I note with eager anticipation that Britain will settle its World War II debts to the US and Canada when it pays two final instalments before the close of 2006.
The remaining payments of $83.25m (£42.5m) to the US and US$22.7m (£11.6m) to Canada are the last of 50 instalments made since 1950.
It may be worth mentioning the amount paid back is almost double the monies loaned to secure peace and rebuild Britain in 1945 and 1946.
So as the country will no longer owe money to our Trans Atlantic cousins, we UK tax payers must be due a reduction in income tax since there is no longer a need to collect against the debt: well that's my logic anyway. Come on Gordon, bring it on! 
normalguy
Wakey wakey -time to be getting up!!