As many no, I am no fan of the coalition deal. But it appears that my worst fears might be proved right about the capitulation of Lib Dem MPs to David Cameron when you see that Lib Dem poll ratings are falling whilst those for the Tories are increasing.
It is an obvious and logical conclusion for electors to decide that if the coalition does it a good job then they should support the larger partner in the coalition because as the larger partner, they deserve more praise than the junior partner. Similarly, it is hard for the Lib Dems to claim that people should not vote Tory as the Lib Dems are backing the Tories.
Don't be surprised to see Lib Dem rating fall further in the near future.
6/27/2010
All set up for disappointment
I am all set for the football this afternoon with the final piece of the jigsaw complete.
We had already sorted what we will do, where we will watch the game and we now know the team, So what is the final piece of the puzzle ? Belief.
Yes, like every England fan, I have convinved myself that man for man, on paper, as things stand, England have 11 better players than Germany and that we will win.
Now all I have to do is be ready fopr the disappointment.
We had already sorted what we will do, where we will watch the game and we now know the team, So what is the final piece of the puzzle ? Belief.
Yes, like every England fan, I have convinved myself that man for man, on paper, as things stand, England have 11 better players than Germany and that we will win.
Now all I have to do is be ready fopr the disappointment.
6/24/2010
I can't get too excited about that !
It appears that I am in something of a minority about England's display against Slovenia yesteday.
Whilst everyone else is getting excited, I remain deeply concerned aobut the makeweights in the England side (and I include Lampard and Rooney in this group) who add nothing to the team given their poor form, and I am deeply concerned about the lack of goals. Remember, just one more goal would have seen us playing Ghana in the next round followed up by a game against either Uruguay or South Korea. Instead now our next three games will be against Germany, Argentina and Spain !
So whilst we rejoice in beeintg a country with a population of 2 million which only has 30,000 registered footballers, lets remember that we should be doing much better.
Whilst everyone else is getting excited, I remain deeply concerned aobut the makeweights in the England side (and I include Lampard and Rooney in this group) who add nothing to the team given their poor form, and I am deeply concerned about the lack of goals. Remember, just one more goal would have seen us playing Ghana in the next round followed up by a game against either Uruguay or South Korea. Instead now our next three games will be against Germany, Argentina and Spain !
So whilst we rejoice in beeintg a country with a population of 2 million which only has 30,000 registered footballers, lets remember that we should be doing much better.
6/22/2010
Any other Lib Dems feeling the slightest bit hypocritical today ?
I was looking back at the poster launched by the Lib Dems at the start of the election campaign less than three months ago and, from my own moral compass, I feel something of a hypocrite having delivered leaflets with this message on only to find three months later that a Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury was presiding over the "VAT Bombshell" the Lib Dems were warning about.
Taking a more measured view, I do find it hard to argue against a large chunk of the budget today. Quite clearly Labour have been running this country on the basis of chucking everything on to a credit card, which in many ways was the reason this country got in to such a mess in the fist place with the proliferation of cheap credit and a lack of control on spending and lending.
However, the fact that the Lib Dems are now having to share power ought to make Lib Dem strategists think twice in future elections about the kind of messages they want to put out during an election and to what extent these campaigns (as in the VAT Bombshell posters) cheapens politics. I know all parties do it, but we need to be honest enough to say we won't in future.
For those who are unaware of my stance towards the coalition, I have been clear in my view (and expressed this to MPs, the printed press and in Radio interviews) that I am no supporter of the coalition deal with the Tories. I don't want to go over the old ground of this, but I thought I should make this clear.
Taking a more measured view, I do find it hard to argue against a large chunk of the budget today. Quite clearly Labour have been running this country on the basis of chucking everything on to a credit card, which in many ways was the reason this country got in to such a mess in the fist place with the proliferation of cheap credit and a lack of control on spending and lending.
However, the fact that the Lib Dems are now having to share power ought to make Lib Dem strategists think twice in future elections about the kind of messages they want to put out during an election and to what extent these campaigns (as in the VAT Bombshell posters) cheapens politics. I know all parties do it, but we need to be honest enough to say we won't in future.
For those who are unaware of my stance towards the coalition, I have been clear in my view (and expressed this to MPs, the printed press and in Radio interviews) that I am no supporter of the coalition deal with the Tories. I don't want to go over the old ground of this, but I thought I should make this clear.
6/19/2010
Just why the Green Party don't get economics
The printed version of the Eastern Daily Press has a small story about the County Council Greens demanding that Norfolk County Council's Pension Scheme should no longer hold any investments in BP following the oil spill in the Mexican Gulf.
This is typical Green Party grandstanding with no concept of the economics involved.
Aside from the fact that The Green Party has very much taken the US line of "attack BNP" rather than accept that whilst BP have ultimate responsibility, the Rig was owned and run by Transocean, a US firm, it is worrying that the Green Party in the first instance choose to attack a UK based firm rather than look in to the facts in more detail. But as we know from the Iraq War, the Green's chose to attack the Lib Dems for supporting a motion in parliament which offered the support of parliament to UK troops, even if the Lib Dems did not support the war. So we shouldn't be surprised to see the Green Party putting Britain last.
But what about the economics of the Green Party's policy on BP. Is it really good sense for the Norfolk County Council Pension Fund to sell off their shares in BP when the value of those shares has tumbled ? As a "blue chip" stock that has in the past paid out very good dividends, we should assume that BP forms a large part of the pension fund's investments. If they sold now they would make a huge loss with no hope of making up this loss. So who will then pay for the hole in the Council's pension fund ? No doubt when taxes rise to find this black hole, the Green's will attack this tax rise too ?
It just goes to show that the Greens know little about economics but a lot about rabble rousing.
This is typical Green Party grandstanding with no concept of the economics involved.
Aside from the fact that The Green Party has very much taken the US line of "attack BNP" rather than accept that whilst BP have ultimate responsibility, the Rig was owned and run by Transocean, a US firm, it is worrying that the Green Party in the first instance choose to attack a UK based firm rather than look in to the facts in more detail. But as we know from the Iraq War, the Green's chose to attack the Lib Dems for supporting a motion in parliament which offered the support of parliament to UK troops, even if the Lib Dems did not support the war. So we shouldn't be surprised to see the Green Party putting Britain last.
But what about the economics of the Green Party's policy on BP. Is it really good sense for the Norfolk County Council Pension Fund to sell off their shares in BP when the value of those shares has tumbled ? As a "blue chip" stock that has in the past paid out very good dividends, we should assume that BP forms a large part of the pension fund's investments. If they sold now they would make a huge loss with no hope of making up this loss. So who will then pay for the hole in the Council's pension fund ? No doubt when taxes rise to find this black hole, the Green's will attack this tax rise too ?
It just goes to show that the Greens know little about economics but a lot about rabble rousing.
6/15/2010
Is there a more unfriendly experience than the Apple Store ?
I quickly dashed in to Norwich this afternoon after work to get a few things I needed, and suddenly aware that I was next to the Apple Store, I decided to pop in and ask an iPhone related question. Big mistake.
Now I've never been to an Apple Store before and obviously I simply do not understand the rules or know the code.
Nowhere in the shop is there a desk stating the simple words "We're here to help" or "Customer Services", nor does there seem to be any clear or organised system for getting help. At the back of the store is something that resembles a bar with lots of stools and very few staff, with people sat looking bored staring in to space presumably waiting for a member of staff to help them. Having wandered round the store for a good ten minutes trying to catch the eye of a member of staff to no avail, I saw a stand marked "iPhone Connection point". So I waited next to it as some staff went back and forth, again ignoring me. Now having wasted 20 minutes, having no idea who to ask, how to get to speak to someone, where to queue, indeed whether you even have to queue, I left none the wiser and at a loss as to the answer to my question.
Would I go there again ? Not if I could possibly avoid it.
Now I've never been to an Apple Store before and obviously I simply do not understand the rules or know the code.
Nowhere in the shop is there a desk stating the simple words "We're here to help" or "Customer Services", nor does there seem to be any clear or organised system for getting help. At the back of the store is something that resembles a bar with lots of stools and very few staff, with people sat looking bored staring in to space presumably waiting for a member of staff to help them. Having wandered round the store for a good ten minutes trying to catch the eye of a member of staff to no avail, I saw a stand marked "iPhone Connection point". So I waited next to it as some staff went back and forth, again ignoring me. Now having wasted 20 minutes, having no idea who to ask, how to get to speak to someone, where to queue, indeed whether you even have to queue, I left none the wiser and at a loss as to the answer to my question.
Would I go there again ? Not if I could possibly avoid it.
6/14/2010
Tory County Council to increase adult education costs by 20%
The EDP reports that Adult Education fees are set to rise by 20% next year, with a resulting possible fall in uptake of these courses by 2000 people next year. For me, this is a really easy target for the Tories to attack, but also the wrong target given the current economic climate.
In difficult economic times, people ought to be encouraged to retrain, get better qualified, and be better equipped for the upturn. Sadly, cost is a very important factor in whether people will take up adult education classes, and this will inevitably put people off.
I myself did my A levels at evening class, so I know the value of being able to do evening classes. Whilst the report talks about the sort of activities which are less academic being hit, this is the thin end of the wedge.
We shouldn't be surprised though that the Tories are cutting classes like this rather than the very generous expenses system at County Hall. After all, it was the Tories who only a few years ago put the entertainment budget for the council up by about £100,000 a year ! How many classes would that pay for ?
In difficult economic times, people ought to be encouraged to retrain, get better qualified, and be better equipped for the upturn. Sadly, cost is a very important factor in whether people will take up adult education classes, and this will inevitably put people off.
I myself did my A levels at evening class, so I know the value of being able to do evening classes. Whilst the report talks about the sort of activities which are less academic being hit, this is the thin end of the wedge.
We shouldn't be surprised though that the Tories are cutting classes like this rather than the very generous expenses system at County Hall. After all, it was the Tories who only a few years ago put the entertainment budget for the council up by about £100,000 a year ! How many classes would that pay for ?
6/09/2010
How to save money for the taxpayer
The government say that want to take on ideas from ordinary voters on how they could save money, make cuts, and avoid duplication and pointless exercises which produce no benefits but use up lots of cash.
So I have an idea.
Why not scrap plans announced just this week that every council will be required to publish (presumably on the internet), every piece of expenditure which exceeds £500.
Your typical council must spend amounts in excess of £500 several times a day, and this will have to be logged, reported, passed on, duplicated, scanned and accounted for by a member of staff. It could easily be a job that could take up 100% of a member of staff's time. So Taking in to account National Insurance, the printed, duplicating, wages, and other associated costs, you can assume this will cost a council around £18000 a year.
If we extrapolate these costs across Norfolk (8 councils), we can assume that this decision will cost Norfolk taxpayers around £150000 a year, each and every year.
So come on Mr Pickles, abandon your plans and save taxpayers the money.
So I have an idea.
Why not scrap plans announced just this week that every council will be required to publish (presumably on the internet), every piece of expenditure which exceeds £500.
Your typical council must spend amounts in excess of £500 several times a day, and this will have to be logged, reported, passed on, duplicated, scanned and accounted for by a member of staff. It could easily be a job that could take up 100% of a member of staff's time. So Taking in to account National Insurance, the printed, duplicating, wages, and other associated costs, you can assume this will cost a council around £18000 a year.
If we extrapolate these costs across Norfolk (8 councils), we can assume that this decision will cost Norfolk taxpayers around £150000 a year, each and every year.
So come on Mr Pickles, abandon your plans and save taxpayers the money.
6/05/2010
New Focus - A new deliverer
For the first time since the general election I have called on my team of deliverers (taking them my new local ward Focus) and, of course, took the time to thank them for all the effort they put in during the election. I was expecting some sort of fall out from the coalition, but the very opposite seems to be the case.
All my deliverers I have spoken to (there is one more away) seem pleased, all were keen on the idea of a Focus outside of election time, and when delivering one delivery round myself, I found a new deliverer whilst chatting to a resident about issues on the door.
Now this doesn't mean I am a signed up supporter of the coalition, far from it, but it seems that many people are prepared to be positive about it and are broadly supportive.
All my deliverers I have spoken to (there is one more away) seem pleased, all were keen on the idea of a Focus outside of election time, and when delivering one delivery round myself, I found a new deliverer whilst chatting to a resident about issues on the door.
Now this doesn't mean I am a signed up supporter of the coalition, far from it, but it seems that many people are prepared to be positive about it and are broadly supportive.
How dim do people think we English are ?
I have no problem with people displaying England flag from every part of their car, every corner of their house or any orific of their wish. Howver, I am totally perplexed by all the flags of St george flying this year which ahve, in large letters across them "ENGLAND". How dim do Tesco and the other sellers of these flags think we are ?
Surely our flog is pretty recognisable ? It's not the world's most complicated flag, and unless you are from Georgia, it is unlikely to be mixed up with any other nation's flag, so why do we along need to ahve ENGLAND written across the flag in case we forget ?
Do these same sellers have their spouse's name written across their wedding photos lest they forget ?
Surely our flog is pretty recognisable ? It's not the world's most complicated flag, and unless you are from Georgia, it is unlikely to be mixed up with any other nation's flag, so why do we along need to ahve ENGLAND written across the flag in case we forget ?
Do these same sellers have their spouse's name written across their wedding photos lest they forget ?
6/04/2010
I don't do talking up the coalition stories, but if I did ...
I would say well done to Michael Gove for axing the General Teaching Council. The GTC was set up with no support from teachers, no campaign asking for its creation, no support fro the unions, and with no clear purpose.
The GTC is supposed to fight for teachers interests, but is no more than a chocolate fireguard. It has achieved not one thing of any note for the teaching profession and its passing will not see any mourning or sorrow from teachers.
Good riddance GTC.
The GTC is supposed to fight for teachers interests, but is no more than a chocolate fireguard. It has achieved not one thing of any note for the teaching profession and its passing will not see any mourning or sorrow from teachers.
Good riddance GTC.
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