Category: Politics

Interesting whinging on LBC – restaurant owner complains that the minimum wage rise will affect his business and then complains that people do not have the money to eat out. Has he not heard of Ford economics? Low earners tend to spend their wages locally – FACT. The rich will not. But the rich invest money in business? Bullshit, they invest in hedge funds and FTSE100 firms (which pay their directors hundreds of millions. CGT should be at least equal to income tax, a tax on squirrelled wealth should not be less than that on labour.

So tax the rich – easy, few to complain unless you count the gullible fuckers who read the trash press! If labour really want to equalise society they will assess carefully the housing market.Bring housing costs down and everyone except the rich will be better off. So building more – especially within cites, to reduce transport and utility costs. But also increase CGT on property.

A conundrum – I bought this house 25 years ago’ish for £170000 and it is now worth approx £400000>. Nice! I paid off the loan with interest so probably at least £100000 profit. I would hope to pass on money to the kids as the housing market has been cruel to them. But if I was asked if a 50% on the £100000 profit was fair I would have to say yes! This sum is easy as I do not move often – Maybe there should be a start date? I suggest 2016 (that fateful year!). And then additions to houses and improvements? Yes complicated but a tax on land would be equable?

has genuinely lost the plot! he “claimed that the debate about reparations had “seeped into our national debate through universities overrun by leftists peddling pseudo-Marxist gibberish to impressionable undergraduates”. He knows much about gibberish and little about history. We did not colonise these territories as a benign superpower wishing to instal a fair and democratic society. We forcefully occupied these countries to extract wealth from them and to entrench or miliatary power on the oceans and seas of the world. Whether we were better or worse than what came before or after is basically irrelevant compared to what we did when we were the colonialist power.

If his nonsensical diatribe wins him votes it really does reflect very badly on Conservative members! Manny Shinwell is looking increasingly wrong when forced to make a statement to Parliament “….not all Conservatives are liars”. However the current trend of rewriting history is a dispicable one. I cannot be bothered to point out the intellectual reasons that Jenrick is wrong – he is also guilty of attempted fraud via his time as Housing Minister and guilty of one of the most pointless vindictive acts perpertrated by the last government – painting over a mural designed to make children more comfortable. What a fucking bastard!

I guess that could be death, but I was thinking about the Budget and then the USA election. Firstly the latter – I personally find it unbelievable that so many Americans love the orange twat! But if I think about how the UK would have voted in the last election with Johnson instead of Sunak – I am filled with despair! It would have been close and I suspect Boris would have won! But ttf he didn’t.

So the budget – the wankers on the right have been predicting all sorts of doom and destruction – but we will have to see what the lady draws out of the battered red box on the day.

Voting – I think that most people vote on the economy, how it affects them, etc. Racism and bigotry win in binary contests, like Brexit. So are the left panicing unnecessarily over Trump? He has a vocal hardcore of supporters and Musk!

An interesting topic with few unassailable arguments! Firstly a verbal apology is essential and the easiest answer. A full detailed apology is a must. However when it comes to finance it is much more difficult. Any good intention would be swallowed up by lawyers fees! And then could there be a counter claim for port facilities, etc. that the colonialists put in? Should descendants pay for the crimes of their ancestors? Obviously there is a muddied vision here – the great houses and artifacts within them are of great value and our wealth as a nation was a huge beneficiary of the slave trade. Should the country houses be sold – who too? Russian oligarchs or Saudi princes who also have much blood on their hands. We live in an imperfect world.

Interesting social phenomena? Numbers taking up vaping exceeds numbers who took up smoking. OK some honesty here – I started smoking at the age of 16 and stopped in 2020. It was cool when I was 16, adverts and films had cool people smoking – OK so I was naive and stupid! But a tremendous amount of advertising supported my stupidity! However what attracts kids to vaping? It does not seem to be cool? Is peer pressure so overwhelming, and concerning? My local shop is approaching £100000 for vape sales? I have no idea about tobacco sales for comparison.

Are vapes actually safer? Or is the ‘safer’ publicity misleading? I personally cannot see how it can be safer? And as Kate suggested – how long before tobacco companies come up with a new alternative?

I have waited for a cou[le of days before commenting. I think a lot of the noise has been a result of the institutional racism of the Met.Police rather than the specific facts of this case. The police presumably knew about the victims history of violence and therefore may have feared for their lives. Would he have been shot in the head if he was white? – we will never know that. Was it right for the police officer to undergo a trial? – almost certainly, although the murder charge was harsh!

What is known is that the county lines and associated gang violence will not be cured by armed police or harsher prison sentences. Whilst the press can pander to their white, middle class, elderly readership with crass attention seeking headlines, the problem will fester unfettered.

oor Stop and search seems reasonable on paper, until as a black person you are stopped for for the 20th or 30th time! Those fo right wing persuassion will cry about two-tier policing and positive discrimination, but the reality is that we are neglecting the young of all colours. A well funded job market for those with the social contacts has been created that is based on inherited wealth rather than merit. A stat from a phone in was that 76% of black men in prison did not have a positive male role model. Youth clubs and Sure Start were cut to pay for tax benefits for the rich. Trickle down economics is a fairy story to assuage the guilt of the white middle class (yes me and those like me!).

James Cleverly chartered a private jet to visit Rwanda, that is not my main gripe (i am sure that as a senior Minister in government his time was valuable). But £653.55 p per person for him and his 14 officials is extortionate by any standards. This was a one day visit! To rack up this size bill there must have been pre-ordering, what plane carries £10000 of food for a 1 day return flight with 15 people? As the article below shows, this expenditure was endemic in the Tory government.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/21/james-cleverly-spent-655-a-head-on-in-flight-catering-for-one-day-trip-to-rwanda

I find it hard to understand the mental state of these people! It is also of concern that the 14 others will be civil servants in the Foreign Office and still in post? Did they object or raise questions? or just tuck in! I am also intrigued as to the make up of the bill? Presumably wine was a major part unless they were snorting saffron whilst gorging on Almas Caviar with white alba truffles and Coffin Bay Oysters and maybe a cup of Wild Harvested Kopi Luwak Coffee.

The distain for common people like you and me is overwhelming!

But again, in the context of everything this is not a big deal, at least the Mail and Express, Sun and Telegraph and even Times think that getting a free (no cost to the ta payer) ticket to watch/meet Taylor Swift or Arsenal FC is a much bigger issue! That is the shit media that influences the old.

So everyone wants a bit more but are aghast at being asked to pay a bit more! Employers Nat Ins increase are said to be a tax on jobs; but in reality is likely to have a minor impact. I would like to see some initiatives like limiting directors bonus payments and share dividends to be equal or lower than payouts to workers? (light bulb flashes!).