POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report for the matter which will get the attention of Sunak and Braverman.
The number of migrants that crossed the English Channel on Saturday was the highest seen so far this year. Government data showed 872 migrants and 15 boats arrived in the UK amid calm weather conditions. Official figures collated by the BBC revealed the total number of people to have landed on UK shores in 2023 now stands at 20,973 with 436 small boats. The Home Office said its priority was "to stop the boats". By the end of August 2022, a total of 25,043 people had made the crossing, meaning figures were slightly lower than this time last year.
However the promised good weather for the foreseeable future means that there will be an avalanche hoping to get across before the equinoctial gales start later this month and into October.
I see in another item of news the BBC is commenting on that Keir Starmer is said to be considering what role to give Angela Rayner in his expected reshuffle of the Shadow Cabinet. I have a suggestion, how about Party Leader?
Heard later..... Commenting on Jeremy Hunt's statement that the government would spend 'whatever it takes' to address the concrete problem in schools a Treasury Spokesman made clear that this would not entail the spending of any new money. Can someone explain to me how that can improve matters in schools? We used to call it robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report for an intersting slant on the bad concrete story.
Rishi Sunak has said it was "utterly wrong" to suggest he oversaw budget cuts that led to crumbling concrete in schools in England not being repaired. A former senior civil servant accused Mr Sunak of ignoring recommendations up to 400 schools needed rebuilding annually while he was chancellor. Jonathan Slater said funding for repairs was cut to cover just 50 sites.
Given that it is very doubtful that Mr Slater is telling lies it follows that in a clever swerve to avoid the accusation Sunak must be saying that it is "utterly wrong" to accuse him of cutting the budget not that the statement is wrong.
He's been caught with his fingers in the till and has to do something to defend himself so his advisers come up with this weasel language which gets him off the hook with those who don't examine his words carefully.
This is today's high level politics, get used to it!
See THIS BBC report on Gavin Williamson's apology yesterday in Parliament.
Former cabinet minister Sir Gavin Williamson has been ordered to apologise after an inquiry found he had bullied a colleague in texts. Sir Gavin quit as a minister last year after sending expletive-laden texts to former Tory chief whip Wendy Morton. In the texts, Sir Gavin accused Ms Morton of excluding some MPs from the late Queen's funeral last September. He sent the texts in the run-up to the funeral and Ms Morton lodged a complaint with Parliament in November. Sir Gavin apologised in the Commons on Monday, following the publication of a report by an independent panel, which found he breached Parliament's bullying and harassment policy.
This man is as big a puzzle to me as Chris Grayling, the consequences of whose tenure in various offices still echoes down the years. How did a weirdo like him ever get to be Education minister and even more surprising, get a knighthood?

[Sue]

I don't do.politics except in private, but there was a statement today by someone quoting how much has been spent on schools, a world beating amount. I didn't catch it all as the car navigation system talked over it but I have two comments
1. What ever was spent it was obviously not enough
2. Which world wS he talking about, the third World?
Have you noticed how many of these schools are down south. They were obviously 'lucky ' enough to have new schools built in the last 30 years whilst up norf we had to make do with seriously out dated buildings but soundly built in bricks and motar

[Stanley]

I think I heard the same blanket defence Sue and agree with you completely. And yes, the old late 19th century Board Schools have no problems, as sound as when they were built, just minimal maintenance needed.
THIS BBC report bears out what you say Sue.
At least 13 schools in England confirmed to have crumbling RAAC concrete had funding to rebuild withdrawn in 2010, BBC research has found. They had been approved for rebuilding under a Labour scheme, which was then scrapped by the Conservative-led government after it came to power. Schools have had to close or have closed buildings because potentially dangerous RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) has been found. The analysis will raise questions about whether schools now dealing with this safety crisis could have been helped far earlier with government investment in their buildings. The Labour scheme - Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - was a £55bn project to renew every secondary school in England, rebuilding half of them and refurbishing the rest. It was ditched by the coalition government (which launched its own school building scheme in 2014). The then education secretary Michael Gove said BSF was characterised by "massive overspends, tragic delays, botched construction projects and needless bureaucracy". There were questions about the value for money in the project, but the structural issues for the schools applying were real. More than 700 projects were shelved. Mr Gove's department published a list of schools affected in 2010.
I note also now that the concrete problem has spread into the justice system even though this had been denied earlier.
THIS Seemed to me to be the most important news this morning.... The leader of Birmingham City Council insisted vital services would be protected as the authority declared itself effectively bankrupt. The largest local authority in Europe is to halt all spending other than services it must provide by law such as social care, waste collections and protecting the vulnerable. The Labour-run council needs to settle a £760m bill for equal pay claims. Its leader John Cotton said "tough and robust decisions" would be made. There are fears cuts could affect roads, parks, libraries and cultural projects, while a question mark hangs over the council's funding of the 2026 European Athletics Championships planned for the city's Alexander Stadium. The council, which faces an immediate budget shortfall of £87m this year, has also blamed the implementation of its Oracle IT system for its desperate situation.
Unlike some other councils in the news, Birmingham's plight is not as the result of here-brained investment schemes to try to make a fast buck but because over the years it has done the right thing on equal pay and has had no support from the government. Warnings have been sounded about other large councils but they too are being ignored.
Do you ever wonder what sort of a tin pot country we have become under 13 years of Tory mismanagement?

[Stanley]

See THIS for the latest in the RAAC concrete row.
Rishi Sunak has batted away suggestions he was at fault for the concrete crisis in schools, in a Prime Minister's Questions dominated by the issue. He faced Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who likened the government to "cowboy builders" seeking to shift blame. But Mr Sunak said his government acted "decisively" on the unsafe concrete and branded Sir Keir "Captain Hindsight". The government has published a list of schools in England with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). A total of 147 education settings are included on the list, which sets out the RAAC mitigation measures schools have been forced to take. The long-awaited list was published on Wednesday, after more than 100 schools were ordered to fully or partially shut buildings before the new academic year over RAAC concerns. The Department for Education (DfE) later said the list of schools in England where RAAC is present is only up to date as of 30 August, and the actual number is likely to be higher.
This is all good knockabout PMQ material but if truth were told all parties that have held any sort of power in the last thirty years must carry a share of any blame because they have all kicked the thorny question of investment in building maintenance into the long grass. This is true in the whole of the public estate, attention is focussed on schools but it's also critical now in the NHS. They should all remember the old saying, "A stitch in time saves nine!"

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report that Chris Pincher has at last thrown in the towel and is to retire.
Former Tory whip Chris Pincher has resigned his seat after losing his appeal against a proposed Commons suspension for drunkenly groping two men. It means the government will face another by-election. The Parliament's standards committee found the Tamworth MP groped two men at London's Carlton Club. It described his "completely inappropriate" behaviour as an "abuse of power". Mr Pincher, who had been sitting as an independent MP, had previously announced he would be standing down at the next election. However, on Monday he lost an appeal against the proposed eight-week suspension.
If I am right in suspecting that he was (Like Nadine Dorries) only trying to extend how long he could draw a wage and get other benefits, what a sad little man and it leads me to wonder how he ever managed to become a Whip.
I can't get the image out of my head, 'drunkenly groping'.....
Stepping down as deputy chief whip in July 2022, in his resignation letter he told the prime minister he "drank far too much" and embarrassed himself and others. Since then he has received almost £100,000 in salary and £7,920 in ministerial severance, while he has claimed £13,860 in rent as expenses.
Nice work if you can get it......

[Stanley]

See THIS for a BBC report on a matter which many commentators say is a disaster for the UK.
No new offshore wind project contracts have been bought by developers at a key government auction, dealing a blow to the UK's renewable power strategy. Results showed no bids for new offshore wind farms, but there were deals for solar, tidal and onshore wind projects. Firms have argued the price set for electricity generated was too low to make offshore wind projects viable. The government said a "global rise" in inflation impacting supply chains had "presented challenges for projects".
This is the same syndrome as the collapse of the food chain that supplies eggs to supermarkets. The price offered to the producer is less than the cost of production so there is no point bidding. Consequence is a shortage and therefore a rise in price of the product. Thus, the attempt by the buyer to hold prices down by underpaying for the product is ultimately self-defeating.
The government of course protests that this is a global phenomenon and nothing to do with their mismanagement.
See also THIS report of Sunak's progress in India in his pursuit of the trade deal that makes Brexit worthwhile. Forgive me for being slightly sceptical bit this seems to me to be a handy distraction from more concrete matters at home.....
Rishi Sunak said he "won't rush" into a UK trade deal with India, as he arrived in the country for a summit of G20 leaders. The UK prime minister said he would not set a deadline for negotiations, which began early last year, to conclude. Expectations have been growing an agreement could be struck before the end of the year. Mr Sunak told reporters that progress has been made, but "we're not there yet". India would be the biggest country yet to strike a trade agreement with the UK since it left the European Union's trading system in 2021.
His more right wing back benchers at home do not trust him as they see the quid pro quo that India will seek in exchange for a deal will be easier access to entry to this country for its citizens and their families.

[Stanley]

The only political news that attracted my attention was THIS BBC report on what has happened in the Labour organisation in Bolton North East.
The Labour Party has suspended its leadership team in a key marginal seat after a row over who should represent the party at the next general election. All Bolton North East officials have been relieved of their positions and duties. An outside convener will establish an election campaign team. In February, nine leading local members quit, accusing a "London clique" of taking over the selection process.
This sounds to me like the syndrome I identified years ago when Blair took collection of party dues from local parties and made it all central to London. If you remember, when Labour collapsed in Scotland the blame was put on the London Party making the Scottish Party into a 'regional office'.
The one thing that is commented on by everyone who describes how the LibDems operate is the strength of their local organisations.
Why can't Starmer and the London Elite join the dots up and stop crushing local initiative and enthusiasm? We don't want candidates parachuting in, we want our locally selected ones. The closer we get to an election the more I worry about Labour's approach. Can't anyone else see that Starmer is a potential disaster?
Ask yourself what (if anything) cheers Sunak up when he surveys the piste? It must be Starmer........

[Stanley]

See THIS for a good example of the dangers of trying to be all things to all men.
The government is facing pressure to take stronger action against Beijing, after a parliamentary researcher was arrested amid accusations he spied for China. Senior Conservative MPs have called for China to be categorised as a threat, a move backed by some cabinet ministers. Rishi Sunak raised concerns about interference from Beijing with China's premier while at the G20 in India. The prime minister said an open dialogue with China was necessary. Police confirmed on Saturday that two men, one in his 20s and another in his 30s, were arrested under the Official Secrets Act in March. Sources have told the BBC one of them was a parliamentary researcher involved in international affairs issues.
Mr Sunak may find out that he has to make a clear commitment one way or the other, he can't run with the hare and the hounds.
See THIS for news of something I can't remember seeing before.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) says it is reporting the UK government to the United Nations watchdog on workers' rights over a new strikes law. New rules on strikes will require some employees to work during industrial action - or face being sacked. The TUC said the legislation fell short of international legal standards. The government said the new rules "protect the lives and livelihoods of the general public" as well as access to public services. Once implemented, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act will apply to a wide range of workers, including those in the rail industry and emergency services. The TUC labelled them "anti-strike laws" and, as representatives from 48 unions gathered on Sunday, its general secretary, Paul Nowak said they're "unworkable" - and may be illegal. Speaking on the opening day of the TUC Congress in Liverpool, Mr Nowak said the union body will be lodging the case at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) because the new law "falls far short" of international legal standards.
I have to say that they may have a point. I don't see how someone can be legally forced to do something if they decide not to. Surely that can only happen in say the case of the army or other directly employed official body?

[Tripps]

Our nice Mr Sunak came in for a bit of stick in some quarters yesterday for kneeling down to speak to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh one Sheikh Hasina at the G20 conference. I saw the photo, and it seemed a natural thing to do, to get to her level so to speak, and save her standing up. Like you'd do for your granny.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of what stands in for my brain - a bell rang - and yes she is the Aunty of British MP Tulip Siddiq. I read also that she has survived nineteen assassination attempts. That's quite an achievement. I'd have taken the hint long ago.

Here's a nice cosy family snap with a Mr Putin a few years ago.

Tulip Siddiq, Sheikh Hasani, and Vladimir Putin

Does any of this matter? I don't know - make your own mind up - not my constituency.

[Stanley]

THIS BBC report on the dog attack in Birmingham on Saturday seems to me to be the only genuine political news this morning.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman is seeking "urgent advice" on banning "lethal" American bully XL dogs. Her statement comes after footage was posted online of an attack on an 11-year-old girl in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, on Saturday. Ana Paun, who said she was "terrified" and "screaming for help during the ordeal", called for a ban on the breed. But some, including leading animal groups, argue that a breed specific ban is not the solution. Ana's mother told the BBC her daughter spent a night in hospital and that she "thanked God" she was alive. Two men who intervened were also bitten and treated in hospital. The crossbreed XL bully-Staffordshire bull terrier dog is being held in secure kennels and the owner has been spoken to by police.
I'm not sure if breed specific prohibitions can work, we can all remember the disaster that was the 'Dangerous Dogs Act' of 1991 which was a knee jerk reaction to a similar situation and which caused more problems than it was worth until heavily modified. The dog was clearly out of control and dangerous and as such should be automatically banned no matter what the breed.
I have seen the consequences of such attacks and nursed the injured for months afterwards and I think we all know there is a cachet among a certain class of dog owner for who has the 'hardest dog'. That's the root of the problem and should be prosecuted rigorously which includes coursing and hunting game but how can this be done when there aren't enough resources to carry out normal policing of crime?
The other so called news about set piece diplomatic events are simply politicians trying to convince us they are statesmen and busy on our behalf. As if!

[Tripps]

This chap Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. says he will stand next year for a second term as President of the United States.

Someone should have a word. . . . surely the Twilight Home for the Slightly Bewildered beckons.

No comments in the Main Stream - could that be because he is a Democrat and qualifies as the "anyone except Donald Trump candidate"?

[Stanley]

I keep seeing reports about his age and condition..... But on the whole he doesn't seem to be doing a bad job and yes, anything is preferable to Trump!

See THIS for what would, until now, have been seen as unbelievable news, I mean, the government breaking the law?.....
The UK's environment watchdog suspects the government and water regulators have broken the law over how they regulate sewage releases. It follows continued high levels of sewage releases in England which topped 825 times a day last year. Campaigners and opposition MPs have called the regulators "complicit" in allowing the pollution. The government said it did not agree with the Office for Environmental Protection's "initial interpretations". Last week a BBC investigation found potentially hundreds of illegal dry sewage spills in England.
It's not enough for the government to fend off the accusation by saying it doesn't agree with the interpretations. Imagine if it was you who was standing accused, would you get away with saying that you didn't agree with the charge?
We seem to have a different instance of the government breaking the law every time we look. Do they simply go forward ignoring all these charges?
What this highlights, as in so many other cases, is that privatising these essential services was a mistake and could even be said to be a con-trick. Macmillan said at the time that they were selling the family silver. Nye Bevan railed against losing control of the commanding heights of the economy. Look at the state of just two, the railways and the Post Office. The public has been robbed by the Market.
HERE'S another little problem that nice Mr Sunak may have to face in an election year.....
The work and pensions secretary has refused to commit to raising the state pension to match official overall earnings figures. Under the government's triple lock pledge, next year's pensions are meant to rise by the highest of 2.5%, prices, or average wages. Data released earlier suggested this was likely to be 8.5%, the average wage figure for the summer months. But Mel Stride said he could not commit to using it for the calculation. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World At One, he added the government remained "committed" to the triple lock promise. But he said he was "not going to get into the mechanics" of the official process to work out the increase, which begins later this autumn.
This sounds like code for raising the possibility that the pension increase next year we can calculate now based on earnings and inflation if the Triple Lock is adhered to might not happen and this would mean a lot of older people being upset by the Tories just when they were being wooed for their votes....

[plaques]

The UK's environment watchdog suspects the government and water regulators have broken the law over how they regulate sewage releases. It follows continued high levels of sewage releases in England which topped 825 times a day last year. Campaigners and opposition MPs have called the regulators "complicit" in allowing the pollution.
Clean water in rivers and sea are FREE. So how do you stop abuse of something that is free and therefore has no value? The answer is to have strict enforceable rules that stop people abusing this loophole. The government won't care if its fined because the tax payer picks up the tab. Time to shift the rules to Cabinet ministers and make them pay for their dereliction of duty.

Another big issue is carbon pollution of the FREE air,re atmosphere, Zero carbon is being resisted by all the big polluters for fear that it will push up their costs and put them at a disadvantage to competitors who ignore the rules. Meanwhile wild fires continue and flooding is killing people. Someone has to cut through this Gordian knot which in reality can only be done on collective basis. But as always the UK will be Johnny-come-lately waiting to see what the rest are doing.

[Stanley]

He's back! And makes two good points. Sanctions on individuals have seemed to me to be the efficient answer in so many cases from bank bosses to senior NHS managers who preside over persecuting whistle-blowers but on the whole our ruling classes shy away from imposing penalties on themselves. I don't know the answer to that one Ken.....
See THIS for yet another good reason why the House of Lords may need slimming down but for God's sake don't abolish it!
The House of Lords has blocked the UK government's plan to relax restrictions on water pollution to encourage housebuilding in England. Labour led a rebellion in the Lords to defeat the government in a vote on removing the EU-era "nutrient neutrality" rules. Ministers believe up to 100,000 new homes could be built by 2030 if water pollution regulations are loosened. But environmental groups said the move would mean more polluted waters. The government announced plans to scrap these rules through an amendment, or change, to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, currently going through the House of Lords. Because of the late stage at which the government tried to introduce the change, it cannot try again in the House of Commons now it has been defeated in the Lords. Ministers would need to bring the proposal forward in a new bill.
It always looked like a big mistake, to try to be tough on the monsters they created in the privatised water companies for polluting watercourses whilst at the same time relaxing regulations on house builders designed to protect the same waterways.
THIS report disturbs me.
The family of a Colombian man who is believed to have killed himself at a Heathrow immigration removal centre say he begged for help and was willing to leave the UK. Frank Ospina died within a month of being detained, while he was waiting to be deported. His family say he had no existing mental health problems. The BBC has been investigating conditions inside immigration centres, at a time when the government is taking a harder line on migrants. We have also uncovered new details about an incident in which a group of detainees tried to kill themselves in the days following Frank's death. It comes ahead of the publication of a report, due next week, into abusive behaviour by staff at the Brook House facility, a centre near Gatwick. A public inquiry was launched following a landmark undercover BBC Panorama investigation, in 2017.
Am I alone in questioning the way the Home Office runs these immigration 'facilities'? So often they seem to be thinly disguised detentions centres, the UN Human Rights group has complained about them frequently but we still see these adverse reports, nothing seems to be done to improve things.
(I note that elsewhere Theresa May says she regrets having imposed a 'hostile' climate during her tenure at the Home Office.)

[Stanley]

THIS BBC report on Sunaqk's explanation for the state of the NHS grabbed me, not his pathetic attempt to divert attention by making bleeding obvious statements about China and national security.
The government's target to reduce the hospital waiting list in England is in doubt, the prime minister has admitted. Rishi Sunak told BBC News it would be "very hard" to reduce the waiting list by next March as promised, pinning the blame on the strikes by doctors. Latest figures show a record 7.68 million people were waiting for treatment at the end of July. This represents nearly one in seven people and is a jump of more than 100,000 in a month. The prime minister told BBC News it was "disappointing" the waiting list was growing. "Industrial action is a significant cause of that," he said. "We were making very good progress before industrial action. "With industrial action, it's very hard to continue to meet these targets." He was "confident" the target would have been met without the strikes, which have seen both junior doctors and consultants walk out. "The evidence for that is before industrial action really intensified we had actually met our interim target of virtually eliminating the number of people who were waiting a year and a half," Mr Sunak added.
Apart from the fact that I suspect his statement about being on track before the strikes wouldn't stand up to rigorous fact-checking, what is significant is what he doesn't say.... He never mentions the reason for the strikes.
The truth is that succeeding governments have been trying to run the NHS on a shoe-string for over 50 years and compounded this by making politically based 'adjustments' to how the service has been managed and conducted. This is where the staff were neglected and is the cause of the strikes. In other words he is admitting that the root cause is government mismanagement and much of the latest tranche of mistakes stems from the Cameron/Osborne Austerity which started in 2010.

[Stanley]

Politics seems to have gone into misdirect mode as we enter the conference season with campaigning for next year's General Election being uppermost in the political mind.
What is significant is what is not being mentioned, The Immigrant barge, boat people, the stagnant economy and the likelihood of another base interest rate rise while inflation grows. We can all build our own list. Perhaps THIS best sums up the state of play at the moment....
Relaxing in the Speaker's grand office, with portraits of his predecessors from centuries past staring down, he hopes the reputation of MPs is recovering from the traumas of the Brexit years and the political turmoil of 2022 - the fall, first, of Boris Johnson and then of Liz Truss as successive prime ministers. He seems to wince at the memory: "The fight that we had - three prime ministers within the space of six weeks. "Who would have thought that a country like this, when we don't know who's turning up to the dispatch box, ministers resigning all over the place. "I said to one minister 'I thought you would have resigned' - he said: 'Lindsay if I resign there's nobody to answer the questions'. That's how bad. "Who would have thought we'd end up like a South American banana republic - and that's what worried me."
He's not the only one who is worried!

[plaques]

On a different note.

A regular contributor to YouTube is Sabine Hossenfelder quite often discussing topics like black holes and other esoteric subjects that I can never fully understand. The other week she had for her subject ‘Capitalism is good’ and started with the basic definition of ‘Capital’ ie goods that could be exchanged for other goods or tokens (money) issue by state rulers or governments. This followed the lines of Adam Smith with his ‘unseen hand’. This Capitalism began as simple barter but developed into a more complex system that we see today. The result being at almost every feature of todays Capitalism requires RULES which in practice are none existent or ignored.

Sabine Hossenfelder’s Capitalism is far different to that of the Wikipedia definition that we now we now know.

Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price systems, private property, property rights recognition, voluntary exchange, and wage labour.

Taken to the extreme our government is moving all previously publicly owned assets into private hands and where possibly diluting or ignoring rules.

I would suggest that Sabine Hossenfelder is wrong with her assertion that ‘Capitalism is good’.

[Stanley]

I understand your reasoning and agree with you Ken. It's one thing to erect a theory of capitalism and draw conclusions from that but quite another to recognise market forces red in tooth and claw and the addition of greed, criminality and a failure of regulation. It results in the loss of moral compass, selfish behaviour becomes the accepted norm and to quote a famous aphorism, it only needs good men to do nothing and we have a nightmare world.
From my perspective and with the benefit of long experience I am quite certain that the mixture of greed and selfishness that passes for 'Capitalism' today is a thoroughly bad thing for the vast majority of people.
Looking at what passes for political news this morning I am struck by the fact that nobody is talking about general principles and the really big questions like how to get us back on track but arguing about specific problems and the possible solutions to them that all need money to implement. The capital holders have got such a tight hold on the money supply that nothing can be done without their permission and they will only allow money to be spent if there is a benefit to them, in other words, a profit.
I heard a discussion a few days ago about the provision of essential foreign aid and the fact that the UK was now way down on the list of donors and had completely lost any credibility or respect. All governments must accept some blame for this state of affairs but the latest really crucial mistakes were made after the collapse of world financial systems in 2008. The financial system swung into self-preservation mode and by 2010 we had leaders who saw no other way forward than austerity even though that was directly contrary to all the monetary rules and theories we have built over the years. Some of us said then that this was suicidal and we have been proved right.
Now I suppose I shall be asked what is the way out. That's where my problem is, I don't know..... The last time I saw this happen it took years of deficit-financed spending on armaments reinforced by a technical revolution. Is that what we need now?
In terms of a general election, how do you sell that to the voters?

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report about Liz Truss and ask yourself, "do they never learn"?
Rishi Sunak should cut taxes, reduce benefit increases, raise the retirement age and delay net-zero commitments, his predecessor Liz Truss is set to say. In a speech, the former prime minister will also vehemently defend the policies she tried to enact during her chaotic 44 days in office. She will acknowledge that she tried to do things in a rush. But the Tory MP will argue that she could not deliver her plans due to the "political and economic establishment". Her speech at an event held by the Institute for Government think tank comes almost a year after her government unveiled a series of economic measures - described as a mini-budget - that included £45bn of tax cuts alongside support for people struggling with rising energy bills.

[plaques]

I think we have already entered the electioneering warm up phase. Rishi Sunak is doing nothing new only to bat away his five star promises by shifting the blame to someone else. Strikes seem to be the favorite along with the weather and anything else he can dream up. Starmer is apparently responsible for the failure to stop the boats. The ultra right-wingers in the Conservative party are closing ranks showing their muscle trying to influence Sunak to adopt their policies. Later in the year when Sunak has completed a year as PM they could raise a vote of no confidence weakening him still further. Starmer is pushing against an open door by suggesting better relations with the EU. Of course the right wing press will have none of it and go into a frenzy at the slightest whiff of anything that can be linked to Brexit. What a mess. Meanwhile petrol prices are rising putting pressure on the supply chain. Interest rates are set to rise. Gas prices are set to rise and food import prices will no doubt follow.
Meanwhile the main talking point is Russel Brant and pitbull dogs.

[Stanley]

Once again the caravan has moved on for some. Liz Truss is vaulting over the conference and the next General Election and is positioning herself for a leadership bid in what she seems to see as the inevitable departure of Sunak quite soon.
See THIS BBC report for the full horror of her speech.
See THIS update on the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Post Office workers who have had wrongful convictions for theft and false accounting overturned are to be offered £600,000 each in compensation, the government has said. But Harjinder Butoy, who served 18 months in prison, said: "It's not enough". Around 700 prosecutions of branch managers may have received evidence from faulty accounting software. The fault made it look like money was missing from their sites. So far, 86 convictions have been overturned. The Post Office minister said the sum was offered with "no ifs or buts". The compensation is for postmasters whose convictions relied on the now discredited Horizon IT system, in return for them settling their claims. Postmasters who have already received initial compensation payments, or have reached a settlement with the Post Office of less than £600,000, will be paid the difference. Noel Thomas, 76, from Anglesey was sent to prison for false accounting in 2006 but eventually had his conviction quashed. He said that for many of those affected, the £600,000 will not repay what they have lost from the Horizon scandal.
I have to agree that it doesn't seem to be enough and I am disgusted by the fact that the executives who perpetrated the disaster have escaped completely unscathed. Think of the suicides and deaths it caused apart from the financial and reputational harms......

[Stanley]

See THIS report about the findings of the enquiry into Brook House, the Home Office detention facility near Gatwick airport.
A public inquiry into a migrant removal centre found a toxic culture with detainees forcibly moved while naked and some subjected to unnecessary pain. It found migrants at Brook House, near Gatwick Airport, were subjected to degrading treatment and to racist and derogatory language by staff. The inquiry was triggered by a BBC Panorama investigation in 2017. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the Home Office will "carefully consider the findings" of the inquiry. Inquiry chair Kate Eves recommended that the government change the law to limit detention at such centres. Ms Eves called for a 28-day time limit for holding detainees. There is currently no maximum period detainees can be held while they wait to be deported or fight for asylum.
There is much more in a similar vein that demonstrates the failure of the Home Office and the Border Service but have a look also at THIS which is further evidence of just how badly the Home Office is performing....
The cost of housing migrants in hotels has risen to £8m a day, according to new figures from the Home Office. The use of hotels has increased over the last few years as the number of people entering the UK illegally or claiming asylum has hit record levels. The government has promised to "reduce" the use of hotels to house migrants while their claims are processed. In March the BBC learned around 400 hotels were being used, costing nearly £7m a day. The Home Office's Annual Accounts, published on Tuesday, promised to "take action to address the unacceptable costs of housing migrants in hotels which is costing the taxpayer around £8m a day".
They promise to 'take action' but all we see is a constant deterioration of the system.
Meanwhile.... have a look at THIS evidence that the Tories are in full election mode prior to their conference.
Rishi Sunak is considering weakening some of the government's key green commitments in a major policy shift. It could include delaying a ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and phasing out gas boilers, multiple sources have told the BBC. The PM is preparing to set out the changes in a speech in the coming days. Responding to the reported plans, he said the government was committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but in a "more proportionate way". The aim of net zero is for the UK to take out of the atmosphere as many greenhouse gas emissions - such as carbon dioxide - as it puts in.
The shock result of the Uxbridge by-election has triggered a realisation that weakening 'green' measures can be a vote winner and God knows the Tory Party needs something. (Or so current thinking goes.)
To me it's simply an example of politicians once more taking a short term view of something that by its very nature demands a long term strategy. Business as usual.....

[PanBiker]

This could equally go in the What Attracted thread but its a bit more relevant here.

Tonight's EC, (Executive Committee) meeting of Pendle Labour Party may possibly be the last, might get another one in.

The Constituency will be officially wound up in October. An inaugural AGM for the new Pendle and Clitheroe Labour Party will be held at St Joseph's Community Centre in Barnoldswick on the 27th October. Interim Officers are already in place with members from Pendle and Clitheroe district making up the mix.

Essentially the Boundary Commission is moving a chunk of Brierfield and other bits of that end of the existing Constituency into Burnley. The remainder is having Clitheroe and surrounding bits bolted on to it to create the new Pendle & Clitheroe Constituency.

From a party management point of view it's a bit more complicated than that which will take a bit to settle down. All this is being overseen by the Regional Labour Party to ensure fair and reasonable redistribution of assets which is also part of the deal. A whole new can of worms as they say.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report for confirmation of the rumour that Sunak was going to resile on climate pledges.
Rishi Sunak has delayed a ban on new petrol and diesel cars in a major change to the government's approach to achieving net zero by 2050. The prime minister announced exemptions and delays to several key green policies, alongside a 50% increase in cash incentives to replace gas boilers. The government could not impose "unacceptable costs" linked to reducing emissions on British families, he said. Mr Sunak denied he was "watering down" the government's net zero commitments. There has been criticism of the changes from Labour, business leaders and from within Mr Sunak's own party. But many Conservative MPs have come out in favour Mr Sunak's new direction, alongside some in the car industry.
He claims he is doing this to help people hard hit by inflation. Many see it as a response to the shock result in the Uxbridge by-election.
In another part of the Forest Jeremy Hunt claims that an inflation figure essentially the same as last month is evidence that 'the plan is working'. Please can someone let him know that inflation is still on almost 7% and food inflation is still in double figures!