Month: September 2024

So it is the Conservative and Unionist Party’s Conference. And the headlines are made by Truss, Johnson and Kwarteng. The B list candidates for the leadership role are just embarrassing. They espouse plans for Britain that they know do not meet or need scrutiny as they will be long changed by the time the next GE comes around.

Johnson is a very sad comedy act – his book reveals comments about the Queen and a hairbrained scheme to invade the Netherlands! Truss sounds like she is acting in a version of Alice in Wonderland – her ideal cabinet would include My Little Pony and Barbie and Ken! She seems to have not yet realised that she was voted out of a very safe seat by the public and her plans to rewrite the rules in her favour (Getting rid of the Office for Budget Responsibility, etc.) are as likely as Elvis playing on the head of the Loch Ness Monster! And why is Kwarsi not in prison?

Mean while Israel shows that it has no respect for international law or peace! Eventually the killing will stop and Israel will have to come to terms with the violent animosity it has incalcated in millions of Palestinians over the past year. Diplomacy is horrendously difficult when being a powerful bully with influential froends is all they have to offer. Palestine however needs better friends than Iran and the Houti of Yemen. The Arab world deserted it country by country over the last few years. Russia has its own difficulties! and China has an economic problem. China is the most likely to step up as this could irritate both the USA and India, especially if Trump is elected and decides to retrench America with trade duties.

A very interesting and concerning article in the Gyuardian on Saturday. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/27/donald-trump-kamala-harris-men-women-us-election

Men are much more l9kely to vote for Trump and women for Harris with a 21% gap between them, This becomes even more marked in the under 30’s with the gap at 51%. Further studies revealed that many men feel that advances for women have come at the expense of men (I would add ‘male priveldge’!). The rise in the Incel sub culture is concerning to any parent or grandparent. Incel is a term associated with an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, and blame, objectify and denigrate women and girls as a result. The movement is strongly linked to misogyny.

Ignoring the hypocracy of the RWMedia and the supposedly neutral BBC, all of whom were complicit in Tory corruption, this is not a simple issue.

If donations like these are banned, then logically all donations to MP’s campaigns should be banned as well – otherwise they could use them to buy clothes too!? If donations are banned then campaigns will be funded by the public purse, and then by what fromula? A sum per MP’ a sum on the share of the vote last time?

No of course not – just full transparency, as Labour has shown. The Mail is obsessed by Angela Rayner to the extent that she should report them for stalking her! She stays at a friends apartment in NY and is castigated as if that is corrupt, but Johnson staying at an ex-KGB officers villa, or holidaying on a private Caribbean Island is absolutely OK. “Good old Boris”! I also notice that most leading Tories are keeping quiet about this! I wonder why!!

I have an understanding of the headline writers for the Star and to a lesser exxtent the Sun, but the rest are beyond comprehension. My quandry is this; there are a number of pretty important things going on in the world at the moment. Increasing escalation in the Middle East; huge floods in Europe; an outbreak of monkey pox in parts of Africa. Even the the race to absurdity by the Conservative Party contest, or Fayed rape claims. But no – they come up with pages of lazy journalism about Labour Party donations. Let us all forget Johnson and the flat decoration, the PPE scandal and concentrate on what the Labour Party members concerned have declared! Have a go at Starmer for his attendance at the Gooners – he is a season ticket holder and was asked to move to a box for security reasons thus saving the tax payer money – on which Farage lied about instructions for him not to hold a surgery for constituents.

If what I just saw is real, and with AI we can never be sure! But Trump basically said that there would be a revolution if he was not elected, and especially by Jews? Have I mis-interpreted this?

I am begining to wonder! Starmers acceptance of gifts is contrary to good governance and ending the sleaze of the last 14 years. It is minor in the general flow of hings but on policy we have seen little movement. No plans for legal routes of entry for asylum seekers, nor changes to the law to enable them to work. The water industry seems to be untroubled by its mismanagement. The BBC continues to slip from previous lows in reporting to new depths. Press reform is unmentioned. The penshion winter payment has been bulldozed through without apparently listening to criticisms or ideas for amendment. No announcement of plans to halt the 33billion spent on consultancies either. House building plans have not developed a focus for discussion. I had many hopes and will give them until Christmas before starting a tirade of criticism if warranted – expectations are high, but after a bright start things have drifted!

Very clever but also illegal, its a war crime. More children amongst dead and injured. The one thing they (Israelis) don’t get is that every civilian and child killed will radicalise at least 10. Israel will be doomed to missile attacks and further atrocitiies for generations to come. They will never live a peaceful existence. Eventually the west will tire of unconditional support whilst the Muslem world will get increasingly impatient. Trade boycotts will eventually be inevitable despite the efficient propoganda war they are so proficicient at waging.

Trump supporters ask a Navaho Congressman if he is legally allowed to be in America! So, OK it is not Trump himself but its still fucking hilarious! He himself has quickly acted to try and get some fundraising on the back of a supposed assassination attempt.

The tory press bleat on about Starmer’s wife dress donation. I think he was wrong to accept the gift, but hardly a crime. However Labour do need to have the highest standards possible and this was a mistake.

The press are also comparing Rwanda scheme with italy’s Albanian one. Big difference is that Italy will process the claims in Albania rather than the Tory Governments scheme to deport people to Rwanda with no appeal. I am not sure I like this scheme any more than the Rwanda one though. A safe way of processing asylum seekers to allow them safe travel to the UK would be optimal. Then those that brave the Channel can be deported back to where ever – this sounds harsh but does accept the current public opinion festered by the RW Press.

I also find the current trend for CParty leadership candidates to be slagging off the economy amusing. They really are very thick – 14 years of C rule has fucked the economy and society, and they are blaming Labour! Who have not even had one budget yet! I have a feeling that I will not be totally supporting this government, but will give them a chance! Balancing the need to get growth – what the fuck have I just started to say!

Growth is the mantra of Starmer – but is not the answer! Getting clever does not mean continued destruction of the countryside and plundering resources. Things need to be made to last; a sette should last a lifetime and more; the same for kitchen appliances. Let industry benefit from quality not quantity! Clothes should be made to last – my Patagonia raincoat is 27 years old and I still love it! Quality clothes I have bought have been worn to destruction after at least a decade! Technology also needs to calm down – a phone today is only marginally better than one 5 years ago and I suspect that there is not much room for meaningful improvement; virtual reality and AI seem to rather pointless in a phone.

I have a wheelie bin which I put out half full every month. TBH if I lived near decent shops I could probably get away with 4 times a year! At least half is plastic trays for fruit or meat! Yes I am not a veggie, although I can go days without! I fill a tray with paper- I love my Guardian and Observer and get the Byline Times in print copy (forgive me my age).

Food waste – I have tried a compost bin but got rats! I do fill the big bin every week, but that is due to making things like jam and pickled onions (7kg so far). What else do I waste – well the car is a luxury but also old – not sure how old, some people know these things but I don’t give a shit! I think about 10 or 11 years old, Of course I would like an electric one, but cannot justify the cost, even though I could charge for free. I think I spend about £300-400 on petrol per year – maybe I will get one? I like the sliding doors on my BMax though (I am not sure why).

Finally – I wish I had not pissed Maz off! She obviously has problems I was not aware of! Failure as husband, father and grandfather! But I try!

So South West Water are introducing, without discussion, surge pricing (otherwise known as exploitation). Water bills in summer will rise by 300% and there will be a MUCH smaller decrease in winter!

So the reasoning – most of all to keep the profits of shareholders and the bonus payments to executives as high as possible. This is not capitalism, just extortion. I have no recourse to oter suppliers – I will still get a bill if I live in a field with no water or sewage disposal!

I think this is a tremendously difficult situation, but also thet Starmer needs to be brave – let the companies falter, share price down as fines mount up. No rises in bills above inflation. They can then justifiably nationalise them to keep the infrastructure going. Foreign investors are already writing down their investment value and the capitalist answer is absolute. Whether the governemnt can find the funds for the necessary investment – well, the latest figures show that government bonds issued for loans are over subscribed at lowish interest rates. So lets do it ! – water bills will pay for what we receive and not foreign investors!

I just had a thought – will the NHS introduce surge pricing in winter months?