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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Joe Citizen: We demand the King tells us how much tax he's paying.
King Charles: Very well, varlet, it's thirty million, give or take.
Joe Citizen: Bleedin' 'ell, I 'ad no idea 'e wuz on that kind of screw. Down with the bloodsuckers!
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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after 4/5 years of socialist rule, to ensure their vote is not wasted.
But that surely is the point. For Labour to be at 33%, socialism will have to be firmly eschewed. And the current make-up of the PLP rules it out anyway. |
Socialism should not be confused with 'welfare-ism'. The vast majority of the PLP (and the entire Left generally) are rabidly in favour of diverting scarce resources into the futile and endless pursuit of making sure anybody that is in any way 'disadvantaged' is, however theoretically, succoured by the state. (You read that right.)
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Which brings us to the Venezuelan earthquake. This substantial but not mega disaster is likely to have major aftershocks for world politics. We know what will happen initially:
1. People will complain vociferously the government hasn't done enough to help the victims. (No government ever can.)
2. People will complain vociferously that governmental regulations were insufficient to mean buildings could withstand earthquakes. (They never can be.)
3. People will complain vociferously that graft and corruption led to jerry-built structures. (They wouldn't have been built otherwise.)
This is all routine. But what makes Venezuela different is that it has a very unpopular government that is only in power because of
(a) a hopeless and divided opposition and
(b) American support/inattention.
My prediction is that both these factors will be addressed in the backwash to the earthquake.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Bogus List Found in Burnham In-Tray
Newsnight: Is Andy Burnham ready to step into this dangerous and unstable world?
Expert (on sofa): Like Keir Starmer, he's likely to be buffeted by world events. Not just Iran, we've got Ukraine, a potentially hostile president, America re-orienting towards China.
Mick Harper (from sofa): You can relax, Andy. Iran is petering out, Ukraine is going our way, a hostile president is an electoral asset and America should be re-orienting towards China, and ASAP.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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So Andy "Turn 'em" Burnham has set out his stall. His premiership is going to be all about regionalisation, the ex-Mayor of Manchester has announced.
That's a good thing according to AE principles, since the closer the decision is to the end-user, the better the results. [Can you add that one, Hortensia?] But not if you're an old-time Labour politician e.g.
* Will the national minimum wage be varied depending on the living expenses of the region rather than on London, the most expensive?
* Will there be a uniform benefits regime based on the cost of living in London not on the needs of claimants elsewhere?
* Will trade unions be allowed to demand a single national wage scale that is required to satisfy recruitment in London but is wildly out of line with wages in the provinces?
* Will it mean the electrification of the TransPennine Link gets the nod but bugger all else?
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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| "Regionalisation will raise the living standards of each and every one of us." Andy Burnham |
If so, it won't be much of a regionalisation. To be effective, it requires privileged parts of the country to have lower living standards than they otherwise would have.
These kinds of governmental interventions are always zero-sum games more than they are differential risings of tides. But aspirant political leaders aren't allowed to say so.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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If so, it won't be much of a regionalisation. To be effective, it requires privileged parts of the country to have lower living standards than they otherwise would have.
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True.
We need to ask, a difficult question why should London subsidise the rest of the UK.
The London model does differ from other European countries where the disparity between the wealth of the capital and regions is far less.....but that is because these foreigners are still into regionalism and maufacturing......
What is clear is that Londons current wealth is not based on it being a industrially productive area, (that is old school economic behaviour) the industrial and manufacturing sector in London now approximately accounts for only 2.0% of London’s total economic output.
Londons economy is overwhelmingly dominated by service sectors like finance, retail and things like creative industries.
So to take one example, London has 325,000 or so, bankers thats about 25%-30% of all the front office investment banking headcount globally.....just in London............
London is simply a world leader in particular types of capitalism, eg financial.
The question is why should other areas benefit at all, from Londons unique sucess?
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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If so, it won't be much of a regionalisation. To be effective, it requires privileged parts of the country to have lower living standards than they otherwise would have.
True. We need to ask, a difficult question why should London subsidise the rest of the UK. |
Definitely not, if the word 'should' is used.
| The London model does differ from other European countries where the disparity between the wealth of the capital and regions is far less.....but that is because these foreigners are still into regionalism and maufacturing...... |
Maybe.
| What is clear is that Londons current wealth is not based on it being a industrially productive area, (that is old school economic behaviour) the industrial and manufacturing sector in London now approximately accounts for only 2.0% of London’s total economic output. |
This really surprises me. But you're quite right, we were knee deep in 'light' industry when I were nobbut, even where I was brought up, in a strictly residential London suburb, but it's hard to find nowadays.
| Londons economy is overwhelmingly dominated by service sectors like finance, retail and things like creative industries. |
So it's been rapidly de-industrialised without anyone noticing or complaining! Or explaining.
| So to take on example London has 325,000 bankers thats about 25%-30% of all the front office investment banking headcount globally.....just in London............ London is simply a world leader in particular types of capitalism, eg financial. The question is why should other areas benefit at all from Londons unique sucess? |
A curious way of putting it. Presumably other areas do benefit in a general sort of way. Just as Londoners who aren't in financial services -- the vast majority of us, after all -- do. But, I suppose, the question comes down to should the government continue its policy of diverting infrastructure expenditure (especially transport) in order to continue powering the financial sector.
One allied problem is that money that doesn't go into London, goes into places like Cambridge science campuses, the M4 silicon corridor and Universal's theme park in Bedfordshire that the rest of the country regards as London by another name.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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One advantage Andy Burnham has over all other incoming prime ministers is that he won't have to undergo the absurd process the British employ for selecting members of their government:
1. You hear your own constituency result at 2 am
2. You hear your party has won a majority at 4 am
3. You reach London by 7 am
4. You start naming the main office-holders at 2 pm
5. The rest of the Cabinet by 10 pm.
6. The other eighty or so ministerial posts the next day.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Surely banning the over-sixteens from social platforms would do the job.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Has Farage lost it? Once he's gone through the folderol of beating the Monster Raving Loonie(s) at Clacton he'll be faced with the same situation in the House of Commons re his megamillion handouts from personal friends who just happen to be flaky bitcoin entrepreneurs.
I assume he will survive it all with his usual teflon finesse but meanwhile Burnham will be enjoying the honeymoon always accorded to new prime ministers. Labour's numbers will be edging up, Reform's will be going off the boil. That is always fatal for populists who can only succeed when everyone thinks they are going to succeed.
Remember what happened to the Nazis when their vote went down in the second of the 1932 German elections? But that was a long time ago. And they paid for their own security.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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If Ann Widdecombe had paid as much attention to her appearance in the early part of her career as she did in the waning years, she would have been a very senior politician. Maybe even Prime Minister. As it was she only achieved 'major gadfly' status.
A male politician can sometimes get away with it, a female one never. This does not necessarily require Margaret Thatcher-type overstylised grooming, Shirley Williams built a career on being carefully flyblown. But being overweight is always the kiss of death. (Except in Northern Ireland where other considerations outweigh.)
PS When I saw she was leading the news I assumed she had died and flicked through the always deadly dull tributes. I was slightly surprised her obit was leading the news but I thought, 'Fair enough on a slow news day.' It was only today I discovered she had been murdered. Stop the presses!
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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News Management, UK-Style
| The police had asked people not to speculate about the reasons for Ann Widdecombe's death over the internet as it would bring distress to her family and friends. Nigel Farage ignored this request when laying flowers outside Widdecombe's home. Channel 4 News |
In the first place, the police have no business telling the British people what they should and should not do within the law. If speculation might have detrimental effects on police enquiries they are entitled to request this, but not otherwise.
As to the reason given, Widdecombe's family and friends will doubtless be speculating non-stop -- it's pretty much a universal reaction in such circumstances -- and they are free to keep off the internet if they are going to be distressed reading about other people doing so.
In the second place it is odious for Channel 4 News to endorse this position and then roundly criticise Widdecombe's party leader for ignoring it. It is a legitimate matter of political concern for Nigel Farage, given the ongoing concerns over his own safety. Whether those fears are valid or not and whether he is being opportunistic or sincere, he is entitled to his say and the British public are entitled to form their own opinions.
This all goes back to the notorious case of the woman disappearing while walking her dog a few years ago. The police launched manhunts all over Lancashire -- all widely trumpeted and approved of by the MSM -- because she was feared to have been abducted.
The internet was full of opinions that she had fallen in the river ten yards away from her last known sighting, and had drowned. (Along with even more implausible theories about her whereabouts than the police's).
The woman's body was found ten days later when the police got round to searching reedbanks a few hundred yards downstream. They have been determined to discourage public discussions about such matters ever since. The MSM of course are always anxious to keep in with the police lest they lose 'access'.
Late Breaking News
"We can confirm that a 28-year-old man was arrested at an address in the South Yorkshire area this evening (July 11) on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe. The suspect, who is a white British national, is now in police custody."
The force said that it was supported by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, while South Yorkshire Police carried out the arrest, but added there is "still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident". Devon and Cornwall Police |
Earlier News
| A 26-year-old man who was initially arrested by the force on suspicion of the murder of Ms Widdecombe was released from custody on Saturday, with police stating that he was no longer part of their investigation. Reuters | |
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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| "At this stage there is nothing to suggest it was politically motivated." Senior policeman addressing a televised press conference. |
So a young bloke in Yorkshire gets into his car armed with a pickaxe handle, drives several hundred miles to South Devon and beats an elderly and controversial politician to death.
Of course it might turn out to be purely personal but I think 'nothing to suggest it was politically motivated' is either a downright falsehood or it is jumping the gun speculatively in a way those same police are urging the rest of us not to do.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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Its a shocking case, concerning a well known politician/celebrity, so police feel under pressure to make a swift arrest.
They have already wrongly arrested and released one individual, they appear to be now leaking out (deliberately?) information that could further prejudice their investigation.
I wouldnt be surprised if this second individual wasnt innocent, I mean he hasnt made much attempt, to conceal the proposed murder weapon, (He could have put in a bag) he has also made it to Devon in record time for the holiday period.
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