News Check 2024

April

Rishi Sunak's Week

21/04/24

The i says, Rishi Sunak may cut disability benefit as part of a drive to tackle what he calls "sick note culture".

Unemployed people will have their benefits axed if they fail to find work within a year, the Daily Mail reports.

Ofsted Fails to Keep Kids Safe

14/04/24

According to the Observer, hundreds of extremely vulnerable children in England are being farmed out to illegal homes every year because of a chronic shortage of places in secure local authority units. The paper's investigation has established that Ofsted did not prosecute a single provider last year, despite launching more than eight-hundred investigations. The regulator tells the paper it needs new powers to take action against illegal providers.

Why Did Finnegan do it?

14/04/24

The Daily Mail leads with the story Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner is facing mounting pressure to resign, after one of her former aides reportedly told police she was lying about her living arrangements. In a statement, Matt Finnegan, Rayner's former chief adviser said her "actual" home was the property she was living in with her then husband, not the former council house were she was registered on electoral roll. The shadow cabinet minister has denied any wrongdoing.

NHS news

06/04/24

A report suggesting that hundreds of thousands of dementia patients in England face missing out on revolutionary new drugs because of the "limited" diagnostic capacity of the NHS is the lead in the Guardian. Also two "ground-breaking" drugs could get the green light to be available on the NHS within weeks. But the paper says it has seen analysis - produced by experts from organisations including Alzheimer's Research UK - which says the NHS lacks the capacity to identify those who may be eligible in time and that the effectiveness of the drugs relies on a prompt and early diagnosis of patients.

NHS consultants' pay

06/04/24

The Times says a vote by NHS consultants to back a pay agreement in England puts "pressure" on junior doctors to do the same. Some senior doctors will now get a pay-rise of 19%. The paper says the agreement has added to "frustration" in government and the NHS that junior doctors have been less willing to talk about accepting any deal that does not meet their demand for a 35% rise. It reports that ministers are now pressing the juniors' leaders to resume talks.

 

Farmers are protesting in Westminister

25/03/24

Farmers brought dozens of tractors to Westminster for a protest. They were protesting against low-cost agricultural imports, and "misleading" food labelling, among other issues. They also say post-Brexit schemes that replaced EU subsidies focus too much on environmental work.
Similar "go slow" tractor convoys took place earlier this year in Canterbury and Dover. Over the last few months, Europe's farmers have ramped up demonstrations across the continent protesting against EU and national measures. (BBC)

Waspi Women

24/03/24

"Pay up" says the front page of the Daily Express after an ombudsman's report recommended compensation for women born in the 1950s who were not informed properly about changes to the state pension age. There is a similar call from the Daily Mirror, with the headline "pay them what they are owed". The i newspaper says the Conservatives and Labour have been criticised for not clearly setting out how they would help.The Daily Mail has spoken to some of those affected who call the ombudsman's verdict a "moral victory". However, others are disappointed the proposed compensation - between £1,000 and just under £3,000 - falls short of what campaigners had been hoping for. In a reference to the name of the group representing them - Waspi - the paper says the women are "still feeling the sting".

 

"Kate cancer bombshell"

23/03/23

The Daily Mail - and all of the newspaper front pages feature the announcement from the Princess of Wales, and a photograph from her filmed statement.The FT weekend said the princess's announcement puts an end to weeks of "frenzied speculation" on social media about her absence from the public eye. "Now will the trolls stop?" is the question posed by the Sun.

Tories 'don't have race problem

18/03/24

The Conservative party "absolutely does not" have a problem with race, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Mr Harper was speaking after a week in which the party had come under pressure due to a £10m donation it received from businessman Frank Hester. Note: Hester was a Tory MP when he made his remarks about Diane Abbott, in 2019.

Hester allegedly said veteran MP Diane Abbott made him "want to hate all black women" and should "be shot", sparking days of fierce backlash. He said his remarks "had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".

Lobbying Scandal

16/03/24

Saturday's Guardian leads with a report on the British Medical Association saying Tory donor Frank Hester should resign from his company TPP - which the paper says runs the electronic patient records of almost half the medical practices in the UK - as questions grow about how many times he has met Sunak. According to the Guardian, the union says Hester's remarks about Diane Abbott are "racist and misogynistic" and breach the NHS's fit and proper person test. Hester has apologised for making "rude" comments about the former-Labour MP but said his remarks "had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".

Gove on terrorism

10/03/24

The Sunday Telegraph leads with a call from the Communities Secretary Michael Gove for pro-Palestinian protesters not to march alongside extremists who he says are trying to "subvert democracy". In an interview with the paper, Mr Gove warns that some pro-Palestinian events "have been organised by extremist organisations". The paper says his comments come ahead of plans to set out a new official definition of extremism which will be used by the government to cut ties or funding to any groups deemed to have crossed the line.

RNLI 200 today

04/03/24

The RNLI was set up as a charity in 1824 and is independent of the government - less than 1% of its funding comes from government sources. The service depends on supporters - 94% of our total income comes from donations. The remaining 6% comes from income sources such as trading and investments.

It's a disgrace that our politician don't have the will to support this service without interference.

Rochdale By-Election

01/03/24

George Galloway has described his victory in the Rochdale by-election as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's "worst nightmare". So what. George is now talking silly about winning the general election. Labour did not have a candidate in this by-election and conservative voters stayed in bed.

Sunak talking nonsense

01/03/24

The UK must face down extremists trying to "deliberately" undermine the country's "multi-faith democracy", Rishi Sunak has warned. The PM said Islamists and the far-right were "two sides of the same extremist coin" who loathed Britain. He also expressed concern about the regular protests taking place in response to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Mr Sunak spoke at a lectern outside No 10, a set up usually reserved for big announcements such as elections. All we can say is that his speech writer has a good sense of humour.

Wayne Couzens Review Published

29/02/24

Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer and opportunities to stop him continuing in his job were missed, a report has said. The first part of a Home Office-commissioned inquiry into the death of Sarah Everard found Couzens' offending could have been prevented. He was convicted of abducting, raping and murdering Ms Everard in March 2021. In her review on Thursday, Dame Elish Angiolini called for a radical overhaul of police vetting and recruitment. "Without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight," Dame Elish said. (BBC)

Lee Anderson suspended

24/03/24

Lee Anderson told GB News Islamists had "got control" of Mr Khan and he had "given our capital city away to his mates".

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson has been suspended from the party after "refusing to apologise" for comments aimed at Sadiq Khan.

Just over an hour after Mr Khan's criticism, a spokesperson for the Tory party's chief whip Simon Hart said: "Following his refusal to apologise for comments made yesterday, the chief whip has suspended the Conservative whip from Lee Anderson MP."

Shamima Begum

24/02/24

JIHADI bride Shamima Begum is likely to cost taxpayers up to £7million in legal bills after refusing to accept the latest defeat in her citizenship row. Begum, considered a threat to national security, had her plea to get her UK passport back rejected by judges. Her fight to return home has already cost more than £250,000 in legal aid, with experts estimating that could hit as much as £7million if she now takes her case to the Supreme Court.

The Weekend Papers...17/02/24

Devastating consequences for Russia

President Biden, who previously promised "devastating" consequences should Navalny die in jail, has said he is now considering a "whole number of options", according to the Daily Telegraph.

Will wants to patch things up

The Duke of Sussex has spoken of his wish to patch things up with his family following the King's cancer diagnosis. The paper reports that the prince has said he is "grateful" to have been reunited with the King last week and that he hopes to see his family as often as he can. The Daily Mirror

And the Daily Star says darts player Darren Webster has accused rival Ron Meulenkamp of farting near the board during a game to "put him off his throw". The headline reads: "You stinker!"

Many of Friday's papers lead with the reported death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

16/02/24

The Sun also says Rishi Sunak must slash taxes. The paper's advice for the prime minister ahead of the budget is: "Reward hard work and aspiration, end wasteful public spending, build some houses." The Daily Mail echoes that, calling for a return to "true-blue principles".

Cream crackers and cake drive monthly fall in food prices

14/02/24

Only the BBC would think that a fall in the price of crackers mattered to anyone. Except a few thousand people forced to eat crackers for breakfast, lunch and tea due to their destitution.

 

The Weekend Papers...10/02/24

The i Weekend's lead story examines potential fallout from a report that raised serious questions about US President Joe Biden's memory earlier this week.

Like the i, the Financial Times's splash is about Joe Biden's difficult start to the election year. But the paper reports that the president has the support of his fellow Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given an interview to the Times in which he tells those who have written him off that he is "up for the fight". In the two-page spread, he also addresses his £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan that the government's plan to send migrants to Rwanda will be off the ground by this year's election. Asked if he would honour the wager, he told the paper: "I always honour things that I say."

The Express's lead also concerns the upcoming general election, with an exclusive report claiming former prime minister Boris Johnson is considering a return to frontline politics this year. The paper quotes Science Minister Andrew Griffith, who told LBC Mr Johnson was a "great voice".

King Charles's recent cancer diagnosis is the subject of the Mirror's splash, with the paper reporting that the monarch and his former sister in law, Sarah Ferguson, have been exchanging letters. Ms Ferguson was recently diagnosed with skin cancer, which was discovered while she was being treated for breast cancer. The circumstances of the King's diagnosis were similar, with his cancer being discovered after treatment for a benign enlarged prostate.

King Charles's recent cancer diagnosis is the subject of the Mirror's splash, with the paper reporting that the monarch and his former sister in law, Sarah Ferguson, have been exchanging letters. Ms Ferguson was recently diagnosed with skin cancer, which was discovered while she was being treated for breast cancer. The circumstances of the King's diagnosis were similar, with his cancer being discovered after treatment for a benign enlarged prostate.

According to the Telegraph's lead story, large numbers of Britons dropping out of the work force has led "frustrated" businesses to seek workers from overseas. The paper quotes an economist from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) who says international workers are "propping up" the UK's labour market.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has warned that Israel expanding its offensive in Gaza to the southern city of Rafah could result in a "bloodbath", the Guardian reports. The paper's lead story focuses on concerns for the lives of Gazan civilians as Israel moves closer to a full-scale ground offensive in the city.

The Mail leads on claims that British Shia Muslims are being approached by recruiters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while visiting religious sites in Iran and Iraq, and are being asked to gather information on prominent British Jews. The paper also carries an interview with Loose Women host Linda Robson, in which she discusses her struggle with alcoholism.

The Daily Star leads on the news that bald men are "irresistible" to women - citing "a really important study by boffins".

08/02/24

The life (and death) of Labour's £28bn green pledge

• Labour is to announce it will no longer spend £28bn a year on environmental projects if it wins the upcoming general election
• The party is expected to say the plan is being scaled back because of economic changes - but will not be dropped altogether
• The plan to ditch the pledge has come under fire - Labour's former shadow environment secretary Barry Gardiner called it "economically illiterate" Source: BBC website, 11.30am.

 

 

04/02/24

NI has a government at last

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill has made history after she was appointed Northern Ireland's first nationalist first minister.

The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly has been appointed deputy first minister

The return of power-sharing follows the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ending its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules.

Northern Ireland's devolved government was restored on Saturday - two years to the day since it collapsed. Source: BBC website, 19 hours ago.

 

 

There is no news...

06/01/24

Every day news on TV and Radio it's all repeats. The BBC, the national voice, has been relying on social media phone photography for its news bullitins. The beeb's output has been the same every day for about three weeks now. They keep showing the same interviews with experts over and over again. The transport expert is still standing at Bristol Parkway from Chrismas Eve. A weather lunatic has been standing in the same puddle every evening to tell us about floods that also happened over Chrismas. Radio output is no better, LBC have been repeating all the output for weeks. The only up to date info you'll get is the time checks. On the BBC today a presenter said he was back from his Chrismas break but in fact for several days now I have listened to him interviewing his life coach. The coaching doesn't seem to be working.

December

Gongs for all

29/12/23

"Let's give more gongs to our unsung heroes" is the rally cry in the Daily Express, reflecting comments made by minister Esther McVey. The paper says Ms McVey is calling for the honours list to be made "even more representative", which includes asking the public's help to discover "extraordinary and deserving unsung heroes" who may have gone unnoticed. Some of those who have been honoured are pictured on the paper's front page.

Public Services
29/12/23

The Institute for Public Policy Research. The paper says the report warns public services in the UK will not recover until the 2030s, even if a Labour government is elected when voters next go to the polls.

 

November

In the news, there’s no cheer

30/11/23

A Daily Mirror investigation found more than half of A&E units in England have been ranked as inadequate or needing improvement by the health watchdog.

The Telegraph tells us that Netanyahu has pledged to a return to all-out-war in Gaza when the current truce ends. And Von der Leyen (president of the European Commission since 2019 )says Britain should return to the EU and admit that Brexit is a mess.

The Guardian tells us that the UK and Rwanda are still committed to their migrant deportation scheme but Kigali is getting cold feet, due to the negative press the country is getting. Rwanda said nothing about the £140m they have been paid, for 18 months of doing nothing.

 

'Tax-cutting rhetoric'

Frozen tax thresholds, Tax burden increasing

25/11/23

The cost of the tax cuts in the Autumn Statement will hit spending on public services, think tanks have warned. The Resolution Foundation said the cuts were "completely undeliverable". Spending is set for the biggest cut - factoring in rising prices - since the coalition government's austerity measures, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Resolution Foundation said. Budget cuts of more than £20bn would become reality by 2027-28.
Ahead of the last general election in 2019, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised there would be no return to austerity. But the IFS said that unprotected public services, including courts, prisons, further education, local government, housing and others would see a cumulative 13% cut in day-to-day spending - when taking the impact of inflation into account - between next year and 2029.

Rishi Sunak aiming for the middle ground
Or is he?

13/11/23

Thérèse Anne Coffey

Thérèse has stepped down as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, after hearing that Braverman was sacked. Up and down the land anyone with anything to do with the environment cheered. It was her that said poor people should eat turnips, the poor also cheered.

Cleverly, New Home Secretary

James, not so, Cleverly was as quick as an Exoset missile when he was asked what his new job as Home Secretary involved. He said, I’m "absolutely committed to stopping the boats". That’s it, there’s no more. Cleverly replaced the demented Suella Braverman who thinks homelessness is a lifestyle choice.

Lord Cameron

David takes over as Foreign Secretary from Cleverly. Foreign Office civil servants will not miss Cleverly, he did nothing in the role. Reminder: David was Conservative prime minister, in office between 2010 and 2016, he also did nothing in office except search for black swans and doing what ever the Americans told him to do.

Note: black swans equal solutions just out of reach.

 

 

October

Looking after your mates

Bonus cap to be removed on October 30

25/10/23

PS23/15: Remuneration: Ratio between fixed and variable components of total remuneration

That above is the heading from FRA’s website, the language used to explain what they are doing and why is priceless. Far too expensive for Blast-It readers. So I have interpreted for you.

Essentially, they want to strengthen the effectiveness of money grubbing. Beyond the grubbers they want to ensure that the banks, building societies and investment funds can stay in the casino if the gambling grubbers push the wrong buttons on their computers. You see, the current arrangement is forcing the firms to higher pay for the grubbers, once the cap comes off the firms can reduce their wages and make them live off their bets – i.e, that would be the variable component of the remuneration.

Starmer the new change man

22/10/23

Sunak told the Tory Conference 30 times he was the change man. Now, we have a new change man. Yes, Keir Starmer crowned himself the ‘change man’. This was following the two victorious by election wins in safe Tory seats.

Tory talking heads excused the party’s defeats by saying the wins were down to the party’s tick boxers staying at home and not voting. They over looked the fact their activists did not come out either, so canvassing was a bit hopeless. That means support for the chosen Tory candidates was negligible. Not to worry, they told us, come the general election and the faithful will be back, well, once they see all the change that Sunak brings over the next few months.

Note: Nadine Dorries, who was supposedly the Tory constituency MP although she didn't the place much said: "Don't blame me, blame Sunak for the mess he's made of things". Clearly, she's still sore because they didn't let her become a dame.

Labour Conference of Clapping

Very interesting when their leader can't define working class

10/10/23

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader faced a barrarg of clapping everytime he opened his mouth. This was interesting because he didn't say anything worth knowing in the first 40 minutes of his talk. During the last 20 minutes he told what Labour intended to do, blah.

During his lengthy monolog he told us many times he was working class. The next day an interviewer asked him to define working class, he thought about and said, "someone who goes out to work". That would be everyone then, except politicians?

Letter to Keir

You failed in your definition of working class, try reading the Communist Manifesto.

Karl Marx defined the working class or proletariat as individuals who sell their labour power for wages and who do not own the means of production. He argued that they were responsible for creating the wealth of a society. Marx might have gone on to say that the wealth of society, earned by the sweat and toil of labour is largely spent by the owners of capital, and wasted by hopeless governments.

Also, why are you still calling your party Labour, where ever the party is now, it has little or nothing in common with the ambitions of those who set up the original Labour Party.

You may say yes but now the world is a different place, things have changed. Wake up Keir, nothing is changed.

Tory Liars Conference

04/10/23

Sunak told his lapdogs 30 times he was the change man

Mr Sunak took the lead, as liar-in-chief, putting himself forward as the change candidate. Yes, he was about to change everything but he didn't know what he was going to change until he was called on to speak. Well, that's not true, everything he said was practised on the Saturday before and it was filmed. He delivered his hour long talk faultessly like a excited little boy, promising sweets for all.

He ditched the Birmingham - Manchester leg of HS2. He went on breathlessly to talk about connecting up the north, spending the £36 billion saved on HS2 on improved rail links and just about every road he could name.

• Building the Midlands rail hub, connecting 50 stations
• Upgrading the A1, the A2, the A5 and the M6
• Building a Leeds tram system
• Funding the Shipley bypass, the Blyth relief road and 70 other road schemes
• Electrifying train lines in north Wales
• Resurfacing roads across the country
• Extending the £2 bus fare until the end of December 2024, which was due to rise to £2.50

Citizens living in the 19th century landscape of the Northern Powerhouse was mostly rechurned old promises and unworkable schemes. It has been estimated that all his plans for the Powerhouse could take 30 years.

Read the details of his plans here

He then moved on, gushing about his plans for education. He wants to combine A levels (pass their sell by date, apparently) with T-levels, to form a new measure of brightness called the Advanced British Standard. This one really is a whopper, the failed T-levels were introduced a mere two years ago to combine academic and technical learning, it hasn't worked. The trained personel for the ABS are not there and you can't rely on industry to help out, they will only ever be self-serving.

Sunak the Wizard

03/10/23

PM makes train line disappear

All branches of the media are now telling us that the Birmingham - Manchester leg of HS2 will not go ahead, (that is, Phase 2 on the map). However, no Tory so far has had the guts to tell us what they intend.

The wizard also made Levelling Up disappear, as well as, the Northern Powerhouse.

 

September

Sunak’s scrappage schemes

24/09/23

Our so-called prime minister, Rishi Sunak, seems to have gone scrappage crazy.

In the past week he has dumped the government's energy efficiency taskforce. This agency of efficient wise guys was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March 2022. the government said this would cut bills and help push down inflation and would include "accelerating household insulation and boiler upgrades."

The end of energy performance certificates
Further, an earlier policy to improve energy efficiency, i.e., Energy Performance Certificates have been scrapped. Apparently, landlords were complaining about the expence of bringing their rental properties up to a decent standard for their tenants.
The end of A levels
The think tanks are telling Rishi dominance of A-levels in secondary education was too narrow, calling for a new baccalaureate qualification to replace them. The Tories are telling us, Rishi is focused on long-term solutions designed to ratchet up standards. All of which disregards a  "recruitment and retention crisis". "chronic underinvestment in sixth form education since 2010".
HS2 to Manchester unlikely
Currently, Rishi is reviewing the money being wasted on the HS2 white elephant. He is of course overlooking the fact that this scheme has failed to meet its targets annually since the project started - in the dim and distant past.

 

 

Fentanyl in the USA

16/09/23

More Americans than ever are dying from fentanyl overdoses as the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic crashes through every community, in every corner of the country. The US witnessed a grim milestone: for the first time ever, drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people across the country in one single year, more than 66% were tied to fentanyl.

 

More Nutrient Discharge From The Weasel

10/09/23

Nutrient discharge, that's the crap you flush down your toilet. In flushing you might expect your nutrient discharge to find its way to a water treatment plant. You would not expect your water company to save money by flushing your nutrients into the nearest river to kill off the natural environment.

Now, our Levelling Up secretary Weasel Gove has been busy guiding the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill through its stages. The idea being is that this new piece of legal handiwork will protect the environment when house building is increased over the next few years.

The legislation says that the nutrients will not damage the environment, even if the local authorities can prove damage, it will not count. So the building firms can do what they like. The water companies can continue to pollute. And the Weasel can carry on lying about evironmental protection.

 

Week One

Cheap Concrete Closes Schools

02/09/23

More than 100 schools in England have been told to shut buildings made with RAAC concrete unless they put in place safety measures. RAAC stands for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, this is a lightweight material that was used in roofs, floors and walls between the 1950s and 1990s, mostly on one and two-storey buildings.

The government knew they had this problem to deal with in 2018 but they were too busy vying to get rid of Mrs May and replace her with Bonkers Boris.

RAAC is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete. It is quicker to produce, and easier to install. Using this material is straight out of the money grubber's play book. Just like the cladding on high buildings like Grenfell Tower. This is a less durable type of concrete and has a limited lifespan of around 30 years.

What moron decided that using this material in schools and hospitals was a great idea and then went on to talk about good maintenance extending the life of the product. Were they expecting the school caretaker to deal with that one. Now, the same brand of moron is telling schools to close or put safety measures in place, that would be using their vast surplus budgets.

 

 

 

August

Week Five

Every theft must be investigated

27/08/23

Police must investigate every theft and follow all reasonable leads to catch offenders, the home secretary has said. Suella Braverman said it was "completely unacceptable" that criminals are often "effectively free to break certain laws". She wants officers to use evidence from smart doorbells and dashcams to solve more lower-level crimes.

Cruella displayed her usual stupidity by claiming that by telling police not to bother with mentally ill people they have been given the time to chase people that break into sheds

 

Week Four

A message from Flitwich voters

Dorries Finally Quits

26/08/23

Nadine Dorries has resigned from the Commons, more than two months after pledging to go "with immediate effect".

She launched a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak in her resignation statement, telling the prime minister "history will not judge you kindly".

The Mid Bedfordshire MP first announced her intention to quit on 9 June.

Football's not coming home

20/08/23

Spain 1 - England 0:

 

Week Three

Killer Baby Nurse Guilty
19/08/23

Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies who were being looked after on a neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder another six babies, and will be sentenced on Monday 21. Police are now, belatedly, reviewing the admissions of 4,000 babies to hospitals where Letby worked - but stress they are not investigating all 4,000. (Far too busy catching speeding motorists.)

A lead consultant at the neonatal unit told the BBC, hospital bosses failed to investigate allegations against Letby - the government has ordered an independent inquiry. Former chief crown prosecutor for the North West of England, Nazir Afzal, says it's “hugely disappointing" the inquiry is non-statutory - which means it has fewer legal powers and cannot force people to testify.

Expect another collection of hopeless recommendations that will not improve the performance of many NHS trusts.

 

Week Two

Legionnaires Disease

12/08/23

Startling incompetence said an old Tory on hearing that Legionella being found in the water supply led to the evacuation of the Bibby Stockholm barge’s 39 residence. Then we heard that the Government did not wait for or bother to read the health and safety checks they had paid for. Of course, it wasn’t Clueless Bob Jenrick it was his contractors down at the Home Office that started moving people in too early. After all this was Small Boat Week.

Bibby Stockholm now loading at pace

That would be Rishi Sunak’s notion of pace

07/08/23

The first group of 15 people boarded the Bibby Stockholm barge but 20 asylum seekers refused to board. If they do not move on to the accommodation barge by the end of Tuesday, their housing assistance could be withdrawn, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said.

Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, told the Daily Express: “If they don’t like barges then they should fuck off back to France.”  Secretary Chalk said Anderson’s comments were broadly in line with Tory Thuggee thinking. A thinking Tory is an unlikely prospect, as unlikely as a black swan, but Thuggees are ten a penny.

 

Week one: The News, Nothing But Waffle

05/08/23

Sunak said he was busy working at pace to deliver compensation over the blood scandal. Laughter filled the hall. Sunak was gushing with joy as he announced issuing a 100 new licences for fossil fuel drilling in the North Sea. Apparently, this will improve our energy security. Sunak actually believes his five point plan to save broken Britain is working. Jeremy Hunt popped up to tell us that the Bank's rate increase on Wednesday was all about sticking to the plan. Half-wit Bailey, down at the Bank, was predicting inflation to fall over the next 24 months. He forgets how wrong all the Bank's predictions have been while he has been in the chair.

July

By-election results

20/07/23

Labour secured a decent win in the voting lottery in Selby, winning by 4000 votes. The seat has been held by the Tories since 2010. Keir Mather, the 25-year-old winning candidate, needs to take care on reaching Westminster. Good looking young chaps are not safe in the Commons.

The Lib Dems overturned a big Tory majority to take Somerset and Frome. The party leader Sir Ed Davey said it showed voters were uniting to defeat the Conservatives. As usual Ed talked as if his little party were about to move into No.10.

In Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the Tories narrowly held on to Boris Johnson's old seat. The Tory candidate, Steve Tuckwell, just got over the winning line by 495 votes. Steve said Sadiq Khan's "damaging and costly Ulez policy" had lost Labour the seat. There you have it, it was not Steve’s progressive forward thinking policies and support for Sunak’s Plan that won it. It was a Labour mayor’s plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Stupidly, Keir Starmer said the mayor should reflect on his plans. Not very helpful.

The media across the board were less helpful. They all concentrated on the damage done by Ulez. It was obvious, so no need to think then. No one knows exactly why Labour lost. Clearly, Starmer is clueless and ended up agreeing with Tory Steve Tuckwell.

Less obviously, what if the winning tick boxers (otherwise known as voters) had to vote Tory because not voting Tory would mean you made a huge mistake voting for Boris the Baffoon in past elections.

 

 

Pay rises all round

How will Rishi pay for it?

15/07/23

Rishi Sunak announced the following pay rises this for the public sector and said take it or leave it – there will be no more discussion. Consultants and junior doctors told him to get lost.

Who will get what?

• Policing - 7%
• NHS consultants, GPs, dentists - 6%
• Junior doctors - 6% and an additional consolidated £1,250 increase
• Prison officers - 7%
• Armed forces - 5% and an additional consolidated £1,000 increase
• Teachers - 6.5%
• Senior civil servants - 5.5%

There will be fall out…

The public sector supposedly will be able to meet these wage increases due to increased government funding. However, head teachers are already saying they will struggle to fund it without reducing their resources. So, fewer outings, fewer after school clubs, fewer cover staff and classroom assistants.
Mr. Sunak thinks he can for it by raising an additional £1bn through increased immigration health surcharges. Mr Sunak said the fee will go up to £1,035 - the third rise in seven years. There was also be a 15% hike in the cost of work and visit visas, and an increase in the cost of study visas, certificates of sponsorship, wider entry clearance, leave-to-remain and priority visas among others by at least 20%.
There was no discussion of how these increases may lead to fewer foreign workers in the NHS and elsewhere.

 

Bob Jenrick v. Mickey Mouse

08/07/23

Murals of Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters designed to welcome child asylum seekers to a reception centre in Dover have been painted over, by order of the immigration minister Robert Jenrick. He wanted to be rid of them because they sent a too welcoming message. And we would not want these children to think they are welcome here. This is clearly all part of Rishi’s cunning plan to "end the dangerous crossings, defeat the criminal smuggler gangs, and end hotel use by clearing the asylum backlog."

P.S. Rishi, 650 boat bobbers arrived this week, painting over Mickey will not end the crossing.

Update: 15/07/23, A second hostel has had its cartoons removed by Bob

June

Illegal Migration Bill

A costly comic creation

28/06/23

It could cost an estimated £63,000 more to send a migrant to a "safe country" such as Rwanda than to keep them in the UK, the government has said.

The Arithmetic:

The gross cost to relocate an individual would be £169,000
The estimated cost of £106,000 would be spent on housing support if they remained in the UK.

Tory Logic:

Sending boat people to Rwanda would act as a disincentive to those intending to attempt a crossing.

Russia, you couldn't make it up

25/06/23

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner genocidal mercenary group, paid by Putin to exterminate all Ukrainians, decided to halt his slaughter of women and children and decided to drive to Moscow to express his unhappiness. Clueless western media told us it was a coup, a rebellion, mutiny. Prigozhin said this was "a march for justice".

In the event Prigozhin’s Wagner gang got 140 miles from Moscow and decided to turn left into Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko, the slug running Belarus, supposedly became a peace broker and persuaded Prigozhin to pop in for a bit of r & r and take some time out from killing babies.
Curiously, Vlad the impaler says Prigozhin will not be charged with treason.

 

Islamist Hyenas slaughter children in Uganda

17/06/23

Islamist creatures attacked a school and hacked about 40 kids to deaths. For the most part they killed boys, good eating. The girls were taken for wives. Ugandas politicians were safe though, in their Swiss châteaus.

The hyenas have been operating from inside the DRC for the past two decades. Why does the United Nation still welcome the DRC to its five star dining table in New York?

 

At last some good news

Liar Johnson stands down

10/06/23

Bonkers has resigned as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip following receipt of a summary from the Commons Privileges Committee on his mishandling of the Covid lockdown. He described the report as a 'witch hunt'. Nadine Dorries, now hoping for a spot in the Lords, thanks to Bonkers also resigned and went back to boiling toads, she was joined by Nigel Adams, another no-mark Bonkers follower. Witch hunters call such creatures familiars.

Update: Nadine has not handed her notice in, her move to the Lords has been blocked. The Privileges report finally appeared, Johnson is a proven liar. And much did that cost Mr Taxpayer?

 

What is Sunak Hiding?

03/06/23

The Cabinet Office (i.e. Sunak) has launched a legal challenge to Baroness Hallett Covid inquiry's demand for texts from the former PM Johnson and his officials.

Johnson, who said he had handed over everything, discovered another phone on Thursday. This one was not given to the Cabinet Office, it went straight to the Inquiry, so Sunak's team cannot start redacting essential deatails.

May

Riot in Ely

Are the police telling the truth?

Two young boys died riding an e-bike in Ely, Cariff. Initially, the police commissioner said the boys were not being chased by police. Then, a video appeared on the web of a police van pursuing the boys at speed. This unleased riotous behaviour in the area, with property and cars being damaged. A new version of events was put out, the police were not near the road where the boys died. The force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

24/05/23

UK water firms to pay £15bn to shareholders

21/05/23

Meanwhile, customers will be paying for the sewage cleanup, i.e., the product of their uselessness. Water companies handed out dividends between 2010 and 2022, which averaged £1.83bn a year.

Water UK, that would be the lickspittal mouthpiece for the water dumpers, admitted the entire cost of the cleanup project would ultimately be borne by customers.

Ash Smith, of the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, said: “The captive customers of the monopoly companies appear to be the only true investors and are simultaneously used as a donor to shareholders who treat them as cash machines."

Environment Agency figures earlier this year showed there were a total of 301,091 raw sewage discharges from storm overflows into rivers and seas in 2022, an average of 825 a day. Overflows are meant to be used only in exceptional weather, but have become a routine part of how water companies manage their network.

You just have to ask what the Agency and Ofwat do for a living?

 

 

 

Public Order Act 2023

Tested at the Royal extravagance

07/05/23

In advance of the Royal extravagance the police held 53 citizens on suspicion of breaching the peace, conspiracy to cause public nuisance and possessing articles to cause criminal damage. The articles in question here was string, described by the police as 'lock-on devices'. No glue, no chains and locks, just string tired to placards. Our marvelous police also managed to stifle a threat to life and limb, particularly, to horses at 2.00am Saturday morning. They arrested three people working for Westminster Council, to keep rough sleepers safe. These people were clearly identified as public employees. However, the rape alarms they were carrying were adjudged to be a threat to horses. As for the majority of those arrested were anywhere near the procession but they were wearing tee shirts identifying themselves as Republicans and therefore they intended to do something, something to cause mayhem. Well, the police had a new law, so why not use it.

April

Andrew Bridgen

27/04/23

The Conservative Party has expelled MP Andrew Bridgen after he compared Covid-19 vaccines to the Holocaust and was found to have breached lobbying rules.

The Tories have now stripped him of his party membership. Bridgen said he intends to stand again at the next election. Good luck to the voters of North West Leicestershire. This guy provides a perfect example of why voting is a waste of time.

"My expulsion from the Conservative Party under false pretences only confirms the culture of corruption, collusion and cover-ups which plagues our political system." "I have been a vocal critic of the vaccine rollout and the party have been sure to make an example of me."

 

 

Good Ridance, Raab Resigns

21/04/23

An inquiry found he was "intimidating" and "aggressive" towards officials, but Raab said his behaviour was not bullying, and that almost all of the complaints against him were dismissed.

The inquiry looked at eight formal complaints about Raab's behaviour during his previous stints as justice secretary, foreign secretary and Brexit secretary. There's no doubt he was a bullying tea boy and had to go.

 

 

No more Smart M'ways

16/04/23

The building of all new smart motorways is being cancelled over cost and safety concerns, the government has announced.

Some 14 planned schemes, including 11 already on pause and three set for construction, will be scrapped due to finances and low public confidence.

Existing smart motorways - making up 10% of England's motorway network - will remain and undergo a previously announced safety refit to create 150 more emergency stopping places and improved technology.

Social Care gets a refresh

04/04/23

There she is, that's Helen Whately, she's your Social Care minister. She says she's aiming to make a care system we can be proud of. Last year it was announced that £500m would be spent on the system. This week we are told £250m will be held back. Silly Helen has called this "a refresh". Now, you know, a cut is now a refresh. Age UK, said the measures announced "aren't remotely enough to transform social care".

 

March

The Invention of Barges

29/03/23

The latest lame, madcap idea coming Suella Hogwarts Braverman, will be to move the 51 thousand illegal migrants out of their hotels and onto barges and old army barracks.

These illegals are currently held in 400 so-called hotels. Dominic Rab (that's his real name), tea boy and Justice Minister, was asked by LBC how many people were being held in hotels, he did not know. He was then asked how many barges we had acquired, he did not know. Clearly, Hogwarts is keeping it to herself. It may have been better if LBC had spoken to Robert Jenrick, is he the brains behind this fictional project? Can he tell us how much of the £5 million a day spent on hotels will be saved by evicting the illegals to barges. He probably does not have a clue, nor does he care and why should he, after all, its a fairy story. The only people that will care are those hotel owners who stand to lose a small fortune.

 

Casey Report Surprises No-one

25/03/23

Louise Casey's report into the failings of the Met Police uses a loud hailer to wake up those people at the top of the Met. This includes the multiple angencies in charge of overseeing police behaviour. Inadequate, under-performing, criminal and a dozen other negative adjetives sum up the current situation. Now, it is up to the people taking the big pay packets home, to start earning their wages. They can begin by reading Casey's report.

 

Sunak did not mean what he meant?

03/03/23

Windsor Framework: “If we get this implemented, Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position ... the world's most exciting economic zone”, says Rishi Sunak. (As reported in the Irish Times on Monday 27, Feb.) The people under the stairs at No.10 shot out some clarification, apparently the PM was not saying that being in the EU was better than not being in, like the rest of the UK.

More Time wasting… Matt (the tea boy) Hancock’s performance during the pandemic was  below woeful. All the details of his hopelessness in the role as Health Secretary are beyond argument. Unless they are going to charge him for all those that died due to his actions then just forget 86,000 excess deaths. And don’t bother starting that inquiry that has not yet began.

 

 

February

UK’s food supply crisis

Thérèse Coffey says 'Let them eat turnips'

25/02/23

Empty supermarket shelves are a symptom of a dysfunctional food system. In 2006 Labour produced a report on food security nicknamed “leave it to Tesco”. That became the accepted wisdom, arguing that in a globalised world a rich UK could buy its way out of any supply issues. No thought was given to the development of China and India, no account of them buying the produce we needed. We had our EU supplies but then we left. Our leaving presented the food growers with two main problems. Firstly, the seasonal foreign pickers were only given 6 months stays, they were needed for 9 months. Secondly, the paperwork introduced was causing lengthy delays, and is becoming a disincentive for foreign drivers, already switching to EU countries.

Our television news this week was telling us about the unseasonably cold weather in Spain and Morocco, suggesting that was the cause of our shortages of cucumbers and tomatoes. However, across Europe, right through to Ukraine there's no shortage of salad vegitables -- the shelves are full.

Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey said last week, we should make do with turnips. Coffey is still happy to leave it to Tesco and the other supermarkets. A dozen companies control 95% of UK food retail and use that economic might to force drastically tight deals on producers, many have gone out of business.

in the Lea Valley, Britain’s salad bowl, growers have started applying to knock down dozens of acres of greenhouses so the land can be used more profitably for houses. They point to the lack of help from the government with energy costs.

The food rationing that supermarkets are currently imposing is not due to a lack of stock, it's just that they do not want the hospitality sector to snap up the stock they have.

In sum: our system of food supply is broken and neither Labour, nor Tory recently stated 'missions' mention fixing food supply.

 

War Zone in Knowsley

11/02/23

A highly organised group of protesters gathered at Suites Hotel in the Ribblers Lane area. The hotel was being used as accommodation where asylum seekers are being housed.

The BBC is yet to establish the nature of the protest. What the beeb mean is, their waiting for another news agency to find out for them. The so-called protesters set a police van on fire and threw rocks at the police. They then charged into the police lines.

They were not protesting about immigrants, this was a training exercise for brainless thugs, who spend their weekends running around in the woods with paint guns. Then they spend every evening polishing their combat boots and watching re-runs of crap about Adolf Hitler on the Yesterday channel.

January

Bonkers Johnson innocent as charged

...and currently hiding in the Ukraine

22/01/23

This is the story of a loan that Johnson received when he was short of funds. Presumably because he was a credit risk, he needed someone to guarantee the loan. Richard Sharp was involved in arranging a guarantor on a loan of up to £800,000 for Johnson.

According to Katie Razzle, after a 40-year career in finance, since February 2021 Richard Sharp has led the BBC board, responsible for setting the corporation's strategic vision and budgets as well as ensuring BBC decisions are made in the interests of the public. Nice work if you can get it, he gets paid £160,000 a year.

Sharp said he had "simply connected" people and there was no conflict of interest. Meaning, he didn't get the job at the BBC because he helped Bonkers get his loan.

Just a thought: perhaps Mr Sharp could hire someone to help him with his strategic vision, the Beeb certainly needs some help with that.

Another thought: Why doesn't Johnson stay in the Ukraine?

 

David Carrick: another black mark for the Met

18/01/23

For 20 years, David Carrick, a serial rapist and violent sexual predator, wore a police uniform and, for much of that time, also carried a gun. In his private life, he told his victims: "You are my slave," as he controlled and abused them, subjecting them to appalling acts of degradation. They would never be believed as it would be their word against that of a serving officer, Carrick told them.
Carrick has now admitted 49 charges relating to 12 victims. His guilty pleas leave the Metropolitan Police - the force he served in - once again apologising for failing to root out a criminal in uniform. Home secretary Ms Braverman told MPs that Monday was a "dark day" for British policing and the Metropolitan Police.  Making out it was rare event! Then, she went to joke that she was "encouraged" by the work Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Apparently, has been busy to "root out officers not fit to wear the badge.
Rowley apologised for the failings of the Met Police and said opportunities to remove Carrick from policing were missed. "We have failed. And I'm sorry. He should not have been a police officer," he said. Yes, that would be David Carrick who had already pleaded guilty to 43 charges, including 20 counts of rape, in December.

 

Probation failings over killer Damien Bendall

17/01/23

A review into how a quadruple murderer was dealt with by probation officers has found failings "at every stage". The failings meant Damien Bendall was deemed suitable to live with his pregnant partner Terri Harris and her two children, who he then killed together with another child. He could, instead, have been sent to prison when he was sentenced for arson just months before the murders.
Relatives of the victims were said to be "shocked" by the failings. HM Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said he had spoken to them personally.
Bendall murdered Ms Harris, who was pregnant with his child, at her home in Killamarsh in Derbyshire in September 2021. He also killed her 13-year-old son John Bennett, 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent. He used a claw hammer to murder his victims, and he also raped Lacey.
The 32-year-old was jailed for the murders and rape in December, with the judge giving him a whole-life order.
Mr Russell described the case as "deeply concerning". Really, and how did he explain it away? The failures of the probation service were down to staffing shortages and Covid. He made no mention of how Failing Grayling destroyed the probation service and ran away from the problems he created with his privatization schemes.

 

A Spare Specimen

Harry Winsor tells his truth

09/01/22

"I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," the Duke of Sussex said of his memoir.

The only thing that would make his efforts better would be not to have bothered in the first place. The whole book is just a poor me moan about the way his family treat him. His book Spare has engaged the media for the past week, salivating over every syllable. Now, most of the nation are bored to tears.

Some facts: The 416-page book will cost £28 for a hardback edition but is retailing at £14 on Amazon. Prince Harry was reported to have secured a $20 million (£17 million) four-book deal with publisher Penguin Random House.

Another fact: Spare was ghostwritten by JR Moehringer. Harry knew the truth but he couldn't tell it without a bit of help.

 

 

Sunak’s five promises

05/01/23

Sunak introduced us to his five point plan to save to mend broke Britain. That is, it would be a plan if he had a clue how he would do any of it.

He will halve inflation this year. (Most pundits tell us that will happen even if he does nothing.)

He will grow the economy, create better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country.

He will make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future of public services.

He will reduce NHS waiting lists and people will get the care they need more quickly. Get some history

He will introduce new laws to stop the small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.

 

The State we are in

01/01/23

Rishi Sunak has warned in his New Year's message 2022 was tough and the UK's problems will not go away in 2023, fear not, he said the government was taking "difficult but fair" decisions to "get borrowing and debt under control". He promised that his government would put "people's priorities first".

"Everything is broken", posh boy, David Cameron told us in 2010. All he did was make things worse, talking about his 'Big Society' and 'Northern Powerhouses'. In truth, Britain was not broken in 2010, the fresh air banking system was broken. The financial crash of that became obvious in 2008 was in fact an act of self-harm, driven by greed.

Today, at the end of 2022, Tory politicians insist the chronic state of the nation is all the fault of Vlad the Impaler in Russia and the aftermath of Covid 19. Every day they rise as if the antics of Liz Truss had no impact on the economy. Liz Truss, who said she was "determined to deliver prosperity for all".

They praise the stupidity of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson and his wall paper spaffing. Some argued that anyone might not know they were attending a party during lockdown.

The Tory mind each morning is a blank slate, quite blank. It does manage to retain a few mind numbing slogans, like 'Levelling Up'. Of course, the Brexit dividend will, at some future time, pay for all that levelling

No point in dwelling on the austerity imposed by George Osborn, based on the foolishness of charlatans or the handiwork of Andrew  Landsley. The Lansley ‘reforms’ plunged the NHS into organisational chaos and financial instability, with patients the losers. 

No matter, blame Vlad, blame Covid 19 for a country in ruins. If that’s not enough to satisfy media inquisitors then blame workers complaining about their wages and condition of work.

UP