OneGuyFromBarlick

The House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has issued a scathing report on the value for money and effectiveness of the government’s £37bn test and trace programme.
In response to the report, the former top civil servant in the Treasury, Lord Macpherson, tweeted that test and trace
“wins the prize for the most wasteful and inept public spending programme of all time”.
Also, two for the price of one... "'Trickle-down economics doesn’t work', says Joe Biden" From your mouth to God's ear Joe!

Stanley wrote: ↑13 Mar 2021, 12:52 'Trickle-down economics doesn’t work', says Joe Biden" Fr

So he's tried throwing a bucket full of cash at US citizens. That will be interesting.

For tickle down read 'financialization' now there's a new word for you. Give money to the top 10% and they keep hold of it. Give it to the rest and the silly buggers spend it.

David, chucking the cash at the poorest isn't trickle down it's Helicopter Money. (see Joseph Stiglitz.)
As Ken says, the poor reinject it into the economy immediately, the Multiplier Effect. Could be a better way than giving it to accountancy companies to spend on Test and Trace.....

I came across a wonderful observation by Talleyrand in the Manchester Guardian. He said that Russia is always simultaneously too weak and too strong; discuss.
I also tripped over this... "he district of East Levenshulme in Manchester is called Talleyrand. There is a local tradition that he stayed there, presumably during 1792–94."

A friend sent this.....
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies."

Tony Blair in a programme to be broadcast on BBC R4 today on the post of PM....
"The paradox is that you start the job as the most popular but least qualified and end as the least popular and most qualified."

"Virtue is to success as a baggage train to an army, a hindrance on the march but essential to the campaign."

David Cameron - after a great deal of careful thought, and legal advice - I guess - says

"However, I have reflected on this at length. There are important lessons to be learnt. As a former prime minister, I accept that communications with government need to be done through only the most formal of channels, so there can be no room for misinterpretation."



Indeed.

I agree David. Pity he didn't think a bit more at the time!

Pity he didn't think that when he had Greensill acting as his unpaid un-appointed private adviser. The next question is how far back did these backroom deal go. Nod nod, wink wink. Did Greensill spot that Cameron having made a balls of Brexit was ripe for picking?

I don't know Ken but he is certainly a smart cookie and as we know, Cameron isn't... He thinks he is but look at his record.

Public service should never be the platform for private gain.
Gordon Brown this morning and I think he is probably squeaky clean in this respect.

A Scottish politician speaking this morning about the Duke of Edinburgh said "Though often offensive, he was not an offensive man"
I think I need that explaining to me...

Stanley wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021, 12:10 he was not an offensive man"

Could have fooled me. When all this mawklish sentimentality dies down we may find out more of the reality of things. There's plenty there now if you have a little dig. It's all about 'the optics' now. In modern terms I'd say he was an arrogant sort of bully. Did anyone ever answer back to his inappropriate remarks, or were they just in awe at being in the presence.

Quite David. That's always been my impression as well. Problem is that people of that class with that amount of unearned privilege think they have carte blanche to behave like that.
I see Andrew popped his head up to reassure us that he wasn't chained in a dungeon in Windsor Castle...
And we were informed by the BBC person that Chuck spoke off the cuff about his Papa... Really?
Later, Just heard Tom Tugendhat say on Today that "Friends at GCHQ told him that he was better off using G Mail than his Parliamentary email account as it is more secure".
Really? If that is true it's a disgrace.

I read a barrister's story of how he met the Duke in Moscow. He was working in the city at the time and heard that the Royal couple were about to visit. He wanted to try and meet them while they were outside the the Kremlin. It was a warm summer's day and he knew there would be large crowds so how to make himself conspicuous and get the Royal attention. Nobody was wearing a hat so he donned his fur hat and got close to the barrier. The Queen's eye fell on him but she turned away immediately. Philip saw him and made a beeline to him and said `Do you speak English?' The barrister replied `I think so, I'm from Manchester'. The Duke roared with laughter and they had a good chat! It was probably the high point of the visit from the Duke's point of view.

I was once told to get out of the bloody way by Princess Anne. Does this count as a Royal anecdote?

In 2010 whilst in opposition David Cameron warned that "Lobbying is the next big scandal." "Cameron in 2010: “We all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisers for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way.”"
Funny thing is that this has been erased from the Tory Party website....

Elon Musk has said -

"He has plans to build 1,000 Starships over 10 years, which equates to 100 spaceships per year.
He has said that the ultimate goal is to launch an average of three Starships per day and make the trip to Mars available to anyone. In a tweet last year, he wrote: "Needs to be such that anyone can go if they want, with loans available for those who don't have money."

He added:
"Yeah, honestly a bunch of people will probably die in the beginning. It's tough going over there."

"with loans available for those who don't have money."

Why did that bit grab me?

Caption on Donald Trump's new web site: “In a time of silence and lies, a beacon of freedom arises. A place to speak freely and safely. Straight from the desk of Donald J Trump.”

I translate that as "The far right can speak freely here and will not be censored as long as they accept me as their leader".
Or have I got that wrong?

The Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood, who recently resigned as a shadow defence minister, said the Hartlepool result reflected the fact Labour had left its traditional voters behind. He said he would no longer be willing to serve on the frontbench.
"“A London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors, has effectively captured the party. They mean well, of course, but their politics – obsessed with identity, division and even tech utopianism – have more in common with those of Californian high society than the kind of people who voted in Hartlepool yesterday,”