BENEFITS

So Labour will go ahead with cuts. My thinking is that I am sure the system is being used by some, but do not punish all because of a few. The winter fuel payments dispute – easy, just add the money to pensions and then it can be taxed where appropriate, a cost effective ways of doing it. On the radio there was much bleating by people claiming double taxation and that the rich pay their taxes and spend their wealth. What the public want to see is that tax avoidance schemes are halted and that the disparity in wealth between rich and poor is reduced. A footballers wife was mugged for her watch and her handbag – the bag was worth £60000 – something is wrong here! Footballers deserve to get the largest share of the money going into football, the same way that musicians should be the main beneficiaries of the wealth they create. However put in a tax of 70% on top wage earners (and let it be over a 10 year period to allow for fluctuations and short periods of success. Treat bonus payments as wages and tax accordingly.

Above all can we emphasise the benefits gained through paying tax, and the costs of reducing it! To reduce the numbers receiving benefits, raise the minimum wage. Would anyone really object to higher tax and a higher threshold for paying tax?

Net Zero discussions are funded by the right wing – why? Ultimately peoples energy bills will fall – fucking no brainer! Whilst on the environment, the govt. will have to price road using to compensate for the lack of fuel tax. I am aware that EV users will pay on their energy consumption, but most of this will be to the energy companies. Also it makes sense to price per mile? Haulage companies do not get a subsidy at present so there should be no complications. The more you drive, the more you pay – basically that is the system now – it should be easy with technology available. I suppose those in rural areas will be penalised and I am not sure how to overcome this? But then they pay more anyway? And perhaps more likely to have solar panels?

On an irrelant matter! I fucking love my red t-shirt which has holes in sleeves and elsewhere! I have bought a couple and my striped B+W french ones are similar. I have to have a throw out soon of clothes no longer worn! Why do I have so many socks? Would clothes banks want washed socks?

GARDEN

It seems silly to plant up more tomato plants when I have already done a dozen – How many tomatoes do I need! The same with the roses – my red ones will continue as before, but this year I have loads of yellow ones and maybe some black, white, pink, etc. It is always exciting to see what appears – I plant random bulbs and things and then forget about them. Last year it was evening primrose and chicory that I did not plant, and fennel that just appears in odd places, I did plant some 5 years ago and even found some plants in the gutter 50m down the street. Rosemary is slowly spreading as is the sage. Mints are variable and the labels for most have gone missing! Nasturtiums are doing well and so is the lemon coriander which is supposed to attract friendly predators.

Few birds in the dawn chorus again – just a loud blackbird and a couple of pigeons. Also no butterflies yet – I have stinging nettles and buddlia amongst everything but no sign yet – it is sunny but cold and windy today. just made some bread – OK’ish.

POPULATION

Badenoch says that the UK needs more births. Last year there were 591.072 at a fertility rate of 1.44 (well below the rate of 2.1 needed for a stable population. The alternative is migration which we all know many Brits hate due to their racism. I hate binary answers! Is there an alternative? The simplistic one would be to kill old people! but being serious greater efficiency could provide a local answer. The other quandary is what to do with the growing number of potential migrants – war and environmental disasters are not diminishing, and as countries become more insular this will increase.

I have argued that the population of the UK is too high for environmental sustainability – however the imbalance in world finance means that more will need to be done to ensure that all species can live in harmony wherever they are. Wow that is soo hippy and 1970’s – I am so proud! Human movement and migration seem to be a human instinct so there will always be movement and a move towards but never achieving equilibrium. What is an optimum population will fluctuate with innovation and environmental impacts, as humans we are fortunately better equiped to deal with these fluctuations better than lemmings 9but it is not a sacriscant right!.

We are told that many jobs will disappear and also that 30% of the jobs an 11 year old will be doing, does not exist today! So Badenoch is being naive with her comments about a pressing problem. Like most/all our politicians there is no long term thinking. Is anyone able to project about what jobs will be needed for the 591072 babies lucky enough to (and I really mean it) have been born in the UK last year. Most manufacturing seems likely to be automated, Transport systems are following a similar pattern . Education may follow although the human seems to need socialisation processes to accompany learning ones. Heath and Social Care would seem to be a stumbling block to an economists guide to the future.

There is of course an alternative where we revert to my hippy nirvana!

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Swings to the centre by both Canada and Australia; both results that would not have been predicted pre-Trump. Pro-nationalist anti-USA is flourishing in Canada whist Australia veered away from the right wing Conservative candidate to the extent he lost his seat. We have not seen how Europe will react politically – will it become more unified against the tariffs imposed by Trump or will countries such as Hungary become more closely aligned with Moscow? For now Putin seems to have lost out to the minerals deal done by Ukraine with the USA. Wass Trump pushing for a similar deal with Russia? Trump is great at creating uncertainty so I will not hold my breath seeing if support for Ukraine continues.

Israel targets an unarmed boat carrying supplies for Gaza in international waters off Malta. The international community has got to rally against this hideous monstrocity of a government (but Trump is pushing a law which would mean upto 20 years jail for anyone boycotting Israel – the land of the free is becoming more shackled by the day.

China meanwhile is testing the waters by claiming an uninhabited island in disputed waters. I have still not worked out how China can hold so much of American debt whilst being nominal “enemies”. Economics seems to exist in a different dimension!

In Africa Morocco has given access to its ports to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – all military run states. The politics of the Maghreb region is largely unkown or at least uncared for by the UK being formerly part of the French Empire. The saharan region seems to be under increasing influence by ISIS, Russia, China whilst French influence retreats. Much of the region has long been an economic disaster area. High birth rate, high levels of poverty, climate change and unstable governments have meant a growing development gap for the region with the rest of the world. This applies especially to the land locked countries of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Is Switzerland the only really successful landlocked country? So the vacuum left by France will be filled by? Not America or Europe so it is between China, Russia and quasi-arabic groups like ISIS?

More on other places that matter next time

COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Reform have had a remarkable victory winning 532 seats whilst Cons lost 494 and Labour 144. in some ways I am glad – if it had to happen it is good that Reform will have to manage councils for 3 years before the next GE. As we know, Councils are facing a difficult time due to restraints on finance that have caused many to pare to the bone already. There will be talk, and talk. But walking the walk is going to be much more difficult. A war on woke may sound easy but are there really many examples over the top woeness? War on Net Zero would be interesting – what are they going to do? Rip off solar panels, dig for fossil fuels under county hall? War on immigration will be fascinating if it avoids violence and bloodshed. Councils have few powers over immigration if any. Could they introduce a whites only policy for jobs? With over 10% of the population being non-white a return to the sixties is not viable.

Reform have made promises and like Labour may find it hard to deliver? We should also not ignore the fact that the LibDems won more seats than Labour or Conservatives. And the greens moved above Labour in many areas.

Analysis of the results reveal a move from Tory to reform – which also reveals what we always knew – Tories are closet racists. A quick look and it appears that most councils that changed hands had been Conservative and moved to Reform. basically the tories appear fucked! And the councils up for grabs were generally midlands and north.

I will make an unscietific generalisation here (at least I am honest unlike the Media), was it small town prejudice and poverty that encourages people to vote for a party that always blames others. I have not seen a demographic breakdown of the results yet. There has also been no discussion about turnout.

So not all gloom, in fact a positive – could labour be forced to bring in PR? If they had to look to the LibDems and Greens to govern they might? It was good that the South-west held out aginst racism and fascism. The Mayorality election was a close call!

THEY WALK AMONGST US!

So Reform UK Ltd have made major gains in council elections and the bye-election. What do they stand for? Racism , leaving the ECJ and lower taxes. Racism is the main attraction despite 100000 foreign nurses workin in NHS – The UK is racist. Leaving the ECJ – I doubt if even 1% of Reform voters could identify its main function and why it exists. Then lower taxes – always a vote winner until the services disappear and NHS waiting times get longer. The tax issue is constantly under threat from the rich, who believe that they should be even richer whilst the poor get poorer! Bastards.

Andrea Jenkyns of 2 fingered fame has become Mayor of the inbreds! farage is busy counting donations to his private company. So come on Keir, get your act together and show us a brighter future – you have a majority that is unlikely to be repeated any time soon. Nationalise water and steel – stagger payments over the next Parliament – that should moves for privatisation. Make solar panels mandatory along with payments by housebuilders for stage, water, roads and the cost of new roads and schools, health clinics. This may add money to the cost of a house, but could be underwritten by all land for housing being priced at agricultural rates.

The JamJam Journey: Crafting Homemade Delights

OK so my nick name has nothing to do with jam – it was my granddaughter’s corruption of gran I think. However I have made a lot of jam! mainly strawberry as I live 30 minutes from Warrens Farm shop in Draycott who sell the best strawberries – ever? And now I have my own label thanks to Aaron at Sandford Stores, North Somerset.

Orders cannot be placed as it is friends only! I have just made first 2kg and plan more tomorrow. Will I need a label for pickled onions? Maybe one for Kate to design? Other ones? Tomato recipes – not sure where to concentrate if this summer leads to a bumper crop? Suggestions welcome – the JamJam brand will expand? maybe pots of dried herbs? Or if I get clever rose petal scent?