What happened to Britain’s role in the world?

There is currently a series of letters in the Times about this. It is an obsession of the British that they must have such a role and that in Foreign Affairs "We should punch above our weight". It is at the core of our mediocrity as a people and as a Nation.

The empirical evidence is that there is no part of British life, with the possible exception of the BBC, where we can lay claim to being intrinsically better than other nations whether it be in public services, architecture, sport or any other field of human activity. There is absolutely no evidence that somehow the United Kingdom is uniquely qualified to play a special role in the World.

The problem is that whilst we continue to believe that we have and that somehow we have an entitlement to a seat at the top table we continue to dissipate our efforts to develop a decent and honest society in Britain, squander our resources in wars, independent nuclear deterrents and other follies de grandeur.

In the meantime Mr Blair gets on another aeroplane and we have the ridiculous media managed spectacle of him and Mr Bush marching purposely at a press conference and failing miserably to demonstrate that somehow Britain by definition has to be part of an alliance that has the answer to problems we in part created by our arrogance.

Citizenship and Tax avoidance.

There was an interesting article in today's Mail about super commuters who make their millions in London but reside for taxation purposes in Monaco. Sir Philip Green, Sir Stelious Haji-Ioaannou were mentioned.

It has always seemed to me outrageous that anyone should enjoy the benefits of UK citiizenship and not pay the entrance price to the club. Not residence for taxation purposes should preclude such people from participation and let us not have the hoary arguement that they created jobs. Certainly jobs were created but they fail to mention they also benefitted substantially from these jobs. The difference is that those working in the jobs paid taxation whereas the founders wwho enjoyed the main benefits did not.

It is also interesting that two of the best known non residents have knighthoods. That is bad enough but of more interest would be a list of the Members of the House of Lords who are non-resident and what their involvement with political parties was prior to their enoblement.

I must ask Guido to consider investigating.