Cuts & Runs.

There is a kind of obscene haste at the moment with politicians from all three major parties in what seems to be a new game of boasting about future cuts in public spending. The public sector has become a whipping post a target for plans for pay freezes, pension reductions and unemployment. Let us recall this recession began with the selfish, greedy bonus seekers in the banking sector who appear to be able to continue their bad habits regardless that their jobs were saved by taxpayers money. The fact we are £805 billions in debt is the sole responsibility of the UK banks. The banks must be made to pay back every penny they have gobbled up and no one should be given a penny in bonuses.

what

I’ll be nation’s hate figure, says top Tory Philip Hammond: The Guardian

So now we learn more about the sneaky Tory policy of brutal public service cuts.  Phillip Hammond is even now boasting about his proposed actions. This country cannot afford such an extremist Tory government;

“I’ll be nation’s hate figure, says top Tory Philip Hammond. Prepare for rapid post-election budget and deep spending cuts” – Hammond

Patrick Wintour and Nicholas Watt in THE GUARDIAN: “David Cameron may be forced to stage a rapid post-election budget to calm the markets and prevent a drop in Britain’s credit rating in the first days of a Tory government, Philip Hammond, the shadow Treasury chief secretary, warns in a Guardian interview today.

Anticipating an era of deep short-term cuts in public spending, Hammond urges voters to give the Conservatives a big majority so a new government can act boldly to cut the public debt, warning that the public finances are in such a state “the worst outcome for Britain would be an unclear political result at the election”…”

via I’ll be nation’s hate figure, says top Tory Philip Hammond | Politics | The Guardian.

Parliamentary Holiday.

We are living in the 21st Century, the days of rule by aristocrats, nobility and gentleman farmers have long gone. Yet here we are, our parliamentary representatives now embark on an overlong break from 21 July 2009 to 12 October 2009. Such a long break is totally unacceptable, the general public is not getting value for money. I’ve no doubt that there will a few MPs engaged in local constituency business and as for the many?

Many of us want to see parliament modernized: this current state of affairs has to change and change soon.

End public pay excess, say Tories

So the Tories now are keen supporters of envy. The politics of envy is a core value to modern Conservatism. It’s rather a puzzle though as we all know, without doubt that public sector workers are made up of people on low pay Would Bullingdon boy, George Osborne want to give up his well paid jobs in order to become a care assistant or road sweeper? Public sector pay by and large has been held down over the years. Alistair Darling’s call for a public sector pay freeze, his leap into popularism and Tory feeling’s of envy and jealousy should not be supported by Labour politicians. George Osborne should not deceive the general public; there has been no “age of excess” in public sector pay, some Tory friends in the City have made fortunes in this recession and continue to do so. I am all in favour of focussing pay increases for low paid public sector workers but perhaps senior well paid executives who probably vote Tory anyway could face a freeze.

BBC NEWS: “A Tory government would end the “age of excess” in public sector pay, shadow chancellor George Osborne has said.

He told the BBC pay should reflect economic conditions and the Conservatives would change the “culture of Whitehall” to save money.

Meanwhile, a pressure group's report suggests more than 1,000 council bosses earn six-figure salaries.

The government said this justified its plans to make councils publish the pay packages of 2,500 top earners.

A report by the Taxpayers' Alliance suggests those earning £100,000 or more rose by 27% in a year – with at least 16 people being paid more than Prime Minister Gordon Brown…”more

via BBC NEWS | Politics | End public pay excess, say Tories.

Building Britain’s Future

Below is a summary from No 10 in regard to the Prime Minister Brown’s statement to the Commons.  Like many I have no doubt that any future Conservative government is the last thing we want, as we know there would be savage cuts in public services budgets: contrary to the myths often peddled by media hacks; the conservatives tend to make a mess of the economy and allow social disintegration – the Conservative party is not fit for government. We don’t want David Cameron as prime minister: the man is a total idiot.

Gordon Brown’s performance in the Commons today is a major improvement on previous occasions.

Gordon Brown’s statement today is very welcome the proposals for constitutional reform and Lords reform are welcome as are measure to encourage sustainable employment and maintaining public services.

A summary of the Prime Minister’s statement from No 10 is below:

Monday 29 June 2009

The Prime Minister has published a plan for “Building Britain’s Future” which aims to make Britain a “fairer, stronger and more prosperous society”.

Visit Building Britain’s Future website

Building Britain’s Future – download the pdf

The document outlines the PM’s plan for economic recovery. It also charts the Government’s goals for renewing democracy, modernising national infrastructure and improving schools, hospitals and policing.

Speaking in Parliament today, Gordon Brown said now is the right time to “forge a new economic and constitutional settlement” for the UK.

He said:

“We will not walk away from people in challenging times. We will continue to fight for a fairer prosperity and a responsible society on the basis of our enduring values. This is not a job just for the Government but for the country as a whole.”

In a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon the PM outlined a range of Government commitments:

• Cleaning up politics by delivering a radical programme of democratic and constitutional reform, including further reform of the House of Lords
• Economic growth through an active industrial policy, including a £150 million Innovation Fund
• Affordable housing by targeting investment worth £1.5 billion over two years to deliver 20,000 new affordable homes and create 45,000 jobs in construction and related sectors
• Young people out of work for a year will have to take on a job, training or work experience
• More power for patients through enforceable health care entitlements such as hospital treatment within 18 weeks, access to cancer specialists within two weeks and free health-checks for those aged 40-74
• More power for parents by guaranteeing individually tailored education for all children
• Local people to have more say on local policing and crime prevention, CCTV and on how offenders pay back the community
• A low carbon future through energy efficiency and renewable energy plus incentives for low carbon transport.

In the coming months the Government will release plans for other key areas, including transport, infrastructure, financial services, social care, climate change and energy, life sciences and constitutional reform.

Read the Government’s Draft Legislative Programme for the next Parliamentary session.

Fashion at Royal Ascot

Link to BBC TV News clip: Fashion at Royal Ascot rather reassuring to see that those still have wealth are managing to overcome the recession:

BBC NEWS: “It is hoped the publication of a light hearted guide on racecourse etiquette may help to discourage the most extreme fashion decisions at Royal Ascot.

The BBC has caught a glimpse of the hats and fashion at this year’s Royal Ascot.

UK’s economy ‘the best in Europe’

Professor Paul Krugman: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The news from Professor Paul Krugman (who won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics), may bring some comfort for Gordon Brown after a pretty grim few weeks of bad news.

BBC NEWS” “The UK is in the best shape out of all the economies in Europe, according to a leading economist.

Professor Paul Krugman, who won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics, said that the UK’s economic policies had been “pretty good” and called them “intelligent”.

The government also deserved more credit for its policies, he said in an interview with Will Hutton in The Observer newspaper.

His comments come at the end of a week when the pound has risen to its highest level this year.” More

via BBC NEWS | Business | UK’s economy ‘the best in Europe’.

Byers joins calls for PM to quit

Ok, yesterday some backbench MPs were bullied into being yes men to Gordon Brown; the writing is on the wall, the continued leadership or non leadership of Gordon Brown has to be challenged. Unless Labour elects a new dynamic leadership with vision and an agenda for reform, Labour is doomed at the next general election: Stephen Byers is right:

BBC NEWS: “Former cabinet minister Stephen Byers has added his voice to calls for Prime Minister Gordon Brown to stand down.

Mr Byers said Labour needed a leader who could win a general election “and not take us to a humiliating defeat – Gordon Brown is not that leader”.

Mr Brown should stand down for the sake of people who needed a Labour government to protect their interests, he told a Progress think tank meeting…”more

via BBC NEWS | Politics | Byers joins calls for PM to quit.

Leading historians on whether fascism is on the march again: Politics: The Guardian

An interesting selection of interviews with leading academic historians of all of them I think only Eric Hobsbawn has the key: “… The left is in trouble everywhere: Labour in the UK, the French socialists, the Italian democrats. The Spanish socialists, one of the few leftwing parties to gain in recent years, have also slipped. The SPD in Germany are not doing as badly as expected, but they are down to around 20%, and these losses are not compensated by the votes for the New Left party. We have seen the demoralisation of the French left and a degree of disintegration of the left in Germany. Social democrats will need a new vision as well as a new constituency.”

Interviews by Stephen Moss and John Crace in THE GUARDIAN: “Does the election of two BNP MEPs and the success of the far right elsewhere in Europe mean we are facing the threat of fascism? Or is this just a protest vote that will quickly fade? Leading historians give their verdicts..”more

via Leading historians on whether fascism is on the march again. Politics:The Guardian .

Gordon Brown: BBC Radio 4 Today Programme.

Image via Wikipedia

Gordon Brown was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 Today programme, this morning. Again we get the same old excuses in regard to MPs’ expenses and a willingness to defend what could be considered to be wrong doing or making irresponsible claims.

In regard to reform, 12 years into a Labour government and suddenly he reports he wants reform, yet all we get is promises so far nothing, nothing has been set up, the cynical amongst us would regard that as just blah, blah, blah.

Audio recording link below:

“Gordon Brown has insisted that he will carry on as prime minister despite predictions Labour will fare badly in this week’s local and European vote. Mr Brown rejected calls to quit, saying he was the man to tackle the recession and the expenses scandal.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today he wanted to ’stay on to do the job’ before calling a general election.
‘With the record I have had, I’m the best person to clean up the political system,’ he added.”