POLITICS CORNER

[Bruff]

I'm a bit puzzled by the Attorney General's decision not to publish the heir to the throne's letter to various Government Departments. Specifically, the comment that to do so would 'damage' his ability to perform his duties when he becomes king.

What on earth is in them that would do this 'damage'? I can put up with his usual scientifically illiterate mutterings, even perhaps his apparent insistence that architecture began and ended with Nash. His guff here is in the scheme of things the pretty harmless stuff many a crackpot spouts (though it would be great fun to see him debate his views with a Nobel Laureate say, or Sir Richard Rogers, but well the pigs will fly. That fact his views are never defended in open forum and that to have any chance of remaining within his coterie a degree of sycophancy is more or less essential, it is hardly surprising he sounds off on matters thinking himself one of the great intellectuals of the age).

Perhaps then the 'damage' would be due to their containing not just this usual tripe but something even more loopy, perhaps even offensive? The older I get the more I wish rid of this shower. The whole circus infantalises us.

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

Richard, I love seeing your name as the last contributor because I am certain my personal prejudices are not going to be attacked! (Dangerous stuff of course, we might both be on the wrong track) I agree entirely about Chuck's letters and had the same thoughts, what the hell is in them which would do damage? The only reason I can think is that publication would confirm what many of us think, that he is locked in an ethos which is out of date and has no knowledge of the lives of his 'subjects'. (What a horrible description, I am not his subject, I am an intelligent individual who knows more about how the world works than he ever will!)
It's only fairly recently that the public has become aware of what is loosely described as 'spin'. Even the most cursory reading of history convinces that the monarchy were in the game long before anyone else. When they got into trouble they wrapped themselves in spurious 'tradition' and 'heritage'. Most of the 'traditional' embellishments of royal occasions are flim flam invented in the 19th century and personally I'd like to see it all swept away. But of course talk like that frightens the majority of people.
Much will be made of the 'rise' in employment which is one conclusion that can be drawn from the ONS summary. What we will hear less of is the rise in the proportion of people working part time and in self employment at a very low level. Both of which do not pay a living wage. On the most optimistic reading, take home pay has increased by 2% in the last two years, less than the general rate of inflation and far below the inflation rate for essentials like food, energy and travel. Therefore a perfectly valid reading of the figures is that less people are in the full time employment they seek and more people are suffering a fall in disposable incomes. These are of course all in the lowest percentile of the working population. This is not an optimistic picture, it is a reaffirmation of the fact that the economy is at best flat-lining and there is no sign of any improvement. Some economists say that ten years austerity is the minimum and could be much longer if nothing changes. The bottom line is that employment is being artificially raised by diluting the rewards from work. This is not progressive economic policy.
Remember what I said yesterday about fudging energy prices? Cameron springs a surprise and voices an aspiration (it is no more than that) to force energy companies to give everyone the cheapest tariff. This has thrown both his backbenchers and the civil servants into confusion because he never consulted anyone, it's fag packet policy and must have seemed a good idea at the time. Expect a sharp U-turn disguised as a 'clarification'.
Meanwhile in Europe. The bean-counters have done their sums and Germany (Merkel) has realised that a Greek exit from the Euro would be more expensive than a full bail-out that hopefully will improve the chances of survival of the other Mediterranean countries in the same pickle. So the strategy now is to save Greece at almost any cost but increasing austerity measures. Question is, can they control the Greek population and if so at what cost.This is having an effect on other Eurozone members as they see the terrible consequences of handing over budgetary control to the central banks. The banks most worried at the moment are the local banks in Germany which have been an essential component of stability. They can see problems looming under ECB control. This is still a train wreck and may be the longest rear-guard action in world history.

[Tripps]

" he is locked in an ethos which is out of date "

He is surely the last man in England who is still wearing double breasted suits.

[Tardis]

Nice Town Council meeting meeting last night sans Cllr Whipp

Some actual healthy debate, rather than a number of wax works dummies abasing them selves before him

I enjoyed it.

The one thing of note is the Town Centre Innovation fund money (about 14k) they'd like to spend on some removable shleter (posh gazebo's or umbrellas) to be anchored in the town square when the tent isn't up

[Stanley]

They should leave Town Square alone, too much scrap iron as it is. I've made a few suggestions in my BET article this week.

[David Whipp]

As mentioned by Tardis, I wasn't at the meeting, so don't know the detail of the 'parasol possibilities' put forward.

Any proposals for new stuff being put on the square, or in the town centre, will need to be considered carefully to make sure they are right. The local area committee has suggested that the food businesses around the square should be allowed to use some of the space for cafe tables and chairs. What basis this would be on remains to be decided.

The parasol tables we put up during the Beach in August are very popular (when we get the right weather!).

An important issue with all this stuff is to provide stuff that's flexible (like the tower planters, which are moved onto Fernlea Avenue in winter to make way for the Christmas Cones).

A different but perhaps complementary proposal being looked at on the Town Square is to take out more of the bollards which were put in to minimise the number of vehicles going over the flags. When we set the Beach up this year, some of these bollards were removed. Instead of replacing them, the idea is to use a row of moveable planters between the Bill and Ben tower planters at each end of the Square and Owd Gawmless in the middle (spelling???).

To try the idea out, I put three Barlick in Bloom pop-up planters where new planters would go if this idea goes ahead. Any permanent planters would be roughly the same size as the temporary ones in place now. Although the current planters are on stacks of pallets which don't look especially attractive, I've had quite a lot of positive feedback about the temporary installation (and no negative ones).

If 'permanent' planters are acquired, they'd be movable by pallet truck. During events using marquees the planters could be shifted and used as ballast for the marquee, which would be more attractive than the water barrels used up until now.

Anyroad, the council is getting some prices for suitable size containers. These may be off the shelf or bespoke ones made by a local metal fabricator. Information on the different options will come to the area committee before final decisions are taken.

It may be possible to use the proposed planters as ballast for any semi permanent 'parasols' (or whatever) covering seating areas used by local businesses during the day.

[Stanley]

Andrew Mitchell caves in and resigns. He would have done less damage if he'd told the truth and done that immediately. By not doing so he has proved himself not only arrogant and self-centred but politically inept.
Listened to debate around Ossie's rail ticket. General consensus was that upgrading wasn't the problem, it was how it was done and reinforces the Plebgate row. I'll agree with that but go further, the worst thing about the affair is The incompetence and lack of political awareness demonstrated by the fact they were 'caught' by the inspector. It didn't take a genius to realise that the upgrade should have been applied for before they got on the train, He had time to participate in a TV shoot before boarding so he had time to adjust the ticket.
Both of the cases demonstrate incompetence and Cameron only has one mode in such cases, support his mates until it proves too difficult. What does that say about him? John Hayes, 'Minister of Energy' (who he?) admits that he knew nothing about the Cameron announcement on energy bills. How could that happen? Could it be one more piece of evidence of back of the fag packet government? Big problem is that we are hearing of so many gaffes and U-turns that they appear to be normal government business. I can't remember seeing an administration like this before. The sooner they implode the better!
Problem is of course that these errors are allowing Labour to oppose simply by pointing out the mistakes. It's too easy, they are not opposing constructively by putting forward opposing policies, simply relying on the yah boo factor. Meanwhile the November financial statement approaches. Now that will take some spinning! Keep the tin hats handy Lads!
I've popped back in because I've remembered a tale I was told by a friend of mine, a fairly senior civil servant. He was travelling First Class one day and noted that Wedgie Benn was in the same carriage. One stop before his destination Tony got out and re-boarded in standard class so that when he arrived he was seen getting out of the pleb's carriage. Smart move?

[Whyperion]

Town Square :
all too sensible proposals , I was hoping for some kind of Tracy Island TB1 launch effect / Wallace and Grommit of keeping the marquee under some kind of retractable flagstones , said marquee popping up as required, with flip over planters/ tables for cafe use.

[Stanley]

It says something about the level of political debate at the moment that the main items of political news are two cats fighting in Downing Street, MPs trying to get a pay rise and the expenses scandal rising from the grave as some MPs exploit loopholes in the new regulations. When you recognise that we are in the middle of the biggest economic crisis in at least 100 years it beggars belief. Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.....

[Stanley]

I note that the Noble Lord Tebbit has entered the fray and proved less than supportive of Dave and his hold on the government. I have no time for him but I have to admit that he talks sense. There is no evidence of any coherent policy based on evidence coming out of Downing Street. Cameron appears to be like a rocket without a stick at the moment, flying off in all sorts of directions. His latest fatuous pronouncement is a statement of the bleeding obvious that prevention is the best way to reduce crime. Really? Meanwhile, the forced sale of the government Forensic Service to save £28millio per annum has backfired. Recent cases have shown that the private equity companies who now control it have been cutting corners. How much is the service costing us now? Don't expect any coherent answers from the government.
The sad thing is that the serious attacks on Cameron and the Coalition aren't coming from the Opposition, they are coming from within the Tory Party. The LibDems keep quiet on the decline because if the Coalition fails they sink back into obscurity even deeper than they were before joining, their poll ratings are dismal. It may be that when Ossie is forced to stand up and tell the truth in the November financial statement, plus the pressure from what looks like a disaster in the Police Commissioner's election, we shall see even more turmoil. The tragedy is that all this is happening in the middle of the biggest crisis we have seen since 1939.
If you were to sit down and construct a scenario for ruining the prospects of a country for at least twenty years you couldn't do much better. The only thing that will bring them to their senses is some sort of a catastrophe and then we will all suffer for it.
You're right, I am angry and depressed by this lousy apology for a government.

[David Whipp]

I was hoping for some kind of Tracy Island TB1 launch effect / Wallace and Grommit of keeping the marquee under some kind of retractable flagstones , said marquee popping up as required, with flip over planters/ tables for cafe use.

(Now I've worked out the quote function...)

The old Co-op cellars could be excavated to create the facility described - it'd certainly be unique!

Depending on how it all pans out, there might be a bob or two in the kitty for some work in the town centre/town square from any foodstore development. Doubt if it would run to a Tracy Island though.

Good idea to start kicking things around though. Sometimes, daft ideas lead to thinking of good practical proposals.

Now, where did I leave my Thunderbird 3? it's bound to be here somewhere - mum never chucked owt away.

(Behave yourself, David, or the mods will be stern about going off topic!)

Just to bring it back then, let's make a huge saving by scrapping Trident and the all the Cold War thinking that lays behind it.

[Stanley]

Why not leave Town Square as an open communal space? That's its chief attribute and why it is so popular.
Walking is good for thought and I remembered that I intended to say I told you so about incompetence. I have been banging on for months about incompetence in all our public services and it looks as though the political commentators have finally woken up to the fact that this may be the main explanation for the incredibly bad performance of the government and the opposition. They are not focussed, have no clear and viable plan and in the absence of new ideas simply carry on with the old, even when it's obvious they aren't working. Payment on results for Ministers?

[Big Kev]

I agree with Stanley about the town square. I like the concept of a communal outdoor space in the town. The idea of local eateries having tables and chairs on it could lead to "lunch wars". Tables and chairs for everyone would be good, especially with some kind of rain protection.

[Tardis]

I agree about the communal space, and the Town Council without Cllr Whipp present certainly agreed too, maybe the debate happened in your absence David, and rowing back now could look like interference. Better to take your rest and fully recuperate, and know that Barnoldswick appears to have entered a new era with actual debate occuring in the meetings.

If we want a cafe culture to be properly present in the square we must ensure that it is both safe, well lit and available for the shop owners to use.

It also means that the pavements will be clear.

I certainly hope that the will of the people prevails, and not a fudge for a certain individual's political purposes.

[David Whipp]

It also means that the pavements will be clear.

There's no intention on the part of the area committee to require business owners to remove their wares, or tables or chairs, from the pavements. The committee took the view that such activity added to the street scene and asked that the powers that be (in this case, the county council) to take a pragmatic approach and only act where there is an actual problem. 'Let sleeping dogs lie' is probably the maxim.

[Tardis]

It is also worth noting that the flower beds on the square currently cost almost £1500 a month to maintain although the contract for next year has been put out to tender by the Town Council.

When I suggested to Hugh putting out 'Pallet Gardens' I showed him the examples of how they worked. The current eyesores are not good good examples

[Tardis]

It also means that the pavements will be clear.

There's no intention on the part of the area committee to require business owners to remove their wares, or tables or chairs, from the pavements. The committee took the view that such activity added to the street scene and asked that the powers that be (in this case, the county council) to take a pragmatic approach and only act where there is an actual problem. 'Let sleeping dogs lie' is probably the maxim.

Except you mislead and misrepresent.

Pendle Council does not have jurisdiction over the pavements. Only the square.

Lancashire may take note of what the Area Committee says, but may not abide by that.

You may also note that Lancashire are having roughly the same issues in Hyndburn, so to be fair and above board they would also have to carry out the same across the whole of Lancashire to save them from Legal redress.

[Stanley]

One of the trends that old farts like me have identified over many years of government watching is the seemingly insatiable appetite of administrations at all levels to garner more power and make 'changes'. We can't do anything about garnering power because it is in the nature of the beast but everything from the NHS down would benefit from being left alone to manage itself with intervention only happening when there is a clear problem. The Town Square is a case in point. The tables on the pavement don't hinder free movement and contribute to the atmosphere which encourages trade.As for the LCC... I think everyone knows my view on that anachronism. If we have to have change how about abolishing the LCC. Don't start on about the role they have in running roads and services, these could be just as well administered by specialised bodies answerable to the local councils. The LCC is a dinosaur based on a 19th century concept of national administration and is a dinosaur that needs putting down. The sky would not fall!
Watching the US Presidential race and listening to the commentators. They appear to have forgotten that the US system isn't like ours, 279 Electoral College Votes decide the result and these are controlled by the 'swing states' which by their very nature are the most difficult to predict by polling. As always, the outcome of the fight will be decided by the comparative proportions of Liberals to Neo-Conservatives and it will be close. All we can do is hope that moderation and common sense prevail and the comforting thing is that these traits are the ones least likely to be picked up by the pollsters.Add in the fact that the incumbent always has an advantage and the most likely prediction is a narrow win for the Democrats.

[David Whipp]

Oh dear, nothing that's done is good enough for Tardis...

You may also note that Lancashire are having roughly the same issues in Hyndburn, so to be fair and above board they would also have to carry out the same across the whole of Lancashire to save them from Legal redress.

Well, that's the sort of bureaucratic thinking we've had to duck and dive around on this issue for twenty years or so.

Whenever county have come along before waving their big stick, they've been placated or patiently ignored or embarrassed into going away and doing something better with their time.

After greater or lesser upset, we revert to the happy medium of some stuff on the pavement, but with enough room for folks to get around.

This equilibrium could be upset by an officious busybody with nothing better to do pursuing the bureaucrats until taking action is seen is seen by them as the least painful of two evils.

What any reasonable person realises is that the pen pushers actually go to work to do a decent job if they can. They don't want to waste their time enforcing needless regulations in a quiet corner of their county. They'd probably rather spend their time getting roads and pavements repaired. And if the (fictitious of course) officious busybody pushes the mater so hard that it ends up in front of elected representatives, they take the line that it wouldn't be in the public interest to pursue the matter.

Months spent time wasting for no good effect?

[Stanley]

My simplistic answer is to abolish the LCC and bring power down to the local councils. High time that dinosaur was shot!
On the wider political front I find that it's always a good thing to watch out for small black clouds on the horizon. Leaving aside Saville, Orgreave and Hillsborough which are now large thunderstorms I was struck this morning whilst listening to the news by the number of new clouds on the horizon.
Mervyn King giving another coded warning about the state of our economy and in particular the futility of relying on other economic powers to surmount the global crisis and drag the rest of the world out of the hole. He also warned about the banks being in denial about the quality of the debts they hold, he says that things are worse than they say and they are under-capitalised, if the crap hits the fan they will be in a similar position to 2008 and will need government intervention. This of course is on top of the bad debt bought by the BofE and sitting on their books as an 'asset', the same warning applies to these debts as well.
The November Financial Statement looms large. One wonders how the Coalition is going to spin their way out of that one! I heard Cameron citing government 'successes' in PMQs the other day as he defended himself against Opposition attack and every one of the areas he quoted was to say the least questionable. The fact is that as in the 1930s, statistics and indices are being massaged to give a false picture. (Go back and search for 'Healthy or Hungry Thirties' by Charles Webster and reflect that nothing has changed)
Too depressing to go on, I have never seen a worse situation or a more incompetent response by government. It will implode, the only question is how soon and how much long-term damage will have been done. I remember the Thatcher government and their policies which resulted in consequences we are still dealing with. How long will the damage being done at the moment to our society linger on? Now there's a frightening thought!

[Tripps]

I accused Prince Charles recently of being the last man in England to be wearing a double breasted suit. I was wrong. I note today during PMQ's that Jacob Rees Mogg does so also. I rest my case.
In passing I note there are some good photos on rightmove of the Square today. The Cafe is for sale, and there's a good shot of Choudry's and Chubby's Chipshop, plus a view of the tables outside. I'd have thought that the limiting factor for the tables would be the weather?
PS I love Councillor Whipps' contributions to the site - I do hope he stays with us when he has made a full recovery.

[Big Kev]

PS I love Councillor Whipps' contributions to the site - I do hope he stays with us when he has made a full recovery.

I think he prefers to be just David Whipp on here

[Thomo]

And I think Kev is right! I have had quite a few dealings with David over the past six months, mostly concerning the War Memorial. Throughout I have found him approachable and easy to talk with and at no time have party politics entered into the discussions. As a result, what we are about is becoming achievable.

[David Whipp]

Thanks for your comments, guys.

My ears are going slightly red...

To try and maintain my new found reputation as a raconteur on OGFB, I'll start a new topic where I can wax lyrical without trampling all over other threads.

[Stanley]

David, why not post on Speaker's Corner? I put it up so that there was a forum for off-piste items and I am the only one who uses it. (LINK) I agree with the comments above, you are an asset to the site and who knows, you might get some clues from us about different views....
The thing that struck me this morning was that when I was talking about clouds no bigger than a man's hand yesterday I triggered off a thought in my head. Can you remember onj the old forum when the Parliamentary Expenses Scandal was all over the media I made the optimistic comment that perhaps it was a sign that the tectonic plates in society were shifting, at last a nettle had been grasped and was being investigated in public. It struck me that the current troika of Savile, Hillsborough and Orgreave might be another sign of this. We are seeing even serving police officers coming forward to blow the whistle and the charities which operate in the field of child abuse report an exponential growth in calls to them for help. Is this another shift? Has some sort of a dam broken somewhere? If it has and more truth surfaces in society it is a good thing.