POLITICS CORNER

[Tripps]

Here is a starter for you, was with him today at the remembrance service in Barlick.

and well done to both of you. Quite irrelevant but it brings to mind the last time I attended such an event, in Huyton Liverpool about 1980, when I was the wreath bearer for the Colonel of the Regiment. We stood behind Harold Wilson. I don't think he was PM at the time. I don't recall if he wore his "Gannex" overcoat.

Mr Hinder's bio in your link and elsewhere, is still very short on detail. It's flippant I know, but I can't help mentally comparing him to the character Inspector Hobson, from the Beiderbecke trilogy by Alan Plater. His career pattern seems to be similar.

Detective Sergeant Hobson (BA) Later Inspector.
Another character whose first name is never known. Hobson is a principled, enthusiastic and somewhat naive graduate police officer. While Hobson is educated and hard-working, he is also ineffective as a police officer. Hobson participates in exposing corruption in the police force and is quickly promoted.

[PanBiker]

You could always contact him and ask him. From what I know, Clitheroe lad, Clitheroe Grammar School, Police Inspector in the London Met, after that came back to live in Chatburn and pursue his political career. Likeable bloke selected by the Constituency party via interview and hustings event etc. Ran a very good campaign and now our Member of Parliament. He has his contingency of support staff so is contactable in many different ways.

Parliamentary Contact Information - Jonathan Hinder

[Tripps]

It would not be appropriate for me to ask for more information, and I won't. . Firstly he is not my MP, and secondly I assume he is happy with his current level of public disclosure of information, as are his supporters. It's entirely up to him, but worthy of comment on a public site I'd say.

[Stanley]

The Covid Enquiry is still ongoing. See THIS report....
Boris Johnson’s government blocked a request to fund another 10,000 hospital beds at the height of the Covid pandemic, the chief executive of NHS England has said. Amanda Pritchard told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry the decision, made by the Treasury in July 2020, had been “very disappointing”. Extra beds and staff would have been used to cut waiting lists for planned care and “build resilience” going into a second winter wave of the pandemic, she said. The government has said it cannot comment while the inquiry is in progress. Health ministers from the time are expected to give evidence later this month, to the third section of the inquiry, looking at Covid's impact on the NHS and healthcare systems across the UK. Ms Pritchard served as NHS England’s chief operating officer from 2019 until she was promoted to chief executive, in August 2021. In her evidence, she said a request had been made to the government, for 10,000 extra permanent, staffed hospital beds, in July 2020.

[Stanley]

Make of this what you will but it has just been announced that Sue Gray will not take up the post offered to her by Keir Starmer when she ceased being his advisor.

[Stanley]

BBC politics is headed by THIS gnomic article by Chris Mason.
Five weeks after Sue Gray resigned as the prime minister’s chief of staff, with the prospect of her being sacked hovering close, she is off again. And just like last time, even the manner of her departure is contested. We have been told the prime minister had decided to withdraw the offer for Ms Gray to be his envoy to the nations and regions. And, we understand, the cabinet secretary, the most senior civil servant in the country, had spoken to her to confirm this. This chain of events is not disputed by other figures in government. But Ms Gray is adamant it was her decision, we are told, and she never spoke directly to the prime minister about it.
Just like her departure from No. 10 nobody is coming clean about what is going on. What is it with these people?
Perhaps she could move over to advise Justin Welby!

[Tripps]

I noticed at PMQ's today that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves seemed tired, and has aged about ten years in a week.

Yetserday her sister Ellie Reeves MP stated in the House -

" it cannot be right for there to be places in a legislature for those born into certain families".

She should know - she and her sister are both MP's, and she is married to John (now Lord Cryer) and until recently also an MP. His parents were Bob Cryer MP and Ann Cryer MP .

I think a bolt of lightning from on high would have been quite appropriate, and more than justified.

[Stanley]

That was well spotted!

Meanwhile.... see THIS BBC report.
UK public sector pension funds are not big enough to generate good returns for British savers, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has told the BBC. Her comments come as the government reveals plans to merge the UK's local government pension scheme, a group of funds which together manage £354bn in investments, into a handful of "pension megafunds". The plans form part of what the government has said are the "biggest pension reforms in decades". It claims this will boost investment in the UK, but critics say the measures "could put savers’ money at risk".
This begs the question of what the existing pension funds are responsible for. I think it's the prudent and safe management of their clients money not acting as a commercial sovereign wealth fund on behalf of the government.

[Stanley]

I think THIS tax raid on agricultural capital is a mistake.
A bid by the department for rural affairs to soften changes to inheritance tax for farms - possibly by exempting some older farmers - has been rejected by the Treasury. The Treasury said there would be no change or mitigations to the policy, which will see an end to inheritance tax exemption for some farms.
From April 2026, farms worth more than £1m will face an effective inheritance tax rate of 20% - half the usual rate of 40%. BBC Newsnight understands that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which represents the interests of farmers in government, believes it was not properly consulted over the change.
Whoever is right about the effects of the change it is obvious that it will suck some capital out of farming. This sector has been hammered from all sides, farmers are having a bad time and any reduction in their capital is going to have long lasting effects. We should be protecting agriculture not regarding it as a cash cow. The bottom line is that the urban elite don't understand the way the countryside works and will only realise the scale of their mishandling of it when food gets scarce and by then it it will be too late!

[Tizer]

This beggars belief...
`Home Office 'cut corners' buying £15m migrant camp' LINK
The Home Office "cut corners" and made "poor decisions", while under pressure to stop housing migrants in hotels, when it paid £15m for an asbestos-contaminated derelict prison, the government's spending watchdog has said. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the amount paid for the Northeye site in East Sussex in 2023 under the Conservative government was more than twice what the seller paid in 2022. A report found "corners [were] cut" so the site could be acquired quickly to house asylum seekers despite an assessment deeming it "high risk".

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS BBC report of unbelievable incompetence.
The Home Office "cut corners" and made "poor decisions", while under pressure to stop housing migrants in hotels, when it paid £15m for an asbestos-contaminated derelict prison, the government's spending watchdog has said. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the amount paid for the Northeye site in East Sussex in 2023 under the Conservative government was more than twice what the seller paid in 2022. A report found "corners [were] cut" so the site could be acquired quickly to house asylum seekers despite an assessment deeming it "high risk". The Home Office said the report related to the last government's actions and it remained "committed to ending the use of hotels". In December 2022, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak delivered a statement in Parliament in which he vowed to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, saying that the government would "work to achieve this as quickly as possible". In its report, the NAO said the statement "generated significant pressure within the Home Office to identify and secure sites for asylum accommodation at pace". It added that, the following January, a decision to acquire Northeye was taken by a small group of ministers and officials from across Whitehall, despite the "technical due diligence and approvals process not having been undertaken". The group included the minister for immigration and the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the report said, positions then held by Robert Jenrick and Oliver Dowden.
I seem to remember that these problems were pointed out at the time but ignored by the ministers involved.
There will be no sanctions of course. Perhaps that's part of the problem, such actions are risk-free.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC in depth review....
Sir Keir Starmer’s first five months have produced little sign of a plan for Labour’s promised National Care Service – and now I’m told there is a “genuine impasse” at the top of government over what to do about social care.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly acknowledges “we can’t solve the NHS crisis” without improving what a government source describes as an “appalling” situation, in a system that’s meant to look after vulnerable and elderly adults in England. But multiple sources tell me the Treasury is deeply nervous about the cost and that the prime minister is yet to make a decision on how to proceed. Talks have so far failed to decide even whether to hold another review of the system. “Dither, dither, dither,” said one insider involved in the discussions. But another source said: “Everyone wants to fix it but we don’t want to embark on something that then doesn’t happen.” I understand the prime minister, health secretary and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves are due to meet a week on Monday to try to make some progress.
Just for once I can sympathise with the government, it is an enormous and complicated task even if we had unlimited funds. Well worth a read I think.

[Tripps]

President Zelensky of Ukraine has said words to the effect that the war will be settled next year by "diplomacy".
That is an astonishing change of direction for the man. I wonder what lanslide election winner President Elect Donald J Trump said to him.

I see nothing at the moment, on the BBC on the matter, but Zelensky on CNN

That should save a few tens of thousands of needless deaths.

I still don't get why anyone would vote for him - being a convicted felon an' all.

PS - Later that same evening - I just heard on the radio that President Biden is about tio give permission for Storm Shadow long range missiles to be used in the conflict. It' almost as if he wants the war to continue. I wonder wht his reason for that would be. His son Hunter Biden (also a convicted felon) had many interests in Ukraine. Perhaps, like Prime Minister Netenyahu, his father cannot afford the war to be over?

[Stanley]

David, don't forget that when we see a statement that $Xbillion has been voted for arms to Ukraine the money never leaves the US. It goes straight into the arms manufacturing industry.

See THIS report for Biden's latest move.
US President Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia. A US official has confirmed the move, a major change of US policy, to the BBC's US partner CBS. For months, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging that the restrictions on the missiles, known as ATACMS, be lifted - allowing Kyiv to strike outside its own borders. On Sunday he reacted to the reports, saying "such things are not announced, missiles speak for themselves". Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned Western nations against such a move, saying it would represent the Nato military alliance's "direct participation" in the Ukraine war. He was yet to comment on Sunday's reports although other senior Kremlin politicians described it as a serious escalation. Washington’s decision on ATACMS is couched in terms of being limited to the defence of Ukrainian forces inside Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise incursion in August. In effect, the Biden administration is telling Ukraine that it will support its efforts to hold onto the small chunk of Russian territory it currently occupies, as a powerful bargaining chip for any possible negotiations in the future.

[Tripps]

Strange world - the man who gets Zelensky to alter course by 180 degrees, and heads to a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war, gets dog's abuse, whilst the incumbent takes revenge with a farewell spiteful action, which will involve many deaths. I'm fairly sure I heard that Hamas were making similar peaceful moves.

Sir Keir Starmer is keeping his powder dry, and has yet to follow suit. Good move.
*******

The social media wing of the web was awash yesterday, with a supposed connection between Sir Keir Starmer and the Southport atrocity. Not a word today in the main stream. Perhaps that's what the injunction (that dare not speak its name) was all about?

[Stanley]

Looking at my BBC feeds..... THIS is what caught my attention.
The government is preparing to face the biggest protest yet over its domestic policy agenda since Labour won the general election. It is the week where farmers are heading for Westminster - and bringing some noisy and influential friends with them. Among those expected outside Parliament on Tuesday is the country’s most well known but relatively new-ish farmer, Jeremy Clarkson. Guesswork about how many people will turn up at a protest before it has happened is exactly that, guesswork, but some reckon it could be between 10,000 and 40,000 people. Nearly three weeks on from the Budget, when the plan to charge some farms inheritance tax was first announced, the anger seems to be growing, rather than easing.

See THIS for BBC Verify's attempt to examine the figures.
My own view is that it is an attempt to get money out of the mythical 'wealthy farmers' who are, in reality, cash poor and struggling to survive. This at a time when we should be focussing more and more on producing food at home. It seems counter-productive to weaken the people that can help us. We found this out in WW2 but that lesson has been forgotten.

[Tizer]

How do they propose to distinguish between a `proper' farmer and those who have bought up a few hundred acres of original productive farmland and `re-wilded' it (left it alone)?

[PanBiker]

Like that Jeremy Clarkson bloke I suppose. As I understand it changes won't be introduced until 2026 and its only relevant if your pile is worth more than a £1,000,000 I believe which equates to about 500 farms, a small proportion of the farms in the country and only when you want to sell it. Did I also hear that the rate of the tax has been halved from 40% to 20% in which case it's a win compared to what it was before.

All brought about due to the over inflation of land prices.

I'll get my tin hat!

[Tripps]

I'll get my tin hat!

Did I also hear that the rate of the tax has been halved from 40% to 20% in which case it's a win compared to what it was before.

That's the "line to take" Sir Keir Starmer has just parroted exactly the same story.

To correct the above - as I read it - the previous rate for farm land was in fact 0 % .

Heading rapidly to 1984 where an increase is described a a reduction.


Clarkson says they should just admit they have made a mistake and withdraw the measure. Has that ever happened for any Party? I doubt it.

[PanBiker]

At the end of the day a large majority of folk voted for a change in government hopefully to stop the continuation of the previous 14 years of Tory policy.

Right minded folk will realise that fixing that will take time and a load of money. I am paying my bit via the removal of the winter fuel allowance. I wish they had done it slightly differently by altering the tax thresholds but they didn't. Just like the farmers a lot of pensioners will not be affected by this. I can't see a problem with targeting those with slightly deeper pockets. But I would say that wouldn't I? If I had my way it would be considerably more draconian to the ones with the most brass.

Recovering funding from most people, (or not giving it in the first place) is bound to upset folk. It's a gamble, but if all those in dissent think that flipping back to the Tories in 5 years will fix things they need their heads examining. It would be a bit like Turkeys voting for Christmas.

As you should already know I firmly believe our countries electoral system is broken and no longer fit for purpose. Some form of PR and compulsory voting to get a proper consensus would be beneficial to everyone in my view. YoYo, mostly two party politics is no good to man nor beast. You only need to look at the USA for a prime example.

[Tripps]

Deft change of subject there. . . "Make smoke" as the Navy says.

For a bit more depth to the matter look here if you wish.

Confirms yet again my contention that a politician is someone who says an action is for one purpose when in fact it is for another, which they are trying to conceal.

Proportional representation got the BNP leader Nick Griffin elected to the European Parliament. I'd say - so long as they leave when defeated - first past the post is a better system.

[PanBiker]

Granted you get the good, the bad and the ugly with PR but it would be more representative of the electorate. Baby steps, lets get compulsory voting at least, as electing Governments and Councillors on minority turnouts is certainly not what I call representative democracy.

[Tripps]

I didn't mention compulsory voting - crazy idea - and quite unenforceable I'd say.

This is a fun video - love the kids on their tractors. I've never been a Clarkson fan, and have never watched Top Gear, but I'm warming to him. This is not going away, and I think a few imaginative actions from the farming lobby may yet get results.

[Stanley]

Interesting debate....
However, the problem that I see is that this change will lessen the amount of capital in the hands of genuine farmers. One easy test is to ask how long they have possessed the asset or how many generations have farmed. This tax will alter the structure of society in the industry and will damage those families who best understand the countryside and how best to treat it.
There's an old Scottish saying..... "You get back exactly what you put in." That's how the old concept of mixed farming worked, they have re-invented it and called it regenerative farming. Taxing inherited farming capital isn't putting something back in, it's damaging the asset.
I know it's boring but we found out in WW2 just how important a viable agricultural industry was. We have evidently not read our history.....
(Just a thought.... Would they charge a company tax when the head of the firm changed?)

[Mags]

Im glad this has been brought up, I dont really follow politics as I dont often understand it but............I am following the topic of inheritance tax and farmers with interest, mainly via Youtube. I follow a few farmers on Youtube such as Olly Blogs - based near Liverpool, Tom Pemberton near Blackpool, Charlotte Ashley from Appleby and Sam Shutt from near to Hawes. They all farm different types of farms and all are open about their daily struggles.

I have friends on farms in the UK and they are all really worried about the changes. Commonsense needs to prevail or see the cost of food rise and more and more food brought in from overseas.

Im not a fan of Jeremy Clarkson - but he spoke very well at the rally. The comment he made that I liked was about chickens being brought in from overseas that tasted like swimming pools as they have alot of chlorine in them. I know he is in a privelidged position - like he said at the rally "not everyone has a film crew following them around" but he spoke well and is very supportive of farmers.

I am not very good at writting down my thoughts but I am very grumpy about this subject.