While reviewing the newspapers this morning on BBC News24, the front page of The Daily Mail displayed the headline about the Blairs' Four Milliion Pound Mortgage. When I went to The Daily Mail online, I did not find this story but found the following article which reinforces what I said in my Email to BBC News24 commenting on this excessive gearing by those at the top of this Labour Government while socking it to the rest of the country. Those who can afford millions of pounds in mortgage loans are not concerned about the Stamp Duty. For the rest of the population, 1% of the cost of the home is another serious cost. . Despite the fact that the Government has raised the threshold of the Stamp Duty from 60,000 to 120,000 pounds, there has been an increase in Stamp Duty paid due to rising house prices. This has not benefited the first time buyer, and overall the Stamp Duty is an unfair tax. It is criticised as being regressive and an up front capital gains tax. Yet, it is bringing in more revenue to the Government making the threshold increase appear cosmetic according to the following Daily Mail article: "Homeowners Pay 60 Million More Stamp Duty," The Daily Mail, 11th March 2006http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=379546&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=Stamp%20duty&ct=5 ---------- Forwarded Message ----------Subject: The Power Couple in Number Ten & Their Four Milliion Pound MortgageDate: Saturday 11 March 2006 08:00From: Gary D ChanceTo: breakfasttv@bbc.co.uk, news24@bbc.co.ukThis is a symbol of unrestrained greed at the top.This Labour Government is run for the benefit of the few at the top taking advantage of their position of power to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the country.These wheeler dealer mortgage barons are out to make as much as possible by cashing in on their positions as we are finding out from the international scandal now swirling around Number Ten and its Cabinet. Blair protects his gangsters and sets the example for organised crime protecting its own while swirling in the highly geared [leveraged] financial life producing volatility whose inevitable end is collapse.The gap between the rich and the poor widens and widens. The legacy of this Government is rising prices, taxation and spending which impoverishes everyone except the rich. The mystery so far is why these destructive price rises are not turning up in the inflation indices.Could deflation be lurking just around the corner? What are its implications for those with highly geared [leveraged] lifestyles?This Labour Government has shown itself to be the masters at exploiting the masses with illusionary government management concentrating on image while wiping out responsibility and accountability and especially anyone who would dare complain about problems. The abuse of power is astronomical and has become the standard of the nation thanks to Tony Blair & Co.This is a Government or fear based upon retribution and retaliation against anyone who is not liked while the gangsters at the top remain insulated from any objective standards of accountability. This is what everyone with any degree of power strives to emulate.Meanwhile, the ship of state is slowly going under while those on the upper decks have a grand time but for how long? History will be the judge but not exactly as Tony Blair would have liked. He will bring about long needed reform but in the most difficult manner possible during the recovery from Labour's corrupt excesses. The "Party" at Number Ten will live in infamy.