UK Chancellor Alistair Darling stretches credibility.

It is probably correct to say that UK Chancellor Alistair Darling is stretching everyone's credibility with his growth forecasts for the British economy, which is basically England. To get Johnny Foreigner to invest in £200bn plus worth of gilts, I would have personally introduced measures such as higher VAT, lower international aid and European Union payments and lower expenditure on PFI projects. As I am not chancellor....

Introducing a top rate of 50 pct might play well to the left wing of the Labour Party but will lead to a lot of talent going abroad. However, it will be nice to see top-level bureaucrats and town council fat cats having to pay more. I think it is the case that quite a few footballers and football managers get paid through the Channel Islands, so at least this will stop (I think?).

The mountain load of UK government bonds (gilts) will have to compete with US Treasuries, German Bunds and even Spanish Bonos. There is unlikely to be a currency gain since we need a very weak sterling to get the British economy going and to mask the effects of deflation. If there is a gilt buyers strike and we have to lift the yields on these British government bonds, then Gawd help us poor
Britishers.

British Premier Gordon Brown says the economic crisis started abroad. If you say so Gordon. Obviously, Northern Rock and Dunfirmline Building Society are major international institutions. That is why they hit the rocks. (sorry about the pun).