Best Of

Minutes of MPC refer to a “material further loosening in labour market conditions.”

Or an increase in unemployment for those not as immune to such things. Another appalling euphemism from those who don’t feel the pain.

Once again the Bank is too slow in cutting interest rates making growth harder. Add in the malign policies of Reeves and we are struggling to get any growth at all.

Or they are clearing out the detritus of companies that should have gone long ago but are propped up by taxpayer subsidy. Think of it as Corporate Assisted Dying. Odd that people are in favour of humans being exited but will still pay through the nose for companies that should have gone long ago.

Universal Credit says 38% of the 6.3mn UC claimants have jobs. That's a lot of subsidised employment.

Which would those be? There may have been many in the 1970s, there haven't been since Thatcher, Major and Cameron privatised most nationalised industry and even the bailed out banks have largely returned to the public sector.

Better getting people some work, even if subsidised, than have them sitting at home all day on benefits if of working age

But is it?

I think that one of Britain's problems is that we have too many people doing jobs that don't add that much to the national wealth, and so the only way to keep things moving is to import a load of "guest workers". I don't have a problem with that, but plenty do.

Employing people in the UK is probably too cheap and too easy right now, which is why employers can get away with using staff in shoddy, inefficient ways.

I expect the bill to pass tomorrow, but am I correct that it will not come in for 4 years ?

Also Beth Rigby of Sky on Iran:

'I have just spoken to the French ambassador to the UK - who very rarely does anything on camera - to talk about the need for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict amid growing concerns the US will get involved.

It's a moment of great jeopardy for all European allies, our prime minister, and all European leaders pushing for de-escalation.

The message from the French ambassador today is to step back and de-escalate.

There will be talks in Geneva tomorrow between Iranian officials and Europe's leading politicians - David Lammy, as well as the foreign ministers of France, Germany, although no country formally confirming.

It is all an attempt to find a solution.

The big question is: will Donald Trump listen?'


Has there ever been a time when the leaders of Europe, including Starmer have ever looked so out of their depths and impotent ?

The only players in this are Trump and Netanyahu and the danger for these leaders is they will look utterly helpless if US and Israel do take out
Iran's nuclear capability

France and Germany even did not back the US when it invaded Iraq in 2003.

Starmer has no interest in getting involved in another Middle East quagmire after Blair's wars, if Israel and maybe the US too take out Iran's nuclear capability all to the good, if they don't and the region explodes further into conflict we will stay out of it.

Trump has plenty of his own MAGA army who oppose intervention as well, as do most Democrats

Trump has amply demonstrated he can change the minds of his followers though (see Ukraine).