Just to cheer you up, Richard (possibly). I frequently have to travel via the travesty that is Virgin trains, whose buffet cars often close, on the cross country ones, at 19:30ish. Now with copious thirsty passengers aboard (particularly if they are of a sports persuasion) means that a quick trip into Tescos beforehand to purchase a large crate of Stella, then standing by the closed buffet car means a tidy profit can be had. Sell them for £3 per can on cans that cost £1.10.

I always figured that Branson would appreciate my entrepreneurial spirit - or at least he hasn't caught me yet

He has lived on mount Olympus for far too long, the hoi polloi experience is so far removed from Mr. Branson's lofty elevation and lifestyle.

Little though does he realise, that, living under the yoke of the EU benefits the ordinary Joe or Spiros (see Greece) not at all. In actual fact, the EU makes life at the bottom - in the street - day to day living - just that much harder and complicated, not to forget vastly more expensive, intrusive and socially disruptive. Sir. Richard, lives in a world where the big federation is A Nirvana and the little people should be grateful for being able to exist in it.

A magisterial manner, which is the thing which grates. Why, does he consider his self opinionated judgements are of a greater import than other viewpoints from mere mortals? In his infinite wisdom, he must deem his musings influence those of lesser beings - "listen you idiots!"

It would indeed, be at least be a little more convincing if he commenced his mighty outpouring with an acknowledgement of how he and his empire does actually benefit from the EU. Benefits, inclusive of the customs union; its oppressive employment laws and crushing business over regulation, all of which prevent any small company even approaching the idea of competing with any of his 'enterprises'.

That would be a first though, probably - one can speculate even, admitting the truth with only himself for company in front of the mirror, may well be an extension as yet unattained.

Edited by user 04 January 2013 05:03:08(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

International companies, which offshore their profits and which much prefer dealing with Brussels, rather than messy democracies. Little do they realise that they are no longer in the same position to influence the debate. To a very great extent, the CBI and its corporate gang, are a busted flush. People are not going to roll over just because "big business" starts weeping and gnashing its teeth.

The crook Richard Branson – those worried that I'm libelling Beardie should follow the second link in Dr North's story, to the Tom Bower article, and note the references to VAT fraud and the buyback of Virgin Music shares – is a good example of how the public can be duped. Most people think he's a business genius. He's not, and he's never prospered unless in a monopoly or cartel (when he claimed to be a minnow fighting BA, Virgin Atlantic – of which he owns only 51% anyway – was price-fixing fuel charges with its "rival").

Like many shysters, Branson is awash with greenwash. How that squares with taking people into space for 15 minutes – think of the "carbon"! – on Virgin Galactic is anyone's guess (in typical Beardie fashion, for the last seven years he's been asking people to pony up £250,000 in advance for a flight but has kept putting the date back – there's still no guarantee when the flights will happen but don't worry, your cash, if not the interest on it, is definitely safe).

The Bower biography of the charlatan is an eye-opener and highly recommended (disclaimer: I'm thanked in it but don't receive a bean on sales). The book was published in 2000 and made Beardie very cross indeed. He threatened to sue but didn't. The same year, the panel awarding the licence for the national lottery were all given a copy. At the time, Virgin was hot favourite for the licence and the incumbent, Camelot, was about 5-2. When the press revealed that the panel was reading the Bower book, those who had read it knew that even the dismal Camelot was a dead cert and so filled their boots.

Sorry to stray from the point, which is that a con job (Branson) is recommending a con job (EU membership). Both con jobs are masterminds of propaganda. Both were, naturally, born of fraudulence. Both were far more popular in this country in the 1970s but have since greatly extended their reach despite the fact that everything they touch turns to excrement (trains and trains legislation being an example of something that yokes the two miseries together). Both should have been fatally wounded by hostile but entirely true biographies ("Branson" in 2000, "The Great Deception" and its predecessor a little later) but both refuse to die. The UK joined the EEC in 1973, the same year as "Tubular Bells", which set Branson up for life, was released. People with experience of, say, Virgin Trains are beginning to wake up to the fact that Beardie is not very good news, in much the same way as the public is twigging that EU membership is not an undiluted boon for the ordinary punter. It's taken a while, hasn't it?

It might be quicker, instead of saying how awful the EU and Branson are (both things that I have spent time doing and not just in this post – the "www" link below this post is one example), to offer the public some much tastier alternatives that necessitate the exclusion of Brussels (or Beardie). And, only six months behind the rest of you, I think I've just argued the case for the Harrogate Agenda.

Edited by user 04 January 2013 08:32:17(UTC)  | Reason: Links

The Gordon Broon book is an equally good demolition job (I was more involved with that one than the Branson one). I prefer the Branson book because its revelations are more surprising. Many of us knew that Broon was not playing with a full deck. Fewer of us knew that Saint Beardie was a recidivist.

If you haven't opened them already, don't follow the links in my post – they contain "spoilers" for the book you've just downloaded!

(Sorry, everyone, for going a bit off topic.)

Edited by user 04 January 2013 10:33:16(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified