Having been a long standing debacle for the last Government it is time for this government to act.
Firstly though we need to consider why so many are willing to risk their lives to come here. Most are not from former outposts of our tarnished empire. Latest reports seem to suggest that our lax security for jobs could be an attraction. Is it time to introduce identity cards? Most of Europe has them, no card, no job? There also needs to be a legal way for legitimate claimants of asylum to do so.
Both actions will be greeted with horror by the right wing, but both seem sensible to me. An ID card could have NHS, Nat.Ins. details, DVLA data. There would need to be strict rules to avoid fraud – but they manage in other countries? Identity theft is a major problem so maybe an element of fingerprint or facial recognion is necessary. I am sure there are many other arguments for and against – time we had them!
A quiery – what does a prediction of 20% rainfall actually mean? 20% of what. My belief is that they should stick to very likely, likely, possible, unlikely. Then they could add a percentage to which they believe the prediction to be likely. E.g. We are 50% sure that rain is likely could then be interpreted as – we have not got a fucking clue so take a brolly! Things like thunderstorms would need clarification – a 20% chance would mean a 1 in 5 chance – that is meteorology, thunderstorms are limited in both location and duration.
But I revert to – what the fuck does does 40% likelyhood mean – possible or just – we have no fucking clue!
Well the news is dominated by Israel, Germany, Brazil.
The Labour Government has at last/least shown some bals in banning arms exports to Israel in the face of U.S. opposition. Well done.
Germany has had state lections in the former East Germany swing to the right. No real surprise there – especially as the German economy is tanking a bit!
Brazil has banned Twitter! Well done but reports of rainforest clearances and murder of indigenous rights workers are of concern.
Meanwhile at home – the race to elect the leader of a party and lead it to oblivion continues. I would say hotting up, but as they are all guilty as charged, as was revealed at the last election there is nothing to report! The candidates firstly have to appeal to the remaining Conservative M.P.s which is difficult. The following table is interesting
May 2023 PCPN = 3581
SurvivedN = 951
Northern Research Group
39 (11%)
5 (5.3%)
Blue Collar Conservatism
155 (43%)
33 (35%)
Onward Levelling Up Taskforce
37 (10%)
11 (12%)
IEA Free Market Forum
58 (16%)
11 (12%)
Conservatives for Canzuk
30 (8.4%)
6 (6.3%)
European Research Group
107 (30%)
24 (25%)
Common Sense Group
30 (8.4%)
8 (8.4%)
Conservative Environment Network
102 (28%)
26 (27%)
Bright Blue
139 (39%)
37 (39%)
Tory Reform Group
13 (3.6%)
6 (6.3%)
0.7% Aid rebels
22 (6.1%)
10 (11%)
Estimated economic left-right position(min, max)
76.2(60.0, 94.0)
76.4(64.0, 92.0)
Unknown
5
0
8
80% of MP’s are also guilty by association with the last lot of charlatons. The MP’sidentifying by being members of the above groups has diminished. Despite 83 ERG group members having lost their seats the candidates all seem to pander to the tunes of the ERG and other right wing nutters! There is a reason, they are taking a calculated risk that they will get through the MP’s vote and then be elected by the facist and racist party membership. This may seem rather harsh but the reality is that this is what they are deep down. They will pretend to be patriots and respect others, but they wish for a return to the past with a white, nominally Christian society where patriarchy rules.
Double standards – I am very sad at the deaths of 6 hostages held by Hamas. However the outpouring of grief from around the world upto, and including, the POTAS id disproportionate. 40000 Palestinians have died, perhaps at least 25% children and the world remains, if not silent, but only mumbling. Every life should be reveered and its loss mourned.
Interesting proposal by the Government has got the usual suspects getting their knickers in a twist and throwing teir toys out of the pram! I am not sure what I think! I was a smoker for 50 years and gave up totally 4 years ago. Is it a personal freedom issue when the smoke impinges on the enjoyment of others? The4 ban in inside areas was excellent and only diehards complained with conviction (A former Minister fro Health amongst them!). Maybe pubs and venues should be able to, and encouraged to, offer smoke free areas/times. I would certainly back the banning of smoking within an area open to, and used by children. Pub gardens could be smoke free until 9pm? Some pubs could decide to be totally smoke free, others could ban children!. This would appease the freedom of personal choice (and fuck the rest of you) cohort. But then there are still morons who complain about using seat belts – but they are not the ones scraping remains of humans from the bonnet!
The development of Shanshan may precede activity in the Atlantic as moist air from Africa seeds hurricanes. Since Ernesto there has been a quiet perion in the Caribbean – but things are predicted to change! Hopefully Mar-a-Lago gets a good walloping! No doubt Trump would boast about it! He is just so weird!
But the climate emergency is still being ignored by, well everyone! Record rainfall in the Sahara and still the press are obsessed with the death of a rich fucker in his yacht! Mediterranean ares has less rainfall this summer, India has had floods, 1.3ha of Panatelndestroyed by fire, 100+ die in mexico due to extreme heat. JUST STOP OIL!
Time for us to follow the French and ban pesticides from cities, including private gardens. Paris has been pesticide free since 2019. My garden is pesticide free and full of food plants for insects, bees and birds. I have a large area of raspberries and I expected the birds to beat me to the harvest – but it is largely bird free although there are plentiful insects. Yes I have seen the odd bee and butterfly but they too have been disappointing in their general absence. I guess that whilst in a rural village the other 80 or so houses in my sunurban road have only token flowers, and 80-90% mow their lawns with enthusiam every 2 weeks. Next door neighbour even sprayed an escaped wallflower that managed to flower close the wall of her house! I will admit to using slug pellets occasionally when planting out young plants from the greenhouse, but once established they are on their own! Butwhere are the birds – the bird feed in the feeder went rotten and the seeds started sprouting?
Ceo Pavel Durov arrested. My son argued that this was unfair, and I had to plead ignorance about the medium. Then Farage spoke out to condemn the arrest saying “who next – Elon Musk”. Charges include fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, promotion of terrorism and cyber bullying. I guess the same could be levelled at Musk, Meta, etc. If this is the first attempt to regulate social media then I am in favour. French Courts are independent and the case will be examined in full glare from the press. This would not happen in Russia.
At last a topic that I am well qualified to speak about. Education sold its soul, or had it abducted by the small minded accountancy driven ideology of the Thatcher years. If it cannot be measured then it must be worthless resulted in the fatuous league tables that destroyed many a good teacher and school. No I was not one (at least not until the bastards finally drove me to retirement12 years ago. But I digress. Latest figures show that expulsions are rising across the country, especially in deprived areas (and also in strong Brexit supporting areas!).
I just do not understand! Yet again. Sandford Stores sells around £100000 a year? Why? I smoked for 50 years – to start with it was cool, then rolling tobacco became kind of therapeutic. But what is cool or therapeutic about a vape? To do it in public as I saw at a fpptball match just identifies the person as a knob! those who convert to a vape instead of tobacco have my full support – but the evidence is that it is becoming a trendy thing to do? Are some stronger in nicotine than others? Gaulloise were cool for a while, and then Sobraine? and then Consulate menthol before I got the rolling habit. But what is cool about a vape???
