POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

Peter, Chris Mason's article is quite true but I think the cohort of donors who come in behind the million list are even more scandalous and dangerous. These are the hedge funds and property developers. Like Mr Jenrick's friend.
Ken, did you hear the report yesterday from the oil companies that the situation in the SE of the country was, if anything, worse than it was. I'll be interested to see how many of these EU drivers actually come over here. The one thing that is certain is that they will have to be paid astronomical rates to do so and as soon as the British Hauliers hear this the balloon will go up. Incidentally can you remember all the hauliers who had been working on EU work who gave up their businesses when the trade collapsed?
Don't believe a word about thousands of hauliers flocking into the country for temporary work (Until February in the case of non-fuel tanker drivers.). The multiple interviewees from the supermarkets, farms and the wider food industries all report the same thing, disrupted deliveries and transport, crops unpicked and rotting in the fields and shortages at Xmas, Turkeys already being bought from the EU to make up for the ones who are not being reared here because of lack of labour to process them. Have a look at the number of fat pigs that can't be processed and so will be killed on the farm with as a total loss.
Long term, have a look at what this does for home grown food. We import 60% now and that will rise. If there is a world wide disruption of trade what will we eat?

[Travis]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58780559

[plaques]

Travis. Its perfectly normal..... Well that's all right then.

[Tripps]

In my opinion it would have been a news item if they had payed the Stamp duty.

cf. dog bites man - not news, man bites dog is news.

[Stanley]

Dead right Ken, The upper echelons have the lawyers and accountants to recognise and take advantage of these little quirks in the law,
I agree David, that would have been news!
I note that Brexit is a dirty word in any reporting of the Tory Conference. Is it a coincidence that the Reform Party, Nigel's old vehicle, are also having their conference in Manchester to coincide with the Tories?

[Tizer]

I noted this in the BBC's web page covering today's newspaper front page stories...
The Daily Telegraph focuses on a different conference speech - that of the Brexit minister Lord Frost, who, the paper says, will today threaten the EU that the UK is prepared to trigger Article 16 unless it agrees to replace the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Telegraph says he will tell delegates Britain "cannot wait forever" for Brussels to agree a new settlement, so is prepared to suspend parts of the Protocol unilaterally. [My bold emphasis]

I hope he's only saying it to please the Tories attending the conference and doesn't intend to carry out the threat and the suspension!

[Stanley]

Whether he means it or not the EU will take it seriously and this is not the language to use when you are in the middle of a negotiation....
The Tories are strutting round assuring anyone who will listen that the economy is roaring ahead, reducing payments from Universal Credit by £1000 a year will not affect the most deserving recipients as they will be motivated to work more and this is far better for them. Everything in the garden is lovely.....
All I can say is dream on kids. Let's see what things look like in three or four months. I may be wrong but I think we are in for hard times. Industry is screaming at the government that they have no confidence and need remedial action. What do they get? Sunak making a boosterish speech reinforcing the message that everything is fine. Let's see who is right.... [And what the government reaction will be. Blame the EU?]

[plaques]

Sunak confirmed what we had suspected long ago that austerity has been running for 10 years and here was me thinking it had officially 5 years ago. Fortunately it has been good for us. That was something else I never knew apparently having less money and a lower standard of living counts as an improvement. Don't worry there's some really good news to follow. Things are going to get worse. Wages and living standards will drop even further. Brexit may be tougher than was promised so the promises have been adjusted upwards to the 'long run'. As we all know in the long run we are all dead.

[Stanley]

I think you have rumbled little Rishi Ken! You know what my opinion is, he keeps saying he understands the poor and is helping them. He actually said that he had increased benefits and Johnson retailed the same lie this morning.
Bad is good, black is white and the economy is fine thank you....

[Tizer]

It was good to hear Nick Robinson this morning telling Boris to `Stop talking!' when he kept babbling on instead of giving a concise answer to the question. Boris is a big child and needs treating like one. As well as helping us, Robinson's intervention benefited Boris too by getting him to try and put all his ducks in a row. Boris the Bumbler, Waffler in Chief!

[plaques]

Adam Posen, The American economist discusses the affect of Brexit on the UK. This took place in 2017 well in advance of the current economic crisis that we are seeing now. All predictable with detailed explanations as to why this would happen. his prediction is that Brexit would turn the clock back to the 1970s with the exact opposite effect as to what as been promised.
A long Youtube 26 mins but if you can stand the pain and suffering well worth watching.

[Stanley]

"Trade barriers are bad. The withdrawal from the EU is a form of putting up trade barriers. Full stop!"
Thanks Ken for putting that up. That just about sums it up. Mr Posen is correct and he should have been shouting in Johnson's ear!
I caught my breath Peter when I heard Nick Robinson tell Johnson to stop talking. Absolutely right to do it but the thing that horrifies me about it is that it was necessary!
Did you hear the Buffoon saying that he didn't mind rising prices and shortages as they were a natural symptom of a global restructuring following Brexit. He's not going hungry.
I note that the BBC later said that 127 EU drivers had apples for entry. I'm certain that Johnson said that was the number of drivers on the list of possible drivers the road hauliers had given to the government. All will become clear this week. The main thing on my mind is mothers who can't find food or heating for their children. I'll bet the kitchen at number Ten is well stocked and the heating set at 20C.

[Tripps]

Boris's speech to the Tory conference seemed to be more an audition to be a stand up comic. Not appropriate for these times I'd suggest. I particularly didn't like his jokey reference to Somali pirates capturing a cruise ship.

I did like his phrase " the cobweb attic of my memory" though. Tell me about it.

[Stanley]

I don't mind a bit of humour as long as there is some substance with it. I detected no hint of policy only broad brush boosterism with no hint of contrition for the fact that many of the amazing funding increases being handed out don't even make up for what has been cut since 2010. Listening to his speech and the round of interviews (including one with the BBC!) one gets the impression that these are exciting times and everyone is fired up for the golden times that are coming. In particular he mentioned Next but I had just heard Simon Woolfson, their CEO, saying that they were confused and fearful about prospects.
What really counts is the actual policies they pursue. Will Sunak take any notice at all of the flood of protest he is getting about the target of his cuts?
"Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, from the Ulster University, told BBC News NI that keeping the £20 a week uplift could make a big difference in some households. "Organisations, such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, have evidence that the uplift has been the difference in somebody's life between heating and eating," she said."They have been just about able to just about make ends meet with that additional money, which has been found to go a long way in a household where there is poverty.""
The Trussel Trust estimates that there will be 180,000 people in Humberside alone having to choose between eating and heating. Johnson has said 'he doesn't mind these disruptions' as they are part of the big shift back to a vibrant independent and sovereign economy. So that's all right then.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report of an interview with the head of Intel the chip makers. He says Intel will not be building the new chip factory it was planning in the UK because of Brexit.
PM Johnson take note.....

[plaques]

Notice that the blame game spin has already started. Several months ago the haulage companies were warning the government that to restrict foreign HGV drives entering the UK would cause chaos in the distribution supply. The government ignored them with the result that the supply chains are collapsing down. The governments response is blame the industry along the lines of ' well if you knew it was going to happen all those months ago why didn't you do something about it'. Don't blame me its your fault.

Then we have.
We can't afford to live on Universal Credit...... Get a job............ Next
The job I've got doesn't pay enough. .............Get a better job....Next.
Can't afford the fuel bills. .........................Swap providers......Next.
The new provider has gone bust...................Swap providers......Next.
Can't access my Doctors.............................Go Private............Next.
Can't afford private for my cancer Treatment....... Nobody lives for ever,

Compassionate Conservatism.

[Tizer]

I note that the BBC later said that 127 EU drivers had apples for entry. I'm certain that Johnson said that was the number of drivers on the list of possible drivers the road hauliers had given to the government.

Fortune journalist David Meyer on 5th October: UK business department just confirmed to me that there have been 27 applications for those HGV driver visas, as the Times reported - and not 127, as Boris Johnson claimed. That's from this Huffpost article....
`Boris Johnson Rejects Claim 27 EU Drivers Want UK Work And Leaves People Bemused' Huffpost
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An article from the Reality Check team, BBC News...
`Boris Johnson's conference speech fact-checked' LINK

[Stanley]

Peter, looking at that and also the fact check of Johnson's conference speech simply confirms what we have all noted; that statements made by any member of the government have to be scrutinised very carefully. They can not be taken at face value. Our PM doesn't appear to think there is anything wrong with this, he regards a major speech as a performance rather than a report to the country. Give the likes of Starmer and Sturgeon their due, they do seem to be aware of the need for truth.

[Tizer]

Unfortunately much of the voting public in the UK and USA now prefer to see an entertainer as their leader than a real competent politician - Trump and Johnson for example.

I wonder if Boris realises that he is jeopardising the Tories' `special relationship' with business? It's dangerous for a Tory leader to taunt and irritate the business world.
`Business is not the bogeyman, firms tell Boris Johnson' LINK

[Stanley]

I don't think he spends much time thinking about anything Peter. If he does I haven't picked up any clues that it's happening. You are right, he has certainly upset people with his humour and Kwasi Kwarteng didn't impress the biggest energy users yesterday. See THIS BBC account of the reaction from UK Steel boss Gareth Stace who is definitely not impressed.
On a parallel matter we used to get regular reports of what was happening in cabinet meetings. No word from the Cabinet now, just diktats issued via the favoured media and not via Parliament and the Cabinet system of government.

[plaques]

Another crisis that has been simmering on the back burner has suddenly burst into flame. The NHS already being hit by a second wave of coronavirus patients or is it the third wave I'm losing count, now look to be hit by a surge in influenza cases which could kill up to 60,000 people. Link The projected shortfall of qualified nurses is set at 39,000. The Buffoon will claim that he has provided the incentive to recruit from abroad and its the NHS which is at fault since they knew the problem would arise months if not years ago. Another round of cheering and clapping will be heard from the Tory Baboons with cries of levelling up and global Britain while complaining that £82,000 a year for their MPs salary is not good enough.

[Stanley]

Ken, unfortunately all perfectly true. Add to that the fact that we are heading for high inflation, even higher rises in food prices, energy becoming unaffordable and farming and fishing are going down the pan. Bloody brilliant planning and management! (Oh, did I forget to mention Brexit?)

[Stanley]

Meanwhile Mr Johnson and Carrie jet off to Majorca for a week. They went on Friday and return next Thursday. I suspect many less important people would love a foreign break instead of having to worry about finding enough money to pay the rent.

[Tripps]

I think it's Marbella actually - where all the millionaires and celebrities go. I wonder if he's gone Easy Jet and 'all inclusive' or is a grateful beneficiary picking up the tab?

Unbelievable behaviour from Boris.

Appalling 'optics'. Perhaps the pair of them could stay there, and get most of the cabinet to join them.

PS did I really say 'optics'
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PPS - I heard Alfie Kwarteng say that by the miracle of modern tecnology, he can (and has been) in constant touch with the PM. So that's all good then.

[Stanley]

Yes, you're right David. I had an idea I had it wrong but couldn't be bothered to look it up.
See THIS BBC report on the fact that Kwarteng doesn't seem to understand that certain high temperature continuous processes like furnaces and kilns self-destruct if allowed to cool down and have to be rebuilt. Interesting reason as the Treasury deny he has consulted them. Meanwhile the energy users have to lose money firing kilns that are eating money.
Do you think the problem is that they simply don't get the consequences and this applies to pig slaughter on farms as well.