Category: Politics

CEO wage rose from £15000 in 2014 to £750000 with a new appointment. 43 people at HS2 earn more than £150000 and another 73 at Netweok Rail earn the same. Private rail companies pay similar high wages. What do they all actually do for these high wages? Apart from holding down the wages of those actuallybdriving the trains? I am sure they all claim expenses too! Are similar wages paid to those who oversee the rail network?

The Daily Mail is claiming that Labour will declare a class war on day 1 of a Labour Government. They are refering mainly to the decision to remove VAT exemption from Private Schools, but if they declare war on public officials earning gross amouts of money – so be it. Doctors are told that they should not strike as they are paid well, I wonder if there were a comparison between doctors and the public servants which would require 5the greatest skills, create most stress, need greatest commitment. It is rare to hear of a doctor quitting to take a better paid job (although many also work privately, the public servants seem to swap jobs at the smell of a pay rise.

I must state that I am not against high pay per se, I am sure there are many entrepreneurs who have invested massively with time and money and provide thousands of jobs for others. In a functioning private sector (and I believe much does not function efficiently- laters), A firm paying large wages will soon be undercut by more efficient and cheaper companies. I am sure Dyson can justify his wage (whatever it is!) with the number of jobs he has created and the efficiency of his product (my Dyson vacuum did not last long though!). I am happy to pay someone with skills, or time I do not have. I am thinking here of my pension fund. The charge for managing it is not large, and if the manager can efficiently manage a large number of funds they can make a large amount – if they over charge then clients will move funds elsewhere. That is how capitalism should work in my view!

Laters – Capitalism in this country and much of the west, has become corrupted by large corporations. In America they were aware of this in 1911 when they broke up Standard Oil (which was the biggest company in the world – and then I believe became the 34 biggest companies!). It was recognised then that that the concentration of wealth was counter productive to society (actually I doubt this was the reason – but it would be nice if it was!)

Globalisation brought short term gains to western countries – at the expense of poorer countries. The wealth of many individuals is beyond obscene! If ever there was a case for nationalisation it is Musk’s empire – however good Tessla is, and competitors are catching up, Twitter or X is not booming, – just nationalise it and give hime $10 million a year for life.

In this country we are dominated by the big US companies -and no longer have the combined power of the EU to take them on – but have some corporate issues we could sort out. Water companies where there is no competition should be taken back into public ownership – same with the railways (see above!). The Post Office is more problematic – like paying for bus services on unprofitable routes. Maybe there should be a tax on all postal delivery companies with the money open to bidders to do the deliveries? How long before the posting of letters becomes obsolete? I guess a while as apparently cash is making a come back.

Corporations bid for government contracts and then sub-contract, who then sub-contract. -Governments should not allow this – it is just easy money for the rich companies – make all comanies who win government contracts 100% liabe for their success/failure. Tax avoidance by registering in Luxemburg or Dublin should be stopped. I like Amazon as it is quick and efficient – but every purchase I make in this country should be subject to UK tax – surely that is not rocket science?

The Uk has a population of about 70 million – GDP is $3.371tn. My simple economics reckons that if this money can be circulated more equitably, then everyone ends up better off? I guess I ought to shut up and make apple crumble!

First up are the LibDems. They have not recovered from the disasterous coalition with the the Tories. Rejoining the EU is not a particularly popular policy, many would see Labours proposals for greater alignment as a better policy. Whilst the RW tories will harp on about greater divergence.

Green issues – should be an open goal for the LD’s, however they do not seem to be making much of it so far? Their policy makers seem to favour a much more local campaign programme.- which may leave them short when it comes to national campaigning. The mainly southern conservative seats they have a good chance of wining may need more than the local impact which works so well in by-elections. W-s-M is a potential gain for LD’sso I look forward to seeing what they have to offer – a special post on W-s-M will be written soon!!

So really it looks like he week will go past with a whimper.

Here we go again – massive government incompetence. A prestige scheme that has been criticised from the outset. Perhaps its only saving factor was the link to Manchester which could spark some knock on schemes across the North of England. It is not even certain that the London to Birmingham sector will start/finish at Euston. I suppose that a £8billion hike in costs is just too much – but I do wonder at the legitimacy of the accounting and vetting procedures. Further investigation – many industries have already invested in the expectation of the Northern link going ahead. It also seems that the north is dependant on it for future investment and growth. However it will be a joke – the London Terminal is 6 miles west of Euston whilst the Birmingham end needs a 15 minute walk from Birmingham New Street. With the old line expected to take more freight surely there is a solution to swap the lines over at some point? Can they be that far apart? No wonder the Chinese use UK infrastructure projects as examples of the failure of democracy. And they have a point. When voted on with a general cross party consensus it would surely have been pragmatic and sensible to put the funding in place for the 20 year project. Whist at it can we halt the Stonehenge Road/Tunnel scheme.

I believe the opening of CrossRail in London saw rocketing property prices – surely this should be factored into the cost so that the tax payer gets the benefit of the investment, not the property owner. Is there an opportunity for the same pay back here?

So what policies do we have from the radical reset by Sunak who attempts to forget that the problems he faces are all Tory created ones of the last 13 years. Well he may adopt the NZ situation of progressively banning smoking (although NZ has seen a growth in vaping), new A Levels But these would take several years to introduce so this is pie in the sky) and then his retrograde steps on net zero (where he might regret the obvious echo chamber used by his advisors on social media – and the Daily Express which stated how popular they were). Comments I hear are “I can’t afford an electric car” – not “I don’t want an electric car”. Sensible government policies would have led to greater affordability and a better network of chargers.

He has gone quiet on migration as all his policies have failed spectacularly through the ideological stance taken and the inhumane attempted implementation. Inflation was down last month but fuel costs are increasing again. Unemployment is rising. The National Debt increasing by 40%

So are we heading for a spring election? If he waits for the full time he will be accused of hanging on to allow the pals club to fill its boots – however an spring election will rely on him coming up with some credible policies – which seems unlikely!

an update on HS2 costs – average cost internationally for high speed traack = £32m/km HS2 =£250m/km. I wonder how much of the exxtra was appease tory voters in rich areas. A lot of the cost is the planing procedure – surely this could have been streamlined in one enquiry, and again I wonder why they did not run it along side motorways, thus avoiding the need for tunnels and deep cuttings as the scenery is already blighted?

Largest local employer is NOT closing – the local paper headline of urban myth, supposedly used to drum up sales. Much of Sunaks green announcement was in the same vein. Ploicies that have never been policies would be dropped. much of what actually was policy and has been dropped will harm the public in the long run -but he does not care about future planing. Covid in particular showed that the government could pull off reactive policies rather than proactive ones – the proactive ones like lock down is seen as unpopular.

Even 6he motor companies were horrified at his back tracking on electric cars (victory for the ERG and Mail, Express and Telegraph. They have been investing in new plant and are now uncertain of the time scale. Yesterday also saw the publication of air quality across Europe, with the countries of Eastern Europe having exceptionally poor air quality. The UK in general is better than many as it should be with the clean air off the Atlantic for much of the time – however cities and the South =-East are below WHO safe levels.

The human race is generally averse to change, the Chinese curse “may your life be interesting” comes to mind. And the boring refrain of old people “It never did me any harm” when refering back to pre-progress advances in any aspect of life (lack of central heating, physical punishment, lack of holidays, etc.).

And despite being conned daily by the advertising industry to make unnecessary purchases the public, in general, have short arms and deep pockets when it comes to expenditure. So a Tory announcement that their policy changes would cut their bills is seen as a no brainer politically. Combine this with the false information put outon social media, and it seems like a win-win situation for tricky Rishi. However we can be thankful for the huge number of cock-ups by government over that few years (months and weeks more like) – much of the public is now sceptical about the motives of the brats from Eton and Oxbridge.

However there are millions of the public who are not ruled, like the government, by financial gain. Local wildlife trusts, National Trust, and a myriad of other groups at local and national level campaign for the environment before counting groups like Greenpeace and Frinds of the Earth. The Tories tend to write off the young as a lost cause – this is interesting in many ways. The young are, hopefully idealistic – worried sick about the future, full of energy and ideas – why would they vote for tired old privileged pratts?

Basically this is the Tory party today – no idea and up the creek without a paddle. they are hoping enough people will fall for the false narratives put out on social media that net zero is just a way for the rich to make more money. I would happily bet on those putting out the false narratives also funding the tories and twats like Farage. There are a lot of people in financials hardship due to Truss and Sunaks anti-inflation policies. But even people in these dire straights can see that the planet is distressed and non-action would be disastrous.

A sensible government would fund solar and wind power on local levels, increase electric car powering ponts and subsidise them in supermarkets if necessary. they are just playing politics and hoping to win votes with their pro-motorist/petrol diatribe. Is their plan to screw people into poverty and then blame green policies – and then come up with a festering chalice which offers everyone a smaller tax bill (they will forget the closed swimming pools, libraries and community groups which hold societies together!). How I hate the lying bastards!

Sleepy Joe maybe old, and look like he is dozing off at times, but he certainly gets things done. The US economy is coming out of a world economic downturn faster than Europe and China (which seems to be going backwards). His Inflation Reduction Bill is ready to put in excess of $350 billion into green economic infrastructure. Why does our government not recognise that investment in wind farms and elctric cars is not inflationary. Just like investments in health and education they increase productivity and the quality of life and the environment.

I suppose this government is screwed as it lost tens of billions on dodgy PPE deals with mates during Covid, then little Lizzie Truss spaffed another £45 billion in her 49 day time in the PM’s Office (which makes Johnsons horrendous refurbishment of Downing Street look like a bargain – albeit from Wilko’s).

Back to Biden – he has done a deal to release prisoners from Iran – a double exchange and bankrolled by £6billion of money that was Iran’s anyway! He is quietly doing things his way – no rebel rousing speeches like Trump.

There are things here that I do not understand! Why is it a press prosecution – since when have these been allowed. The Met Police and LAPD say they have received no complaints?

If he is guilty – then prosecute him. But how is the press attack democratic? I am sure that Russell Brand like many comedians has a complex psychology – Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers were of a similar ilk. But how come he is named on TV and in the press without any criminal charges? Is it sexist for me to think that any girl/woman who got herself into a situation with him could expect the unexpected? Are the press allowed to make accusations like this without police involvement?