Category: Politics

Penny Moraunt had obviously been taking something with her extraordinary rant.

Congratulations Rishi Sunak for announcement about raising the age for smoking. However a little more thought is needed. NZ introduced this policy a while back, and have found a massive increase in vaping. Vaping was originally introduced as a way to stop smoking, not as an alternative! Should the increasing age policy include vapes? I just heard that nicotine is about as dangerous as caffeine.

I just read that Truss will vote against this plan! This is not just about a freedom – everyone pays for the increased use of the NHS.

So it is cancelled with a promise to distribute the £36 billion in hundreds of new schemes across the country. Sounds good, but one which he does not have to deliver! We have seen how spreading aid thinly leads projects to to be susceptable to failure (EU aid to numerous projects in Cornwall. So 13 years of inaction and now they are in danger of being ousted, they have “new” plans! Also the £36 billion would be spent over at least 10 years, so all the named projects cannot proceed immediately.

Interesting listening to the reactions on the radio. The capacity of the railways sounds awful in the north! And as someone in their 40’s stated – no improvement is likely now before he retires! The route to Manchester has been agreed and compulsory purchase largely done. If not high speed why not just put in a freight line? How much has been written off? What damage has been done to us internationally? Stock market rose early but then fell as he talked!

Gary Lineker was suspended from the BBC for comparing a speech to Germany in the 1930’s – This speech was worse in its use of provocative and divisive language.

I believe the true counter to her brand of racism is to open up a full and proper discussion about migration. By her provocative comments she manages to polarise the issue. Those who are rightly appalled by her rhetoric rush to defend migrants and asylum seekers. A better counter would be to debate the pro’s and con’s of migration in the 2020’s. We have an ageing population – many industries are reliant on migrants, the NHS and food producers to name 2 key ones. So how many, What age/gender? What qualification? etc. are the more pertinent questions rather than a diatribe against all immigrants.

She bemoaned the lack of integration into our society and the lack of English spoken. This government has cut funding for English Language courses. The better question would be How do we integrate these valued workers into our society more successfully?

She talked about a hurricane of migrants, a massive distortion of the truth. A better question would be What can we do to help reduce the need for people to flee their countries? Cutting the foreign aid budget was a very short sighted policy. Britain is the world’s second largest exporter of “defence” items. These are openly being used in Yemen and I suspect in many other conflicts. We were in the leading group of countries heading for net zero on climate change but seem to be losing that opportunity.

I will finish this post after reading the newspaper tomorrow morning. However it seems that this phase of the Inquiry has got off to an explosive start. The government “flip-flopping” (an unfortunate term for the government as they have been selling Starmer flipflops at their party conference”. Policy changes by the hour, Sunaks eat out to help out criticised for having no evidence to support it. This governments protestations that it is a safe pair of hands for future policy making is rather left in tatters

Well absolutely nothing in the Guardian today! We will see what develops today?

So the tories have spelt out their tactics for the upcoming election. The underlying tactic seems to be fear. Fear of the millions of refugees who want to come here resulting in the paving over of the Britsih countryside with flats for them, Fear of net zero with the figure of the cost being £15000 per household. Fear of 15 minute cities with permits being issued to enter shopping areas. Fear that Labour will give the Falklands to Argentina (who cares?).

No mention of the wasted £billions of the last 13 years; no mention of spiraling water and sewage bills, no mention of policies to curb traffic congestion. No lie is too ridiculous to be spouted and then supported by other Cabinet Ministers. No conspiracy theory so unplausable to be used if it will win a few votes.

They talk of Sunak “resetting” Conservative Policy – why is this needed? Beacuse the last 13 years have been a disaster. No bragging of what they have achieved – Sunak attempted to say education(based purely on OFSTED inspections) but was not interogated on the numbers missing from school since Covid, or the numbers of crumbling schools.

Well we seem to know what they are NOT doing! They are not introducing a 7 recycling policy, they are not implementing Net Zero Policies, they are not building the HS2 extension to Manchester, they are not doing anything to end the strikes, they are not able to tell the truth, they are not capable of governing this country, they are not looking after our schools, are not controlling the economy, the are not looking after the NHS, they are not protecting the environment, they are not supporting schools, they are not capable of governing the UK.

Are they on drugs or just pissed? This one from Robert Jenrick (who is actually the Minister for Immigration – not just an out of control MP), is making me question the quality of reporting in the Guardian. To quote McEnroe “You cannot be serious”!

Families should have more children so they could look after ageing parents! he is obviously delerious, what % of children live within 50 miles of their parents? What % of old people have children who are not in full time employment? He goes further and says we should cut care visa’s for migrants to force this issue. He also suggested cutting the number of students to free up accomodation near Universities.

Basically he was appealing to the right wing who would see women staying at home looking after old and young for nothing, aspirations for a university degree only available for the rich. What a dinosaur?

Typical though! No plan for coping with a falling birth rate and a growing number of older citizens.

Sunak uses an excuse to hide his WhatsApp messages – he changed phones and did not back them up – and it was up to officia;s to ensure records were kept, so not his fault. At least Johnson had a better excuse – he has had more practcie after all!- and said that others should have copies on their phones and he would be happy for them to be passed to the Inquiry. I suspect we will see a rash of lost or replaced phones. Surely MI5 can do something?

Already embarrassing – it could get a lot worse for the Government. I am sure Johnson will brazen out any criticism with the “unprecedented times and events” excuse, but Sunak will find it much more difficult as he lacks the chutzpah of Johnson, and will be seen to be responsible (as Chancellor) for the squandering of £billions.

It seems that there will be many criticisms of the governments handling – especially regarding care homes, but no overall condemnation (It was a pandemic that affected the whole world). However I suspect every cricism of a key figure will be dismissed by blaming someone else! Evidence by Cummins should be interesting and Hancock may struggle