POLITICS CORNER

[PanBiker]

Time to do what's right and pay proper wages close tax loopholes and if necessary raise taxes across the board.

Bang on the nose Ken! On the one hand we bandy ourselves about purporting to be one of the richest nations on the planet but apparently can't afford to pay for basic essential services. It's a nonsense, I only hope the electorate remember this pathetic stance.

[Stanley]

I too am right behind Ken!
I see from THIS BBC report that Sunak is expected to reshuffle his government today.
HE SHOULD BE ATTENDING TO THE QUESTION OF NEGOTIATING WITH THE WORKERS WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR LABOUR BECAUSE THEY HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR PATIENCE.
Instead he is employing distraction tactics like any stage illusionist to give the impression he is governing when all he is doing is putting sticking plasters on a rotten Party which is dying on its feet. At the same time The Truss is trying to make a come back into main stream politics after being given a chance and tanking the economy in a week!
"I only hope the electorate remember this pathetic stance."
Don't bank on it Ian. Apart from the persistence of your average rabid Tory there are the morons who only believe what the Sun and the other Tory Rags tell them. We can't rely on the Tories being bad, we have to be better and I am not overfull of confidence at the moment!

[PanBiker]

We can't rely on the Tories being bad, we have to be better and I am not overfull of confidence at the moment!

Indeed Stanley, what we actually need is a proper socialist party who have the drive to offer proper policies that most of us on here can see but Starmer has a problem with promoting. Nothing much to pick between the parties at the moment they are both seeking the existing vote instead of radical change. It's sad actually that there is no passion in the front bench of the party.

[plaques]

The awkward truth is that Jeremy Corbyn had the right manifesto promises which are proving to be correct to meet todays problems. Unfortunately the rabid right-wing media chose to play the man and not the ball. Day after day of Corbyn cartoon characters accompanied by half truths and downright lies. Spending on infrastructure, social services although fully costed were always described as black holes. In short Labour lost the propaganda war using too much detail rather than the slick sound bites that the Tories used. These 'three word' slogans meant different things to different people but added up to nothing more than aspirational promises. Starmer has tried to create a squeaky clean sanitised image by trying to remove Corbyn from Labour's collective memory, a mistake in my mind, but still used by the Tories at PMQ's when things get tough. Starmer is now seen as bland and lacking charisma by trying to appeal to the middle ground politics who drift along following the herd. Relying on things getting worse for the Tories is a tricky strategy when 90% of people will believe up beat propaganda 'that 'good times are just round the corner don't let Labour spoil it'

[Tripps]

It's shuffle time -

Number 10 also confirmed business, energy and industrial strategy secretary Grant Shapps will be made energy security and net zero secretary in a newly created department.

I think that's a typo - "and net zero " should read "or net zero"

Almost poetic that a spiv should be appointed to an impossible job.

[Stanley]

I think you're right Ken. I was all in favour of Corbyn when he was elected leader because he had the Tories really worried by his strange habit of telling the truth. That was what got him into so much trouble at first, things like saying we should negotiate with the IRA and that he had sympathy with the plight of the Palestinian Arabs. I agree with both of them.... Then he didn't sack the rebels in the Labour Shadow Cabinet, too soft and 'fair' with them. Then he handled the anti-Semitism row badly by trying to see other's point of view. In short he wasn't Prime Ministerial material.
All of this helped the rabid right wing press to attack him and in the end the constant barrage wore him down and more importantly convinced the Labour Members that he was a loser. Things could have been a lot different if he had had a night of the long knives a la Macmillan.....
As for Sunak's reshuffle. All about massaging Party unity, nothing he did made any difference at all to the state of the nation. No word on Raab and I see the attack on him redoubles this evening on the BBC.
See THIS BBC report of the vote in the Lords last night. They have thrown out the governments Public Order Bill. Well done,

[plaques]

Never mentioned in the right-wing media during the current nurses pay dispute.....

The Prime Minister tested positive for Covid-19 on March 27 where he suffered from mild symptoms such as a cough and temperature. He was later admitted to hospital as a precautionary step due to his persistent symptoms.
Early April he was admitted to intensive care as his symptoms worsened which is where he spent three nights. Boris left hospital after seven nights of care.

All we hear now is the 'fastest vaccine rollout in the world, something we couldn't have done as part of the EU'. A total lie we were still in the EU and the EU rules would allow individual countries to made their own decisions.

Clapping for nurses is not the same as paying them adequate wages.

[Tripps]

we were still in the EU

Google Brexit shows that Brexit was "Fri, Jan 31, 2020 11:00 PM"

My Plague Diary shows he was admitted to Hospital on 5th April 2020 and to Intensive Care on 6th April 2020.

[plaques]

plaques wrote: ↑08 Feb 2023, 10:32
we were still in the EU
Tripps wrote
Google Brexit shows that Brexit was "Fri, Jan 31, 2020 11:00 PM"

We entered the transition period where nothing changed .In effect still under their rules.
31 Dec 2022 — The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. The transition period that was in place – during which nothing changed – ended on 31 December 2020.

From Wiki.
Vaccinations began on 8 December 2020 after Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world (outside trials) to receive her first dose of two of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Phase 1 of the rollout prioritised the most vulnerable, in a schedule primarily based on age. The delivery plan was adjusted on 30 December 2020, delaying second doses so that more people could receive their first dose.

[Tripps]

We're conflating two different things here. Boris's illness (he was unvaccinated) and the vaccine roll out, which started in Dec 2020 when even the Brexit transition period was almost over. Most talk on the subject is political rather than medical.

My attitude to the "vaccine" has totally changed now. This is based on personal experience and speaking to doctors. There are a lot of questions that still need answering. I have my own ideas which I won't trouble you with. Suffice it to say I will not be having any more "vaccine" boosters.

Here endeth the lesson.

[plaques]

My attitude to the "vaccine" has totally changed now. This is based on personal experience and speaking to doctors. There are a lot of questions that still need answering. I have my own ideas which I won't trouble you with. Suffice it to say I will not be having any more "vaccine" boosters.

Here endeth the lesson.

Now there's something we can agree on. The medical advantages seem to be getting buried under $ signs.

[Tripps]

Now there's something we can agree on

That's a relief.
********************************

I'm disturbed by our involvement in Ukraine. The unexpected visit today by President Zelensky caused me to look into it a bit further. I am especially puzzled as to why we didn't seem to bother at all when Putin took over Crimea in 2014.

I went for backgound information to Maidan Revolution

I had a vague memory of Yulia Tymoshenko the possessor of the world's most famous plaits, but that was a long time ago.

It's all fairly straight forward. . . .

[Stanley]

I'm not surprised that two intelligent people can differ so much. All the subjects you cover are complicated and deliberately made so by our masters otherwise we wouldn't need them.
Reading what you have both written sent me HERE but I suppose that's a complete red herring..... That was what Timoshenko means to me......
See THIS for what grabbed me this morning. That man's carbon footprint must be massive. (And his air miles!)

[plaques]

I'm not surprised that two intelligent people can differ so much.

1.the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
2. the collection of information of military or political value.

My 'intelligence' is limited to memory. I have worked with people who 'understand' things which has become my measure of intelligence.

Which brings me nicely round to many of ourr MPs. Many have qualifications which suggest intelligence but their understanding seems to be limited to whether it will be profitable for them. Their understanding of what is good for the country seems to be in short supply.

[Stanley]

I see nothing wrong with your assessment of the MPs which increases my respect for your intelligence no matter how you define it.
See THIS for more protestations of innocence from Raab. Why do I get the impression that he is gradually losing his grip on political office?
See also THIS report that Nadine Norris is to step down at the next election.
"Conservative Ms Dorries used her TalkTV show to announce her departure and hit out at "MPs who drank the Kool-Aid and got rid of Boris Johnson". She has been a critic of Rishi Sunak's government since he entered Number 10. Parliament's anti-corruption watchdog said the Mid Bedfordshire MP broke the ministerial code by not consulting it before she took the TV job. Ms Dorries, who is writing a book about the political downfall of Mr Johnson, described "the lack of cohesion, the infighting and occasionally the sheer stupidity from those who think we could remove a sitting prime minister, who secured a higher percentage of the vote share than Tony Blair did in 1997, just three short years ago". She added: "That they could do that and the public would let us get away with it. I'm afraid it's this behaviour that I now just have to remove myself from.""
No mention of the fact that she is blind to his faults or that she was expecting a peerage in his final honours list but the word is that it was blocked by the Lords scrutiny committee. The Empire will not crumble when she leaves Parliament.
(PS. I don't understand the reference to Kool-Aid.....)

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on problems with the selection of Labour candidates that has bothered me for a long time, allied with the equally bad syndrome of control of Local Parties from London.
"The leaders of a local Labour Party have walked out over a "a clique in London" they claim are dictating who is selected to stand as an MP. Nine members of Labour's 13 strong Bolton North East executive say they "lack confidence in the integrity" of the party's selection process. It comes after a local party figure, Leigh Drennan, was prevented from standing in the seat. Labour Party HQ in London has been contacted for comment. Party bosses have previously said they are ensuring that every candidate they put forward is of a high standard."
I don't know the merits of this particular case but recognise the process having seen it in so many different ways. All I am sure about is that the centre of the known universe is not London and the sooner Part Managers realise that and give local parties autonomy the better. It needs to be done before the next election.
I get the impression that Starmer is trying to emulate Tony Blair and get complete control from the centre so he can direct the party down what is essentially a Centrist agenda.

[plaques]

One of the many TV interviews with Jeremy Hunt exposed his reduction in Rate of Inflation' promises. ..

Interviewer... The rate of inflation will automatically reduce by half due to the maths of how it is calculated. Aren't you claiming benefit from something that would happen even if you did nothing>

Jeremy Hunt. That is true but inflation is a challenge we must address to get to 4%

But with gas prices set to fall wouldn't his automatically reduce inflation by another 1%. ie: 5.25 + 1 = 6.25% without your intervention.

Yes but the BofE target is 2% that's why we have to be tough on wage rises to stop inflation taking off again.
........................................

listeners may have noticed that 'do nothing' got inflation down to (10.5 minus 6.25) 4.25% then Hunt change the goal posts to justify his austerity plan.
Baring in mind that the prices we are seeing will still be with us even when the rate of increases fall Hunt's plan is simply to make people poorer, stagnate the whole economy and to close the NHS down.

[PanBiker]

All I am sure about is that the centre of the known universe is not London and the sooner Part Managers realise that and give local parties autonomy the better. It needs to be done before the next election.
I get the impression that Starmer is trying to emulate Tony Blair and get complete control from the centre so he can direct the party down what is essentially a Centrist agenda.

It was precisely local party autonomy that got Tony Blair elected in the first place. At that time all candidate selections were done by individual CLP's. They still had built in checks and balances, interviews, long lists, short lists, hustings but all done by the individual constituency parties.

I drew attention to this centralisation of selection some time ago and it certainly wont go away this side of the next general election. We should have a PPC in post by now. We may get a chance of a short list of three that we have never seen or if push comes to shove an imposed candidate that we know nothing about. I doesn't nurture any enthusiasm to put the hours in.

[Tripps]

Hot topic in Bolton.

"The entire selection committee in Bolton North East resigned after they were not allowed to choose the shortlist"

Bolton Labour candidate and connections to the recent Jared O'Mara case.

He was quickly selected by Head Office which was a surprise to me.
"At the 2017 general election, O'Mara was selected for the constituency of Sheffield Hallam in an emergency selection process for the snap election under the control of the National Executive Committee and regional boards, rather than by the local constituency party."

Are there any limits to your tolerance Ian?

[PanBiker]

[quote=Are there any limits to your tolerance Ian?
[/quote]

Indeed, there may well be depending what happens in the next twelve months or so.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the verdict on the Richard Sharp affair expressed by a cross-party committee which has said he had not given them the "full facts" two years ago when they were considering his suitability for the BBC role.
In its report published on Sunday, the DCMS Committee is highly critical of Mr Sharp's failure to mention any involvement he had in events surrounding the loan when they were considering his suitability for the job....
MPs said Mr Sharp had recognised the need to be "open and transparent" by bringing it to the attention of the cabinet secretary, but "failed to apply the same standards of openness and candour in his decision not to divulge this information during the interview process or to this committee during the pre-appointment hearing". "Mr Sharp's failure to disclose his actions to the panel and the committee, although he believed this to be completely proper, constitute a breach of the standards expected of individuals applying for such public appointments," the report added. The report concluded: "Mr Sharp should consider the impact his omissions will have on trust in him, the BBC and the public appointments process."
In other words, they think he would never have been appointed and should resign now. He will ignore this advice of course.
I heard a report yesterday that the Partygate enquiry in Parliament is running into problems because witnesses are not prepared to go public because Johnson will be told their names. They say it will be like informing on the Mafia.
He's going to get away with it isn't he.

[plaques]

Sorry to keep harping on about the state of the economy in the UK but its getting more and more obvious that the Tories are driving the bulk of the population into poverty. The 1980s Thatcher years saw the old smoke stack industries closing down. This didn't matter too much since they were largely isolated and in the north. What it did do was to spread inequality out stretching from poor to extremely rich but still left people with some disposable income to spend as they wished. Fast forward to 2010 / 2023 inequality is even more spread out but GDP growth has remained stagnant pushing the poor and those on the edge of middle class into poverty. Sunak and the BofE are almost guaranteeing that wages will not match inflation or catch up with the price rises that have happened. The future is two more years of declining living standards in spite of the up beat talk of resilience and distorted statistics. With no coherent plan to grow the economy its little wonder that the CBI are complaining.

Expect the election propaganda to include. 'You've suffered the pain don't let Labour spoil the gain. Works every time.

[Stanley]

You're not 'harping on' Ken but performing a valuable public service by reminding us of what is happening.
Incidentally I heard an economist talking about the mechanics of forecasting and she said that it was universally accepted that it was not a precise science and the margin of error was about 1.5%. Well outside the miniscule movements held up as evidence that we aren't in a recession.
I think you're right Ken and what we are seeing is not accidental but a strategy. My turn to harp on now.....
The rising tide of wealth and productivity post 1950 as a result of the technological revolution that included computerisation in industry spilled over into the working classes and we saw disposable incomes in the lowest 50 percentile increasing by an average of almost 2.5% annually. The adoption of the Chicago School of Economics theories by the US and UK helped to divert much of the increase in wealth into channels where it could be manipulated by the 'financial sector' and we started to see the diversion of capital upwards to the magnates who already had an unfair share of the national wealth. This was no accident, the workers were seen to be getting too big for their boots, for God's sake they ran the country for 13 years! Something had to be done.
I believe that a groundswell within the Tory ranks developed into a project to regain the levels of control last seen in the days of Empire. Colonisation was the highest level of control. (Incidentally this is why Scotland and Ireland have always been run as pseudo colonies and it was devolution that opened the floodgates of controversy but that's the subject of another rant!) It is no accident that the major rabid Right Wing movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries all had connections with the concept of Empire. (Remember the Kemsley Group newspaper, The Empire News?)
Empire carries with it connotations of sovereignty and membership of the EU was seen by the extreme right as a loss of sovereignty and therefore control. Step forward the European Research Group who are as potent as ever, they have learned to pursue their ambitions more quietly.
This brings us to Sunak and his merry band and the economic strategies Ken has noted. They are a further extension (whether they realise it or not) of 'The Project' to push the lower percentile of the population back into the laisser faire conditions last seen in the 19th century and days of Empire. As a side benefit this also makes it possible for the politicians to feather their nests as well. (Zahawi forgets £27million of assets. Sunak reputedly controls £700million in funds etc.) Am I getting through to you? Does this also sound like harping? Ken and I are shouting at the top of our voices and I believe that eventually we will be heard but that happy circumstance will come first amongst the poor and those hardest hit by these poisonous policies.
End of rant....

[plaques]

Revealed: secret cross-party summit held to confront failings of Brexit secret talks. Strange goings on behind closed doors. If the report in the 'Observer' is to be believed the government is realising that putting up trade barriers with your nearest and biggest trading block may be a mistake.

An extraordinary cross-party summit bringing together leading leavers and remainers – including Michael Gove and senior members of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet – has been held in high secrecy to address the failings of Brexit and how to remedy them in the national interest, the Observer can reveal.

Brexit now seen as a drag on our economic development has the potential to cost the Tories the next general election. Cross party talks, something that has been taboo for years, suggests there could be some agreement between the parties to act together and sideline any ERG rebellion. This may give Sunak a lift in the ratings but not enough to stop losing the election. All very complicated and political we will just have to wait and see.

[Stanley]

I saw these rumours Ken and decided that if there is anything in them it will come out in the wash. My immediate reaction is that if the Tories think they can get rid of the albatross of Brexit simply by acquiescing in 'cross party talks' they are sadly mistaken. Starmer and Labour should not be doing anything that aligns them with the Tories. They should be attacking them!