I was pleased to realise that as I logged on the works PC this morning, I had to read my last few Emails in order to remember what I was working on, way back on Dec 23rd!!! The memory loss was not booze related, this holiday I have had 1 glass of Wine and 1 glass of Brandy. I no longer like this job and was able to switch off and forget. And, we thought our baby daughter was going to die last Thursday so that somewhat re-aligned and prioritised a lot of thoughts!!

Gawd, you went on a route march to get those answers.
The actual rise is 2.13%. 360 / 352.5.
The 2nd bit of your workings is not correct.

You still need 4.26% pay rise to cover it.

Petrol, core cost from Shell etc. 39p per litre, Duty 68p, then the robbing filthscums put vat on the LOT. Yes, a tax on a tax! By any stretch of a law, the VAT should be on the core only. Still……MUSTN’T GRUMBLE.

Aye, RIP.
I preferred “Stuck in the Middle” personally.
Baker street was made good by the Saxaphone solo, which was not Gerry Rafferty but a session musician, and legend has it that Gerry Rafferty never paid him, as the pay cheque for £25, bounced!

I don’t support speeding, but as one who has been done at 33mph (The thickness of the goddam speedo needle!) going downhill (Nearest school / shop / pedestrian area is 500 yards back up the hill) I will continue to warn other drivers of the mobile locations.
And, the positions of the mobile locations / roads patrolled for the week ahead are posted in the Town Hall Public notices area. Decent local papers print them too. By the same rule, the Local Authorities and the papers are breaking this so-called law.
They are nothing but a cash generator and anybody believing different is a fool / liar / crawling up the Chief Super. The “Safety” aspect of them left us about a year after they first appeared.

Smoke more and Eat less.

Do you want to try that again? it’s not £8, prices are not going up by 2.5%

You are splitting hairs here. The Core price of £300 was £352 will now be £360. The punter is £8 worse off. 360/352 is 2.27%. Oh joy.

Can tourists aviod paying VAT on items they take home?

Yes. The decent airports and Ports have a VAT return section.

2.5% rise in what we purchase means a 5% rise in money we earn, in order to balance. Are you getting a 5% rise? And this is without the Petrol rip off or the Rail fiasco.
We need a Coup. All 643 M. of Parl. plus the hangers-on need locking up or assassinating. A one party unity needs setting up, similar to Communism or National Socialism – but without the extremities thereof. Ethnic cleansing is no longer in vogue in this part of Europe.
VAT, an item that was £4.99 should now be £5.11. No, it’s £5.49 due to rip-off Britain.
Christ, this country is more corrupt than Nigeria, and we carry on as “Mustn’t Grumble”.
And, when and if the debt is repayed, the VAT will not come down.
A Coup!!!! I’ll lead it!
This once Great Britain is now a laughing stock, carrying zero weight in Europe and ignored by that idiot running the USA.

…in which case, the story cannot ever be found to be correct.