TAX AVOIDANCE

The Times leads today on rich people leaving the country due to the Governments possible tax strategy. Unsurprisingly the emphasis is not on the lack of patriotism or tax avoidance. They also failed to mention that the governments latest auction for bonds was over 10 times oversubscribed – this is a reflection of foreign investors confidence in the British economy and how it is run! Lack of balance here and yet another pathetic example of the decline in British Journalism. They would rather concentrate on a few rich selfish twats than the need to get the NHS working properly, the dire housing situation and our polluted waterways, etc.

I am waiting for the government announcing savings on the use of consultants – last years cost was severaal £billion! I am willing to give the government time to sort things out – but the announcement about imprisoning water chiefs seemed a bit like a typical economy flush!

PATEL

Wow – she must be gutted to come last in a medley of deadbeats! And corrupt Jenrick in front (he of cruelty to children is a virtue!). But who gives a fuck anyway!

Grenfell Inquiry cost £200 million and now must be repeated in the courts as the evidence is not admissible in court! This could be swiftly changed by an Act of Parliament so that the evidence is accepted with the proviso that accused parties could enter appeals to the findings of the report.

BREXIT

The elephant in the room, people claim failure or “too early to say” regarding its success/failure.

So I thought I would try and do an analysis of the reasons people voted for it.

Firstly migration – driven by latent racism. The small boats basically started with Brexit and migration has reached record highs. So for those who voted for Brexit for that reason – total abject failure.

Secondly, take back control of our borders – again a total failure as above.

Thirdly, take back control. This was always an interesting one! Did the EU really dictate policy to the UK. From what I have seen, it appears that the UK had amasive impact on all EU legislation. I accept that there may be a democratic element regarding the ability to contact ones own MP. However MP’s like Dorries, Johnson and Farage have blown that one away. The return of control was seized on with ridiculous zeal by Tory ministers to pursue their own agendas. We live in an economically globalised world – as Labour are finding with Thames Water. Take back control is no longer easy, not even with a drastically failing privatised company.

Everything else seems to be negative – Erasmus, student exchanges, trade, science, status.

THE SMALL BOATS CRISIS

Having been a long standing debacle for the last Government it is time for this government to act.

Firstly though we need to consider why so many are willing to risk their lives to come here. Most are not from former outposts of our tarnished empire. Latest reports seem to suggest that our lax security for jobs could be an attraction. Is it time to introduce identity cards? Most of Europe has them, no card, no job? There also needs to be a legal way for legitimate claimants of asylum to do so.

Both actions will be greeted with horror by the right wing, but both seem sensible to me. An ID card could have NHS, Nat.Ins. details, DVLA data. There would need to be strict rules to avoid fraud – but they manage in other countries? Identity theft is a major problem so maybe an element of fingerprint or facial recognion is necessary. I am sure there are many other arguments for and against – time we had them!

WEATHER AND STATISTICS

A quiery – what does a prediction of 20% rainfall actually mean? 20% of what. My belief is that they should stick to very likely, likely, possible, unlikely. Then they could add a percentage to which they believe the prediction to be likely. E.g. We are 50% sure that rain is likely could then be interpreted as – we have not got a fucking clue so take a brolly! Things like thunderstorms would need clarification – a 20% chance would mean a 1 in 5 chance – that is meteorology, thunderstorms are limited in both location and duration.

But I revert to – what the fuck does does 40% likelyhood mean – possible or just – we have no fucking clue!

NEWS

Well the news is dominated by Israel, Germany, Brazil.

The Labour Government has at last/least shown some bals in banning arms exports to Israel in the face of U.S. opposition. Well done.

Germany has had state lections in the former East Germany swing to the right. No real surprise there – especially as the German economy is tanking a bit!

Brazil has banned Twitter! Well done but reports of rainforest clearances and murder of indigenous rights workers are of concern.

Meanwhile at home – the race to elect the leader of a party and lead it to oblivion continues. I would say hotting up, but as they are all guilty as charged, as was revealed at the last election there is nothing to report! The candidates firstly have to appeal to the remaining Conservative M.P.s which is difficult. The following table is interesting

May 2023 PCPN = 3581SurvivedN = 951
Northern Research Group39 (11%)5 (5.3%)
Blue Collar Conservatism155 (43%)33 (35%)
Onward Levelling Up Taskforce37 (10%)11 (12%)
IEA Free Market Forum58 (16%)11 (12%)
Conservatives for Canzuk30 (8.4%)6 (6.3%)
European Research Group107 (30%)24 (25%)
Common Sense Group30 (8.4%)8 (8.4%)
Conservative Environment Network102 (28%)26 (27%)
Bright Blue139 (39%)37 (39%)
Tory Reform Group13 (3.6%)6 (6.3%)
0.7% Aid rebels22 (6.1%)10 (11%)
Estimated economic left-right position(min, max)76.2(60.0, 94.0)76.4(64.0, 92.0)
Unknown50
8

80% of MP’s are also guilty by association with the last lot of charlatons. The MP’sidentifying by being members of the above groups has diminished. Despite 83 ERG group members having lost their seats the candidates all seem to pander to the tunes of the ERG and other right wing nutters! There is a reason, they are taking a calculated risk that they will get through the MP’s vote and then be elected by the facist and racist party membership. This may seem rather harsh but the reality is that this is what they are deep down. They will pretend to be patriots and respect others, but they wish for a return to the past with a white, nominally Christian society where patriarchy rules.

SUNDAY WAFFLE

Double standards – I am very sad at the deaths of 6 hostages held by Hamas. However the outpouring of grief from around the world upto, and including, the POTAS id disproportionate. 40000 Palestinians have died, perhaps at least 25% children and the world remains, if not silent, but only mumbling. Every life should be reveered and its loss mourned.

SMOKING et al.

Interesting proposal by the Government has got the usual suspects getting their knickers in a twist and throwing teir toys out of the pram! I am not sure what I think! I was a smoker for 50 years and gave up totally 4 years ago. Is it a personal freedom issue when the smoke impinges on the enjoyment of others? The4 ban in inside areas was excellent and only diehards complained with conviction (A former Minister fro Health amongst them!). Maybe pubs and venues should be able to, and encouraged to, offer smoke free areas/times. I would certainly back the banning of smoking within an area open to, and used by children. Pub gardens could be smoke free until 9pm? Some pubs could decide to be totally smoke free, others could ban children!. This would appease the freedom of personal choice (and fuck the rest of you) cohort. But then there are still morons who complain about using seat belts – but they are not the ones scraping remains of humans from the bonnet!

TYPHOON SHANSHAN

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/29/japan-typhoon-shanshan-damage-deaths-kyushu

The development of Shanshan may precede activity in the Atlantic as moist air from Africa seeds hurricanes. Since Ernesto there has been a quiet perion in the Caribbean – but things are predicted to change! Hopefully Mar-a-Lago gets a good walloping! No doubt Trump would boast about it! He is just so weird!

But the climate emergency is still being ignored by, well everyone! Record rainfall in the Sahara and still the press are obsessed with the death of a rich fucker in his yacht! Mediterranean ares has less rainfall this summer, India has had floods, 1.3ha of Panatelndestroyed by fire, 100+ die in mexico due to extreme heat. JUST STOP OIL!

PARIS

Time for us to follow the French and ban pesticides from cities, including private gardens. Paris has been pesticide free since 2019. My garden is pesticide free and full of food plants for insects, bees and birds. I have a large area of raspberries and I expected the birds to beat me to the harvest – but it is largely bird free although there are plentiful insects. Yes I have seen the odd bee and butterfly but they too have been disappointing in their general absence. I guess that whilst in a rural village the other 80 or so houses in my sunurban road have only token flowers, and 80-90% mow their lawns with enthusiam every 2 weeks. Next door neighbour even sprayed an escaped wallflower that managed to flower close the wall of her house! I will admit to using slug pellets occasionally when planting out young plants from the greenhouse, but once established they are on their own! Butwhere are the birds – the bird feed in the feeder went rotten and the seeds started sprouting?