Fellow Wine Lovers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smoke and Mirrors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Musically<\/strong>\u2026 a song by Gotye, the Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist better known for the song: \u201cSomebody That I Used To Know\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Visually<\/strong>\u2026 a special effects company whose work you may have seen in a broad selection of adverts ranging from Adidas to Sol via Toyota and Nissan. Be sure to have the Sol after the motors\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internationally<\/strong>\u2026 a rather swish looking cocktail bar on the roof of the National Gallery in Singapore. A Kaleidoscope for me if you\u2019re buying!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Topically<\/strong>\u2026 an intimate magic-themed pub in Bristol that serves a selection of real ales and hosts magicians at the weekends. We think this is where Jeremy Hunt might have been sipping on his inspiration!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditionally<\/strong> (from Cambridge Business English Dictionary) \u2026 Something that is described as smoke and mirrors is intended to make you believe that something is being done or is true, when it is not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new budget isn’t smoke and mirrors; it’s an honest attempt to reduce the deficit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Economically<\/strong>\u2026 it has, of course, been the modus operandi of many chancellors but I\u2019m not sure so many of them had it so freely available in the press before they stood up and started speaking. Normally the contents would be subject to an embargo commonly known as purdah. But whilst the speaker continues to leave rule breaking unpunished, rule breaking will continue. So adios purdah, just another part of our parliamentary tradition being trashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freezing the tax thresholds till 2028 sounds good till you realise it is very similar monetarily to raising the basic rate of tax by about 5p. It seems we\u2019re about to stroll into the largest fall in our living standards since 1956, a year when Wayne\u2019s mum was younger than Alex\u2019s daughter is now and only two years after rationing from WWII finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not removing the \u2018Non Domicile\u2019 loophole we think is rather disappointing, surely if you choose to live in a society you would want to contribute to that society?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We won\u2019t even mention the tax cut to bank profits hidden away in the small print where the surcharge was cut from 8% to 3%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Announcing, yet delaying most of the austerity measures till 2025 tells you everything you need to know about who they think might win the next election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elsewhere, it is the 70th<\/sup> anniversary of the pop charts this week and the Guardian was kind enough to share their view of the 70 greatest no.2 songs. There are some surprises in there; Outkast\u2019s Ms Jackson being 22 years old was one. Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks as number one number two (if you get my drift) is something we can definitely get on board with. How many times do you walk across the bridge and that pops into your head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n