Paul Flinders

Ex software engineer, medic, round peg in square hole type. Remainer generally more angry about the confidence trick known as Brexit every day.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Blairvic3 @KeruboSk Account numbers have a check digit precisely to avoid money going to completely the wrong place if a single digit is wrong.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@theBackSheep351 @StefanW0lves @alexanderrX_ Ad hominem attacks are usually the last refuge of someone who knows they have lost the argument :)

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@theBackSheep351 @StefanW0lves @alexanderrX_ Benefits are not really "wildly out of control". Biggest chunk is pensions. The UK spend as % of GDP is much less than, say, France or Germany. But the RW wants you to think it's all spent on "scroungers".

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@SaltofEngland @BladeoftheS Cry me some salty tears. We both know that hiding behind "minimum wage" is a sop and that it is not actually enough to live on.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@SaltofEngland @BladeoftheS Well, yes - but if any full-time Tesco staff are on UC that's just inflating Tesco profits from general taxation. I don't mind paying tax. I do mind paying Tesco share holders extra dividends because Tesco don't pay their staff enough.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@NicholasTyrone The problem with this view is that if the Greens stood then there is a chance that LibDem, Labour and the Tories would follow suit so your "ideal" scenario of Greens vs Reform would not play out.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@gstokey @edwinhayward @StrongerInNos In the UK, annualised inflation (RPI, other indices are available) was 3.67% from 1987 to 2026. So 6-7% net is 2.5 to 3.5% inflation adjusted. You need to work hard to get 8% inflation adjusted. Child Trust Funds got about 5-6% net which is probably realistic.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@edwinhayward @StrongerInNos OK, so the FTSE 100 annualised is 6% APR give or take since 1974. You say dividends to top up to 8% but that menas share ownership which means management.

FTSE has gone from 1000 in 1984 to 10,533 today - 10.5x; over that time RPI has gone up 4.56x - 40% loss of value

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@edwinhayward @StrongerInNos You do realise that they are not "passive" internally?

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@EDApps84 @edwinhayward Blair had a go with the "Child Trust Fund". If you were lucky they turned £250 into perhaps £600 over 18 years or about 5% APR

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@edwinhayward @StrongerInNos That's rather hand wavy - there's a huge difference between 6% and 8% if compounded for 50 years. It would also require ongoing management of a huge portfolio to guarantee the return.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@edwinhayward Bond returns are, what, 4% ish at the moment? Where is the government getting the other 4% from reliably, long term. Inflation running about 3% eats into your gain - it might look like you get nearly £500k after 50 years compound interest - but it will be worth closer to £115k

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@archer_rs @v1cr Don't forget to take your own torch.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Exidor70 @archer_rs Me neither but unleaded nozzles are narrower to prevent leaded fuel being used. You can't get leaded these days - at least in the UK but the diesel nozzles are the same size as the old leaded ones.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Exidor70 @archer_rs Quite - also, you can't put a diesel nozzle into a car which takes unleaded.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Sam92082940 @DeanEggitt What was it. Did all the trusts buy it?

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@ianrich15813274 @MaldenSaboteur I'd go further and say that the party political system is no longer fit for purpose and needs completely replacing.

Can't see that happening though.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Sam92082940 @DeanEggitt The average hospital has rather more complex procurement requirements than piri-piri sauce and chicken breasts.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@Sam92082940 @DeanEggitt Because the three trusts have a different mix of patients, staff, workload and established practices to name but a few which means the software which works well for trust A is likely to be different to the best solution for trust B or C.

[Paul Flinders @flinders_paul]

@MullerHeydrich @tanik_tr Not much choice - the penalties for assisting someone to enter illegally are quite stiff. Found with a clandestine migrant is up to £10k fine - per migrant.