They are what in the diecast model world would be termed a ‘re-issue’; they have been built to massage the egos of half a dozen obscenely rich people, and will rankle with many in the historic car world for diminishing the standing of the original survivors, in much the same way that the new build/replica Spitfires do.

Not commenting on the cars, but with aircraft it’s not so much the existence of replicas that don’t pretend to be anything else that annoys ‘Original Survivor’ owners, as far as I can tell. Instead, they get annoyed with the conversation they generate, because of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ factor. Once people start questioning the origins of actual metal a whole can of worms is opened that can only serve to keep the value of their asset down.

I suppose you’re right, Dave

Can the mods do something about this spammer? Now he has started using misleading titles as well.

.and perhaps more usefully here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8404536

Why do Aero-Restorations say the aircraft was ‘repatriated’ to France? Bit cheeky, that.

Expertise? The job of running the country – or the difficult if boring bits of the job – as I am sure you know belongs to the Civil Service. That is an organisation that has a very representative split of educational backgrounds, and prides itself on that – unlike the Cabinet. It does not take brain to be a cabinet minister, and it never did. Further, the Transport Secretary does not need a degree in Transport. The Health Secretary does not even need GCSE biology. So what ‘expertise’ do you mean, John?

Both ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘The Thick of It’ were described by those in politics at the time as alarmingly accurate, and though 30 years apart sent up the same situation. I am sure they are seen as ‘Commie Propaganda’ by some on here.

To answer earlier criticisms, to say there is a crisis of responsibility where we blame the poor – or increasingly, those one rung below us – for economic problems is not a misunderstanding, it is an observation. As is the fact that politicians are making political capital out of that unseemly part of human nature. Or that most of these politicians are personally very near the top of the ladder.. Further, I do not feel great about being called stupid for making these observations.

Re. University numbers.. this was a sot to the middle classes. Successive Governments, in their efforts to woo a growing ‘aspirant’ middle class have realised that little Ben or Sophie might be thick as two Range Rovers but if they can get to university (for a fee, of course) then Mummy and Daddy (not to mention Ben and Sophie) will tacitly approve of any policy that allows it.

There are misunderstandings rife at the moment. For example, the idea that money spent on social care, or even benefits, is somehow ‘lost’. Follow the money. Every penny a poor person has is spent because it has to be. It passes back into the system. Ok, it is not ‘invested’. But neither does it sit in an offshore account. There are fundamental things at work here, which I agree need to be understood properly before we get too heated.

I am leaving this forum now, as I do not wish to make enemies of people I would get along with otherwise.

While we live in a country that seems to believe in self-advancement over all, that thinks ‘f*ck you Jack, I’m alright’ is some kind of thought-out manifesto rather than the statement of a selfish a*sehole, for no other reason than because someone who went to Eton told us so then I agree. There is indeed precious little sign of individual (or collective) responsibility.