Aristocrats still run UK

[Pinball]

The Duke of Devonshire has died at his Derbyshire home, Chatsworth House, at the age of 84

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3682897.stm

It's funny how some news stories remind you of previous threads, in this case Duke of Westminster who owns central London (which is why you can only buy a flat with a leasehold and not a freehold). Mayor Livingstone worked out that a small tax on the profits of the Duke of Westminster would be the equivalent of the capital's annual Council Tax.

Anyway, as the aristocrats own the UK, they own us. Simple as that really. Get as many degrees as you like, be as clever as you like, but you'll never touch 'em. While you own a little flat they own 50,000 acres, farms, mansion houses - and the politicians. A couple of lickle quotes from this single news story:

The duke, Andrew Cavendish, was the Peak District's largest landowner. The owner of the 12,000-acre Chatsworth estate was a well-known supporter of fox hunting.

The 11th Duke of Devonshire was a minister in the Conservative government 1960-64, led by his uncle, Harold Macmillan.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were regular visitors to Chatsworth House and shared a love of countryside pursuits with the Devonshires [i.e. fox hunting].

UK? Meritocracy? With my reputation?

[untitled_london]

its enough to make you sick really.

/runs before euro-boy pops up :P

[hotvans]

agree to a point but would rather be in serfdom to some batty old aristo than to some "considerably richer than thou" techie millionaire
bit o class makes all the difference (tugs forelock)
p.s. have i technically got a forelock?

[Pinball]

agree to a point but would rather be in serfdom to some batty old aristo than to some "considerably richer than thou" techie millionaire
bit o class makes all the difference (tugs forelock)
p.s. have i technically got a forelock?

I don't mind if people have earned the money, even though I accept a lot will be dodgy so-and-sos. To take a specific example, leaseholds don't exist anywhere in the West apart from the UK, and are wholly unfair. People should be able to buy the freehold (= own) their homes, instead of being dependent on an aristo who even now can in many cases (theoretically at least) boot you out. Why should the Duke of Westminster be able to own west central London? Is that not a bit, er, feuda-fucking-listic? Why should we be giving money to people like that (land rent etc. to the Duke of Westminster in London is equivalent to the Council Tax paid annually by Londoners!)? Should land that was cut up and shared amongst the UK's (mainly England's) aristocrats forever belong to them? What about democracy?

I don't know exactly how the situation could be rectified, but the current situation is completely wrong.

[untitled_london]

I don't know exactly how the situation could be rectified

gimme a crowbar & 10 mins off camera with the toffe-nosed-fucker, and i'm sure you'll soon see an improvement in class relations.

[neuteredcats]

I don't mind if people have earned the money, even though I accept a lot will be dodgy so-and-sos. To take a specific example, leaseholds don't exist anywhere in the West apart from the UK, and are wholly unfair. People should be able to buy the freehold (= own) their homes, instead of being dependent on an aristo who even now can in many cases (theoretically at least) boot you out. Why should the Duke of Westminster be able to own west central London? Is that not a bit, er, feuda-fucking-listic? Why should we be giving money to people like that (land rent etc. to the Duke of Westminster in London is equivalent to the Council Tax paid annually by Londoners!)? Should land that was cut up and shared amongst the UK's (mainly England's) aristocrats forever belong to them? What about democracy?

I don't know exactly how the situation could be rectified, but the current situation is completely wrong.

Take most of it away from them, that's how.

The simple facts are these - 50% of the country's wealth is owned by only 7% of it's population. Hence, why we have the most unfair, unequal distribution of wealth of any Western nation.

This is borne out by those polls they do once every few years. You know the one's. Where we come about 4th or 5th as the largest economy in the world and only about 18th or 19th on the one for overall standard of living per head of population.

And why is this? Partly because every time we had an opportunity - in the past - to overthrow the parasites - we backed down and 'ate humble pie' whereas other countries had the bollocks to turn over the status quo. (now there's a great band!) We have only oursleves (or our forefathers) to blame!

[Pinball]

Very true. I know France reasonably well and it's so different there - for, um, obvious neck-chopping reasons. But in a way the government is the new Lord there, albeit rather more accountable.

Another interesting statistic I heard is that the over-50s in the UK hold >80% of the wealth, presumably due to the fact that they have the big houses worth millions of pounds. It's funny that each successivle generation in the last 50 years has had to live in smaller homes. Currently the "new workers" have to buy flats, but don't forget that the previous generations bought houses! Young people are basically disenfranchised, whilst the baby boomers are buy-to-letting like buggery "for their pensions". What about our pensions/future???? Unlike them, we won't be able to take early retirement; indeed, by the time we retire I bet there won't be a retirement age. Work 'til you drop, mate. B&Q here we come :-(

[Crazy Penis]

For some reason the George Michael track "Praying For Time" comes to mind. One of my ex-girlfriends would get £100 pocket money a week from her parents. And all she ever bought me in two months was a pack of macaroni cheese and some bacon.
We took a drive once so she could point out all the land they owned. As they were a farming family there was tons of it. But she said her family was "comfortable." Her family friends were the third richest family in the UK and they knew famous people. And they had toga parties.
For a short while I thought I'd had it made. I still think about when I used to imagine myself shouting "Another vodka slammer miss Parmer-Tomkinson ?"
Still. I'm happy.



It really makes me feel fucking sick when I think about those type of bastards. I'm very bitter about it all.

[Pinball]

There's a fundamental unfairness about it, because no matter how hard you work you'll never have that. An example would be a plain old house. My house earns more than I do, in terms of the amount it increases in value per year (well, not now of course because the South is 0% appreciation, but you see my point - it's trebled in value in the last 10 years). So imagine if you owned £10 million of property or land (land also increases in value of course). Farmers are quids in 'cos they get planning permission for a few houses and then they're multimillionaires. So why the fuck do we give them subsidies???????????

The feudalistic, monarchist system is deeply unfair. Whilst we all ridicule Bill Gates, I have a helluva lot more respect for him than an aristocrat, because he earned his money. He did something for it.

[Marcus Or Relius]

I used to live a few miles away from the Spencer Estate, Althorp House, where Diana's carcass is buried. It was absurdly huge, vast acres of beautiful countryside and woods, all fenced off from us mucky commoners. It's absurd how we're expected to not only respect these aristocrats, but to worship them.

They know we're bitter, they know we're thoroughly annoyed that we struggle get on the property ladder, and utterly chuffed to beans that we get some poxy three-bedroomed semi whose mortgage we might have a chance of paying off before we retire, whilst these cousin-humping bum-wipes inherit vast amounts of land and will never, ever give it up. Not even the most thorough and passionate arguement that these inbreds deserve their wealth could ever erode my hatred for them, which I am more than happy to confess is out of jealousy and bitterness.

People who have very little can't be expected to respect those have a lot, especially if the latter didn't earn it through hard work, this being the manner which the former are expected to attain what laughably passes for a living these days. Were it in my power, I'd have every titled aristocrat shoved out of existence in the most violent manner possible.

[Pinball]

Well said. Basically I can tolerate rich types, even van Hoogstraten bastards, 'cos they EARNED it!!!! Frankly the crimes (allegedly) committed by Hoogstraten are as nothing compared with the raping and pillaging committed by the ancestors of the modern chinless wonders.

I have a penchant for the countryside, and at lunchtime at work I sometimes drive to a nice little wooded area off a public road. No people. Beautiful. I've even had a few lunchtime naps ;-)   This one lunchtime this Volvo pulls up beside the Pinballmobile, and a grey-haired chap says "are you aware this is a private road" (actually it's a public bridleway), "cars aren't allowed. If I see you again I'll report you. You can get 60 points on your licence for driving here y'know!".

Clever given that there's only 12 points on a licence. Anyway, I contact the Council and they tell me there is public access as it's a bridleway, but not for motorised vehicles. Strictly speaking, you're allowed to drive on a bridleway up to 50 yards or so from a public road, so I should be okay as this is where I park, but I can't be assed to get into a legal wrangle for the sake of a lunchtime nap. There's plenty of woods in Hampshire - I'll find another fucking one.

Interesting thing was, I did a bit of digging, and this guy is a Lord, who owns several hundred acreas of Hampshire and has a £20 million mansion. So it was a bit mean of him to pick on meaningless me, n'est pas? But it's the mindset of these people that wrankles. They have such a superior lifestyle - and believe me this is true - that they consider us scum. Genuine scum. And they want us orf their laaaaaaand.

[fanny splendid]

Our newest member of the aristocracy, Madonna, has been complaining today about people's right to roam on parts of her land. Apparently she loves the English countryside, and it's a good job too, seeing as she owns 1200 acres of it.

She's not keen on planes flying overhead, either.

[Pinball]

Our newest member of the aristocracy, Madonna, has been complaining today about people's right to roam on parts of her land. Apparently she loves the English countryside, and it's a good job too, seeing as she owns 1200 acres of it.

She's not keen on planes flying overhead, either.

Do satellites bother her, too? One wouldn't think she did porno shoots for Playboy to pay for her band in the early years. From cunt-exposing scrubber to reclusive lady in just a few decades. Who'd have thunk it?

Michael Winner lives near me BTW (just though I'd throw that piece of offal in).

[untitled_london]

how is it even remotely fair that i have no mortgage and no job and i feel like shit whist they have no mortage and no job and think its a hoot.

scum of the earth every last one of them and their cronies.

[joFFeman]

aristocrat is the name of the cheapest vodka 'round these parts. 12$US for a half-gallon. i drink too much of it.

that is all.