POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

There's a photo in one of the newspapers of Ossie looking down a microscope. I reckon he's either searching for a green shoot of economic recovery or examining his Xmas dinner for poisonous substances!

[Whyperion]

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.

Great Western Electrification might get to Cardiff, but not Bristol, a bit later than intended. Rolling stock was supposed to be cascaded from GW to elsewhere with the arrival of all electric stock. But Midland to Sheffield electrification is back on and should be nearer budget for the work there (but fares will go up to pay for it). There are up to 76 refurbished D78 stock trains available as diesel 10-year fill ins, but they are limited to 65mph so restricted for the kind of route operation Northern Rail/TransPennine actually undertake with the mix of stop-start and then higher speed sections.

[Stanley]

Tiz, has he got a white coat on? It's an alternative to the hi-viz PR stream, all supposed to convince industry he is savvy and on their side. Tell that to British Steel and the miners.....

[plaques]

If this report is correct then the situation in Syria leaves me totally confused. The United Nations is to transfer IS families and injured fighters to Raqqah from Damascus. Link. Surely this can't be right. We have just sent state of the art Tornado planes to kill the IS in Raqqah. Are they just topping up the population to give us a better chance at hitting someone? Chop off the head of the snake and all that. If anyone knows what's going on please tell me.

[Tizer]

I suppose the SAS will garner some extra inside information from it all.

Have you seen Jeremy Corbyn's Xmas card? I like it!

[plaques]

Jeremy Corbyn's Xmas card? A lot of hidden meaning in there! but most people will just see a bicycle covered in snow.

[Stanley]

I saw it in PE and agree with you Tiz. It's a refreshing change from the usual self-promoting cards which seem to be the norm these days. Nice pic as well! And yes, someone will try to 'interpret' it and discover a hidden meaning..... Notice that they have stopped doing an 'Ed Milliband' on him, they are retreating from ridicule and moving towards vituperation.... I reckon he has got them worried.
Don't worry about Syria P. It's dead simple, the West is going to make the same mistakes it made in Iraq and Afghanistan, totally misread the runes, jump in with both feet and make a complete horlicks of it..... Nothing we ordinary people can do about it....
Does Ossie allow emergency aid to alleviate the floods? Or does he preserve the myth of his economic recovery......

[Tizer]

If this report is correct then the situation in Syria leaves me totally confused. The United Nations is to transfer IS families and injured fighters to Raqqah from Damascus.

Plaques, the BBC reported it last night and seemed to be saying it was so that aid agencies could get to Palestinians trapped there.

[Stanley]

Expect visits by politicians to flooded areas today.... They will express admiration for the way people have coped, commiserate with those who have lost homes and possessions and assure the public that more is being spent. The truth is that the overall amount spent of flood measures has fallen since 2010 and any 'increases' since then have been pulled out of other funding pots and do not make up for the shortfall or anywhere near. It will get worse, remember the further cuts to departments announced in the November Financial Statement. Expect a torrent of statistics and flim flam..... Many sound bites signifying nothing.

[Stanley]

The whole country awaits word from Our Leader on the floods.....

[Tizer]

He's trying to find his wellies!

[PanBiker]

Don't forget the Hard Hat and High Vis, he will want to be seen.

[Stanley]

See THIS for a BBC report. Someone must have whispered into his shell-like about leaving out the hard hat and hi-viz... Apart from the usual blather of confused numbers he said "We are going to spend £2.3bn on flood defences in this parliament but we will look at what's happened here and see what needs to be done," Looking at it won't do anything to ease the problem and no mention of any extra money.
I listened to Andrew Rooke, deputy chief of the environment department and he was completely out of his depth. He ducked giving a definitive answer to all the questions, null point Andrew! (I wonder who put him up for the job of doing the interview, he was not happy!)

[Tizer]

If it's David Rooke, Deputy Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, then he's the one who says `a complete rethink is needed of our flood defences'. It's as if the idea has only just occurred to him.

[Stanley]

That's the one Tiz.His answer to every question was that there was to be an inquiry. I got the impression that he'd been pulled off the reserves bench to field the criticism because those in charge know that the funding cuts are indefensible. The head of the Environment Agency is cutting his holiday short and flying in from his house in Barbados. Must be serious then......

[Tizer]

Or they've got even worse floods in Barbados!

[Stanley]

See THIS for the Independent's report on the return of Sir Philip.... He's making all the right noises but I was interested to see that he said he was going 'Up North' as if it was some foreign country. Looking at the revelation of Oliver Letwin's views on the causes of race riots it makes me wonder about the private world view of our leaders. Does Sir Philip think of 'The North' as being something separate from the Westminster bubble? Does a leopard change its spots? Is Letwin really a reformed man?
Am I being over optimistic or do I detect a gradual assumption of the role of Labour Leader by Jeremy? His suggestion that planning for floods should not be a political football but an all-party agreement seems sensible to me. More sensible than the torrent of platitudes and weasel language we have heard so far from the government. "I am quite happy to talk to those affected" (Sir Philip). Great! So that's all right then. On the other hand the time for talking is past, what we need are sensible, coherent policies towards flooding and the consequences, not talking and 'looking at'.

[Bruff]

As far as I am aware the EA staff are civil servants and as such cannot openly criticise in their professional capacity the Government. It is unfair of the press/media to ask EA staff whether they have enough money: if they said they hadn’t they would be out the door. The arguments for money are not made in public; they are made in private, where ‘truth is spoken to power’ and the true state of the nation’s flood defenses are made clear to Ministers who then act on this advice in one way or another. The EA will do the best job it can with the money it is given.

I agree with EA’s Deputy CEO who called for a rethink of flood defenses. If 1 in a 100 year (or 1% annual risk) events are now so frequent as to be on the best modelling 1 in 50 or 30 (2or 3% annual risk) year events, then this has imlications for flood defense spending etc. After all, I think the EA’s own impact assessments show that every £1 spent on preventing floods saves an £8 cost after the fact. The problem is, the inherent unpredictability of the x% annual risk confuses the hell out of today’s penny-wise, deficit-obsessed Minister who when they have to think too much can’t walk straight let alone be trusted to make a sensible judgment.

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I love that last sentence Richard, reminds me of the comment made about Vice President Ford, that the couldn't chew gum and walk downstairs at the same time....
Where to start this morning? The Dishonours system? Giving people like Hartnet(?) the former head of HMRC a knighthood when, if reports in PE are true, he should have been on trial, and personal dispensations to Dave's mates reinforce my long held belief that this system is rotten to the core. Dispensation of a single classless mark of recognition like an Order of Merit should be taken out of the hands of politicians. 'Patronage' is unfair and a hangover from the days of empire. The decision to scrap the general inquiry into banks and turn the process into a private Old Boys exercise behind closed doors is a disgrace and an insult to the general public. Little doubt that the bankers have come out on top and all the evidence suggests that self-regulation isn't going to work.... The Tories really have got the bit between their teeth and are a block to any progress towards a modern, fair society. Worse still, they are dragging us back into the 19th century.
Sorry if I start the year on a pessimistic note but I see nothing but trouble ahead in every sphere of life from local services to national funding of essential services.
See THIS for my contender for the title of pillock of the year 2105. Did he not realise that exchanging suspect emails with a 17 year old girl was possibly not the best career path for a man who has made his reputation by trying to expose other people's peccadilloes? You can't really credit it......

[Tizer]

"Where to start this morning? "
Don't forget the Financial Conduct Authority deciding to abandon its plans for an inquiry into the culture, pay and behaviour of staff in banking. Business as usual then...

[plaques]

Did I hear correctly, David Cameron's new year speech stating clearly there would be an in-out referendum by the end of 2017. Just when I was getting used to the idea it was to be this year 2016.

[Stanley]

See THIS P. It would appear he is still not being definite but the original pledge was to have the referendum before the end of 2017 and that still stands. I think it all depends on when he can get a clear picture of what he will be allowed to get away with by the EU. If he feels he has enough to bolster the 'in' vote I think he'll go for this year. He wants it out of the way but has no control. Self inflicted injury I reckon....
Corbyn's view of the new year is quite straightforward but Tim Farron is like a dog locked out in the back yard and scratching at the door....

[Stanley]

See THIS for Dave's latest get out of the blame card. He's chucked £40million at 'Yorkshire' for flood defences. Job done? I don't think so, a get out of gaol card like this doesn't even touch the sides of the bucket that is proper management of flood water all over the country. If he thinks that those who have been flooded or threatened by floods will be quiet now he's mistaken. Another thing that is causing a stir is the scale of the bonuses that have been paid to Environment executives..... (LINK)

[Stanley]

In the absence of any hard news all we are getting out of Westminster at the moment is speculation about the EU referendum and the possible extent and direction of any shadow cabinet reshuffle.... The first wastes political time and energy, the second could be interesting. I get the impression that Jeremy has found his feet.....

[Stanley]

Shadow Cabinet reshuffle today? Could be interesting.
The argument between Saudi Arabia and Iran after the Saudis beheaded the cleric is frightening and fascinating. Not clear at the moment whether it is the start of a wider conflict between Sunni and Shia. If it is we could be in for a long haul. One wonders at the stupidity of the Saudis for poking this stick into a hornet's nest. They could live to regret it because there is no love lost between Sunni and Shia in Saudi Arabia....