OneGuyFromBarlick

Bruff - not a word of what you write surprises me. I am sure you see things from a different point of view, and that's fine. I would perhaps suggest that your £50 lunch might be a on a special occasion rather than a working day. I am probably conditioned by my personal situation over a number of years. I have just returned from a visit to the care home, I spoke to a lady who is half way through a 12 hour shift on a unit with twenty six dementia patients, for the minimum wage. That's what I'd describe as a "hard day".

Exactly right Ian. But I can see Richard's point and as usual he talks good sense. Thomo hits the nail on the head with his comment. I've had one or two good leaders and mentors in my time and none of them pretended 'we are all in this together', they were also quiet and usually temperate men, if they became passionate it was for a good reason. We often hear the phrase 'political bruiser' especially in the context of the Whip's Office and it's shorthand for being overbearing and a bully. This is exactly what happened at the gate if you believe the police officer which is where the story originated. I'd rather believe her than a politician trying to use rank. This fits in with the evidence we have had about the patronising attitude of government members who have the idea that they are natural ruling class material. This has deep roots in class structure in this country and not surprisingly it is these same people who tell us that class doesn't exist. Oh yeah?
Clegg made a good speech to the conference yesterday and I was impressed. He has taken the gamble and allied his future directly to Tory fiscal policy. This was exactly right for the overheated atmosphere of the conference but it remains to be seen how it plays on the doorstep. They may be a party in government but they can't hide from the fact that they are riding on the backs of a Tory minority government and in the end this will be the killer.
Greek electorate protesting against the next round of cuts necessary to trigger €31billion loan necessary to avoid imminent bankruptcy. I have little doubt they are thinking that the next tranche after this will have increased cuts associated with it. Not a good prospect and as the screw is tightened the reaction increases. Remember the ECB saying they would 'do whatever it takes' to solve the problem? Perhaps they included unlimited austerity with unlimited funding. I still think that Greece will eventually reach a sticking point and default. The next countries in the daisy chain are Spain, Italy and Cyprus. The train wreck isn't over yet. The markets are having a bad reaction to the latest troubles.....

I suppose that referring to Magna Carta other than Magna Carta would seem rather silly, no wonder Cameron was slightly thrown on the question. Although we were taught at school where signed , that it was the Barons seeking to retain their rights vs the Monarch ( precious little in it for the ordinary man without land ) and a rough idea of the date. Perhaps more interesting is viewing some of the translations ( and it was redrawn in years following as the King did not wholly adhere to it ) , some of the liberties have been eroded by parliamentary change over the years. Getting Rule,Britannia muddled with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches is also not surprising.

Conference season again.
Where the Conservatives say what they want to do, The Liberals say what they want to do , and the Unions tell Labour what they want them to do.

Labour , once again , want to set in place the construction of 100,000 new residential properties ( I say again as in the 1960s and the 1980s the number of units were certainly built in quantity , but the long term soundness ( of the 1960s) and the lack of meaningful spaciousness (1980s) has meant that no good long term investment in housing was actually made. I rather prefer Pendle's (Nelson) idea of a refurbishment programme of the terrace houses , creating a mix with some larger properties being created from two or three smaller ones , as well as retaining some traditional sized ones, although I understand they were sold at a loss , I dont think the financial loss was any more than the small refurbishments grants that are available for empty privately owned housing stock + discounted flow of increased council tax revenues.

In the 1970s Liverpool University had a row of terraced houses converted into student accommodation but instead of knocking them down and building a nasty concrete block they kept the external structure and modified the interior to suit the new use. Marvellous! Beautiful buildings but with a modern and appropriate interior.

Parts of Liverpool have been destroyed by the last Government's Housing Market Renewal policy (which operated north of Birmingham). Here, swathes of terraced stock which had collapsed in value was to be flattened and replaced by new and less stock in attempt, as the name suggests, to 'renew' the market, and so attract buyers, pump up values etc. Didn't matter whether you had spent time doing up your house, looking after it. It would be purchased, flattened and new stuff built of greater value. That is, this scheme was designed for house builders and developers, and not homeowners. Which given the disfunctional approach to housing in this country is the way of things.

The whole thing has gone belly-up and swathes of Liverpool (Anfield/Everton/Kensington/Dingle) resembles a bombsite, with street after street of boarded up houses, wasteland and a few 'under occupation'. This is a city that stemmed its population flight and thanks to HMR has thousands of properties empty but in dreadful disrepair having been readied for the bulldozer that won't now come, yet thousands on a waiting list for social housing.

Some of the 'Welsh' streets in Dingle were saved from this fate as they included Ringo's birthplace and so a certain publicity, but the scandal of what has gone on is largely forgotten or ignored.

Richard Broughton

Bruff, I don't know Liverpool that well but I have seen parts of Kensington that very much fall into your description.
However some parts around Albert Edward Road are thriving little communities. My son lives in student digs there and he loves the area with good pubs, great shops and some great neighbours. Nolic

Richard is right, again! The Pathfinder programme was a disaster, developer led and some very suspect deals done under it none of which produced affordable housing. Alerted by Private Eye investigations, I contacted the planning department at Pendle and made enquiries. It was to operate in Nelson but not in Barnoldswick. Big sigh of relief! Then Pendle came up with their own scheme which was the Healthy Homes project. This was the vehicle they used to get funding to completely refurbish East Hill Street to prove that demolition was not the only route. Very lucky for us because we got a complete refurb for a small entry fee. I think it was £500. This was the right way to go and cheaper than demolition and rebuild. It also preserves the original housing stock and therefore the character of the buildings. Win-win all round. The Pathfinder Scheme has been officially ditched but according to PE, by accident, the latest tranche of money for demolition and rebuild slipped through without anyone noticing. The government is at the moment trying to claw this back but not having much success. The only criticism I have with the HH Project is that they have never done the follow-up they promised to gain evidence to prove their point. However, East Hill Street is safe, nobody dare 'redevelop' properties that have had £500,000 spent on them.
I'm watching the conferences and I have a big problem with all the parties. I have no doubt that I am an Old Fart and due to the way my life has gone I've mixed with some very rough but capable characters. Why is it that our present crop of senior politicians look like a bunch of inexperienced, whey-faced wimps to me and I have no respect for their ability to command and impose their will on the parties. Even a man as un-preposessing as Clement Attlee had a core of steel, look what he did and the calibre of the men he had to control. This lot have had it too easy and it shows. There's something dreadfully wrong about the processes whereby politicians get their foot on the ladder.
Reports this morning that Ed Milliamp is to advocate a new educational qualification for people who missed iut first time round in exams. David Moore must be spinning in his grave. He started the same thing in the 1970s, The Open College and this was the route I took to get into Lancaster as a mature student. Ed should be looking at it instead of re-inventing the wheel.

News this morning that the West Coast Franchise negotiation has been scrapped as serious flaws have been found in the process, particularly the assessment of risk levels. Looks as though Branson was right. There are to be two enquiries, one to re-assess the bids and the other to find out why the mistakes in assessing risk were made. What strikes me is that if Virgin hadn't kicked and screamed a flawed franchise would have gone through. I have asked for years how the civil service can get commercial negotiations so badly wrong, hopefully one of the results of this will be an improvement in procedures. Latest news on franchises is that all the current franchise negotiations have been stopped and will not go forward until the current enquiries have been completed. In addition the government is liable for the costs of the four companies involved in the West Coat franchise, about £60million. It is also assumed that the same will apply to the other three negotiations which have been stopped. This is a major embarrassment and confirms what we have all suspected for a long time, that the civil service are no match for the commercial negotiators.
Not impressed by Ed's conference speech, too many tricks in it. I can't remember how many times he used the Tory mantra 'One Nation' but this and the trick of speaking without notes was a transparent rip-off of Cameron and too contrived to be impressive. This was carefully rehearsed and not 'from the heart'. Rhetoric on the hoof is evidently a lost skill. Remember Howe's speech about cricket bats? Now that was from the heart!
Comment on inflation figures suggests that as I suspected, lower retail prices due to sale prices and stock cutting have held inflation down. Conversely food prices have risen by over 3%. The figures as calculated at the moment don't indicate the true inflation index for essential goods. Tesco report falling sales this morning.

Worrying times. A friend of mine who is a true blue tory is starting to think that Millipede is a man of the people who talks sense??? Nolic

The franchise negotiations are another example of the incompetence we've been identifying as popping up everywhere. Strange times.

It was depressing listening to Millipede being interviewed this morning. He doesn't exactly fill me with confidence - but then most other of the current batch of politicos do the same. They can't handle the journalists and interviewers well enough to be ministers or ministers-in-waiting, let alone Prime Minister.

So who put these railway franchise negotiations together? Am hearing that several civil servants have been suspended in the department, but the head has only been in position for 4 weeks so he'll not be coping the fall out then

I have to agree about Milibland

He doesn't even look like an opposition leader in waiting

Local politics:

At the West Craven Area Committee of Pendle last night, Cllr Whipp was at his bullying best

Despite the pleas of Neil Watson, the planning manager, he attempted to plunge the council beyond the Law and open to massive court cost damage by attempting to meddle in an area of Law that the Council has no jurisdiction over

It was only when there were shouts from other members at the tables that he amended his view, and listened to the legal advisor Mr Townson.

Bit of a loose cannon really and only over a planning application where there was a dispute over ownership of the land

Even I knew that the council couldn't get involved as it is a civil matter. Item deferred.

Plus the other application was passed, even tho' the planning officer said refuse and there was no debate

The deeper they get into the franchise affair the worse it looks. Scotrail franchise is on hold as well due to flaws identified in the process which is the new 'more efficient' process put in place by the coalition. Inference is that apart from the mistakes, civil servants have criticised the new process and been ignored. They are not happy and rumour has it they are deliberately holding the process up. Of course, one wonders where that information came from. The minister blames the CS. However, he is in charge so the buck stops with him and the previous incumbent. Remember that when Branson first protested he was told the process was sound. Can you imagine the negotiations with him for Virgin to carry on?
As for prime ministerial material, Ed Balls could do it but he is tainted by association with Godron and the bank failures. On the Tory side I'd fancy William Hague. He's matured wonderfully in the last few years. However there are no Clement Attlees in sight.

Oh dear, Wierd Ed skewered on TV about his millionaires diatribe when he refused to say how much he was worth. His house is apparently worth about £2 million

Some of the other bits are being well and truely pulled apart today too

Very surprised that Obama was so wooden in the first debate last night. Romney most certainly beat him hands down, though it is whether that will come through in the polls

Plus what is NATO doing? A sovereign member state has been attacked by a belligerent. Is it only because it was Turkey that there isn't a no fly zone in effect above Syria?

Why do you always call him weird? I don't know him well but he has never seemed any more weird than many other politicians. Now - Gordon Brown - that's altogether another story.

Unfortunately for Mr Milliband E he is an unashamed thinker with a keen interest in aspects of public policy and the machinations of Government. His idea of a good time likely involves digesting the latest policy treatise or academic opus (Mr G Brown too was famous when single, for taking his holidays in Cape Cod having emptied Harvard Library of the latest volumes). Blame his father if you want - if you were one of the world's most respected Marxist political scientists you might pass on those genes to your offspring in the way a fine engineer passes on their genes (Rolls at Barlick has dynastic employees).

Unfortunately, a keen intellect and policy interest is not at all what we want in these days of 24 hour news reels, snappy sound bites, and a telegenic manner. It just all rather complicates matters and you come across as well, weird. Look at poor Prof Beard - folk couldn't help coming over all unnecessary over her appearance. It's all a flipping nonsense - folk can be as 'weird' as they like in my book, hold their trousers up with a piece of string if they like.

There's also this drift to arch wordplays on parties and politicians. Folk bang on about New Liebore, or ZaNu Liebore. Brown was McBroon, or McLoon and of course we had Mr Bliar. Ed is Millipede, as his brother would have been. There's Clogg and Cameroon, or Camoron, and of course the ConDems. Oh how we laughed........not.

Richard Broughton

Yes, Richard gave a rough approximation

He's a policy wonk, and half the time he doesn't even appear to be a real person although I will admit that this has mellowed slightly of late. I have moved away from Milibland

Cameroon et al are just as bad, but we need to know who took their eye off the ball with the civil servants because they 'are' the state. Destroy them & we have anarchy.

Just to emphasise, I don't see this trait in his character as weird or warranting disapproval. Indeed, I find it a rather attractive attribute.

Richard Broughton

Thanks for the repies. Unashamed thinker eh? Something like myself then I knew about GB's holiday arrangements, and I have long had my own theory about his destination, and it has nothing to do with books!

Not too sure if Mitt Romney 'won' the debate. Have a look at this LINK. There is a lot of criticism in the American press.
Downing Street very quiet. No doubt trying to work out a strategy for dealing with the latest cock-ups.

Damian McBride (think smeargate) has an interesting take on his blog of Weird Ed

So , looks like a Conservative govt are going to be responsible (again) for overseeing power shortages , mixed words coming from OfGen ( we knew capacity reductions were coming , we are flagging it up now to ensure investment in new capacity does happen ) , Electricity Industry - If you want more capacity you are going to have to pay for it , and we are increasing prices to consumers to ensure only those who can afford electric can get it , Conservatives 4% spare capacity is quite enough .

If you watched ITN tonight the reporters back drop was Lots Road (Chelsea) power station , converted to (Gas /Oil back up )burning sometime in the late 1970s so wasnt closed ( in 2002 ) because of the coal / carbon pollution issues- but because the equipment was old ( 1902 built ) [and Yuppies at the Chelsea Harbour Development didnt fancy a mega power station next door ] , as it was it was built for the UndergrounD group mostly for the Piccadilly and District railways 650v DC system - it supplied AC which was stepped down and rectified at sites around London - and the Privatised London Underground services put the energy supply out to tender which LEB(EDF) won the contract as was cheaper than re-furbishing Lots Road , the later Greenwich Power Station (built for the District Line and other tube extensions ) passed to EDF from London Transport ownership. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lots_Road_Power_Station

We can expect to hear Downing Street telling us the good news that at last the thorns in the Home Office's side have been extracted and are on the flight to America.
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt, our minister of health recommends that abortion limit should be lowered to 12 weeks. Leaving aside the fact that I doubt if he has any expertise in this area it would be hard to think of anything more politically inept. Does he think it will be a hot topic at the Tory conference? Why is it that the far right wing in both UK and US think they have the right to limit women's range of choice? Downing Street immediately distances itself from him but what must they be thinking about him? His political career to press has been shaky, largely because of inept decisions. So not much change there then and he's in charge of the NHS.....
Crackpot ideas and 'initiatives' are no substitute for good governance based on expert advice and evidence unpolluted by powerful lobbyists. This administration hasn't learned that lesson yet and this is why they are in such a mess on all fronts. Problem is that we put them in there and will have to pay the bill. As for the possibility of power cuts, if and when they come the government will not be able to blame the miners, the blame will lie squarely at the door of successive governments who have kicked this problem into the long grass. It will also be the clearest possible argument against market economics. Remember that in 1911 Winston Churchill invested government money in shares in British Petroleum to ensure control over oil fuel for the navy. In 1930 Lenin coined the phrase 'commanding heights of the economy' and in 1945 the Labour administration put this into effect and ensured they had control over energy, transport, steel and international communications. Nationalisation is a dirty word these days but there is much to be said for retaining direct control of those elements of the infrastructure that are essential to the nation's life. Go figure.....

Two items caught my attention in this week's PE: The first concerns the Pathfinder scheme which we discussed recently. SAVE Britain's Heritage have obtained a high court ruling which means they can force Eric Pickles to judicial review.This concerns the £35.5million 'transitional funding' announced by Grant Shapps when he was housing minister as an exit strategy from the 'abject failure' of the Pathfinder programmes instigated by John Prescott in 2003 after it emerged that the money was being used by devious local authorities, notably Liverpool, to continue with demolitions. This ruling should ensure the survival of perfectly good housing that needs refurbishing, not demolishing.
The other item is quite satisfying. In November 2011 currency trader David Potts, former Tory Group leader on South Tyneside council endeared himself to striking public sector workers by tweeting "I make more in a month than a little shit like you earns in a year". Last month David Potts was declared bankrupt..... Nice....
A senior civil servant, one of the three suspended after the franchise fiasco, Kate Mingay has taken legal advice and broken cover. Her statement is worth reading. (LINK) In it she says that the statements made about her and her colleague's actions were partial and inaccurate. In particular she says that they were not responsible for the computer modelling programme that was used in the assessment. Mcloughlin's speed in passing the buck may turn out to be a big mistake.