The North certainly has better roads than the South. Incidentally, if this new runway (is it getting a new terminal too?) happens at Heathrow, we should build a new motorway from the M25 at Cobham to the M3, M4 and M40 meaning that if you're going to Birmingham and the Northwest you don't have to go on the M25 past Heathrow.
ISTR a couple of decades ago, a plan to link the M3 and M4 with a new road east of Bracknell from M3 J3 to M4 J8/9. The problem is that there’s a lot of very influential people with very expensive houses in places like Ascot and Winkfield, who didn’t want a trunk road within five miles of where they lived!
**** 'em.
That would be a mess, (I live in Bagshot, so right where that would be). But it's a mess anyway.
Edit: but looking at the map, there would really be no way through at all.
This area of the country is just too densely populated compared with the current intrastructure.
Yes, you’d be knocking down an awful lot of houses to get any route that would bypass the Heathrow section of the M25. It looks quite green on the map, but when you zoom in it’s all just very leafy housing - apart from the bit that’s Windsor Great Park and Ascot Racecourse!
Mr. Brooke, indeed, though it's worth noting the UK/England has been more heavily focused on its capital city than the vast majority of comparable nations for a very long time.
Not to excuse the fact, just to say it's long ingrained.
F1: markets are up on Ladbrokes, giving them a cursory glance now.
well the irony on Northern underinvestment is that 13 years of Labour govt didn't do much to address the backlog in what is a core vote area.
Any moment now that whinging git Burnham will appear to tell us all how bad things are but it's not his fault
A special highlight was opening a new airport in South Yorkshire without putting in a link to the M18 three miles away.
And it was something which Prescott would have been well aware of as he would have gone past every time he drove to Hull.
Integrated transport policy was his catchprase as I remember.
I was once responsible for making the business case for major infrastructure projects in a large public company.
If the infrastructure project was an add-on to an existing capability then the cost benefit case was relatively straightforward, and the accountants were happy with their spreadsheets.
But if the infrastructure project was a component in building a new strategic capability then it was not so straightforward. The main benefit was often the "option value" it provided in enabling further undefined projects that built on or required that infrastructure. This required the CEO to recognise the strategic value and over-ride the accountants.
However there was a danger. If you could manage to get a project labelled "strategic", then you could avoid difficult quantitative questions and get away with waving your hands around.
Nevertheless there is a crucial difference between add-on and enabling infrastructure projects.
I have the same debate around “platform” investments vs tuck in deals
There’s an issue around rural buses, and the fact that rural, and indeed semi-rual non-drivers, for whatever reason, can be very isolated without them. Even in Essex there are communities with none, or only one a week.
If more people used rural buses then bus companies would provide more of them
I'd still need to use a car to get to the rural bus route....
Worth noting that the detailed analysis done on Heathrow expansion by Government and its commissions showed that while the "pain" of Heathrow expansion falls squarely on London and the South East through noise and air pollution, the economic benefits are fairly evenly spread across most of the country. Most of the regional airports (other than Birmingham, which is too close to London to benefit from it) support Heathrow expansion as it benefits their onward connectivity, as do the more serious regional government bodies.
Crossrail and the like do indeed primarily benefit Londoners and commuters, but Heathrow is in a different category. The government will be depending on votes from the SNP and Labour MPs from the North to get it across the line in a vote.
Indeed. Heathrow is so congested that every time there’s some morning fog in the winter, half of BA’s domestic schedule gets binned for the day. I imagine that MPs from northern constituencies notice this personally.
Meanwhile KLM and Emirates operate to most of the regional airports and take a considerable amount of long haul passengers (and APD) away.
Heathrow is WAY overdue, and other regional airports should be expanded too. Why give the Dutch extra business with Schipol connections ?
Because Schipol just works. If I need to be in Copenhagen / Munich / Frankfurt for a Monday lunch time meeting I can be. A friend who flies Belfast -> Heathrow -> Copenhagen only arrives at 14:30 (assuming the Belfast Heathrow flight takes off).
Newcastle has a choice of Heathrow, Brussels, CDG and Schipol for transfers. Schipol is great, Brussels acceptable CDG bearable if you give enough time for connections. Heathrow only if there is no other option and even then.... And if it's not the connection that puts you off its the airline itself.
Schipol is great. 4 or more flights a day from Birmingham with KLM and great onwards connections.
Just getting to Heathrow down the M1 and M25 and parking is more of a hassle than changing flights in Schipol.
The North certainly has better roads than the South. Incidentally, if this new runway (is it getting a new terminal too?) happens at Heathrow, we should build a new motorway from the M25 at Cobham to the M3, M4 and M40 meaning that if you're going to Birmingham and the Northwest you don't have to go on the M25 past Heathrow.
ISTR a couple of decades ago, a plan to link the M3 and M4 with a new road east of Bracknell from M3 J3 to M4 J8/9. The problem is that there’s a lot of very influential people with very expensive houses in places like Ascot and Winkfield, who didn’t want a trunk road within five miles of where they lived!
**** 'em.
That would be a mess, (I live in Bagshot, so right where that would be). But it's a mess anyway.
Edit: but looking at the map, there would really be no way through at all.
This area of the country is just too densely populated compared with the current intrastructure.
How much would a tunnel cost?
EDIT: But you're right. When the scheme was originally envisaged, the area wasn't as densely populated. If you live in Bagshot you'll know what the roads round our area are like.
Yep terrible. The whole of the SW London infrastructure is at breaking point. Not to be helped with the expansion of Heathrwo, but its really the only place it could be. Gatwick is too far out.
Heathrow airport taxes are very high and are set to get even higher compared with Gatwick.
There is a trade-off for London passengers between the nearness of Heathrow and the cheapness of Gatwick.
In my own case (typical for west London I guess), it takes me 30 minutes (and a £25 cab) to get to Heathrow, and 60 minutes (and a £50 cab) to get to Gatwick. But airport taxes at Gatwick are typically £60 cheaper than Heathrow. So I can take 30 minutes longer to get to the airport and save £35. Depends on how you value your time I suppose.
The North certainly has better roads than the South. Incidentally, if this new runway (is it getting a new terminal too?) happens at Heathrow, we should build a new motorway from the M25 at Cobham to the M3, M4 and M40 meaning that if you're going to Birmingham and the Northwest you don't have to go on the M25 past Heathrow.
ISTR a couple of decades ago, a plan to link the M3 and M4 with a new road east of Bracknell from M3 J3 to M4 J8/9. The problem is that there’s a lot of very influential people with very expensive houses in places like Ascot and Winkfield, who didn’t want a trunk road within five miles of where they lived!
**** 'em.
That would be a mess, (I live in Bagshot, so right where that would be). But it's a mess anyway.
Edit: but looking at the map, there would really be no way through at all.
This area of the country is just too densely populated compared with the current intrastructure.
Yes, you’d be knocking down an awful lot of houses to get any route that would bypass the Heathrow section of the M25. It looks quite green on the map, but when you zoom in it’s all just very leafy housing - apart from the bit that’s Windsor Great Park and Ascot Racecourse!
That's what compulsory purchase orders are for.
Good luck with that in the middle of stockbroker country. The locals would elect an independent MP on the single issue and flood the council with NIMBYs, you’d need an Act of Parliament and tens of billions to buy up the land for that road.
The cheapest option may actually be to tunnel under the existing M25, from north of the A3 to south of the M40 junctions, for M25 through traffic only. About 8 miles from a quick look at a map.
He is scared that he will be accused of Turcoislamophobic xenophobia if he doesn't rule out Miklagard. I suppose one could see 1453 as the first of Turkey's attempts to join the EU.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
We need to dual or even triple the A1 north of Newcastle all the way to the Scottish border. Northumberland is ripe for growth, it just needs the infastructure first. There’s room for whole new cities within easy reach of Edinburgh and Newcastle airports and an ambudance of natural resources.
Connecting Blyth and Cramlington to the Metro network would also do wonders for the often forgotton North East.
why stop at the border ? It needs to go right up to Edinburgh. It's ridiculous that two capital cities have no motorway to join them.
Which road would you choose for dualling - the A1, which serves the largest population but snakes around the coast, the A68 which is most direct but goes through the middle of nowhere and is a bastard to drive on due to the shall we say politely uneven ground it goes through, or the A7 from Carlisle which is in many ways the most logical one if we're talking about London to Edinburgh but of course misses Northumberland entirely?
A1 you have to join the big population centres so upgrade from Leeds to GeordieLand, and Edinburgh
The A1 is now motorway to Newcastle (3 lanes to Scotch Corner, 2 lanes from Scotch Corner to Newcastle). What you are left with is Northumberland and then it becomes a question of do you have enough traffic to justify it after all the Scottish Government haven't prioritised it on their side.
It is only 2 lanes still for most of the route from London to Doncaster except for a small section around Peterborough.
There’s a reason why Crossrail 2 is on the agenda at a time when the TransPennine Express upgrade is apparently being shelved...
And it’s likely not an economic one. The costs are in the region of £30bn and £5bn respectively. The decision on the new transpennine route was a disgrace.
The point of infrastructure projects being judged on return on investment is a strong one, but that is quite clearly not the only metric. The development of poorer regions is quite clearly not a significant metric, either.
A good article, though.
There has been much prevarication on Crossrail 2 though as the Government is expecting the Mayor to fund half the costs without necessarily giving him any more tax raising powers - such as some sort of property tax on the further expected increase in house prices in areas of south west London like Wimbledon and Tooting and Kingston which will benefit most from the scheme.
Problem with Crossrail 1 is that the real beneficiaries - property owners whether commercial or residential - didn't directly pay a penny as the only new tax used was mainly a tax on renters. And then those poor renters get pushed out when their landlords raise the rent!
We need to dual or even triple the A1 north of Newcastle all the way to the Scottish border. Northumberland is ripe for growth, it just needs the infastructure first. There’s room for whole new cities within easy reach of Edinburgh and Newcastle airports and an ambudance of natural resources.
Connecting Blyth and Cramlington to the Metro network would also do wonders for the often forgotton North East.
why stop at the border ? It needs to go right up to Edinburgh. It's ridiculous that two capital cities have no motorway to join them.
Which road would you choose for dualling - the A1, which serves the largest population but snakes around the coast, the A68 which is most direct but goes through the middle of nowhere and is a bastard to drive on due to the shall we say politely uneven ground it goes through, or the A7 from Carlisle which is in many ways the most logical one if we're talking about London to Edinburgh but of course misses Northumberland entirely?
A1 you have to join the big population centres so upgrade from Leeds to GeordieLand, and Edinburgh
The A1 is now motorway to Newcastle (3 lanes to Scotch Corner, 2 lanes from Scotch Corner to Newcastle). What you are left with is Northumberland and then it becomes a question of do you have enough traffic to justify it after all the Scottish Government haven't prioritised it on their side.
It is only 2 lanes still for most of the route from London to Doncaster except for a small section around Peterborough.
And it stops being a motorway at Washington Services. And becomes a carpark instead.
Jun 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Back at the tail end of the Nineties, I was living on the Aberdeenshire coast and was saying, only partly tongue in cheek, that the new Scottish Parliament should be placed in Inverness. They would then be focused on the need to improve the roads in Scotland away from the Central Belt.
Nah, they’d just fly in from Edinburgh and say how wonderful things are.
Remember the First Minister who chartered a helicopter for the last election campaign as she didn’t want to waste time travelling by road?
Lot of it about.
'Cameron forced to defend taking helicopter for 140-mile journey instead of using the train David Cameron has been forced to defend a decision to spend thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money by taking a 140-mile helicopter flight instead of using Britain’s road or rail network.'
'Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson disembarks a helicopter after arriving in Peterhead during a coast-to-coast tour as campaigning continues for the Holyrood election on May 3, 2016 in Peterhead, United Kingdom.'
Jun 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Meanwhile the chairman of Audi tells the EU to stop messing around and agree a tariff-free trade deal with the UK for the sake of German jobs - UK is the company’s 4th largest market after Germany, USA and China.
Jun 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
We need to dual or even triple the A1 north of Newcastle all the way to the Scottish border. Northumberland is ripe for growth, it just needs the infastructure first. There’s room for whole new cities within easy reach of Edinburgh and Newcastle airports and an ambudance of natural resources.
Connecting Blyth and Cramlington to the Metro network would also do wonders for the often forgotton North East.
why stop at the border ? It needs to go right up to Edinburgh. It's ridiculous that two capital cities have no motorway to join them.
Which road would you choose for dualling - the A1, which serves the largest population but snakes around the coast, the A68 which is most direct but goes through the middle of nowhere and is a bastard to drive on due to the shall we say politely uneven ground it goes through, or the A7 from Carlisle which is in many ways the most logical one if we're talking about London to Edinburgh but of course misses Northumberland entirely?
A1 you have to join the big population centres so upgrade from Leeds to GeordieLand, and Edinburgh
The A1 is now motorway to Newcastle (3 lanes to Scotch Corner, 2 lanes from Scotch Corner to Newcastle). What you are left with is Northumberland and then it becomes a question of do you have enough traffic to justify it after all the Scottish Government haven't prioritised it on their side.
It is only 2 lanes still for most of the route from London to Doncaster except for a small section around Peterborough.
And around Welwyn/Stevenage.
It always amuses me that on the Daily Mash, the correspondents are all from along the A1.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
Jun 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jul 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Aug 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Sep 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Oct 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Nov 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Dec 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jan 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Feb 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Mar 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Apr 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" May 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage" Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
Listening to what ?
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
Indeed.
There's even a weird pedestrian crossing on the A1 south of Pontefract.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Technology companies such as Facebook and Google would be forced to give Australian security agencies access to encrypted data under legislation to be introduced by the Turnbull government.
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
Listening to what ?
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Luckily enough Mark Carney acted to stave off a recession, Theresa May bribed the car companies, and those with GBP assets and non-GBP liabilities found there was a crash. Refugee camps? I think they may yet end up being at Larne. As for the crops, https://ft.com/content/0e0a77f2-96df-11e7-b83c-9588e51488a0
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
London is the big government / financial / cultural centre for the Britain.
In the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they had the sense not to allow such a concentration.
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
Listening to what ?
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Luckily enough Mark Carney acted to stave off a recession, Theresa May bribed the car companies, and those with GBP assets and non-GBP liabilities found there was a crash. Refugee camps? I think they may yet end up being at Larne. As for the crops, https://ft.com/content/0e0a77f2-96df-11e7-b83c-9588e51488a0
LOL
Is that really the best response you can make ? Really ?
And you wonder why nobody believes these predictions of doom any more ?
Oh good, a "historic underinvestment in the North East's infrastructure" thread!
For me the main issue is, as AM points out, the planning is all done centrally rather than allocating a budget to each region and going from there. Each successive government has wanted the most bang for their buck in the short term, rather than the hard slog of rebalancing the country and reinvigorating struggling areas.
Metro Mayors have done a good job so far, but it's a drop in the ocean.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
London is the big government / financial / cultural centre for the Britain.
In the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they had the sense not to allow such a concentration.
USA, Canada and Australia aren't really good examples as they are vast countries with were formed around individual states / provinces. France and Germany are better examples.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
London is the big government / financial / cultural centre for the Britain.
In the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they had the sense not to allow such a concentration.
And yet it is why London is the only world class city in Europe.
Technology companies such as Facebook and Google would be forced to give Australian security agencies access to encrypted data under legislation to be introduced by the Turnbull government.
Yay, more governments who don’t understand encryption!
I’m convinced there’s money to be made in explaining the basic principles of computing and internet technology to policy makers in a way they can understand.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Years of disruption and 50 mph speed limits. And for what ? A permanent 60 MPH speed limit (Well it feels like it) forevermore thereafter. If you're going to spend a fortune on the M1 at least another lane could have been stuck in (Though J31 -> 34 which I do every working day isn't horrifically congested to be fair)
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The Shell garage in Buckden (first roundabout going South after the Peterborough motorway section) is particularly risky.
Its plan, in regards to Brexit anyway, seems to mainly be to beat the Tories rather than much of a concrete plan on Brexit. I think Labour are worried that any detailed plan would get trashed and scare off voters. So my guess would be Labour is trying to leave much of the details to the Conservatives so they don't have to be seen to be selling out any group or calling for them to be sold out but instead can sympathise with those affected and push for the Tories to be punished for the result.
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
Listening to what ?
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Luckily enough Mark Carney acted to stave off a recession, Theresa May bribed the car companies, and those with GBP assets and non-GBP liabilities found there was a crash. Refugee camps? I think they may yet end up being at Larne. As for the crops, https://ft.com/content/0e0a77f2-96df-11e7-b83c-9588e51488a0
LOL
Is that really the best response you can make ? Really ?
And you wonder why nobody believes these predictions of doom any more ?
Not doom, just a diminution in our wellbeing.
And which bit do you have a problem with? Carney's rate move, May's bribe, GBP's fall, or the farmer featured in the FT?
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The decline of heavy industry did for our big regional cities. When the factories closed, the support services went to - the commercial lawyers, the accountants, etc. London was big enough to survive this decline because it had the HQs and the City. Services flourished as a result.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
Indeed.
There's even a weird pedestrian crossing on the A1 south of Pontefract.
You would have to be suicidal to use it.
And another one further south (although there is a 50mph speed limit).
Yes...I know the AI extremely well, (or at least that bit south of Fatch's Birfplace). I once gave a friend a lift on it and spent the whole journey pointing out the sights and sites of interest.
Its plan, in regards to Brexit anyway, seems to mainly be to beat the Tories rather than much of a concrete plan on Brexit. I think Labour are worried that any detailed plan would get trashed and scare off voters. So my guess would be Labour is trying to leave much of the details to the Conservatives so they don't have to be seen to be selling out any group or calling for them to be sold out but instead can sympathise with those affected and push for the Tories to be punished for the result.
Which is just as it should, or rather all that it needs to be for The Opposition.
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
And in actual reality there were six different types of British strawberry and two different types of British raspberry on sale at Tesco yesterday.
Reads like a list of the number of occasions Leavers have had to put their fingers in their ears and shout "I'm not listening, I'm not listening".
Listening to what ?
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Luckily enough Mark Carney acted to stave off a recession, Theresa May bribed the car companies, and those with GBP assets and non-GBP liabilities found there was a crash. Refugee camps? I think they may yet end up being at Larne. As for the crops, https://ft.com/content/0e0a77f2-96df-11e7-b83c-9588e51488a0
LOL
Is that really the best response you can make ? Really ?
And you wonder why nobody believes these predictions of doom any more ?
Not doom, just a diminution in our wellbeing.
And which bit do you have a problem with? Carney's rate move, May's bribe, GBP's fall, or the farmer featured in the FT?
Carney's rate move. It was a puny quarter point reduction that has already been reversed. Normally moves are at least half a point or if crisis moves are considerably more and aren't reversed so quickly.
GBP's fall. It was forecast as part of Project Fear so can't be used as an argument as to why Project Fear's forecasts haven't happened. Furthermore the fall has actually been less than forecast and pound versus the dollar has again largely recovered already.
Farmer featured in the FT - So he's having to pay a bit more than minimum wage and install WiFi in his accomodation to improve workers living conditions? That's a problem?
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The decline of heavy industry did for our big regional cities. When the factories closed, the support services went to - the commercial lawyers, the accountants, etc. London was big enough to survive this decline because it had the HQs and the City. Services flourished as a result.
The great mathematics by Justin and Richard on the earlier thread show the scale of the Tory europhile challenge. They have to find around 15 MPs I think to stage a winning rebellion. Certainly, there are enough with such sympathies, but do they have the bottle? Will take some serious organisation by the likes of Clarke, Soubry and Morgan to pull this off.
I don't think they have it in them – too many will be cowed by the whips. Party before country.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Ansterday.
Reng".
Lisrovide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Luc
LOL
Is that really the best response you can make ? Really ?
And you wonder why nobody believes these predictions of doom any more ?
Not doom, just a diminution in our wellbeing.
And which bit do you have a problem with? Carney's rate move, May's bribe, GBP's fall, or the farmer featured in the FT?
Carney's rate move. It was a puny quarter point reduction that has already been reversed. Normally moves are at least half a point or if crisis moves are considerably more and aren't reversed so quickly.
GBP's fall. It was forecast as part of Project Fear so can't be used as an argument as to why Project Fear's forecasts haven't happened. Furthermore the fall has actually been less than forecast and pound versus the dollar has again largely recovered already.
Farmer featured in the FT - So he's having to pay a bit more than minimum wage and install WiFi in his accomodation to improve workers living conditions? That's a problem?
very funny.
Carney signalled to the markets that he was ready to act. And you Leavers can't have it both ways - he can't be criticised for instituting a Greenspan Put (as @Charles would have it) and also for it being ineffective as you say.
My own view accords with yours, AAMOF - it did no good in terms of monetary easing, it was pushing at a piece of string in the current environment, but it did signal to the markets that the BoE was all over Brexit and the risks. He also reestablished QE and spent £100bn on the banks.
Not sure about your point about GBP. Project Fear is a crock of shit but a Project Fear prediction came true so we can ignore it??
As for the farmer, as I said - a diminution of our wellbeing.
On non-London cities (and, gasp, towns and villages), this is a very long term thing. It won't be solved over the term of a Parliament. A shift is required in the underlying political landscape.
My concern is that some may use this to try and advocate regional assemblies, which would be a brilliant way to carve England into pieces lacking the power of Holyrood whilst nevertheless permanently institutionally dividing England. The worst of all worlds.
An English Parliament cited in the north could work well. Neither part will happen, though.
It boggles the mind how much power those opposed to LHR expansion seem to possess. As a band I went to recently remarked - if you don't like live music why buynext to a pub. Same for airports, and if your house needs to go you'll get 125% of value plus costs which is a fortune in that area.
Quite right. I believe we should follow the French system whereby such people have no right to oppose or appeal (this is all as I understand it – and from memory) but get roughly double the market value. It's cheaper in the long run as removes legal wrangling which costs millions and takes years. That way, we might actually be able to build something!
This railway mayhem smacks of a nation preoccupied with Brexit and a government paralysed by it. Sadly there seems no end in sight. We'll be spending years - if not decades - hauling ourselves back to where we were pre-Brexit. Everything else will be left by the wayside. Grim.
Its plan, in regards to Brexit anyway, seems to mainly be to beat the Tories rather than much of a concrete plan on Brexit. I think Labour are worried that any detailed plan would get trashed and scare off voters. So my guess would be Labour is trying to leave much of the details to the Conservatives so they don't have to be seen to be selling out any group or calling for them to be sold out but instead can sympathise with those affected and push for the Tories to be punished for the result.
Which is just as it should, or rather all that it needs to be for The Opposition.
Many years ago, I spoke to Michael Heseltine about this stuff (when the Tories were in opposition). He was furious that the Tories had put detail on their policies midterm – (coincidentally enough it was something to do with airport policy as I recall) he told me that the Opposition had "simply released the pressure on the government" by doing so. He was right of course. The point of the Opposition is to oppose – not govern.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
Those of you in the North only have to wait another 10 years and you will be able to join us in the South even faster by travelling on HS2 (provided you have enough money to buy a single ticket)
Its plan, in regards to Brexit anyway, seems to mainly be to beat the Tories rather than much of a concrete plan on Brexit. I think Labour are worried that any detailed plan would get trashed and scare off voters. So my guess would be Labour is trying to leave much of the details to the Conservatives so they don't have to be seen to be selling out any group or calling for them to be sold out but instead can sympathise with those affected and push for the Tories to be punished for the result.
Which is just as it should, or rather all that it needs to be for The Opposition.
Many years ago, I spoke to Michael Heseltine about this stuff (when the Tories were in opposition). He was furious that the Tories had put detail on their policies midterm – (coincidentally enough it was something to do with airport policy as I recall) he told me that the Opposition had "simply released the pressure on the government" by doing so. He was right of course. The point of the Opposition is to oppose – not govern.
The key question of course is whether or to what extent Jezza will suppress or water down his ideals in the pursuit of power when opposing the government. NPXMPX2 thinks less so than McDonnell. But the alternative is for him to row in behind Theresa May's government in key Brexit issues and that is equally unlikely.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The decline of heavy industry did for our big regional cities. When the factories closed, the support services went to - the commercial lawyers, the accountants, etc. London was big enough to survive this decline because it had the HQs and the City. Services flourished as a result.
This railway mayhem smacks of a nation preoccupied with Brexit and a government paralysed by it. Sadly there seems no end in sight. We'll be spending years - if not decades - hauling ourselves back to where we were pre-Brexit. Everything else will be left by the wayside. Grim.
It seems Network Rail (100% government owned) assumed passengers could disembark and embark a lot faster in theory than they can in practice. Hence trains unable to kep to the timetable.
Also some train operators are facing work to rule by their unions but failed to allow for this during a changeover to a new timetable which requires more drivers.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
Those of you in the North only have to wait another 10 years and you will be able to join us in the South even faster by travelling on HS2 (provided you have enough money to buy a single ticket)
The primary purpose of HS2 is to allow London-based civil servants to get to and from meetings in the north much more quickly so that they don't need to spend a night away from home. Thereby minimising their contact with us savages, and reducing spending in hotels, bars and restaurants (yes, we do have them!) in the north.
BBC 'talent' that is forced to broadcast from Salford will also benefit.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
But only point 4 matters to you.....
I added number 4 as an amusing afterthought. 1 & 2 are sound Greeny-Red reasons and 3 is based on personal experience.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
Better than democracy, or the abolition of slavery, or capitalism?
The re-uniting of christendom after a couple of centuries of nationalism.
So there's no Christendom in Africa or the rest of the world? How imperialistic.
Not imperialistic, just old-fashioned.
No imperialistic. Literally the very thing he's comparing to as the only thing greater in the past two thousand years is the Western Roman Empire. So long as the white Europeans are united then Christendom is and forget about the savages on other continents even if they are Christians.
Mr. Rentool, also adds to journey time, decreasing productivity.
If you want to be productive on a journey - catch the train.
Trains are only useful if both your home and your destination are near the station. Great for Metropolitan cities like London, not so great otherwise.
For me its a 40 minute walk to get to the nearest train station. How is that more productive?
Get on your...
... drivers seat?
Incidentally at the train station when I went last week there's signs everywhere about new restrictions on bikes and how they're not going to be permitted on the train anymore unless you've pre-booked that you will be taking one or something like that.
Mr. Rentool, also adds to journey time, decreasing productivity.
If you want to be productive on a journey - catch the train.
Trains are only useful if both your home and your destination are near the station. Great for Metropolitan cities like London, not so great otherwise.
For me its a 40 minute walk to get to the nearest train station. How is that more productive?
Get on your...
... drivers seat?
Incidentally at the train station when I went last week there's signs everywhere about new restrictions on bikes and how they're not going to be permitted on the train anymore unless you've pre-booked that you will be taking one or something like that.
Been like that for a long time on eg. GWR. Not noticed it on ECML, that said.
Mr. Rentool, also adds to journey time, decreasing productivity.
If you want to be productive on a journey - catch the train.
Trains are only useful if both your home and your destination are near the station. Great for Metropolitan cities like London, not so great otherwise.
For me its a 40 minute walk to get to the nearest train station. How is that more productive?
Get on your...
... drivers seat?
Incidentally at the train station when I went last week there's signs everywhere about new restrictions on bikes and how they're not going to be permitted on the train anymore unless you've pre-booked that you will be taking one or something like that.
And quite right too. If I had my way, there would be a surcharge for taking a Brompton on SWR.
The UK has had this huge problem in which overwhelmingly major business is London-centric / SE for decades. It isn't true in places like Germany, where a number of different cities have different major industries.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
The decline of heavy industry did for our big regional cities. When the factories closed, the support services went to - the commercial lawyers, the accountants, etc. London was big enough to survive this decline because it had the HQs and the City. Services flourished as a result.
Why did the North put all its eggs in one basket?
It was the growth of those industries that built the northern economy. The underlying weaknesses of the British economy cannot be masked by a massive financial complex of dubious merit and all its attendant industries - legal, accountancy etc which only really provides benefits to London. See Noel Edmonds' gripe about how much Lloyds are spending on lawyers with good reason perhaps!
I hope people don't by into the infrastructure narrative it's really just a symptom. The financial lobby is huge and terrifies the government so they react with the appropriate infrastructure in London. The real problem is we don't have a plan to make the British economy work beyond being the capital of global money laundering, leveraged finance and soft tax haven status. However in the current climate even these are no longer de rigueur and and London is becoming uncompetitive due to cost. My own city maybe starting to benefit from this as businesses realise you can employ reasonably competent people for £18k in the regions. I would expect much in the long run though, London costs will adjust and the comparative advantage too.
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
The A14 average 70mph has worked well, IMO
Did they finally finish fixing the A14/M6/M1 junction at Catthorpe?
The Adonis Commission is also proposing a motorway (euphemistically called an Expressway) be built between Oxford and Cambridge. This is despite the work already underway to re-build the railway line from Oxford to Cambridge, title East/West Rail.
Like HS2, it is a vanity project looking for a justification. So far the different reasons given to build it are:
1. It will allow a million new homes to be built in new cities alongside the motorway
2. It will serve the million new homes in cities which are going to be built along the route
3. It will improve travel between Oxford and Cambridge (presumable the East/West Rail will be too expensive for people to use it)
4. It will provide a route for freight to travel between Southamton and Felixstowe and vice versa (presumably the English Channel will be too blocked for shipping to get through)
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
The A14 average 70mph has worked well, IMO
Did they finally finish fixing the A14/M6/M1 junction at Catthorpe?
Not sure I'm only on the M1 rarely now given the roadworks, disruptions, etc.
Carney's rate move. It was a puny quarter point reduction that has already been reversed. Normally moves are at least half a point or if crisis moves are considerably more and aren't reversed so quickly.
GBP's fall. It was forecast as part of Project Fear so can't be used as an argument as to why Project Fear's forecasts haven't happened. Furthermore the fall has actually been less than forecast and pound versus the dollar has again largely recovered already.
Farmer featured in the FT - So he's having to pay a bit more than minimum wage and install WiFi in his accomodation to improve workers living conditions? That's a problem?
very funny.
Carney signalled to the markets that he was ready to act. And you Leavers can't have it both ways - he can't be criticised for instituting a Greenspan Put (as @Charles would have it) and also for it being ineffective as you say.
My own view accords with yours, AAMOF - it did no good in terms of monetary easing, it was pushing at a piece of string in the current environment, but it did signal to the markets that the BoE was all over Brexit and the risks. He also reestablished QE and spent £100bn on the banks.
Not sure about your point about GBP. Project Fear is a crock of shit but a Project Fear prediction came true so we can ignore it??
As for the farmer, as I said - a diminution of our wellbeing.
I never criticised him for instituting a Greenspan Put and most criticism I saw from Leavers was that it was unnecessary posturing. If all the market needed to be reassured was a calm statement and a tiny quarter point reduction swiftly reversed then the problems of Brexit can't have been severe.
As for GBP no that's not what I said. What I said was the Project Fear hasn't come true - the only part that has was sterling falling but by less than forecast. You can't then claim that Project Fear didn't come true because sterling fell. That's like me saying its going to rain so heavily tomorrow that your home will be flooded, then it raining but your house not getting flooded (as I was wrong) then me claiming that the only reason your home didn't flood is because it rained taking the moisture out of the air. Err no.
As for the farmer - how are increased wages and better living conditions for workers a diminution of our wellbeing? Unless you want our wellbeing to be based on indentured servitude with poor wages and poor living conditions?
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, comes out as a Remainer 'the EU has been the greatest thing for human beings since the Western Roman Empire'
The astonishing part about the A1 is how there aren't more accidents with people pulling out of petrol stations out onto the road. The slip roads on are near non existant - has it simply not been noted how lethal these are ? Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
The money spent on managed motorways is a disgrace.
Agreed. Smart motorways are a joke. The M1 is nearly always under speed restrictions. A wiser policy would have been to restrict demand, by offering tax breaks to employers along motorway commuting route who offered rotating working from home to their employees. But that would have required imaginative thinking – all too rare among governments both Labour and Tory I am afraid.
Having a near-permanent 50 or 60 mph speed limit is, to me, a Good Thing.
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions. 2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion. 3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways. 4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
The A14 average 70mph has worked well, IMO
Did they finally finish fixing the A14/M6/M1 junction at Catthorpe?
Yes. Coming back from Sheffield Wednesday I got caught in 60 minute jam as the M1 was closed that night during the works. But it was long overdue.
Mr. Rentool, also adds to journey time, decreasing productivity.
If you want to be productive on a journey - catch the train.
Trains are only useful if both your home and your destination are near the station. Great for Metropolitan cities like London, not so great otherwise.
For me its a 40 minute walk to get to the nearest train station. How is that more productive?
Presumably you will get fitter and spend less time off work with illness?
I do a lot of my best work while walking. I find it's a good time to call my clients – the conversations are often more fruitful than when one is sedentary.
Comments
And it was something which Prescott would have been well aware of as he would have gone past every time he drove to Hull.
Integrated transport policy was his catchprase as I remember.
https://twitter.com/sw1a0aa/status/1004258508815175681
Just getting to Heathrow down the M1 and M25 and parking is more of a hassle than changing flights in Schipol.
There is a trade-off for London passengers between the nearness of Heathrow and the cheapness of Gatwick.
In my own case (typical for west London I guess), it takes me 30 minutes (and a £25 cab) to get to Heathrow, and 60 minutes (and a £50 cab) to get to Gatwick. But airport taxes at Gatwick are typically £60 cheaper than Heathrow. So I can take 30 minutes longer to get to the airport and save £35. Depends on how you value your time I suppose.
The cheapest option may actually be to tunnel under the existing M25, from north of the A3 to south of the M40 junctions, for M25 through traffic only. About 8 miles from a quick look at a map.
https://twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/1004251156791652352
Or you could say an operating system with an appalling i/o system, seeing as our ports will be basically inoperable. UNIVAC?
https://order-order.com/2018/06/06/no-10-blocks-cabinet-seeing-brexit-white-paper/
Problem with Crossrail 1 is that the real beneficiaries - property owners whether commercial or residential - didn't directly pay a penny as the only new tax used was mainly a tax on renters. And then those poor renters get pushed out when their landlords raise the rent!
EDIT: I am sure our car part manufacture and logistics "experts" will be along shortly to tell us the boss of Unipart is wrong...
boost for re-shoring and UK suppliers
Jul 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Aug 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Sep 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Oct 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Nov 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Dec 2016 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Jan 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Feb 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Mar 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Apr 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
May 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Jun 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Jul 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Aug 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Sep 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Oct 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Nov 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Dec 2017 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Jan 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Feb 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Mar 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Apr 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
May 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
Jun 2018 - "Project Fear enters the Project Reality stage"
'Cameron forced to defend taking helicopter for 140-mile journey instead of using the train
David Cameron has been forced to defend a decision to spend thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money by taking a 140-mile helicopter flight instead of using Britain’s road or rail network.'
https://tinyurl.com/y8paml5o
'Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson disembarks a helicopter after arriving in Peterhead during a coast-to-coast tour as campaigning continues for the Holyrood election on May 3, 2016 in Peterhead, United Kingdom.'
https://tinyurl.com/ybsdefs6
'Theresa May arrives by helicopter for her first general election campaign trip lasting 15 minutes'
https://tinyurl.com/yaq32ld8
Of course Tessy needed the means for a quick getaway just in case an ordinary voter came within 100 feet.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5810433/Audi-calls-tariff-free-trade-deal-UK-urging-EU-strike-deal.html
It always amuses me that on the Daily Mash, the correspondents are all from along the A1.
Edit: and one for @rcs1000
thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/we-go-to-the-maldives-and-the-children-go-to-pontins-says-kirstie-allsopp-20180605173899
Edit x 2: and one for you!
thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/only-17-massive-new-problems-with-brexit-discovered-today-20180605173869
Other than that it is not a bad road - just I feel some of the whole "smart motorway" spending on the M1 is a waste of cash (And unwanted with the nonsense near constant 60 mph limit) and improving the slip roads to a couple of services on the A1 would have been a far better use of cash.
Predictions that there would be an immediate recession, the car factories would shut down, the City would relocate to Frankfurt, the stock market would crash, refugee camps at Dover and the crops rotting in the fields ?
Why don't Remainers ever provide any DATA to back up their claims instead of merely pasting from twatter.
Gordo attempts at redistribution of public sector jobs to the regions, with on eye on stimulating the economy hasn't done much (other than drive up property prices in places like Bristol), and even though London is now bursting at the seams with lack of housing, business and people all still want to locate there.
The vast majority of undergraduates I have talked to at the big unis measure success as a graduate job in London.
Answers to the problem on the back of a postcode to ....
There's even a weird pedestrian crossing on the A1 south of Pontefract.
You would have to be suicidal to use it.
Technology companies such as Facebook and Google would be forced to give Australian security agencies access to encrypted data under legislation to be introduced by the Turnbull government.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/06/planned-laws-to-force-tech-firms-to-reveal-encrypted-data
She will go down as a hero of our age.
In the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they had the sense not to allow such a concentration.
Is that really the best response you can make ? Really ?
And you wonder why nobody believes these predictions of doom any more ?
For me the main issue is, as AM points out, the planning is all done centrally rather than allocating a budget to each region and going from there. Each successive government has wanted the most bang for their buck in the short term, rather than the hard slog of rebalancing the country and reinvigorating struggling areas.
Metro Mayors have done a good job so far, but it's a drop in the ocean.
I’m convinced there’s money to be made in explaining the basic principles of computing and internet technology to policy makers in a way they can understand.
A permanent 60 MPH speed limit (Well it feels like it) forevermore thereafter.
If you're going to spend a fortune on the M1 at least another lane could have been stuck in (Though J31 -> 34 which I do every working day isn't horrifically congested to be fair)
And which bit do you have a problem with? Carney's rate move, May's bribe, GBP's fall, or the farmer featured in the FT?
Yes...I know the AI extremely well, (or at least that bit south of Fatch's Birfplace). I once gave a friend a lift on it and spent the whole journey pointing out the sights and sites of interest.
GBP's fall. It was forecast as part of Project Fear so can't be used as an argument as to why Project Fear's forecasts haven't happened. Furthermore the fall has actually been less than forecast and pound versus the dollar has again largely recovered already.
Farmer featured in the FT - So he's having to pay a bit more than minimum wage and install WiFi in his accomodation to improve workers living conditions? That's a problem?
I don't think they have it in them – too many will be cowed by the whips. Party before country.
But we shall see.
Carney signalled to the markets that he was ready to act. And you Leavers can't have it both ways - he can't be criticised for instituting a Greenspan Put (as @Charles would have it) and also for it being ineffective as you say.
My own view accords with yours, AAMOF - it did no good in terms of monetary easing, it was pushing at a piece of string in the current environment, but it did signal to the markets that the BoE was all over Brexit and the risks. He also reestablished QE and spent £100bn on the banks.
Not sure about your point about GBP. Project Fear is a crock of shit but a Project Fear prediction came true so we can ignore it??
As for the farmer, as I said - a diminution of our wellbeing.
My concern is that some may use this to try and advocate regional assemblies, which would be a brilliant way to carve England into pieces lacking the power of Holyrood whilst nevertheless permanently institutionally dividing England. The worst of all worlds.
An English Parliament cited in the north could work well. Neither part will happen, though.
Edited extra bit: sited, not cited.
Quite right. I believe we should follow the French system whereby such people have no right to oppose or appeal (this is all as I understand it – and from memory) but get roughly double the market value. It's cheaper in the long run as removes legal wrangling which costs millions and takes years. That way, we might actually be able to build something!
1. Improves fuel economy, therefore reduced emissions.
2. More people switch to the train, as driving takes significantly longer, further reducing emissions and reducing road congestion.
3. For those still driving, flowing at 50 mph is much less stressful than a cavalry charge, hard braking, charge again experience all too common on busy motorways.
4. It annoys 'petrol heads'.
Truly, Brexit is the fuck up of all fuck ups.
Also some train operators are facing work to rule by their unions but failed to allow for this during a changeover to a new timetable which requires more drivers.
http://www.libertyhousegroup.com/news/liberty-unveils-10-million-automotive-centre-of-excellence/
BBC 'talent' that is forced to broadcast from Salford will also benefit.
For me its a 40 minute walk to get to the nearest train station. How is that more productive?
Incidentally at the train station when I went last week there's signs everywhere about new restrictions on bikes and how they're not going to be permitted on the train anymore unless you've pre-booked that you will be taking one or something like that.
I hope people don't by into the infrastructure narrative it's really just a symptom. The financial lobby is huge and terrifies the government so they react with the appropriate infrastructure in London. The real problem is we don't have a plan to make the British economy work beyond being the capital of global money laundering, leveraged finance and soft tax haven status. However in the current climate even these are no longer de rigueur and and London is becoming uncompetitive due to cost. My own city maybe starting to benefit from this as businesses realise you can employ reasonably competent people for £18k in the regions. I would expect much in the long run though, London costs will adjust and the comparative advantage too.
I'd like to bet on Alonso to Renault if there is a market.
Like HS2, it is a vanity project looking for a justification. So far the different reasons given to build it are:
1. It will allow a million new homes to be built in new cities alongside the motorway
2. It will serve the million new homes in cities which are going to be built along the route
3. It will improve travel between Oxford and Cambridge (presumable the East/West Rail will be too expensive for people to use it)
4. It will provide a route for freight to travel between Southamton and Felixstowe and vice versa (presumably the English Channel will be too blocked for shipping to get through)
As for GBP no that's not what I said. What I said was the Project Fear hasn't come true - the only part that has was sterling falling but by less than forecast. You can't then claim that Project Fear didn't come true because sterling fell. That's like me saying its going to rain so heavily tomorrow that your home will be flooded, then it raining but your house not getting flooded (as I was wrong) then me claiming that the only reason your home didn't flood is because it rained taking the moisture out of the air. Err no.
As for the farmer - how are increased wages and better living conditions for workers a diminution of our wellbeing? Unless you want our wellbeing to be based on indentured servitude with poor wages and poor living conditions?
No markets as far as I know (I just check Ladbrokes/Betfair though, so they might be up elsewhere).
https://twitter.com/MorrisF1/status/1004241795369324544
Apparently there is no money to re-build local roads and solve the pothole problem because it is all being spent on building vanity projects like HS2.