Best Of

It seems to me that the local government election/funding problem illustrates a fairly diagnosable democracy problem along with a concept problem as well.

Firstly in any notionally democratic hierarchy a general rule applies, arising out of human nature: the higher level of the democratic hierarchy will always want to maximise its power and minimise its responsibility.

The conceptual problem in local democracy is that it is rational to want two incompatible things: local decision and accountability but also an absence of 'postcode lottery' about any local service we happen to want at any particular moment.

In respect of Westminster v local government this is fairly obvious. But because total state managed expenditure is a vast proportion of all activity from building nuclear submarines to park benches and playground swings it goes right down to the level of the village primary school and beyond.

Result: blame transference is one of the great creative industries of the democratic world. It is a social blight. Result: good well intentioned school governors (volunteers) and management etc spend long winter evenings exercising responsibility without power, while a thousand miles away well paid politicians exercise power without responsibility.

Underneath is the problem that local government has no constitutional basis and hence no security.

In most other democracies, the fundamentals of its local governance are set out in its constitution. For sure, constitutions can change - but that's normally an extended process with a series of hurdles to jump, and not something governments do lightly.

The absence of any formalised constitution in the UK means that local government exists and operates entirely at the whim of national government - it can be re-organised, abolished, have its election dates changed, have its funding cut or capped, all according to the political decisions of a majority party at Westminster, elected on 35-40% of the vote, and has next to no reliable funding sources of its own (other than, perhaps, parking charges - which in itself explains a lot).

Some good news this morning, Russia has got rid of 71% of its gold reserves since 2022.

https://x.com/kshevchenkoreal/status/2016907186749002198

It appears that, as with their oil, China is the buyer at a significant discount to market price.

Russia is slowly being hollowed-out as a country, they’re trying to fight a ground war and have run out of tanks. The entire Soviet stockpile of more than ten thousand tanks, all gone to give the Ukranians some scrap metal for recycling.

Ajax sales team phoning the Kremlin in 3, 2, 1...

I think, on the basis of no particular knowledge, that the govt. are waiting until after the Welsh elections to pull the pin. Then there will be a French/Italian style pivot to wheeled armour + MBTs.

Trump says dangerous for the UK and Canada to be doing business with China, as Starmer heads to Shanghai and after Carney's recent trip

"Donald Trump says 'very dangerous' for UK to do business with China as Starmer lands in Shanghai - BBC News" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0keyyeyr41o

Burner phones and ‘safe’ charging cables. Nothing to see here.

Starmer, and the British Establishment generally, still believe in international order and free trade as taught in GCSE economics and PPE 101. We got ripped off by the Americans and we will get ripped off by the Chinese. Heck, we even got ripped off by the French. They think China will play by the rules because they think everyone plays by the rules.

And in doing so they'll piss off the Americans because they want to piss off Trump but have not thought about what happens after Trump pisses off when his term ends in three years or less. They've forgotten about not burning your bridges on the way out.

Prediction: Trump won’t piss off when his term ends; if it ends.

Turns out the Gaza Health Ministry was right.

Israel and Hamas finally agree on Gaza death toll

Israeli Defence Forces reports on number of Palestinians killed for first time

Israel has signalled is ready to acknowledge that 70,000 people have been killed in its war on Gaza.

Officials from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported the estimated death toll for the first time to multiple Israeli news outlets.

The figure is almost identical to the 71,667 reported by the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas.

Throughout the war, the Israeli military and government has accused the health ministry of publishing “exaggerated” figures, cautioning the media and NGOs not to trust the data.

Until now, Israel has refused to offer alternative figures.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/29/israel-and-hamas-finally-agree-on-gaza-death-toll/

I remember the BBC being much criticised on here for quoting these figures (even with the qualifier that the organisation was Hamas controlled). I seem to even recall an article where they justified it, saying that estimates from the Health Ministry in others conflicts had been largely accepted as accurate.

Some good news this morning, Russia has got rid of 71% of its gold reserves since 2022.

https://x.com/kshevchenkoreal/status/2016907186749002198

It appears that, as with their oil, China is the buyer at a significant discount to market price.

Russia is slowly being hollowed-out as a country, they’re trying to fight a ground war and have run out of tanks. The entire Soviet stockpile of more than ten thousand tanks, all gone to give the Ukranians some scrap metal for recycling.

Reminded me: The gold Brown sold off for £3.5bn is now worth £50bn.

That is three Tory black holes....

To be fair to Gordon, the Tories had "bought too much cheap gold". According to him.