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.).