POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

That was well written and clear Margaret. No need to apologise.

[PanBiker]

I didn't mention compulsory voting - crazy idea - and quite unenforceable I'd say.

Ask our Australian friends, it works for them and lots of other countries as well.

[Tripps]

I just saw Jonathon Hinder the Pendle and Clitheroe MP ask a question at PMQ's.
He was drawn number fifteen and last, on the racecard, but they had time to hear him.
His question was about policing, and drew on his previous career as a copper. He looked the part, and quite at home in the chamber I'd say - though the question was a bit soft, and our Angela had a reply ready to read out to him, though her pledge to "halve knife crime" seems a hostage to fortune.

Qustions on Policing followed PMQ's and I liked most of what I hear from the Minister.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on old equipment to be scrapped early to save money on the defence budget.
The equipment being scrapped is:
Two amphibious assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark

A Type 23 frigate, HMS Northumberland

Two tankers, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler

Watchkeeper WK450 Mk1 drones

Fourteen CH-47 Chinook helicopters, the oldest Chinooks currently being used by the UK

Seventeen Puma helicopters, which were first introduced over 50 years ago
Predictably the Tories are jumping up and down and accusing Labour of scrapping valuable assets. Truth is they should have been replaced long ago, almost certainly on the Tory watch.....

[PanBiker]

While we are on with truths and myth busting etc, here is the truth about the inheritance tax for farmers.

Click to enlarge

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[Tripps]

Interesting debate....
However, the problem that I see is that this change will lessen the amount of capital in the hands of genuine farmers. One easy test is to ask how long they have possessed the asset or how many generations have farmed. This tax will alter the structure of society in the industry and will damage those families who best understand the countryside and how best to treat it.
There's an old Scottish saying..... "You get back exactly what you put in." That's how the old concept of mixed farming worked, they have re-invented it and called it regenerative farming. Taxing inherited farming capital isn't putting something back in, it's damaging the asset.
I know it's boring but we found out in WW2 just how important a viable agricultural industry was. We have evidently not read our history.....
(Just a thought.... Would they charge a company tax when the head of the firm changed?)

I think Stanley's response says it all. He's done it all, and got the T shirt for farming.

Best send a copy of that document to the ten thousand plus farmers who went to London, and Jeremy Clarkson as well. They'll realise then that the measure is trivial and will have little no effect on most of them. I'm sure they will come to their senses, realise how mistaken they are, and stop protesting.

I'm still impressed that a tax that increases from 0% to 20% is promoted as doing them a favour by not being set at 40%.
This is Orwell's "Newspeak"

For the direction of travel, and the person behind the policy read if you wish THIS

If that is their aim - they will not announce it publicly, but do it in stages, and by stealth - as they are now doing.

As usual "make of it all what you wish". Anyone who wishes to cling to the comfort blanket of Labour Party membership instead of thinking for themselves is entitled to do so.

[PanBiker]

It was only 0% because they were exempt from the tax completely which left a loophole for the likes of Jeremy Clarkson who makes no bones about why he bought his plot. It was solely because it had no tax burden. Before you say it, I know he is an exception rather than the rule but why should some folk with massive assets be exempt from paying when everyone else with assets to pass on has to pay at 40%?

The rules for the payments seem quite fair to me. Better than anyone else gets with the tax man.

I am not being directly prompted by Rachel Reeves or Starmer in making this post but purely commenting on the facts and take exception to your "comfort blanket" comment even if did have a smilie.

I am bit grumpy at the moment.

[Tripps]

I am bit grumpy at the moment.

That's understandable, and I sympathise - hope you are soon improved.

If yu don't like what I say - then don't read it.

I just write what comes into my mind, and perhaps react a little too quickly sometimes; but on a site which has a great deal of daily repetition, and far too much reliance on the BBC as a source of information - a little 'ginger' added to the mix does no harm I'd say.


Here's a flippant take on why farms should be different to other inheritances.

[Stanley]

All I will say is read my lips.... Instead of indulging in 20% tax hits or putting out theories about the abolition of land owners, read the story of how we almost6 starved to death in WW2 and what it was that saved us. It was the ultimate 'Nanny State'. The government took over management of our diet and agriculture and made sure the farmers survived and in the end prospered. The result was we survived and came out of the war healthier than when we went in.
Now the government does the direct opposite, lets the food processors get away with murder, allows the supermarkets to dictate farm gate prices and sucks capital out of the farming industry. We will eventually pay the price!
I shall ask the question again, would that charge a commercial firm IHT if the ownership of the asset changed?

[Stanley]

I'm not quite sure why THIS is raised in this morning's political news....
Energy regulator Ofgem is urging billpayers to shop around as it announced another price rise in January - the second of the winter. Someone paying by direct debit and using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,738, or £21 a year more, with bills now over 50% higher than pre-Covid levels. The quarterly cap by regulator Ofgem sets a limit on the cost of each unit of energy, and affects 26 million households in England, Wales and Scotland. It was always meant to be a backstop, and Ofgem said more options had emerged from suppliers, with a greater choice of fixed-price tariffs for customers. The best deals are cheaper than tariffs based on the price cap. But, while offering certainty, anyone signing up risks missing out were prices to fall later next year. Ofgem has admitted that prices are volatile and difficult to predict.
Once you have made a sensible and affordable choice of were you get your energy from and how you pay I very much doubt if anything is to be gained by the much advised 'shopping around'. All the energy comes from the same market and in the end all prices level out. The rest is just marketing and hype.
So why mention it as 'politics'? I believe it's because the government wants us to believe they are doing something about energy costs and have some control when in fact they are helpless in the face of 'The Market'. We have been told so often that the market is efficient but in truth it has only one objective, maximising profit. Anyone who thinks they are working for the consumer had better think again, the consumer is a milch cow.....

[Stanley]

There is no arresting political news this morning. Starmer is recuperating after the travel and counting his air miles.......
(Oh, and talking about hiring someone to negotiate with the EU for us..... I thought that was his job?)

[Stanley]

THIS sounds fair enough to me!
Young people who refuse to work will face having their benefits cut, the work and pensions secretary has said. Liz Kendall told the BBC the government will offer young people the opportunity to "earn or learn" under new proposals to be unveiled on Tuesday. "In return for those new opportunities young people will have a responsibility to take them up," she said. Official figures published earlier this week showed that nearly a million young people were out of education, employment or training between July and September. Under new measures to reform the welfare system, a "Youth Guarantee" for 18 to 21-year-olds aims to train young people or get them back into work. Kendall told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg these proposals would see an overhaul of the apprenticeship system so "more people have the chance to train" with young people offered "the opportunity to be earning or learning". Asked if those who did not take up these offers would lose benefits, Kendall replied: "Yes."
As I remember it, we were quite clear that when we left school we started working.... Has something changed since then?

[Tizer]

I wonder if some of those defined as `refusing to work' were asked why they are `refusing' we might find that it's not laziness and not refusing but the problem of finding a job they can get too. If it's too far to walk or cycle to jobs and there isn't reliable public transport then they're stuck because it can take ages to get a driving test through and car insurance for teenagers is sky high. It would probably be better to give them help to set up as self-employed working from home. I bet a lot of those youngsters are very competent with digital gizmos and the Internet!

[Stanley]

That's a good point Peter.... One wonders how many of these 'initiatives' are serious and how many are just window dressing to give the impression that 'things are being done'.
I had a look at the Politics thread but can't see anything of note. I am not inspired by Labour's performance so far!

[Stanley]

See THIS item of business news....
The amount of money people can place on a single online slots bet will be restricted as part of a wider government overhaul to tackle gambling addiction. A £5 per spin limit will apply to all adults aged 25 and over with a £2 per spin limit for 18 to 24-year-olds. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is also set to increase taxes on gambling companies to fund addiction treatment. It said the measures would allow people to "gamble safely", but the betting industry's main lobby group said the government was "at risk of losing perspective". Addiction to online gambling slots has surged since the Covid pandemic, according to data from charity GamCare.
Meanwhile the ship of state sinks under the burden of its own gambling debts.... Some very dodgy bets have been placed in politics at much more than £5 a spin! See the conversation earlier between me and David....

[Stanley]

Watch THIS short video and listen to the totally justified comments.
The abuse of autistic children that took place at the Whitefield School in north-east London was "horrendous" and "must never happen again", the prime minister's spokesperson has said. The BBC has obtained footage of children at the school being shoved into padded rooms, thrown to the floor or left alone, sitting in their own vomit. Responding to the videos, No 10 said the education department was looking at strengthening the guidance on the use of seclusion in specialist schools and would set out more information "as soon as possible". Currently the government's guidance says schools can place disruptive pupils in seclusion or isolation rooms for a limited period. It also says schools should ensure children are "kept in seclusion or isolation no longer than is necessary and that their time spent there is used as constructively as possible". Children's Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza has called for a review "without delay" of the use of restraint and so-called "calming rooms”, following the BBC revelations. In a statement, external, she described the experiences of the children involved as "absolutely appalling", saying "no child should ever be physically restrained under such conditions and with such a lack of compassion, especially those who are so vulnerable”.
This is just one more example of what happens when a vital and much needed service is under-funded and not regulated efficiently. When a politician says 'Savings must be found through efficiency' this is the result, deterioration of the service.
I know I'm a simple minded old bugger but when I think of the billions that are squandered on nuclear deterrents and white elephant aircraft carriers I despair.... What's the point of dubious defence spending or getting to Birmingham twenty minutes earlier when society is being as badly served as this?

[Stanley]

I see nothing exciting in the politics thread and wonder when we will begin to see some solid Labour policies instead of a rerun of the Tory keep the voters quiet line. My political cartoon says it all today....

[Stanley]

Breaking news. After a lot of defensive explanations Louise Haigh the Transport Minister has departed. Not clear yet whether she resigned or just came to an agreement with Starmer.

[Tripps]

She was lying when the alleged 'mugging' was reported, and she is still lying now.
Watch Simon Webb to get a bit nearer the truth. Louise Haigh MP
Other explanations are available.

[Tizer]

Americast has been warning about this and now it's happened. Even many Republicans have denounced it...
`Trump top spy pick faces fresh scrutiny over Syria visit and Russia comments'
...If confirmed as US director of national intelligence (DNI), Gabbard would act as a steward of the nation's most important secrets, oversee 18 US spy agencies and serve as a close adviser to the president....

[Tripps]

This will get tongues wagging. I've never seen it happen before. . .

Cross the floor. . .

[Stanley]

Not yet it hasn't David..... Predictably the news coming out of Westminster is mostly about the Assisted Dying Bill but see THIS outburst from Badenoch.....
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said it is "unbelievable" that the Labour government have decided to no longer contest a discrimination case brought by Belfast rap group Kneecap. The group won its case against the UK government over a decision Badenoch took when she was a minister to withdraw an arts grant. The group was awarded £14,250 - the same amount they were initially granted. A government spokesperson said the decision was made not to continue contesting the band's challenge as "we do not believe it is in the public interest". They added: “This government’s priority is to try to reduce costs and help protect the taxpayer from further expense." Badenoch described the move as "yet another cowardly decision after giving away the Chagos Islands". "Labour will always capitulate rather than defend UK interests," a spokesperson for the Conservative leader added.
How can it be cowardly to take notice of court decisions instead of fighting on at considerable expense?
The lady doth protest too much.

[PanBiker]

The lady doth protest too much.

She's nowt better to do.

[Tripps]

I've used this quote from Grandmaster Aaron Nimzovitch before - "The threat is stronger than the execution"

There is a rumour that one Donald Trump will assume the Presidency of the USA on January 20th 2025.

A cease fire was arranged in Lebanon last week - and today President Zelinsky has decided that rather than (as he previously pledged) fight to the last man to defend every inch of Ukraine territory - the Russians can keep what they've taken if he can join NATO.


Or as Abie said to Hymie - " here's that 50 quid I owe you". Regular readers, and Bernard Manning fans will understand.

[Stanley]

I suspect we'll see a lot of movement in global politics in the next couple of months. Some of it, like THIS in Syria.
Syrian government forces have withdrawn from the city of Aleppo following an offensive by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. The army acknowledged that rebels had entered "large parts" of the city, the country's second largest, but vowed to stage a counterattack. The offensive marks the most significant fighting in Syria's civil war in recent years. More than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since it began on Wednesday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Other reports say that Assad's forces have withdrawn to wait for promised Russian reinforcements. So as Lebanon calms temporarily, Syria becomes a hot spot.