long walk for me now just for a loaf and a sticky bun.

[InOne]

I like the quaint little places where some old granny serves you

[Scarlett.]

There used to be a Bakery in my town, Pickles Bakery, was fantastic, also my dad was the baker there

[Kizzy]

It is a shame all the little independant everything have been forced out of business ...As arista would say sign of the times...
Feel the tory force...

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18244640

The government is to reverse its plans to impose VAT on Cornish pasties, the BBC has learned.

The U-turn from Chancellor George Osborne's Budget follows protests by bakers and caravanning enthusiasts.

The government has altered the definition of what is a "hot" pasty to allow the reversal of its plans. Labour said ministers were "incompetent".

After the amendment, food such as sausage rolls or pasties sold on shelves - that is, cooling down, rather than being kept hot in a special cabinet - will not be liable for VAT.

During a parliamentary debate last week, MPs from all three main parties criticised Mr Osborne's proposals, arguing they were unenforceable and would have an adverse impact on jobs and businesses.

Currently, VAT is not charged on most food and drink, or hot baked goods, but is payable on takeaway food sold to be eaten hot.

However, hot savouries including pasties and pies are exempt. The U-turn would effectively maintain this situation where they are left to return to "ambient temperatures" on shelves in bakeries and supermarkets.

Another conservative cock-up .....

If they happen to have just come out of the oven and are hot when sold, they will still be treated for tax purposes like cold takeaway food - that is, they will be zero-rated. Simple really”

Nick Robinson

Political editor

[Kizzy]

What a feck up! seriously.... What i cannot understand is when you do your weekly food shop all 'luxury' items are subject to tax confectionary and such, non essentials...
Why then is that not applied to food bought from 'fast food' outlets?.....

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by InOne

Greggs is chav food anyway, never bother with it.

As much a chav food as cheap pizzas and suchlike

If people wish to choose fast food that has to be prepared/ cooked / heated - they should be a taxable uplift on it.

If they want to be lazy and have someone else prepare their food / and or cook it - they should have to pay extra for it as it is a non-essential - it is a luxury.

If people want to seriously complain about it: go out, buy all the ingredients, make it all from scratch, cook it, watch over it whilst it cooks, clean up the mess afterwards: then you'll see what a bargain hot food is.

The stance being taken about foods being allowed to cool down: now - that opens up all sorts then: ie; cooked chickens that sold in supermarkets, etc - but allowed to cool before being sold etc - are they cheaper that the ones that come straight from the roasting spit? I don't think they are?

[MTVN]

I don't get why people always criticise governments for doing u-turns, it's a lot better that they listen to people, recognise they made a mistake and change their minds then to just stick to the guns and force through a policy just for the sake of their pride

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't get why people always criticise governments for doing u-turns, it's a lot better that they listen to people, recognise they made a mistake and change their minds then to just stick to the guns and force through a policy just for the sake of their pride

Yes, absolutely fair point, but some people just moan about every single thing as far as government is concerned - and give them no credit for when they DO listen to the people: and when such u-turns are made: suddenly the Government haven't a clue. Can't do right for wrong and all that.

I had no issue with this added tax but if the voice of the people has made them change their stance: then isn't that a good thing. From small acorns and all taht.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't get why people always criticise governments for doing u-turns, it's a lot better that they listen to people, recognise they made a mistake and change their minds then to just stick to the guns and force through a policy just for the sake of their pride

Because they have teams of economists working getting paid a high salary to devise budgets to regulate the economy.
It is disgusting that they tried to rush this in.... it smacks of a cover story to me, just a bit of spin to bury other dodgy goings on like the Beecroft report.....

Either that or Mr Greggs and other 'interested' pasties..er I mean parties donated a substantial sum to the conservative party to get it stopped....Wouldn't surprise me.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't get why people always criticise governments for doing u-turns, it's a lot better that they listen to people, recognise they made a mistake and change their minds then to just stick to the guns and force through a policy just for the sake of their pride

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...ust?intcmp=239

David Cameron's flagship "big society" project is at risk of being derailed by savage cuts to grassroots voluntary groups and a collapse in trust among the very people the government expected to deliver its vision, according to an independent audit of the first two years of the initiative.

The report concludes that the big society lacks a clear vision and strategy and is in danger of becoming "an initiative for the leafy suburbs", despite the prime minister's championing of a policy he described at its Downing street launch in 2010 as something he hoped would be "one of the great legacies" of his government.

The report's author, Caroline Slocock, said "There are real question marks over the vision and delivery of big society."

The report draws on more than 40 data sources to test progress on the government's "three pillars" of the big society: enabling people to shape their local area, opening up public services provision to charities, and levels of "social action" such as volunteering. It finds:

• There is a widening "big society gap" in which volunteering and other forms of social capital are strongest in wealthy areas. Cuts have hit charities based in deprived areas the hardest, creating the danger that the project becomes "an initiative for the leafy suburbs".

• Despite ministerial promises, charities and social enterprises have been sidelined in the market for government contracts, such as the Work Programme, which the report says has "an implicit bias towards large, private sector businesses".

• The government lacks a common vision and strategy for the big society, while smaller voluntary groups vital to delivering the project have found it hard to make their voices heard in Whitehall. It cites figures showing 70% of charity leaders believed the government did not value or respect the voluntary sector as a partner.

The sense that big society policy is foundering is underlined by a separate Guardian survey of the 16 specially invited guests present at the big society launch meeting held in Downing Street in May 2010, hosted by Cameron and the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.

Most of those invited were the kind of grassroots community activists and social entrepreneurs identified by the government as central to its project.

The survey reveals that while most of the participants still subscribe to big society aims in principle, many key supporters have become disheartened by the scale of cuts to charities and the failure of the government to put its weight behind the policy, which sought to give local people and charities a bigger say in running their communities and services.

It's not just about u-turns on an unpopular tax, it's about not having a clue about running a country - the current Tory government is always ready to "talk the talk", but finds itself singularly unable to "walk the walk", unless, of course, it benefits party patrons and supporters. The government should never have found itself involved in a "pasty tax furore" in the first place, but, of course, this is the government that gives tax-breaks to millionaires while robbing pensioners millions of pounds of benefits .....

[Kizzy]

Not to nention allowing those who invest over half a million to structure reports suggesting dickensian employment reforms......

[MTVN]

Eh don't turn my comment into some kind of pro-Tory post, I was talking about u-turns in general, it doesn't matter if it's Labour or the Tories, they're always mocked and criticised for doing it but they're also criticised if they stick with a policy