Week One thoughts

 It's hardly the most inspiring full week of a General Election campaign, one of weakest I can recall in a few decades where nothing's caught fire not that the great outdoors could with the amount of rain we've had in recent days.

As ever I half expect this blog to be out of date within a few hours given how things go but there are a few topics I'd like to talk about.

The first being Tax and Spend which despite attempts by politicians is really one the main things modern governments all do given the state does more than run a system of law and order and defend itself.

Modern social security really starts with the 1909 budget and the beginning of Old Age Pensions and has taken in support for families with children, those out of work, those who struggle on low ages and those unable to work.

All of that costs and that is where taxes, national insurance contributions and that all come in paying for it.

The opposition Labour Party having been pushed to come out with their tax plans are just saying taxes for working people won't go up and they'd like to reduce value added tax, currently at 20%.

The Conservatives aspire to reducing it too but given much of the spending is both essential and something they wish to increase spending on, like just how can you actually do this?

When Labour talk about taxes for working people, are they saying taxes those of us who can't or don't work may rise or is it just sloppy keyword placing in headlines?

The other matter is Dianne Abbott M.P. who had been suspended for comments including really offensive comments on the issue of racism as it applies to being Jewish but had been restored at the beginning of the week.

Well, she is saying she's being stopped from being a candidate in the elections, party leader is saying she's not but the Labours National Executive Committee has to decide on that but that needs to happen by Tuesday.

Well it seems odd a person who has been restored to the Parliamentary Party shouldn't be able to stand either in their old seat or another as you in restoring her are implying you feel she can represent constituents AND the party.

Antisemitism in the Labour Party together with Brexit played a major part in my voting Conservative in 2019 but it seems unjust to me to leave her in this twilight zone and if you don't want her as a M.P. for Labour then you should have the guts to tell her just that.

I find it hard to believe Keir Starmer, who is the leader of the Party doesn't know what the committee's thoughts are on this matter.

 

The firing shot has been fired

Wednesday seemed to be on the face of it a fairly ordinary late Spring day, a couple of political scandals going back decades going through the motions of being investigated as the news broke of a meeting of the Prime Minister and some of the cabinet taking place in the morning.

Rumours abounded: What was this all about? Members of Parliament relying on BBC journalists for clues?

Something was up.

Switching the Tv on after five in the afternoon regular programming had been replaced by footage of the Prime Minster speaking at the lectern outside 10 Downing Street.

Larry had wisely decided to stay curled up on the window ledge while all this was going on. 

The General Election campaign had started and it wasn't long before the Rt. Hon. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party made his reply, setting out his parties policies and why he feels people should take a chance on it.

Some measure of the surprising nature of it is drawing up and printing the party manifestos may well take a week or so of a six week run up until Thursday July 4th, some parties have yet to complete the selection process for all their candidate in each of the 650 parliamentary seats and get leaflets ready to be delivered to would be voters.

The 2024 race to form a Government is on.

Summer edges forward

 

Tis that time of the year where Summer Specials come hot off the press so the Dandy and Beano ones will be here soon so readers of the other blog will see something fairly soon regarding one of this years offerings  as there's not a dedicated Monster Fun or Phoenix one.

What we have been seeing is more position making and start of post campaigns assuming that there will be summer elections which to me is a bit of joke really given the Prime Minister is more likely to leave it to the last minute and hope green shoots and all the other strange fruits politicians believe in will all come up roses with a line of more "Were getting it right, don't let Labour ruin it" when he knows there's at least a weariness with industrial disputes, pressure on food, fuel and housing costs coupled with the ability of them to sort matters out.

Then there's the matter of the M.P. for Dover crossing over to Labour and facing accusations of trying to get the Lord Chancellor to intervene in a law case involving her partner not that I'm going to repeat what is alleged as it is just that.

It's just if, big if, that has any truth in it, that would be quite wrong.

Then given the noises from Military Jets overhead it's obvious the diplomatic tensions have increased even from last year as more practice is taking place in case they are needed which given Ukraine has lost a few villages while on the one hand we are saying to Ukraine you can attack targets in Russia that are threatening you and the U.S. is expressly saying they can't use any from them so in effect they stand down and let them march in.

Talk about fighting a war with your hands tied behind your back...

Until next week BFN.

Results and such

Well there will be a brief round up of events last week where the Conservatives only saved one of two Elected mayors, lost some Police & Crime Commissioners and generally had a jolly rotten night last Thursday.

Of course that was added to this week when the Conservative M.P. for Dover walked across the House of Commons floor and joined Labour!

Things were hotting up in other ways here this week so I had a new skirt, technically it's a games skirt but it's  longish on me so you could wear it as a summer wraparound skirt.

It's pleated in the traditional way and doesn't come with a pin although I dare say you could add a suitable on if you're concerned about it flapping in the wind

Just the thing to slip on and if needs be adjust the fastener to fit in this weather.

Politics is hotting up - II

 More heat as things get underway in the undeclared rush to the General Election starting with the collapse of the joint Green and SNP party government in the Scottish Parliament when the latters leader just declared a meeting where he called it off, really upsetting the Greens to the point he felt he had to stand down.

That means the SNP have to find a leader who will be the First Minister of the Parliament leading a minority administration relying on support from the other parties measure by measure which may prove...difficult.

Why does it matter elsewhere? Because dissatisfaction is likely to lead to gains in any election for Labour which may well feed into the U.K. General Election and in the event of a Labour victory lead to any becoming Ministers in Government.

Then our Prime Minister decided he needed to declare war on "Sick Note Culture" and those with mental health issues on both Employment and Disability needs benefits which ignored the poor state of mental health services, available of one to one support and lack of employer sympathy for staff with recurring conditions.

He then doubled down by suggesting a total overhaul of Personal Independance Payments in England and Wales suggesting too many with mental health issues were getting it and really people needed equipment, therapy, repayments for services.

Obliviously he'd forgotten Councils can offer Disability Grants for Adaptations and you really need qualified Occupational Therapists to make those kinds of assessment per person based on individual needs of which - oh yes - we have a shortage of.

Many of us can recall similar talk about Disability Living Allowance prior to it being changed in in the 2010's and reassessment of all DLA claimants like me which on the average showed we had more needs than previously thought.

That was supposed to be more sustainable, reduce marginal claims and support the genuinely ill so speaking personally I see this as a cost cutting measure nothing more and a potentially more bureaucratically one having to send in receipts for refunds, apply for coupons for aid and state why for instance having applied for handrails, you reapply 12 months on when if you've moved flat, you won't be taking fittings with you and how many landlords would want you go wild with the screwdriver taking stuff out?

Labour are suggesting they don't favour it but haven't said just what they would do cos really health and social care go together - increasing my independence through proper support reduces the likelihood of me ending up in A&E as a emergency.

Why can't we all agree that and get it integrated?