My loaf of bread went up by 30% today. Milk and dairy products likely to rise substantially too. Globalisation has brought many benefits, but uncontrolled it has led us into this predicament of higher prices and reliance on unstable product supplies. Employment decisions made in Qatar are not beneficial to UK workers.
NOT SNAP OR POKER
The war in the Ukraine seems to be moving to a new phase. I state again that I am a mere observer and not an expert. Russia seems to have accepted ‘defeat’ or ‘lack of victory’ around Kiev and the north. However it has economic reasons to push for a victory in the south and east. Cutting Ukraine off from the sea would give it a kind of victory as that would impose economic constraints on the country of Ukraine. The Russian speaking states in the east apparently voted to stay in the Ukraine a while back – so where does this leave the west?
GETTING THE BIG DECISIONS RIGHT
SATURDAY RECIPES
CORNWALL
Some facts our wonderful government paid £170m covid grants to Cornish holiday let businesses; Cost of 2nd home owners avoiding council tax to CornwallCC £17 million; There are 12776 second homes and more than 11000 holiday lets – and 21817 people on councils housing register. In the past year house prices in Cornwall were 7% up on the year before and 23% up on 2019 when they averaged at £270,554, now £330097.
WEATHER – APRIL
Forecast for the month is typically British in the south west – rain, possible sleet, gales, sunny, a bit warmer than average but no prolonged period of settled weather.
WORLD CUP DRAW
8 Groups – looking at Pot 2 with Germany and Netherlands, and England, Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium in Pot 1 it makes a point for UEFA Euro Championship being more difficult to win than the FIFA World Cup. Will anyone come to challenge them and Brazil/Argentina – and note that Italy did not qualify! Whilst some individuals from outside these countries have been totally outstanding (Salah, Male, Son amongst many others), the ‘big 10’ still dominate in team strength based on thorough youth programmes.
SHIT
Raw sewage pumped into rivers 372533 times last year. Our wonderful government and the privatised companies which have dished out millions of £ to shareholders, have agreed to cut these discharges by 40% by 2040. Honestly this is not a typo, and the government say it is a step change! So in 18 years time there will only be 223520 discharges of raw shit into our rivers. What a fragrant government we have!