Category: Politics

Lots of potentially huge stories. Cabinet Office found guilty of concealing the work of one of its elements in obstruction Freedom of Information requests. NHS is to delay sharing patient data. Huge outage affects internet yesterday.

Covid remains dominant in the news, cases up, hospitalisation and death down. Now, more than ever we need clear and firm leadership. To the lay person like myself, it would seem that there is no real reason to carry on with restrictions. However even I can see some warning signs. Cases in North Somerset have doubled in the last week. One jab is only 50% effective. Some restrictions would seem sensible – social distancing where ever possible, mask wearing in crowded indoor areas. Vaccine passports are being used at Wembley for the Croatia game.

Meanwhile the NHS is 35000 nurses short and is recruiting poorly qualified people. And in Cornwall the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro is clearing wards in preparation for the influx of tens of thousands for the G7 conference. People have also even been warned to avoid calling 999.

Cicada – this year is the cycle of the 17 year cicada. Millions will come out, mate and die leaving their 500 eggs to hatch and then burrow into the ground for a 17 year wait.

Siri says it might rain this afternoon. I hope so – the water butts need filling!

My “Pardon the weeds – we’re feeding the bees” sign is on its way! I hope the pots follow soon, as I have at least 12 mints and herbs to repot.

The government panders to the small minded and ignorant – again.

The cut is 0.2% of our national budget (GDP). It is not a matter of spending it on poverty in the UK, the government has already choses not to do this. Money spent on aid benefits us in many ways, economically and politically via trade deals. The moral argument is obviously wasted on the selfish bit of the British Public (which unfortunately is rather large). As proof of this statement I would refer to the litter dropped on our beaches, parks and roadsides. The government should not be pandering to this numbskull element of society, but trying to educate them. Bigots should not be a core element for any political party in a democratic society.

G7 agree new tax laws on major TNC’s in this BBC story. Can they stick to it? It will probably need G20 approval before adoption. I think I am correct in stating that Ireland will lose out in a major way? UK has already watered down the % from 21% to 15%. And the Sunday Express headlines that this is all UK governments doing (Biden might disagree!).

It is difficult to separate Brexit and Covid impacts, especially as both are virus’ which keep mutating!

But lets have a go. Northern Ireland is slowly descending back into troubled waters with the government stuck in its dogma. Industries like fishing have been hit hard – I guess that as most fishermen seem to have voted for Brexit, that they cannot read? Imports from Europe have slowed, prices have risen. We might notice this more in the summer when fresh fruit and veg from the Mediterranean is due. A shortage of labour is reported across hospitality and agricultural sectors – whilst Patel is busy trying to send Europeans home, the industries are trying to recruit. I am not sure the dire shortages in the building industry are down to Brexit or Covid, probably a bit of both. New trade deal with Australia has not been welcomed by farmers or environmentalists.

Basically the Cabinet was selected to be Pro-Brexit with people of undoubted ability cast aside (by Cummings? Certainly by Johnson). The trouble seems to be that they did not, have not, got a plan (or a clue) on how to deal with the problems (entirely foreseeable) that have and will ensue.

They are still basking in the view that this is a government which gets things done – KILLING OLD PEOPLE IN CARE HOMES, BREXIT, ENRICHING THEIR BUDDIES, SELLING OFF PARTS OF THE NHS, VACCINES, and maybe they dissolution of the United Kingdom, and more likely the selling of patient data from the NHS. This last one has not been touted yet – but wait and see!

Interesting votes at major oil company annual meetings. But Gazprom and Aramco are outside the ‘democracy’ of shareholder votes. So governments should adjust their tax take according to the zero carbon credentials. It can be that easy!

But of course we have a government that is long on rhetoric and short on policy and action. They will continue to import goods from abroad and not add these products carbon footprint to our total.