On The Crass Stupidity of Our Government

Ok, before you start reading, I have to warn you that I am in full rant mode.

I don't know whether it's because I'm getting older and wiser (I hope) or older and less respectful of people and institutions unless they earn my respect, but I am utterly gobsmacked at the sheer, crass stupidity of the British Government and some of the completely fuckwitted legislation they introduce. In this instance, money laundering legislation for businesses...

Some years ago, money laundering legislation was introduced that impacted on house buyers - you had to prove where your money came from and who you were. It was clumsy, clunky and no deterrent to any criminal with half a brain, but I could see the point of it - it gave government all sorts of information about us great unwashed that would have taken more effort to get otherwise.

Recently, money laundering legislation has been introduced to the business sector and now, if you want to open a bank account you have to go through all sorts of interesting hoops. If you want to open an account as a limited company, you have to provide all sorts of proofs of who and what you are, including proof of address, and the banks are forced to get share allocations and all sorts of other information that means it can take up to three months to get a bank account open.

Where is the sense in that? Instead of encouraging businesses to grow and prosper, the idiots in power are doing everything they can, and more than most of us would have dreamt of in our worst nightmares, to hinder and impede business growth. The big question is, do they really think that the new legislation is going to stop any serious crime? Of course it won't. Any self respecting criminal or gang will be laughing up their own sleeves and the only parties effected are the small entrepreneur who is trying to make an honest living and run a company.

Never mind the bloody credit crunch - Gordon and his cronies are successfully scuppering the economy without any help from the sub-prime market collapse.

Today, after three months (no, I'm not exaggerating), I got my bank account opened. I think it only happened because, having got hold of the account number, I transferred money in and it rather forced the issue. I'd complain about the banks, but for once, it isn't entirely their fault. They could give their customers better information, such as a list of the documents they need to produce, but on the whole, this entire shambolic mess is driven by the clowns in Downing Street.