Alan guest

A minimum wage of £15 would end my coffee shop, it would have to close, as would many other businesses. I’ll explain for the economically illiterate. Staff costs are currently half our costs, a £15 minimum wage is actually more than £15 an hour for the company, because you have to add: - 12.07% holiday - Sick pay - Maternity pay if and when required - National insurance - Pension contributions These costs would mean the shop loses money because remember, energy costs are up, rates are up, regulations are up. Now you can pass these costs onto the consumer - that would mean charging a lot more for coffee, people won’t pay it. The likes of Starbucks and Costa can, because they have economies of scale. The independent doesn’t. Now the little socialist will say well this is your fault, if you can’t run a business that can afford to pay its staff properly, but the little socialist has never run a business and does not understand the dynamics. Now I could pay some staff off and fill those hours myself or reduce us to one staff member during certain periods - but this proves the point that a minimum wage costs jobs. There was a time when these jobs were done by kids, perhaps on the weekend, paid a lower wage, no holiday and no silly employment rights. Perhaps they were even paid cash. The dynamic worked and small businesses like this could operate. It was also a great first job. Sadly now it isn’t worth employing entitlement youngsters at this level of pay. So alas, I don’t need the stress, the business would close, a number of jobs would be lost. Economics is about understanding these dynamics, no vibes. The cost of living is not solved through passing on inflation to the business, it is solved by ending high inflation and creating prosperity. This is what socialists don’t understand, they can’t create prosperity, they can only destroy it.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 01:26 PM EST 03.20.26 Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP

🔴 A low-profile Israeli-Cypriot real estate billionaire began sketching Gaza’s future within days of Oct. 7. At the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Feb. 19, 2026, Yakir Gabay laid out a 10-year plan to turn Gaza into a “Mediterranean Riviera” with 200 hotels and possibly artificial islands. The proposal also includes schools, hospitals, factories, agriculture, rail lines, water and energy plants, tech hubs, sports facilities, plus a seaport and airport. He cited the need to clear 70 million tons of rubble and miles of tunnels, projecting “hundreds of thousands of jobs” under a “free economy” model backed by a Gaza sovereign fund. All development, he said, depends on the complete disarmament of Hamas. The Jerusalem Post has reported that within days of the Oct. 7 attacks, Gabay began drafting the reconstruction plan that now underpins the U.S. Board of Peace framework. Trump appointed him to the body on Jan. 17. Gabay, 59, is known for close ties to Jared Kushner, Israeli media reported, and is the son of former Justice Ministry Director-General Meir Gabay. He previously led Bank Leumi’s underwriting arm and worked at the Israel Securities Authority. Later, he founded Aroundtown SA, a Frankfurt-listed real estate giant with a roughly $30 billion portfolio where he is currently Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board. His net worth is estimated at $4.1 billion, and he splits his time between Cyprus and London. Here are his remarks today: