POLITICS CORNER

[PanBiker]

Now here's a conundrum, now that Saudi Arabia has elected a female Councillor, I wonder how the mechanics or practicalities of the council chamber will operate?

[Stanley]

I agree with you P. He's swinging about like a weather vane trying to find a way of appeasing his back benchers. Strong hints that he will resile from the benefit cuts but Downing Street in denial mode. This is not good governance and the shame of it is that this has become the norm, vacillation.
Ian, my mind was working on the same lines. Still, they appear to have got a toehold on the ladder.
Interesting that despite all their high hopes the Far Right have been driven into third place in the French elections. Of course they blame it on political manipulation after the Socialists withdrew to give the Centre Right a clear field but it makes me wonder if the Trump Effect might have had some influence as well. He is the leading example at the moment of rabid anti racial politics. He may be acting as a global wake-up call.

[plaques]

As each day passes it looks like our ‘No ifs, No buts’ Prime Minister is coming unstuck with his proposal for a four year ban on migrant benefits. True to form, he has now passed the ball to his right wing buddy Philip Hammond. Having been rebuffed on plan A we have moved straight on to plan C, remember there is no plan B. The new tactic is to ask if they, the Europeans, have anything better to offer that would do the same trick. Predictably they are keeping quiet. To offer an alternative would be tantamount to agreeing that something must be done. Since it’s their belief that nothing needs to be done, why get involved with other people problems. Sticking to the logic that the ploy has worked successfully in the UK on the austerity front, Hammond will now shout foul play and appeal to the general public that Jonny foreigner is not following the rules. Watch out for more twists and turns in an attempt to muddy the waters.

[Stanley]

Cameron, as usual, got it wrong from the start by letting it be known he was going to campaign to stay in. No need for the EU to do anything, just wait until the result of the referendum and then take any mitigating action/concessions needed to reverse the decision during the administrative process that would follow an 'out' vote..
What happened to the days when the Foreign minister took care of Foreign policy and the PM advised and kept quiet? Do we still have a Diplomatic Service? (Silly me, no PR value for Dave in keeping quiet....)
What annoys and puzzles me at the moment is that the opposition in general is giving the government a free ride. I have never seen administration that has failed on so many fronts, it's so bad that I can't find a policy that has succeeded! Labour of course bear the major blame but the other parties should get their act together and form a united front to what is an ongoing disaster. The administration is stitched together with a toxic mixture of downright lies, half truths and a thick protective coating of spin. Internal dissent in the party has become the order of the day, they are doomed to failure in the end but are also vulnerable now. Just think what one of the old time giants would have done with an open goal like this.....

[Bruff]

‘’You should not expect to dip your hand in the pot, until you have put something in it’’

A valid point with respect to solutions to the PM’s desire on EU citizens and benefits. In I think every other EU Member State (MS), this is exactly the situation as they have contributory schemes with minimal to zero support if you have put nothing in (I would note that support is often much, more generous than here when you have put something in). This is now not the case here in the UK – you can get quite a lot of benefits even if you have put nothing in. Hence we could easily deny benefits to EU citizens who pitch up here having put nothing in by changing our national legislation to ensure in some way ‘you do not dip your hand in the pot until you have put something in’. But this would of course mean we’d have to deny benefits to our own citizens who had not put the necessary in.

Just to emphasise. First, the point of the EU is that MS do not discriminate against citizens of other MS, which is entirely reasonable in a ‘single market’ (but as far I’m concerned entirely reasonable full stop). The solution in entirely in our, not the EU’s, hands. All the EU could do is decide on a treaty change, and that won’t happen. Treaty change requires referendums in many MS and why on earth would these MS go to all the fuss and expense of referendums to please our PM? Second, the amount paid in benefits to EU citizens here is a pittance compared to the total benefits bill, which as we’ve mentioned many times is in its majority taken up by pensioners, the rest being largely to compensate poorly paid workers in this dynamic and thrusting economy of ours………

Richard Broughton

[Tizer]

...the other parties should get their act together...

Other parties? Do we have other parties? I must have missed that!

[Stanley]

in this dynamic and thrusting economy of ours………
Lovely phrase..... One aspect of the management of this miracle is that Our Leaders have made it easy for us to borrow and spend money in order to superficially stoke up activity. I think I have spotted another Cunning Wheeze....
Did you see the reports that annuitants are to be allowed to cash in existing arrangements in addition to the great Pensions rip-off? (LINK)
Apart from the opportunities to garner extra tax on any changes, could this be a cynical ploy to get people to swap future security for a spending spree to further boost the 'Miracle'? Is this the ultimate 'spend now pay later' mechanism? This administration seems to be working mainly on the kick the can down the road principle. I for one wouldn't entertain this one for a moment! (Or am I paranoid....?)

[Bruff]

I’ve always said that the ruse on the pensions is to ‘compensate’ for the billions taken out of the economy once the banks etc. stop coughing up all the PPI compensation. One should not underestimate the impact of the PPI compensation these past years; it has pumped billions into the economy. Our miracle economy needs another source once it ends, to keep up the sham. Oh yes, annuities…….

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I suspect you are right Richard. Another ploy I hear over and over again that is used as a distraction whenever lack of funding for something like the NHS is posited is the 'you have to have a strong economy to pay for these things'. True, but this implies that the end result of austerity is a 'strong economy' with 'sound money' when the opposite is true. It all sounds so plausible but then that's the criterion for statements like this, "will it play well with the public?".
See THIS BBC report on the arms deal whereby the US sells $1.38billion of arms to Taiwan. That's going to help promote peaceful relations in the region? I can see why the 'Merchants of Death' argument was so persistent before WW2.... 'Stoke the economy' trumps common sense.....
I heard John Major talking about Europe on the Today programme yesterday. I have to admit that I warm to him as he ages. He talked common sense about the in/out vote and said that we should stay in. He also said that any attempt to gain changes through treaty changes was doomed to failure as it would need the assent of all the other members and would never happen. It all made perfect sense, something we don't always hear from politicians in office.....

[plaques]

Our economic miracle continues a pace. Unemployment down, number of people in work up, wages rising well above inflation, we are now firing on all cylinders. The USA has just increased its interest rate by 0.25% which has prompted a surge in the US stock market in the expectation of greater profits. To be honest this has confused me because I was under the impression that lowering interest rates would increase investment, stimulate private spending, and in so doing raise profits. So has Mark Carney and his policy committee got it all wrong. Should we be increasing our interest rates and enjoy the fruits of all this austerity?
PS. I don't believe in Father Christmas either.

[Tizer]

It was only yesterday when all the pundits were warning us that the Fed's rate rise would send the world's stock markets into freefall. We were promised a Saharan dust storm too and that didn't happen either. (I was amused to see today's Daily Express front page headline was `Toxic dust cloud to sweep Britain"...it shows how tuned in they are at the Express!)

[Stanley]

They're joining the Mail; 'Coldest winter for fifty years' and 'toxic dust cloud' sells papers when they can't be bothered to do journalism....
Nice one P. I agree with you, it is all flim flam and eventually we are all going top pay for it.
Did you notice THIS announcement that was slipped out yesterday just as our government closes down for the holidays? I sympathised with the Labour MP who when asked if he understood the intricacies of a very complicated statement said" No need to. It is simply more and deeper cuts". Some would say cynical but I think he had it about right. No debate and a good time to get bad news out. I think of all the people hit already by the cuts facing a consumption driven Xmas and having to deprive their children..... This is not a good time to be poor.
Meanwhile in the EU plucky little David 'fights for Britain'. What a load of hooey! This is a complete waste of time and could turn out to be a massive mistake. Let's not forget that it all started because a bunch of rabid Little Englanders put pressure on their leader and he had to find a way to appease them. Have we reached the depths of incompetent government or is there worse to come.... 'Ship of fools'.....

[Bruff]

‘’Mark Carney and his policy committee got it all wrong.’’

Well quite. Mark Carney gets 800 grand a year for missing his inflation target every month or quarter, thus having to write to the Chancellor to explain why. To be fair, I think he hit it once but that was because he hit it on the way down in the same way you’d hit a 30mph target for a moment if you slowed from 40 to 20…..

He also opined like a broken record that low interest rates were under pressure from rising employment, which strangely enough hasn’t led to any rise all through a period of said rising employment.

Seriously, in what other field of human endeavour could you so manifestly fail on the one hand to meet your targets, and on the other fail to act on an explicitly identified risk and be rewarded with the best part of a million quid for your troubles?

‘’….it all started because a bunch of rabid Little Englanders put pressure on their leader…’’

Exactly. Mr Major was mentioned down the thread. He faced the same nonsense essentially from the same people, and he said put up or shut up. Well, they put up and got walloped but of course didn’t shut up as their type never do. This PM should have done the same but instead tried to appease them by promising a referendum he thought he would never have to deliver as he never thought he’d get a majority and that, the referendum, would have been the first thing to be traded away in a coalition. Now, as folk will know, I’m not this PM’s biggest fan but he is not entirely stupid. He, like his Chancellor, knows it would be calamitous for this country to exit the EU and is no doubt having sleepless nights at the moment as we sleepwalk to that eventuality.

Richard Broughton

[Tizer]

The Donald Trump approach of telling lies and blatantly making misleading claims has become the `new normal'. It goes on everywhere and they get away with it. At least Npower, the one that defined a year as 10 months, has now been threatened with a ban on sales unless it cleans up its act.

[Stanley]

Richard, if poor or none performance was the criterion for whether you stayed in post how many would survive? I read 'In the Back' in PE yesterday and the list of disastrous 'own goals' is depressing. Everything from a non-functional HMRC and CQC to more can kicking down the road with continuing PFI. If you have a nervous disposition, don't on any account read it!
I agree Tiz, re. N power, will it make any difference? Forced resignations or prosecutions of executives for public fraud would perhaps have more effect.
As for lies and damned lies.... does David Cameron really think that anyone believes anything he says about the possibility of resolution with the EU? Even the Right leaning press is attacking him this morning. As for not being stupid Richard, I'm not to sure, the number of own goals is frightening. I agree with you that we could be sleepwalking into another massive foreign policy mistake..... At the moment Cameron appears to believe that a 'stay in' majority will carry the day whatever he comes up with. (Which at best will only be cosmetic) Ask yourself what you would do if you were in the EU. Simple, wait and see and watch us stewing in our own juice and only take decisive action when any outcome becomes clear.
As for John Major, the older he gets the more I warm to him..... He was right in his public treatment of the 'bastards'. His opinion on membership of the EU was the most cogent I have heard so far.... He says leaving would be a mistake and gave good reasons why he believes this. Can we please have similar clarity from our leaders?

[plaques]

The northern powerhouse continues to forge ahead. Meanwhile, Kellingley Colliery deep coal mine closes with 450 men redundant. Looking on the bright side this will release these skilled workers to bolster the vibrant economy in other more worthwhile areas. Like ... err...
At the same time inequality is on the rise with the top 1% now enjoying a total capital equivalent to the bottom 57%. Their wealth has increased at a rate of 21% over the period while the rest have managed 7%. The main increases have been in the London area.
Northern Powerhouse ... Humbug.

[Tizer]

Bring back Robin Hood, that's what I say!

[Stanley]

That is exactly the solution proposed by Thomas Piketty in his 'Capital in the 21st Century' Tiz. His version is a global wealth tax.
Thanks for reminding me of yet another piece of Tory flim flam P. The 'Northern Powerhouse' was a cunning wheeze brought out as an election bribe which foundered on the first rock it hit when the National Rail Authority pointed out that the electrification of rail lines proposed had already been pushed forward into the long grass because of lack of funding and resources. The only electrification project that was going ahead was the West Country one and that has now run into massive overspend. You are right, it is a hollow promise.
Thanks to PE for alerting me to another savage cut hidden in the small print of legislation. This one concerns the changes to 'Right to Buy' for council and housing association tenants. Under the original Thatcher legislation tenants in social housing were given security of tenure. In changes to the legislation announced quietly before the recess this clause has been removed from new tenants. Further a cap has been put on the length of rental contracts of two years. The qualification for Right to Buy is three years continuous tenancy. Work it out for yourself.....
On another matter connected with property... Ossie's rush to sell off the family silver includes essential services like the Ordnance Survey and The Green Investment Bank were bad enough but now he is proposing to privatise the Land Registry, the free service whereby ownership can be registered and checked. Handy when you are trying to conceal the amount of property in Britain bought by anonymous off shore funds.
Meanwhile in another part of the forest the EU referendum fiasco rumbles on. Cameron has brought the art of making hollow statements sound like statesmanlike and optimistic utterances to a fine art. But I think he has been rumbled, particularly by the anti-EU parts of the right wing press. Keep working through the night Dave.....

[Stanley]

See THIS for the latest of Cameron's woes. Dr Liam Fox campaigns for Brexit and calls for a free vote by Cabinet members. What a can of worms Dave opened up by bad party management. I don't normally deride the mass of voters but I have to admit that hearing some of the vox pop interviews I wonder at the IQ of some of the respondents. Of course these are chosen to reinforce the editorial line of the media in which they are presented and so we can have no idea of how strong the anti-EU sentiment is but what if they prevail? Is there the possibility that the brightest hope for eventual unity and peace in Europe could be destroyed by one rogue vote? It is not without the bounds of possibility. Much as I dislike some aspects of the European Project I remember the war and the consequences of collective madness that led us into conflict. Believe me, anything is better than that!
Trying to read the runes in Germany, Angela Merkel is coming up against some powerful opposition to her policies, particularly those on migration and her part in the imposition of austerity on France. These are seen to be promoting the far right and the fear is that in just over a year's time, unless there is radical change, the Far Right could possibly prevail in the Federal elections. Very uncomfortable echoes of the inter war years.....

[Tizer]

The 'Northern Powerhouse' was a cunning wheeze brought out as an election bribe which foundered on the first rock it hit when the National Rail Authority pointed out that the electrification of rail lines proposed had already been pushed forward into the long grass because of lack of funding and resources. The only electrification project that was going ahead was the West Country one and that has now run into massive overspend. You are right, it is a hollow promise.

Rail electrification has been promoted as if it's the answer to everything when the truth is that most of the rail network isn't suitable for electrification and will have to remain diesel powered. Old diesel locos are having to be brought out of mothballs to keep the services running. Also we haven't been building enough new passenger rolling stock.

As for Germany, far right etc...isn't it interesting how the north-south split is emerging with the left wing gaining ground in the south of Europe and right wing in the north.

[plaques]

The Daily Telegraph has been fined £30,000 for sending electioneering e-mails. Link. Quote:-The Telegraph has been fined £30,000 for sending hundreds of thousands of emails on the day of the general election urging readers to vote Conservative. I wonder if we will see this as a Telegraph headline?

[Stanley]

Procurement of rolling stock under our crazy system of running the railways is totally unfit for purpose. I'm sorry to say I am sinking into despair when I look at the way this country is being run. Can't help going back to it, 'The Commanding Heights of the Economy', go figure.....

[Stanley]

See THIS for a BBC report on the incipient overspend on public borrowing for this year. With less than four months to go Ossie can overspend no more than £2billion. As he's borrowing to keep us afloat more than any of us it looks like another forecast and promise broken. Can anyone please let me know if they can find any forecast or promise that this lot haven't reneged on? Why are we letting them get away with such incompetence?

[Tizer]

Because we're too busy using our smartphones and watching Strictly Come Dancing!

[Stanley]

Another bad figure for Ossie yesterday. The forecast for GDP was over optimistic and commentators doubt he can reach what he promised by April.
Meanwhile, DC issues his Xmas message and borrows the cloak of religion. Bit rich getting messages of good will to all men from a man who is presiding over the most repressive policies for many years, will the people being hit by the latest changes to Housing Benefit believe a word he says. See THIS report for the unintended consequences of the latest changes introduced by Ossie.
Bit like wrapping yourself in the flag..... I don't trust some politicians at the best of times but this definitely makes my crap detector start whining.