Category: Politics

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!).

14 years of a supposedly pro business party with a mantra of running an efficient economy. And what have we got? Failing public services, a crumbling infrastructure, a £22 billion hole in the finances and a Labour Party desperately trying to attract foreign investment? So one has to ask WTF were they doing? Chasing non-existant trade deals to replace those lost by Brexit can be the only answer unless we consider gross incompetence? Those deals that have been done are dubious (Australia) or have been halted (Canada) or relate to coconuts!

A strange time until the budget. With Parliament not sitting for most of the time since the GE, nothing much has happened. A non-story about Sue Gray, the press were largely silent when Cummings was runing amok; another non story about the Chagos Islands, and apart from that it has all been speculation and lies. Angela Ripon was castigated for buying her boyfriend a present which she paid for herself – the brazen huzzie, what audacity. MP’s being given tickets for sports events has suddenly become big news as Starmer was asked to move from his usual (paid for) seat into a box for security reasons (I wonder how many tories accepted tickets to the Olympics/Wimbledon/test matches/Ersom etc.- somehow that is not news). Should Starmer have paid for Taylor Swift concert – yes; should an MP have to pay to attend a local football/rugby/sports event – I would say no. The club would probably;y see it as free publicity and the political influence is negligible – if however the tickets are provided by a betting company or other business it becomes less clear as there is lobbying going on. But all in all it is a non-story when pu in perspective.

Oh how the press hate people with charisma and a social conscience! Gary Lineker has cropped up again as a hate figure for the right wing press. His crime is to speak up for the disadvantaged! I do bulk at his salary from the BBC but am sure that is a consequence of the market! £1.3 million is high? But I am not here to judge that he is a nice guy who has taken in refugees and speakes out on their behalf. Angela Rayner hit the Times today for buying her boyfriend a suit out of her own pocket! How they hate her for being a working class single mum who has reached the top echelons of society without rich parents or public school education.

Even the Observer was having a go about VAT on private schools – there are bound to be teething problems and if the government remains true to its sspending plans it can break them later! The Express leads with the non-story about the Malvinas Islands. I cannot bring myself to toucn the toxic rag but suspect they made copious use of “a government source said”! The Torygraph second guesses the budget by announcing that mortgages will go up (that only happens with a Truss/Kwangtang budget). The Mail as ever has a hate target (Gary Lineker) and complains about sexist comments from mainly boys being investigated by Prevent. Perhaps the Times is the most sensible leading with comments about growing racial tensions against Jews and Muslims in the UK and a comment that Wes Streeting had stripped a jailed breast cancer surgeon of his £1 million pension. So they all avoid the horrors inflicted by Israel, avoid the continuing war in Ukraine, avoid the climate crisis

Meanwhile Judge Jefferies incranate has sentenced the soup duo to prison, despite in other cases not imprisoning someone who assaulted a police officer inflicting hospital worthy injuries. I have said before that I think the Just Stop Oil protests are wrongly conceived and executed. But imposing prison sentences at at least £50000 per year seems pointless. They are not a physical danger to anyone, soup can be washed off! They broke the law and must therefore receive a punishment – community service would seem totally appropriate here.

And on this topic. The climate crisis is impacting on the poor in many parts of the world (including the USA – the rich did not lose their homes and possessions with Hurricane Helene!). A map of parts of the world affected by extreme weather this year would cover just about everywhere! And it is not rocket science to suppose that these poor will be willing to trek across deserts and seas in pursuit of a better life.

Another thought. The USA and France are pulling back from the conflicts in North Africa. I was thinking that Russia has been building up troops and support in the area. No need for a cyber war, just increase the conflicts and let the desperate migrants flee to Europe. Xenophobic and racist governments in much of Eastern Europe (and increasingly Western Europe) will be overjoyed to condemn these migrants as invaders, etc.).

I think we have a record number of ex-Prime Ministers alive at the moment. Most seem to be desperately clamouring for attention like a baby with teething issues. Only 2 have been making sensible statements for the benefit of the country; John Major and Gordon Brown. Johnson is howling like a baby with a very dirty nappy, Truss is throwing her toys out of the pram and then complaining why no one picks them up. Cameron is just being a smug bastard, a skill he perfected at Eton; Sunak has the sense to stay quiet until the shitsow analysis of his regeime has passed; the Blair who has the confidence of a girl with big tits and a small brain (or a bloke with what he believes to be a big cock, and a small brain). The desperation of some for attention is pathetic at best and humiliating at worst (yes I know!).

Johnson is obviously expecting to be welcomed back – Him and Farage could be a dream ticket for comedy and a major hessie fit by both over whom was nastiest!

On the topic of ex’s. Obama is campaigning for Harris whilst there is no sign of Bush doing the same (or even stating a positive note!). OMG – it is next month that America goes to vote – holding my breath for 6 weeks would be stupid!