POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report.....
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has denied leaks ahead of the Budget have damaged the economy, following criticism the speculation has "caused paralysis among businesses and consumers". Recent months have been dominated by media reports about which taxes could increase, with multiple potential measures floated by the government. Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this was "the single biggest reason why [economic] growth has flatlined". In response, Alexander said there was always speculation in the run-up to Budgets but the chancellor had been clear about her priorities.
I think the budget might be topic of the week!

[Whyperion]

Did we set the foundations for WW3 in 1945 when we insisted that we had won WW2 and ignored the fact that Russia lost over 30 million lives draining the life blood out of the Nazis?

I dont think we ignored the facts. We concentrated on Building Germany back as a non military based industrial power, we let Degaulle run France and let the precursers to the EEC build to up to the eventual six nations, noting that Spain remained a semi open / closed right wing dictatorship and that there were two eastern entities - The Soviet Union and the Communist Bloc , some of which were more attached to ths Soviets than others with Albania as an isolationist, Yugoslavia with its internal struggles united against too much external interference and ignoring how Czech and Hungarian "independence" was crushed. Berlin remained a listening post for east and west and the UK had the advantage of its holdings in Hong Kong to mildly balance China and had assisted in retaining some western influence in Korea as Japan too was let back into the free west, Vietnam was allowed to "fall" communist with little more help in Laos and Cambodia. Dont get started on Middle East and issues in Africa as the UK Empire collaspse in a controlled disarray depending on money corruption and lack of strong politics and military in the lands we left behind.
What the Soviet Union had, argueably as sucessor to much of the Russian Empire sans Finland , was sea borders from the Baltic to the Black Sea and a route to Hormuz for trade to the Far East and a sea route to Cuba and central america and a network to protect or exploit it. Arguebly too The Soviet funding of Communist groups in the west meant that actually we were far more favourable than we could have been despite disquiet about internal banishments of dissent to sibirian prisons. Was it really 30million Russian Losses or were a lot of them from the other Soviet Republics and what about the theft of food pre and post WW2 from Ukraine by Russian leaders ? Crimea was also the warm , med like retirement homw for the good that extracted the minerals from an inhospitable Siberia and once the break up of the Soviet Union happened that route was not exactly possible,
The Iron Curtain may have collapsed but internal FSB still retained its network to rise under idealogy backed with corruption and a desperate need really for low price basic materials being sold against high value western completed goods imports. The US administrations were too tied up with the Middle East to see where the long term threat would actually come from , and spent its time winning wars - in Iraq and Afganistan yet losing battles for minds, and hearts.

[Stanley]

See THIS latest from the Lords....
Two peers are set to be suspended from the House of Lords for breaching rules, including providing parliamentary services in return for "payment or reward". Former Army chief Lord Richard Dannatt and businessman Lord David Evans of Watford face suspensions of four and five months respectively. The House of Lords' standards watchdog launched separate investigations into the two men following an undercover operation by the Guardian newspaper. Neither peer appealed the standard commissioner's findings or the sanctions, which will come into force once approved by the House of Lords. In the course of his investigation,, external the standards commissioner found that crossbench peer Lord Dannatt had breached the code of conduct by corresponding with ministers and government officials about three companies - UK Nitrogen, Teledyne UK and Blue International Holdings - in which he had a financial interest. The commissioner also identified, external four ways in which Labour peer Lord Evans had broken the rules, including by sponsoring events in Parliament for a company that was owned by his son, and in which he held one-third of the shares. Both men referred themselves to the commissioner after the Guardian reported comments they had made to the newspaper's undercover reporters.

[Tizer]

At last, people are beginning to push back against Trump...
`Judge dismisses cases against ex-FBI director Comey and NY attorney general James' LINK

[Whyperion]

Not sure if ending of trial by jury is a good thing. Maybe there should be provisions for election to be tried by judge/s or a jury for all criminal charges.

I dont think I am happy with "Tourist Tax" es , countries which have them dont always have the business rates and employee taxes that are in the UK. People are paying VAT on their stays anyway. Maybe there is an arguement for some of the apartment hotels which have little direct employees. But overall for economic growth and reducing prices if they are the aims I dont see them passing the relevant test.

Are we meant to be reducing the numbers of civil servants ?

[Stanley]

Peter, I too saw those reports. Whilst they address some specific cases they do nothing to stop Trump's meddling with the Justice System. That will have to be done through the House and the ballot box.

The UK political scene is dominated by THIS.....
We will hear of nothing else this week but the Budget.

[Tripps]

11.55 am According to Sky News -

A document from the OBR has been published in full, and in error, and it effectively contains the entire budget measures !!!

Can it have been accidental or is it just completing a long list of 'leaks' this year?

MP's are referring to the budget measures in PMQ's which they are not supposed to have heard.

Seasoned commentators are lost for words. Beth Rigby has made a quick recovery though.

PS Madame Deputy Speaker - (Chairman of Ways and means) who takes the chair on Budget day, is one Nusrat Ghani MP, who has chosen today to dress as a man. She needs some lessons in choice of collar, and tie tying I've been meaning to visit Betty Boothroyds grave at Thriplow for a while - today might be a good opportunity. to check for any evidence of 'turning'.

[Whyperion]

Badenoch had no real comeback against the Chancellors budget. I suspect again there will be devilish details in small print but generally Rachel has delivered enough of a Labour budget to be accused of taking to fund welfare payments. Well welfare will go up in number terms - as will tax take - but its basically going to be spent generally where the money gets spent straight in the local economies.
There may be cause to query some of the IHT reliefs in selling businesses to effectively employee co-operatives but most contentious issues have been kicked to beyond the date of the next election.
Ending two child benefit cap makes sense as does uplifting by inflation some dud workplace pensions.
Road tax charging for Electric Vehicles I fear sends wrong messages for climate change and the mansion tax I feel is badly planned out on a council tax system that is not fit for purpose.
Inflation - are price rises too baked in at 4 percent (and a rail fare non increase is not going to affect a community with no rail when petrol duty goes up). Borrowing costs for the govt are still around 4 percent = higher than Greece's = but I cannot see a world offering the UK much below 3.9percent short or long term for a long time.
The fiscal drag of fixed tax-free earnings amounts(and a whole load of layers of complexity above that) basically will feed new pavements in deprived areas and civil service pay. The original Tory idea to increase the amount to about a grand a month was a great ambition eroded quickly with the high post-covid / brexit inflation that made everything meaningless. Defence spending and chasing GDP growth and still the situation in Ukraine, trump (And UK) tariff charges and the world if not stopped is certainly not going forward.

[Tripps]

I've been meaning to visit Betty Boothroyds grave at Thriplow for a while - today might be a good opportunity. to check for any evidence of 'turning'.

Well I've been - it was totally quiet and peaceful. Not a soul; and not a sound. inside or outside the church - St George's, Thriplow.
Quite relaxing actually - I'd have stayed longer had it been warmer.

No sign of agitation of the very modest grave - just ashes interred I believe. I had a quiet word. . . .

P1020251.JPG

[Tizer]

Perhaps this Budget will go down in history as the Colander Budget!

[Tripps]

Almost poetic that the leak will be investigated by the OBR Oversight Board.

As in the Board has 'oversight' of OBR activities, or there was an 'oversight' when it was published early.

[Stanley]

Morning David..... What a lovely thing to do, visiting Betty Boothroyd's grave. Thanks for that, I had a lot of time for her.
Yes, I heard about the OBR cock-up. Unbelievable but there you are,it happened. I don't see the point of having an inquiry, a simple notice informing us who was responsible and what sanctions have been applied will do.....
As for the budget itself, I listened to it and wished the Commons hadn't treated it as an extension of PMQs and felt that the correct response was to make so much noise that one had to feel sorry for Rachel Reeves. It wasn't clever, it was simply the height of bad manners.