Change Economic Policy Not The Prime Minister.

The current indecent campaign to oust Gordon Brown is led by pro Tory hack journalists who manipulate the news for their own particular agenda. What really matters is the current government economic policy which needs changing not the prime minister. We cannot imagine that Mr. Brown will do this but for the sake of the country and the Labour Party he would be wise to do so. We need an economic policy encouraging economic growth, low interest rates and withdrawal of a public sector pay freeze. To continue on the present course will result in disaster for Labour at the next general election.

Labour Should Change Policy Not the Leader.

The Tory mass media is calling for Gordon Brown to resign and is speculating on the alleged plots against him. Gordon Brown is a good prime minister; what should really happen is a change of economic policy we need to stop the stupid Bank of England basic interest rate increases and reduce them drastically to stimulate economic growth, we need to end the short sighted public sector wage freeze. It seems to us a change in direction for economic policy is the only way to save the Labour Party, Mr. Brown would be wise to realize such a change is urgent and necessary.

Labour Party Leadership Crisis.

We feel that what is wrong at the moment is government economic policy: we believe the policy of keeping the Bank of England basic interest rate high is seriously wrong. The basic interest rate must be reduced substantially in order to encourage growth. Inflation is not a serious issue, the current inflation is caused by external factors not domestic.

Many people on mortgages may lose their homes we cannot allow this to continue; it is no good lecturing the world to “make poverty history” when in our own country we encourage poverty and we fail to deal with it. We need to also cease imposing a wage freeze on the public sector, the low paid are often found working in the public sector and  we should act to improve their wages. We don’t really care who the leader of the Labour Party is, what really matters is our economic policy which is a complete and utter failure.

Glasgow East byelection - a bad day.

It is unbelievable that a rock solid Labour  held safe seat has fallen to the SNP. Something is seriously wrong in the Labour Party, this should not have happened. It is no good for Labour leaders to react in the old way, we are “listening” is not the response we should give, nobody believes Labour politicians listen, we engage in the same old, same old. Our economic policy is crazy, our incomes policy is nonsense, allowing the Bank of England to raise the basic interest rate or keep rates high is foolish. We are following an economic policy that is out of step with reality. Unless, the Labour leadership learns and changes course we will not be looking at a fourth term of government but disaster in the coming general election.

Coal is Best.

E-on is to demolish an old coal fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent and build a brand new clean coal fired power station. This development is welcome and the government should go ahead and commit to removing all oil fired power stations from the national grid and replace them with clean coal fired power stations. The lunatic fringe coalition of so called environmental groups is opposing such developments and are rather ignorant of the advantage of clean coal fired power stations, the lunatic fringe would rather we remain reliant  on middle eastern oil which is clearly ridiculous.   Now is the opportunity for the government to commit to close all oil fired power stations as soon as possible. We have no shortage of coal, our country is rich in this resource and we would be foolish to not to exploit coal.

Cut Interest Rates Now.

The ridiculous and crazy policy now being followed by the Bank of England is forcing us into a recession  along with a growth in unemployment and Brown and Darling appear to be in favour of such policies. Our main enemy now is not inflation, an inflation caused by speculation in the overseas  oil and commodity markets not by domestic causes. Our main enemy is a looming recession and the Bank of England needs to now reduce substantially the interest rate,  all financial institutions should in general now reduce rates. We are pleased to see that at least one member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee, Professor David Blanchflower has voted consistently for nine months to cut the Bank of  England base rate, he has warned recession is more than likely to be advanced by the Bank’s policy whereas it is not too late now for the Bank to reduce interest rates substantially and ease us away from recession.

Inflation, Interest Rates and Strikes.

Government reaction to the current economic crisis is not satisfactory.

The recently imposed restrictive wage freeze policy is wholly ridiculous as is the succession of interest rate rises. Government and the Bank of England fears in regard to inflation are at fault. Our inflation is caused as a result of imported energy and food prices not as a result of domestic inflation. 

We need to retain economic growth, we do not need a wage policy and without a prices policy it will not work, even old Labour governments understood that reality. The economic policy being promoted by Brown and Darling is foolish - it will not work.

We can understand why the lowest paid, especially those working in the public sector, in our society feel totally frustrated to find the value of their wages collapsing and facing lectures from Brown and Darling that their wage increases keep within 2%.

We need a fresh approach to the unfolding economic crisis the current strategy will not work.

Reduce interest rates now.

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee is due to decide the base interest rate today. It would be sensioble to reduce the current rate bt a significant amount in order to restore economic confidence, to prevent job losses, to stimulate the housing market. The obsession with inflation rate is unhealthy, most of this is caused by imported inflation: energy and food prices beyond control of the domestic market.

Unfortunately, it is more likely the idiots on the M.P.C. will not reduce the basic interest rate this will only compound our economic woes and lead to more job losses and bankruptcies. Only a substsantial reduction in the base interest rate will stimulate economic growth.

The National Health Service

Little did I know that I would be a patient at my local hospital in the week of the 60th birthday of the National Health Service. As a patient for a week, I saw dedicated staff at all levels, I saw hardworking, caring staff concerned about one thing doing their level best to ensure their patients get well and return home healed.

It’s time the grumblers and moaners realized we have a great British institution, yes no doubt it is not perfect, no doubt look for faults you will find them but by and large the service is excellent. The media uses screaming headlines and silly ill-informed stories in order to convince Labour can’t be trusted on the NHS! Well, Labour is committed to developing the NHS into a well equipped up to date service go to any hospital and you find building projects. Many of us remember how previous Tory governments starved the NHS of cash and run the service down.

We should not trust the Tories with the NHS but Labour can be trusted. Anaurin Bevan would be proud of the modern NHS, he no doubt would smile with satisfaction at its achievements, the many small miracles, the hard working personnel. Yes, happy 60th birthday NHS.

Coal has a future.

Back in the 1980s Mrs Thatcher convinced that power stations can survive on cheap oil imports decided that this was enough to kill of the British coal industry, hence her war on the National Union of Mineworkers whose leadership at the time were correct in foreseeing the closure of hundreds of collieries putting thousands of skilled coal miners out of work. The coal strike that followed goes down in history as a period of brutal repression.

Now, it is possible for cleaner coal to be used by power stations. It would be most sensible for the government to look again at clean coal open up the pits as this country has ample supplies of coal and exploit. All oil powered power stations should be closed and replaced by clean coal burning stations. This needs urgent attention if we are to reduce our oil imports and return to cheap energy.