Comments on: The Governor of the Bank of England chooses today to appear on Test Match Special – to talk about something entirely different

By: Rob Fisher

Rob Fisher — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:33:25 +0000

Thinking about Geoff Boycott’s note, I wonder if it’s not quite right. One way tax distorts things is that you pay tax on profit but you don’t get anything back when you make a loss. So businesses have to be more successful to survive than would otherwise be the case.

Is getting a bailout a bit like getting something back when you make a loss? Probably not but the taxes do muddy things.

By: Tim Carpenter (Libertarian Party)

Tim Carpenter (Libertarian Party) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:08:14 +0000

Surely it is “Rome Burns because they fiddled”?

Balls et al rely on tribal, knee-jerk reactions to the crisis. They will have their CeauÈ™escu Moment. King will, too, the way he is going.

By: Johnathan Pearce

Johnathan Pearce — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:24:06 +0000

Given the enormous damage done by central banks during the past 100 years, there is something to be said for making them all spend time watching sports.

I would like to see Geoff Boycott give more commentary on such matters. I’d like to think the old fella has been reading up on his von Mises during the rain breaks at Lords.

There is another quite famous Mervyn King, by the way. He’s a darts player from Ipswich, and his nickname is “Merv the Swerve”. Thought I’d share that.

By: Gareth

Gareth — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:15:09 +0000

Was King doing that central banker thing of deliberately not cancelling irrelevant engagements, to give the impression of business as usual, no panic, steady as she goes and all that? If so, does he seriously think anyone will be fooled?

It is not the engagement that was irrelevant but King. The UK *won’t* rock the boat so there is no need for King to be at his desk.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:26:00 +0000

I would have paid well in excess of the cost of a Lords Day 1 ticket to listen to Geoffrey Boycott put a few pertinent questions to Mervyn King.

I would particularly like to ask him why, if the current higher levels of inflation are a ‘spike’ and will fall back to within his target range in the near future, his own pension fund at the BoE is heavily invested in index linked products.

By: pete

pete — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:23:41 +0000

I’m pleased to hear that Test Matches still happen.

Is there somewhere you can still get an ice lolly for 3d or a Matchbox car for 1/11?

By: Paulm

Paulm — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:38:09 +0000

Wasn’t he a permanent fixture at the Royal box at the Wimbledon tennis tournament a couple of weeks ago also?

The man’s a workaholic freeloader.

By: Patrick Crozier

Patrick Crozier — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:35:28 +0000

I think you’re being far too cynical. Mr King is clearly a very wise man and cricket could do a lot worse than adopting some of his ideas. For instance, say England are 500 runs and an innings behind with one wicket left (let’s face it not an unlikely situation given that they are up against the stars of the IPL) then rather than just lose they could partially dismantle the wicket and in return for one of its component parts (an act which will become known as a “bail out”) receive the missing runs from the Bank of Cricket which, as the scorer of last resort, would have the power to magic up the necessary runs out of thin air.

This would massively help to restore confidence in the English game while delivering a bloody nose to the evil speculators at BetFair. There’s even every chance that as England’s recovery continues we’ll get our runs back.

By: Michael Fowke

Michael Fowke — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:35:30 +0000

He’s a bum.