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I guess those at Eton, etc. are doing the history of the empire and how to exploit people.
A measure of equality os essential for social harmony and economic growth. When disparities occur both between social groups and between geographical regions the result is a collapse in society and the countries infrastructure. Let me concentrate on the geographical aspect. On a regional level there is huge disparity between regions of the UK – a report today
They do not seem to be managing anything? I accept there is a difference in definition between governing and managing, with the former implying an element of control. However neither seem to apply to this government. Other than laws to prevent criticism and restricting votes for those who are unlikely to follow them, I am unaware of any other positive moves. Police numbers are to be increased rapidly (probably with less vetting?). TBH the lack of vetting of the police is unbelievable – as a teacher I was not allowed to take photos of students from 40m away in a rainstorm with everyone wearing full wet weather gear – but a police employee does not seem to have to do the more vigorous checks.
Water companies continue to pump shit into our rivers. Public services are closing down.
There seems to be a conflict here. Is Government for the benefit of society or business? I realise that the two are not mutually opposed.
Johnson supporters leak info about Zahawi and in return Sunak supporters leak into about The BBC post and Johnson’s loan. Meanwhile there are strikes, National Grid is paying people not to. use electricity, and government ministers deny that anything is wrong – in fact it could not be better!!
Daily Mail is trying to deflect news away from Tax Evasion and BBC scandal by promoting the criminal Johnson and increasing UK support for the war effort. ( Do I hear “land of hope and glory” in the background or more likely the theme from “Dads Army”. War is never nice and the Ukrainians have been propelled into this situation by Putin and a sector of Russian society that would like to rebuild the USSR. With absolutely no military experience or knowledge, it would seem transparent that Putin’s Russia will not capitulate on the battlefield anytime soon. Any NATO backed offensive would almost certainly be seen as an escalation and treated as such by Putin with serious consequences for Eastern Europe.
Sunak seems to have little power. Zahawi and Braverman are protected by the right wing. Sunak cannot settle the strikes as he is powerless. Johnson is stirring up as much trouble as he can with visits to Davos and now the Ukraine. He also has questions to answer regarding Richard Sharp at The BBC, and why Bamford is providing free accommodation. Truss and Kwarteng are also setting up lobby group for lower taxes. Red wall Tories are crying out for funding. Sleeze-Dogg is on GBNews stirring the pot some more. And party grandees like Clarke, Major and May are calling for a more centrist path.
As Abraham Lincoln said “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”. Truss and the ERG had a go at fooling all of the people some of the time – and what a disaster that was (Costing the country in excess of £50billilon). Sunak is not even fooling some of the people some of the time. Increased use of twitter does not change a lie – it is still a lie, but seen by more people. Gove saying that Zahawi has done nothing wrong is still wrong, even if repeated on BBC. Brexit is still, and will be for ever more, a disaster.
So crystal ball time. Johnson will continue to enjoy his paid for antics for the rest of the year and past the next election. Surely he is not so stupid as to think he can win the next election? The ERG will continue to hamper any hopes of an economic revival by ridiculous claims of tax cuts. Sunak might be pushed out, but the tories would find it hard to justify yet another PM in one Parliament. Johnson unlikely to risk it – he will wait for Labour to struggle with both the mess they will be left with, and with the regressive legislation that will need repealing! Johnson will have built up a large war chest by then, the MSM will be all over him, criticisms will be washed aside with positive (albeit meaningless words). So it will be the election after next which is the crucial one! Will Starmer move to the left enough to gain the public support that Corbyn had before being crucified by his own party and the MSM? Meanwhile have the LibDems and Greens given up and gone home? The Looney Right will also have their moments – are there enough to cause irreparable damage to the Conservative and Unionist Party. The SNP seem to have a hold on Scotland which can only be softened by the SLP, The Scottish Conservative Party seems to be a minority in all ways since Ruth Davidson’s brave last stand.
At the age of 69 I am entitled to. be a cynic I think? I would rather be an optimist but this is getting harder! Charlie Boy the Turd has asked for people to volunteer on his Coronation Day/weekend. So he will be expending £millions of taxpayers money and expects people to also give up their time for nothing! What a schlicthz! London will be presumably grid locked with road closures that make Extinction rebellion look like rank amateurs!
Murdoch papers are trying to resurrect Andrew Winsor who is trying to reclaim the £12+millions he paid to Virginia Giuffre – whom he said he never met! It is clear that he was a privileged toff using his status for sex, whilst the tax payer coughed up £250.000 a year for him. TBH why is he now still getting a royal pension? He is a disgrace.
On which research has found that police regularly victim blame women in rape cases. Prosecutions down to 1.6% Lets do some maths here. In most cases 95% the assailant will. be known (and 4% could be easily identified by others at the bar beforehand – this is not victim blaming – plying with alcohol/drugs is still rape). Why is the prosecution rate so low? One case made the front pages recently of a woman who falsely accused a man – HOW FUCKING DARE THESE PAPERS IGNORE THE 98% OF RAPE VICTIMS.
The establishment is a litany of misdemeanours and actual crimes. Morality must have been ignored in their education. Zahawi forgot to disclose £3 million tax payment, Johnson thinks the laws of this country do not apply to him, conservative donors get pretence for contracts, Lady More walks away with millions. But the workers are told to accept payouts!
This is so wrong at any level. If a drunk sot stated this in a pub near closing time I would be appalled, and probably get hit – my mouth is stringer than my body! For the Deputy Prime Minister to state this has to be unacceptable in a modern 21st Century democracy.
Dominic Raab has clarified his views on misogyny in an interview on LBC News. He said “Misogyny itself isn’t a problem if the woman consents. Some women like it and that’s fine, if it’s consensual.” Mr Raab emphasised that rape is never acceptable, “Even with consent.”
Does it need me to state what “consent” means in either sentence? Misogyny is a word which I am sure he does not understand. To be frivolous it is not just an occasional “dominant” play game, but a 24/7/365 belittling situation. As for rape – oh Raab you are such a moron – rape denies consent therefore cannot be with consent.
RESIGN NOW!
And he says this the days after a serving Met Police Officer has admitted 48 cases of rape and 1000 met police employees are being investigated for sexual or domestic violence.
The half way point of the season and we see Arsenal 8 points clear of ManC. They have the exuberance and the tenacity to carry on but will the behemoth of ManC grind them down – they have to play each other twice. ManU got pulled back at Palace and may yet find that they have not the consistency, or. be over reliant on Rashford. Newcastle are playing above themselves but have a fine manager who has spent well. Spurs seem to under perform at crucial times. Liverpool and Chelsea at 9th and 10th – who would have thought.! Fulham, Brentford and Brighton have been good, and Notts Forest re playing as a team after woeful start. Leeds also look dangerous at times. Which leaves relegation – Everton, WHU, Southampton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Wolves and Leics are in bottom 7 and I would expect the bottom 3 to come from them.
So Arsenal have 3 games against Manchester clubs which will determine their season. I do not wish to split them but believe the top two will be Arsenal and ManC. Relegation I see Wolves, and Bournemouth goingg down with possibly WHU or Everton?
That there are areas of the country suffering deprivation is beyond doubt. That some are in Essex and Kent is also well documented. But for 2 rich counties one has to wonder why there was not more self-help?
However the piecemeal approach of governments over time has shown that this is not efficient. Cornwall received £millions from the EU but many of the small dispersed projects failed. Successes are the new road link and the expansion of Universities into the county. Studies have also shown that some deserving councils are too cash strapped to provide staff to create the grant application and staff its implementation. Of 151 local authorities only 8 have not had real term cuts even with the extra funds announced. Levelling up is a nonsense statement. Does the Education Minister talk about levelling up? The first objective should be to provide a minimum level of public services like community centres, swimming pools and libraries. Investment in education in poorer areas would yield dividends for years to come. So an AI centre in Blackpool is welcomed. Whether National Heritage sites should be receiving these funds (rather than from elsewhere) is debatable.
The north appears to be in desperate need of a functional public transport system. The devastation of Thatcherism will not be met by call centres and Amazon warehouses. Decentralisation of government and business away from London will do wonders for the North and Midlands – start with Parliament. Media City in Manchester appears to be a success. I am not sure what went wring with the mega-factory for batteries that has gone bust recently but am informed that the location is ideal, but management were not. London house prices are over inflated so decentralisation makes sense. Instead of Sleaze-Dogg moaning about working from home we should encourage it. Re-nationalise the railways and offer cheap one day a week season tickets for those who need to visit offices occasionally. This will probably hit High Streets and hospitality centres in cities, but so be it. Business rates need to be abolished and replaced by VAT or a separate sales tax so that shops and on-line pay the same costs.
Is there nothing that is not fucked up in this country? There are 1000 Met Police personnel who are being investigated for sexual offences and domestic violence but the government seems unconcerned. Teachers are joining other workers in strike action. The government is seizing discretionary powers to stop protests (at the discretion of the minister, not the law or the courts). Voting rights are being restricted, especially for the young. The NHS is broken. The Care Home system is broken. The rail system in parts of the country is broken. The right to roam in wild places is being curtailed (admittedly this was a flawed judgement of a judge not government – but the same ilk!). The education system is at breaking point. The court system is broken. The right wing press lowers it standards daily. The BBC has become a government tool. Food inflation was 13.3% in December but 20.3% for budget items. Dairy and bakery products were up between 19-29%.
The government is running out of people to blame. It is now concentrating on stripping democracy from anyone who may, potentially complain in future!