Category: Politics

So Sunak is right and wrong. He will no doubt get the RW Press support for delaying/abandoning green policies. In some ways he is correct, introducing further costs in a time of a credit squeeze is not popular. However abolishing plans that do not exist is ridiculous (unless to the RW nutters) 7 bins, meat tax, flight tax etc.

Firstly he is reversing policies he voted for a few years back – so why does he not say that he was wrong then? That is because they were not wrong then or now!

Secondly the mistake has been the lack of support put into the measures. Heat pumps are expensive as are electric cars, there is a lack of charging points for cars and trained mechanics. landlords need support at a time of rising mortgages (it is easy to see landlords as unscrupulous hate figures, but they are providing a service (especially since the Thatcher government started selling off council houses. Subsidies, especially in areas with no mains gas for heat pumps and solar woukd seem sensible. Setting up charging parks for cars in areas of high density flats would lso ease the pain. Of course these things cost – hence the need for a windfall tax. Thirdly the llack of a tax on air travel is plain ludicrous.

I think Sadiq Khan may come unstuck with ULEZ as it is too expensive and too soon. Would it not be more practical to give everyone who pays the £12.50 charge a £10 credit for buying/leasing a new electric or compliant vehicle. Someone driving in the zone would therefore get £6000 credit after a year.

Like most government policies these things do not seem to be thought through – is there a lack of civil servants without cognitive and questioning skills or have all ministers copied Johnson and surround themselves with sycophants? Is the introduction of the national curriculum and league tables in education to blame (Students trained to pass rather than think!).

The press will make much of the fact that the UK is ahead of much of the world (great so lets keep ahead and reap the benefits) and some countries are doing little ( a pathetic argument. The petrolheads will be gloating in the fumes. Prevalence of asthma seems to have risen in the 1990’s and possibly flatlined since – I cannot find decent data. Personal experience – I think there was one child with an inhaler when I was at school – now it is much more common – savings to the NHS?

Which all brings me around to democracy – good or bad? Governments are elected by popular vote, but the recent trend for populism seems counter-intuitive? If all we need is populism we cound have an electronic referendum on every topic. Referendums often result in disaster (Brexit). Governments should use their Civil Service to gain long term outlooks and act for the benefit of all in society. For too long politicians have acted to support their power base at the expence of of many in the country. Governments have a responsibility to minorities and the future. A 5 year term, at the end of which politicians will appeal to the public for support is not a sensible way to run a country – we have become a laughing stock as this government comes out with 12 month plans at best, knowing they will not be able to execute them. Yet Biden appears to have done it in the USA with a long term plan to put them ahead of the rest of the world regarding green energy? Maybe it is the fault of the fourth estate – their finances are totally dependant on populism amongst the old!

Maybe this is an opportunity for a second chamber (formerly House of Lords ) which should be tasked with assessing the impact of policies across society and into the future. It would appear that Sunak has written off the young as potential voters and is saying that he will fuck the environment as his voters will not be around for long? The future for him seems to be a few months. OMG – can you imagine the horror that he would face if the Tories won the next election – all their fuck-ups would come back to roost!

This affair reminds me of the opening of “Fix you” by Coldplay!

When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace

What is it about cars that brings out the worst in people. 20mph speed limits are defaced in Wales, ULZ cameras destroyed in London. Do these people get angry about other injustices like energy bills, or rudeness? I suspect not! The car is an extension of their wrped ego, a counter to their hapless lives – presumably they do not have mortgages or decent jobs to put at risk? Do they care about the welfare of others – not a jot – they are the epitome of the “Mememememe” culture. Spain introduced a 30kph (19mph) limit on singla carriageway urban roads and has experiences a 13% fall in pedestrian deaths. I just wish drivers would not drive through my village at 50mph+ when there is a 30MPH speed limit. Estimates of the cost of slower travel seem ridiculous – travel in cities is usually below 20mph during the day anyhow – and putting the footdown on a suburban street to make up time is just plain stupid! Surely 20mph is enough on any street with houses and street lights? People and children live in those houses. Why should 100% of the population be dominated by a few mad petrolheads with character problems.

I would go further and introduce speed bumps where necessary, and chicanes too. Emergency services should be no more impeded than they are at present by illegal parking and thoughtless drivers.

I am not blameless – it can be difficult to get used to 20mph. And motorway driving is so boring, I have driven from Plymouth to Banwell in 90 minutes! The petrol gauge was visibly moving down! But here – why are trains so expensive – fares rising by 9% this year I believe? Cheaper to fly from Bristol to Türkiye to London than getting a train? And they are spending £106bn on HS2. Tube trains in London run every couple of minutes – can we not have a similar system across the UK? Doing away with ticket offices may be efficient but doing away with all staff on a station in an urban area, with no guard or ticket collectors on board the said train surely leads to a dystopian scenario – large machines (trains ) potentially populated by “banned car drivers – banned for vandalising speed limit signs and ULEZ cameras!).

The demise of the High Street is a British thing (not Brexit though!). The pursuit of cheap food, the rise of Ultra Processed Food and the urban sprawl of rabbit hutch housing has led us away from community based shops. Business rates are too high and the artisan bakers and butchers, et.c have disappeared. Now we are seeing the big chains also disappearing with Wilco following Debnams and Arcadia, M&S and John Lewis have also closed some of their ‘flagship stores’. Replacements are charity stores, vaping shops, tattoo parlours anf betting shops. Thus there is little incentive for the bespoke craft shop or cafe. Parking costs rise as councils desperately try to balance the books. Town centres where attempts to make pedestrian throughfares are now wind swept alien areas populated by groups of youths (which can be intimidating when they are the majority!) and beggars with cannabis and vape smoke wafting through the dystopian landscape.

Dame Sharon White, boss of John Lewis, has called for a Royal Commission to investigate the problem but is it too late? Probably 50 or 60 years too late! The pursuit of money and its partner bargains, has seen the homogenisation of high streets (or had until the familiar names disappeared). Chain stores ruled the roost – they could afford the refit for their anodyne stores and afford the rents as they pay their staff up to store manager level very low wages. How many towns in England could name more than an isolated example of a locally owned shop or cafe? And where they exist they are often in hidden back roads away from the town centre. I am not well travelled but from my limited experience Totnes, Devon; Wells, Somerset; come to mind. Does the Lewes,East Sussex of my 20’s still have a greengrocers, a shop called “Full of beans” and other independant traders.

Some will wonder why I have not commented on the Moroccan Earthquake, Libyan floods and other tragic climate related events. Well they happen! The earthquake in Morocco was not particularly predictable – the African/European plate boundary is not very active! There was a tsunami that hit Lisbon in 14?? . The Libyan event is probably related to climate change in the Mediterranean region – it is between 2 continents and therefore could be seen to have an inter-zonal climate which is more susceptible to the changes wrought by our mighty petro=chemical corporations withnthe support of RW governments.

Earthquakes happen most often in the northern hemisphere in winter so perhaps North America should watch out this winter? Global warming will affect average temperatures, the amout of snow/ice, Arctic and Antarctic ice sheet will change. The ice on Antarctica and Greenland will affect sea level. Many societies in Asia and S.America rely on glaciers for water supply. Climate change will impact on millions more people. In the UK we have a brilliant geographical position being at the meeting of Atlantic/Continental, North/South to give us an equable climate. This may change over the next few years (not decades or centuries which I was brought up to believe).

I am renowned for not recognising celebrities, etc., actually I was also rubbish at remembering kids names when a teacher! But today several papers had a picture of the same lady on their front pages. So I had a read and found out it was someone called Kate – further investigation (dogged reporter that I am!) and I found out she is Princess of Wales – what this actually means I am not sure? Why was she on the front page of national newspapers (Well the Mail and Express and I think the Times), well obviously warranting front page coverage – the poor love had hurt her finger on a trampoline – something to do with her children, and Oh My God she had to have a plaster! Well what have the bastards done now is my immediate response to such stories in the RWM!

Pensions triple lock under threat is another headline that attracts their readers. I fully understand the need for this pension to keep pace with inflation, for many people it is their only income, But it also seems unfair on young people? But then when the government syphons off billions to its friends! I also believe we have amongst the lowest pension schemes in Europe? A conundrum – but it make a change to blame the oldies instead of youth!

Rail fares to rise by 8% – this is line with inflation but with our corrupt government – shutting ticket offices and other money saving schemes will therefore just add to the profits of the companies runnibg the shit show.

Talking of which – DEFRA -Not only facing possible legal action over allowing the shit to be pumped into our rivers and seas – it has now been revealed that that the UK government is refusing to phase out hazardous chemicals (which the EU are!), DEFRA issued a statement which basically went – “We are very strict but talk absolute bullshit – if you can make a profit you can fuck the environment”.

Does anyone know a cure for Menhirs Disease – it pisses me off!