Ouch! "We have had our differences with the Chancellor for showing too little ambition on the growth front and of failing to cut public spending deeply enough. But at least Mr Osborne has been going in the right direction. By contrast, Labour seems to have given up trying to frame an intelligible economic policy and is to rely instead on issuing periodic headline-grabbing initiatives that offer nothing but temporary relief backed by fatuous slogans."
Telegraph View - Miliband is posturing on the economy "Another weekend; another Labour gimmick. Ed Miliband’s idea of subsidising employers to offer their workers pay rises for 12 months comes from the same stable as his proposed short-term cap on energy bills. The Labour leader has alighted on the blindingly obvious – namely, that living standards have been falling – and is endeavouring to make as much political capital as possible from this fact."
Abbott actually resigned from the Liberal frontbench in November 2009 over then leader Malcolm Turnbull's support for an emissions trading scheme proposed by Kevin Rudd
Another Richard - Of course politicians could also put the top rate of income tax back up to 90%, renationalise most of the privatised industries and buy back most of the sold off council housing
Don't forget that most of the 'privatised' industies started out as private before the government nationalised them..
Abbott actually resigned from the Liberal frontbench in November 2009 over then leader Malcolm Turnbull's support for an emissions trading scheme
Well, quite - resigning because you disagree with your own side make sense, resigning because you agree with your own side but disagree with the other side, on the other hand...
Tim B Indeed, but it shows that government if it has the will can transform the economy (although in the case of Labour governments from 1945 - 1979 it was largely in the wrong direction)
Does anyone have details of the percentage capacity usage of British airports ?
Heathrow is 98% or something ridiculous. I use Brum every now and again, and clearly has plenty of open slots. The problem seems to be no-one wants them. BA no longer flies from there, but you can connect to the KLM/Air France global network. I flew to Shanghai from Brum via Paris out and Schipol back. But because of the stopovers it's about five or six hours longer than going direct.
I don't understand how this stuff works but if I want to get from suburban Tokyo to my parents' house in Essex, nobody will sell me a ticket from Tokyo to Stansted despite the fact that the ticket I do end up getting involves changing planes in Moscow or Amsterdam or Frankfurt or somewhere that has plenty of flights to Stansted. Obviously I could buy the ticket separately, but that costs more, means I have to deal with luggage partway, and means if my first plane is late it's my problem that I miss the next one, not the airline's problem. It seems like there's a regulatory problem or an administrative problem or something somewhere going wrong that's making my trip harder than it should be, and putting more pressure on Heathrow than there needs to be.
Very much agree, and that time line is totally damning for both Ed Miliband and the Labour party. Various newspapers/journalists appear to have seen parts of this Labour report into the shannigans in the Falkirk selection scandal, its getting beyond ridiculous now that it hasn't been published in light of this. Interesting how quiet Ed Miliband has been on the issue, he really appears to want to avoid dealing with this situation. Len McCluskey was in the hot seat today being interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Sunday Politics, its about time that Ed Miliband was also hauled in for a chat on the subject too. He needs to be asked why he has continued to avoid publishing that report.
Tim B Indeed, but it shows that government if it has the will can transform the economy (although in the case of Labour governments from 1945 - 1979 it was largely in the wrong direction)
Government cannot create wealth, but by unwise measures they can prevent wealth creation or destroy it. By setting the rules for business to invest and grow, and then getting out of the way, has always worked in the past. As you say, 1945-79 is a classic example of how not to do it.
How does nationalising rhe railroads, steel industry etc create wealth? Goverments don't do anything well, but certain things they have to do - police, army, currency etc. They need to stay away from industry.
Does anyone have details of the percentage capacity usage of British airports ?
Heathrow is 98% or something ridiculous. I use Brum every now and again, and clearly has plenty of open slots. The problem seems to be no-one wants them. BA no longer flies from there, but you can connect to the KLM/Air France global network. I flew to Shanghai from Brum via Paris out and Schipol back. But because of the stopovers it's about five or six hours longer than going direct.
I don't understand how this stuff works but if I want to get from suburban Tokyo to my parents' house in Essex, nobody will sell me a ticket from Tokyo to Stansted despite the fact that the ticket I do end up getting involves changing planes in Moscow or Amsterdam or Frankfurt or somewhere that has plenty of flights to Stansted. Obviously I could buy the ticket separately, but that costs more, means I have to deal with luggage partway, and means if my first plane is late it's my problem that I miss the next one, not the airline's problem. It seems like there's a regulatory problem or an administrative problem or something somewhere going wrong that's making my trip harder than it should be, and putting more pressure on Heathrow than there needs to be.
It's to do with the way airlines operate - typically a hub and spoke system.
Rather than fly from say Tokyo to Stansted, they take you from one hub - Tokyo - to another - Amsterdam - and then put you on a regional flight from Amsterdam to Stansted.
Very much agree, and that time line is totally damning for both Ed Miliband and the Labour party. Various newspapers/journalists appear to have seen parts of this Labour report into the shannigans in the Falkirk selection scandal, its getting beyond ridiculous now that it hasn't been published in light of this. Interesting how quiet Ed Miliband has been on the issue, he really appears to want to avoid dealing with this situation. Len McCluskey was in the hot seat today being interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Sunday Politics, its about time that Ed Miliband was also hauled in for a chat on the subject too. He needs to be asked why he has continued to avoid publishing that report.
May 17 - Labour suspends selection process in Falkirk. Deans and Murphy suspended from the party.
September 2 - Unite threaten to boycott Labour conference if Murphy and Deans are not reinstated.
September 6 - Ed Miliband suddenly drops investigation.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it's not being used in this case.
He's adopting the Obama approach - lie, deny, stonewall, suppress any and all information, and hope the press doesn't ask too any questions, gets bored and moves on.
That's worked for him so far, but with Benghazi and Obamacare implemetation it seems to be changing.
By comparison we had George Osborne masterminding Conservative strategy.
The same George Osborne who thought being 'heir to Blair' was the place to be electorally.
The same George Osborne who thought guardianistas were the key electoral demographic.
The same George Osborne who thought it wise to tell the world that he went yachting with scum.
The same George Osborne who failed to spot an economic recesssion and financial crisis even though Northern Rock had given him a year's warning.
The same George Osborne who was behind the Conservative election campaign where he was made mincemeat of by his yachting pal Mandelson.
The same George Osborne who in 2010 predicted government deficits on the basis of an assumed £600bn increase in household borrowing.
The same George Osborne who thought political tourism was more important than preparing a budget.
I could go on but I would only be repeating things tim has said so many times beforehand.
George Osborne is, how do I put it politely, not exactly the sharpest operator or quickest thinker on the planet.
Of course RN you have more than a little previous when it comes to overlooking the same George Osborne's litany of mistakes.
Now this is an old debate and we can have it as many times as we want and all to no avail.
But Conservative governments aren't elected by us or by those at Notting Hill dinner parties or Sussex country suppers. Nor are they elected by the denizens of Islington wine bars and Crouch End coffee shops.
Conservative governments are elected by the people at the Cleethorpes chippy and the Walsall working men's club.
And until Conservative leaderships understand that and give the impression that they empathise with the people in those places there will not be a Conservative government.
But I think Cameron would rather have a coalition with the 'nice' LibDems than have to appeal to such people so perhaps that doesn't worry either you or him.
Just catching up with the Sunday Politics and Andrew Neil's interviews with Len McCluskey and Chuka Umunna. Chuka told Neil that he hadn't seen the Labour Report on the Falkirk selection scandal, and that it was because it was a confidential report!! So how can a Labour Shadow Minister not have seen a confidential report while journalists are reporting that they have seen parts of it? Andrew Neil pointed out to Chuka, Labour rolled over to Unite over Falkirk, whereas INEOS stood up to Unite.
Tim B Agree - Although, I would also add basic education and healthcare and welfare to the list of what government has a role in
It was by no means an exhaustive list, but I would agree with that, although my view on government involvement in healthcare probably differs from yours. I'm dealing with Obamacare right now..... I will post more details when it's all resolved.
Does anyone have details of the percentage capacity usage of British airports ?
Heathrow is 98% or something ridiculous. I use Brum every now and again, and clearly has plenty of open slots. The problem seems to be no-one wants them. BA no longer flies from there, but you can connect to the KLM/Air France global network. I flew to Shanghai from Brum via Paris out and Schipol back. But because of the stopovers it's about five or six hours longer than going direct.
I don't understand how this stuff works but if I want to get from suburban Tokyo to my parents' house in Essex, nobody will sell me a ticket from Tokyo to Stansted despite the fact that the ticket I do end up getting involves changing planes in Moscow or Amsterdam or Frankfurt or somewhere that has plenty of flights to Stansted. Obviously I could buy the ticket separately, but that costs more, means I have to deal with luggage partway, and means if my first plane is late it's my problem that I miss the next one, not the airline's problem. It seems like there's a regulatory problem or an administrative problem or something somewhere going wrong that's making my trip harder than it should be, and putting more pressure on Heathrow than there needs to be.
It's to do with the way airlines operate - typically a hub and spoke system.
Rather than fly from say Tokyo to Stansted, they take you from one hub - Tokyo - to another - Amsterdam - and then put you on a regional flight from Amsterdam to Stansted.
From the airline's view it's much more efficient.
My point is nobody will let me do that. If I'm coming from Tokyo, nobody will sell me a ticket, via any European hub, to Stansted. Or to Gatwick for that matter. Only Heathrow.
"'I'm so ashamed I tricked my loved ones out of £30,000 after falling for a lonely hearts conman from Ghana who downloaded a photo of a uninvolved U.S. General to deceive me.'"
"As Allman said he couldn't receive money in Afghanistan - for yet more security reasons - he forwarded Kathleen details of a colleague's Ghanaian account, promising he'd repay her in two weeks. She sent two instalments of £2,500 and £3,500 via Moneygram. 'There was a poster in the Post Office saying “Never send money to someone you don't know” but I told myself this was different,' says Kathleen. After her third visit to send a further £6,000, the cashier questioned why she was depositing so much money in a Ghanaian bank account. Angry at the inference she was doing something wrong, Kathleen sent the next three cash injections via NatWest. In little over a month Kathleen had transferred £30,000, but Allman emailed asking for a further £6,000 so he could book flights for the pair to rendezvous in London, before flying on to L.A."
So how can a Labour Shadow Minister not have seen a confidential report while journalists are reporting that they have seen parts of it?
The same way that Obama claims not to know any details of Obamacare implemetation woes - if he is kept out of the loop deliberately or chooses not to know, he can't answer any questions about it.
If you choose not to read a document, you can honestly say you know nothing and that limits your exposure to questioning. Plausible deniability.
@Tim_B Ed Miliband appears to have managed to avoid any interviews/hard hitting questions on this issue so far. But whether he can keep that up as the story remains firmly in the public remains to be seen, especially as he is launching his latest policy wheeze this week. The Scottish Labour party haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over the whole issue, and like Miliband they must be desperate for it to go away as quickly as possible. Only its not, as yet more revelations are dripped into the public domain. They are now caught between a rock and a hard place because of their close links with Unite, and they are not in control of this story, but rather appear to be trying to scurry under the rock to hide until it runs out of legs.
But Ed Miliband has called this one wrong all summer. He dropped his investigation and stuck that report away in a cupboard to gather dust. He also back downed against Len McCluskey and Unite over the issue in the run up the TUC and Party Conference season. Its an incredible situation when you have a Labour Leader who was virtually invisible during the Grangemouth Crisis, too scared to even raise it at PMQ's. And I see that the local Labour party in Falkirk have criticised the Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont for a lack of Leadership over the current situation there this weekend.
Thankfully we now have Cameron as Conservative Leader, and Theresa May as Home Secretary. A win win for the party.
And more importantly for the country.
Theresa May in particular is proving to be a star, which was not something most people predicted.
If Cameron honestly believes that Theresa May has a better chance of winning the next election he ought to stand down some time in the next six months. The problem is that politicians' egos are such that they never take this sort of decision.
Does anyone have details of the percentage capacity usage of British airports ?
Heathrow is 98% or something ridiculous. I use Brum every now and again, and clearly has plenty of open slots. The problem seems to be no-one wants them. BA no longer flies from there, but you can connect to the KLM/Air France global network. I flew to Shanghai from Brum via Paris out and Schipol back. But because of the stopovers it's about five or six hours longer than going direct.
I don't understand how this stuff works but if I want to get from suburban Tokyo to my parents' house in Essex, nobody will sell me a ticket from Tokyo to Stansted despite the fact that the ticket I do end up getting involves changing planes in Moscow or Amsterdam or Frankfurt or somewhere that has plenty of flights to Stansted. Obviously I could buy the ticket separately, but that costs more, means I have to deal with luggage partway, and means if my first plane is late it's my problem that I miss the next one, not the airline's problem. It seems like there's a regulatory problem or an administrative problem or something somewhere going wrong that's making my trip harder than it should be, and putting more pressure on Heathrow than there needs to be.
It's to do with the way airlines operate - typically a hub and spoke system.
Rather than fly from say Tokyo to Stansted, they take you from one hub - Tokyo - to another - Amsterdam - and then put you on a regional flight from Amsterdam to Stansted.
From the airline's view it's much more efficient.
My point is nobody will let me do that. If I'm coming from Tokyo, nobody will sell me a ticket, via any European hub, to Stansted. Or to Gatwick for that matter. Only Heathrow.
I just checked several booking sites and there is no shortage of flights from Tokyo to Stansted with 2 connections, typically one of which is Cologne, Munich or Paris.
Comments
"We have had our differences with the Chancellor for showing too little ambition on the growth front and of failing to cut public spending deeply enough. But at least Mr Osborne has been going in the right direction. By contrast, Labour seems to have given up trying to frame an intelligible economic policy and is to rely instead on issuing periodic headline-grabbing initiatives that offer nothing but temporary relief backed by fatuous slogans."
How does nationalising rhe railroads, steel industry etc create wealth? Goverments don't do anything well, but certain things they have to do - police, army, currency etc. They need to stay away from industry.
Rather than fly from say Tokyo to Stansted, they take you from one hub - Tokyo - to another - Amsterdam - and then put you on a regional flight from Amsterdam to Stansted.
From the airline's view it's much more efficient.
That's worked for him so far, but with Benghazi and Obamacare implemetation it seems to be changing.
Are the press going after Miliband?
The same George Osborne who thought being 'heir to Blair' was the place to be electorally.
The same George Osborne who thought guardianistas were the key electoral demographic.
The same George Osborne who thought it wise to tell the world that he went yachting with scum.
The same George Osborne who failed to spot an economic recesssion and financial crisis even though Northern Rock had given him a year's warning.
The same George Osborne who was behind the Conservative election campaign where he was made mincemeat of by his yachting pal Mandelson.
The same George Osborne who in 2010 predicted government deficits on the basis of an assumed £600bn increase in household borrowing.
The same George Osborne who thought political tourism was more important than preparing a budget.
I could go on but I would only be repeating things tim has said so many times beforehand.
George Osborne is, how do I put it politely, not exactly the sharpest operator or quickest thinker on the planet.
Of course RN you have more than a little previous when it comes to overlooking the same George Osborne's litany of mistakes.
Now this is an old debate and we can have it as many times as we want and all to no avail.
But Conservative governments aren't elected by us or by those at Notting Hill dinner parties or Sussex country suppers. Nor are they elected by the denizens of Islington wine bars and Crouch End coffee shops.
Conservative governments are elected by the people at the Cleethorpes chippy and the Walsall working men's club.
And until Conservative leaderships understand that and give the impression that they empathise with the people in those places there will not be a Conservative government.
But I think Cameron would rather have a coalition with the 'nice' LibDems than have to appeal to such people so perhaps that doesn't worry either you or him.
And with that a good night to one and all.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2486664/Im-ashamed-I-tricked-loved-ones-30-000-falling-lonely-hearts-conman-Ghana-downloaded-photo-uninvolved-U-S-General-deceive-me.html
"'I'm so ashamed I tricked my loved ones out of £30,000 after falling for a lonely hearts conman from Ghana who downloaded a photo of a uninvolved U.S. General to deceive me.'"
"As Allman said he couldn't receive money in Afghanistan - for yet more security reasons - he forwarded Kathleen details of a colleague's Ghanaian account, promising he'd repay her in two weeks. She sent two instalments of £2,500 and £3,500 via Moneygram.
'There was a poster in the Post Office saying “Never send money to someone you don't know” but I told myself this was different,' says Kathleen.
After her third visit to send a further £6,000, the cashier questioned why she was depositing so much money in a Ghanaian bank account. Angry at the inference she was doing something wrong, Kathleen sent the next three cash injections via NatWest.
In little over a month Kathleen had transferred £30,000, but Allman emailed asking for a further £6,000 so he could book flights for the pair to rendezvous in London, before flying on to L.A."
So how can a Labour Shadow Minister not have seen a confidential report while journalists are reporting that they have seen parts of it?
The same way that Obama claims not to know any details of Obamacare implemetation woes - if he is kept out of the loop deliberately or chooses not to know, he can't answer any questions about it.
If you choose not to read a document, you can honestly say you know nothing and that limits your exposure to questioning. Plausible deniability.
The Scottish Labour party haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over the whole issue, and like Miliband they must be desperate for it to go away as quickly as possible. Only its not, as yet more revelations are dripped into the public domain. They are now caught between a rock and a hard place because of their close links with Unite, and they are not in control of this story, but rather appear to be trying to scurry under the rock to hide until it runs out of legs.
But Ed Miliband has called this one wrong all summer. He dropped his investigation and stuck that report away in a cupboard to gather dust. He also back downed against Len McCluskey and Unite over the issue in the run up the TUC and Party Conference season. Its an incredible situation when you have a Labour Leader who was virtually invisible during the Grangemouth Crisis, too scared to even raise it at PMQ's. And I see that the local Labour party in Falkirk have criticised the Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont for a lack of Leadership over the current situation there this weekend.
I remember some years ago the TUC voted to suspend the Transport and General Workers Union for some reason.
At the conference there was a vote to reinstate the T&G, which carried with a narrow majority, supplied by the votes of the suspended T&G union.
The 'union movement' seems to operate under its own rules.
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