Morning all! Shopping tip - buy big bags of pasta this week before the news of the impending pasta availability crunch becomes well known. TBH may as well buy anything you like that has long dates on it as the price inflation tsunami is about to crash into supermarkets.
Getting stuff for your Christmas dinner already?
Bit early for that. But there is definitely trouble ahead: Global commodity prices sky high Global shipping prices even higher Poor harvests (wheat in Canada creating the pasta fubar) Lack of staff in the food industry Lack of drivers
So when the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation warns that the growing chaos is going to settle into being normal without government intervention, and the government dismisses him by saying that we have a resilient supply chain so no threat to Christmas, remember this.
The FDF is the supply chain. I know that we've all had enough of experts, but there is nothing in it for the industry to create a fake crisis that imperils the Christmas payday large parts of it relies on.
Shopping update. No huge shortages in my Waitrose (still), but frozen goods a bit patchy. No Birds Eye frozen peas, so settled on Petits Pois instead (not as good, according to wife). Could have had Waitrose own versions, but have been informed not as good by the wife). Will continue eating runner beans from the free veg shop (allotment) for a few more weeks. However - our Uni Co-Op is struggling, notably for sandwiches and lunch goods. I can't shake the suspicion that it is not a favoured shop at the moment as the students are yet to return.
Frankly I would be astonished to find the Waitrose own brand to be any different at all to the branded. The simpler the product the closer to identical the own brand is to the brand.
Been forced to observe England and the English since the Winter of Discontent. I am an involuntary expert. I can assure you: you lot have changed. And not for the better.
You really ought to re-read what you just wrote and consider how it would read if reversed (say, against Scotland), and how you would feel.
"Been forced to observe Scotland and the Scottish since the 1970s. I am an involuntary expert. I can assure you: you lot have changed. And not for the better."
Though only the first one was realistic, you just trying to project it onto Scotland does not make it real.
Morning all! Shopping tip - buy big bags of pasta this week before the news of the impending pasta availability crunch becomes well known. TBH may as well buy anything you like that has long dates on it as the price inflation tsunami is about to crash into supermarkets.
Getting stuff for your Christmas dinner already?
Bit early for that. But there is definitely trouble ahead: Global commodity prices sky high Global shipping prices even higher Poor harvests (wheat in Canada creating the pasta fubar) Lack of staff in the food industry Lack of drivers
So when the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation warns that the growing chaos is going to settle into being normal without government intervention, and the government dismisses him by saying that we have a resilient supply chain so no threat to Christmas, remember this.
The FDF is the supply chain. I know that we've all had enough of experts, but there is nothing in it for the industry to create a fake crisis that imperils the Christmas payday large parts of it relies on.
If you are right, it is hard not to see it feeding into politics, and hence betting, for next year?
I've heard "winter of discontent" already used to describe one scenario this coming winter. I don't think people will blame another round of food problems directly on the government, though at one point some canny broadcaster will get some know-nothing minister and a higher up from the industry on the same show, have the minister say vacuous guff about the industry and have the industry chief tear them apart as clueless and arrogant.
Combine that with another skyrocket in pox cases from the current sustained high, the reimposition of restrictions, the effects of the "fuck the working poor" UC cut and an NHS on its knees, and yes this scenario wouldn't be good for Worzel. It is just a scenario though - they might ride it out.
Another point of interest. Observe the narrowing gap between supermarket and branded fuel prices. Supermarkets are shouldering food price inflation by cutting their usual subsidy of the fuel price. And so many of the bigger cost price rises on food are about to land as retailers have finally accepted that the choice is pay the rise or don't get products. In some cases because the manufacturer either passes it or on goes out of business.
The political challenge is going to be to join the dots, or to ensure that the dots remain unjoined.
Remember how a few weeks ago, the problems were down to the pingdemic? That's clearly over, and yet the problems persist.
Many of the issues that seem to be coming down the line look like being caused by "X and/magnified by Brexit". And Brexit will magnify, if only because the invisible hand only has a GB market to operate in, rather than the larger EEA space.
But some will want to talk a lot more about all the different X's, rather than the common factor.
Morning.
I'm not very inclined to listen particularly to the boss of the FDF when he is being rentaquoted on Brexit things.
He's a former spin doctor for Nick Clegg, and ardent anti-Brexiteer.
Even leaving aside the more important point that his previous spin on trade statistics fell to pieces.
I particularly loved their spin that there was £2bn less in trade in Q1 being followed up by the outrage that there was £2bn less in trade in H1.
No doubt to be followed up by incandescent rage that there was £2bn less in trade in 2021 when the figures come out next year. 😂
Morning all! Shopping tip - buy big bags of pasta this week before the news of the impending pasta availability crunch becomes well known. TBH may as well buy anything you like that has long dates on it as the price inflation tsunami is about to crash into supermarkets.
Getting stuff for your Christmas dinner already?
Bit early for that. But there is definitely trouble ahead: Global commodity prices sky high Global shipping prices even higher Poor harvests (wheat in Canada creating the pasta fubar) Lack of staff in the food industry Lack of drivers
So when the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation warns that the growing chaos is going to settle into being normal without government intervention, and the government dismisses him by saying that we have a resilient supply chain so no threat to Christmas, remember this.
The FDF is the supply chain. I know that we've all had enough of experts, but there is nothing in it for the industry to create a fake crisis that imperils the Christmas payday large parts of it relies on.
Shopping update. No huge shortages in my Waitrose (still), but frozen goods a bit patchy. No Birds Eye frozen peas, so settled on Petits Pois instead (not as good, according to wife). Could have had Waitrose own versions, but have been informed not as good by the wife). Will continue eating runner beans from the free veg shop (allotment) for a few more weeks. However - our Uni Co-Op is struggling, notably for sandwiches and lunch goods. I can't shake the suspicion that it is not a favoured shop at the moment as the students are yet to return.
Frankly I would be astonished to find the Waitrose own brand to be any different at all to the branded. The simpler the product the closer to identical the own brand is to the brand.
Her taste test says otherwise (but I've never conducted a blind test on her - can't get ethical approval...)
Morning all! Shopping tip - buy big bags of pasta this week before the news of the impending pasta availability crunch becomes well known. TBH may as well buy anything you like that has long dates on it as the price inflation tsunami is about to crash into supermarkets.
Getting stuff for your Christmas dinner already?
Bit early for that. But there is definitely trouble ahead: Global commodity prices sky high Global shipping prices even higher Poor harvests (wheat in Canada creating the pasta fubar) Lack of staff in the food industry Lack of drivers
So when the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation warns that the growing chaos is going to settle into being normal without government intervention, and the government dismisses him by saying that we have a resilient supply chain so no threat to Christmas, remember this.
The FDF is the supply chain. I know that we've all had enough of experts, but there is nothing in it for the industry to create a fake crisis that imperils the Christmas payday large parts of it relies on.
Shopping update. No huge shortages in my Waitrose (still), but frozen goods a bit patchy. No Birds Eye frozen peas, so settled on Petits Pois instead (not as good, according to wife). Could have had Waitrose own versions, but have been informed not as good by the wife). Will continue eating runner beans from the free veg shop (allotment) for a few more weeks. However - our Uni Co-Op is struggling, notably for sandwiches and lunch goods. I can't shake the suspicion that it is not a favoured shop at the moment as the students are yet to return.
Frankly I would be astonished to find the Waitrose own brand to be any different at all to the branded. The simpler the product the closer to identical the own brand is to the brand.
It will depend on who the manufacturer / supplier is. If it's not Birds Eye I can see why they may taste different.
Interesting to read last night that only Truss had the smarts / balls to object to Rishi’s tax bomb by suggesting we borrow more.
You don't borrow money to fund day to day spending which is what Truss was suggesting there.
There are a whole pile of things a Government can borrow money for (infrastructure, unexpected one off shocks) but ongoing day to day expenditure needs to be funded from day to day income which for a Government means taxation
Only social care is day to day spending.
The NHS backlog - which seems set to absorb most if not all of the tax rise - is not.
How exactly do you fix a backlog with limited resources (already fully stretched) and no means of increasing supply.
The reality is that the quickest fix to the NHS backlog would be to start improving community care immediately which would reduce the number of beds blocked by people with no care home to continue their convalescence in
No the best way would be to commission the private sector to take on NHS patients for 2-3 years so we can run at annual capacity of 130-140% of what the NHS can normally do. That brings down waiting lists in the near term and is a one off cost/investment rather than permanently expanding the size of the NHS.
As rather a lot of private capacity surgery, for example, is carried out by moonlighting NHS surgeons how will that work?
What you are not supposed to talk about is relative efficiency, in certain areas. Literally higher productivity.
I’m taking my 90yo father to a private consultation next week. He needs a knee operation - he’s been told the NHS wait is 42+ weeks, but it can be done privately by the same surgeon in 3 weeks for £14k.
And?
You are paying £14k to switch to a different list. Assuming he does 5 a week and 1 private operation, if you didn't pay to leap the list you would still otherwise be waiting 35 weeks for the operation.
I understand that. I was just putting a real world example out there without comment
Morning all! Shopping tip - buy big bags of pasta this week before the news of the impending pasta availability crunch becomes well known. TBH may as well buy anything you like that has long dates on it as the price inflation tsunami is about to crash into supermarkets.
Getting stuff for your Christmas dinner already?
Bit early for that. But there is definitely trouble ahead: Global commodity prices sky high Global shipping prices even higher Poor harvests (wheat in Canada creating the pasta fubar) Lack of staff in the food industry Lack of drivers
So when the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation warns that the growing chaos is going to settle into being normal without government intervention, and the government dismisses him by saying that we have a resilient supply chain so no threat to Christmas, remember this.
The FDF is the supply chain. I know that we've all had enough of experts, but there is nothing in it for the industry to create a fake crisis that imperils the Christmas payday large parts of it relies on.
Shopping update. No huge shortages in my Waitrose (still), but frozen goods a bit patchy. No Birds Eye frozen peas, so settled on Petits Pois instead (not as good, according to wife). Could have had Waitrose own versions, but have been informed not as good by the wife). Will continue eating runner beans from the free veg shop (allotment) for a few more weeks. However - our Uni Co-Op is struggling, notably for sandwiches and lunch goods. I can't shake the suspicion that it is not a favoured shop at the moment as the students are yet to return.
Frankly I would be astonished to find the Waitrose own brand to be any different at all to the branded. The simpler the product the closer to identical the own brand is to the brand.
It will depend on who the manufacturer / supplier is. If it's not Birds Eye I can see why they may taste different.
A somewhat late 'Good Morning all'. 15degC ATM, although BBC says it ought to be a couple higher.
On topic, a lot of 'shops own brands' come in fact off the same production lines as the better advertised brands. Bro-in-law used to work in confectionary manufacture and said that frequently it was simply a question of packaging. Friend in the health supplements business said the same; the only differences were the packaging and price!
F1: when the markets appear next week I may check Bottas' odds on winning the next race. He tends to do well at Sochi. And I wonder if he'd throw away a win for Hamilton's sake.
That’s a potentially dangerous bet, Mercedes have already discussed the use of explicit team orders if required to get Lewis ahead of Max in the championship.
Interesting to read last night that only Truss had the smarts / balls to object to Rishi’s tax bomb by suggesting we borrow more.
You don't borrow money to fund day to day spending which is what Truss was suggesting there.
There are a whole pile of things a Government can borrow money for (infrastructure, unexpected one off shocks) but ongoing day to day expenditure needs to be funded from day to day income which for a Government means taxation
Only social care is day to day spending.
The NHS backlog - which seems set to absorb most if not all of the tax rise - is not.
How exactly do you fix a backlog with limited resources (already fully stretched) and no means of increasing supply.
The reality is that the quickest fix to the NHS backlog would be to start improving community care immediately which would reduce the number of beds blocked by people with no care home to continue their convalescence in
No the best way would be to commission the private sector to take on NHS patients for 2-3 years so we can run at annual capacity of 130-140% of what the NHS can normally do. That brings down waiting lists in the near term and is a one off cost/investment rather than permanently expanding the size of the NHS.
As rather a lot of private capacity surgery, for example, is carried out by moonlighting NHS surgeons how will that work?
What you are not supposed to talk about is relative efficiency, in certain areas. Literally higher productivity.
I’m taking my 90yo father to a private consultation next week. He needs a knee operation - he’s been told the NHS wait is 42+ weeks, but it can be done privately by the same surgeon in 3 weeks for £14k.
And?
You are paying £14k to switch to a different list. Assuming he does 5 a week and 1 private operation, if you didn't pay to leap the list you would still otherwise be waiting 35 weeks for the operation.
I understand that. I was just putting a real world example out there without comment
Many years ago I worked in a private hospital and it was certainly the case that the surgeons operated on their patients before and after their NHS work. And at least one Trust locally has contracted some work to a private hospital; I'm in that tranche of patients.
As a skinny person, Labour's taxation policy of having the more muscular pay is a promising first step in their bid to get me to vote for them.
All they need to do now is promise a tax cut for bald people.
Hmmm... not so sure.
So Labour has a policy of going after power lifters, swimmers etc while leaving the long distance runners etc all their ill gotten gains?
How can that be fair?
Sounds fine to me. Which reminds me, I need to pop out to do a run - finishing off (completing every road and path) in a near-namesake village.
The problem is they keep on building roads and paths in this area. I think I've finished a village, and suddenly a new concessionary path appears ...
I'll vote for whoever orders a moratorium on creating roads and footpaths in this area....
And why is there a speed limit of 30mph in villages where there are pavements to run/walk on, but a 60mph limit after the pavement stops and you have to share the road with traffic?
Interesting to read last night that only Truss had the smarts / balls to object to Rishi’s tax bomb by suggesting we borrow more.
You don't borrow money to fund day to day spending which is what Truss was suggesting there.
There are a whole pile of things a Government can borrow money for (infrastructure, unexpected one off shocks) but ongoing day to day expenditure needs to be funded from day to day income which for a Government means taxation
Only social care is day to day spending.
The NHS backlog - which seems set to absorb most if not all of the tax rise - is not.
How exactly do you fix a backlog with limited resources (already fully stretched) and no means of increasing supply.
The reality is that the quickest fix to the NHS backlog would be to start improving community care immediately which would reduce the number of beds blocked by people with no care home to continue their convalescence in
No the best way would be to commission the private sector to take on NHS patients for 2-3 years so we can run at annual capacity of 130-140% of what the NHS can normally do. That brings down waiting lists in the near term and is a one off cost/investment rather than permanently expanding the size of the NHS.
The private hospitals are doing that already, with many of my colleagues moonlighting there. It is the same staff that work both sectors.
Interesting to read last night that only Truss had the smarts / balls to object to Rishi’s tax bomb by suggesting we borrow more.
You don't borrow money to fund day to day spending which is what Truss was suggesting there.
There are a whole pile of things a Government can borrow money for (infrastructure, unexpected one off shocks) but ongoing day to day expenditure needs to be funded from day to day income which for a Government means taxation
Only social care is day to day spending.
The NHS backlog - which seems set to absorb most if not all of the tax rise - is not.
How exactly do you fix a backlog with limited resources (already fully stretched) and no means of increasing supply.
The reality is that the quickest fix to the NHS backlog would be to start improving community care immediately which would reduce the number of beds blocked by people with no care home to continue their convalescence in
No the best way would be to commission the private sector to take on NHS patients for 2-3 years so we can run at annual capacity of 130-140% of what the NHS can normally do. That brings down waiting lists in the near term and is a one off cost/investment rather than permanently expanding the size of the NHS.
The private hospitals are doing that already, with many of my colleagues moonlighting there. It is the same staff that work both sectors.
Medical staff mainly, in my (possibly OOD experience) Dr F, although some nurses do as well. I have met medical staff who only work in the private sector, too. However, there's always been a little niggle of concern in my mind about people working at high levels of intensity doing so for long hours.
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No doubt to be followed up by incandescent rage that there was £2bn less in trade in 2021 when the figures come out next year. 😂
On topic, a lot of 'shops own brands' come in fact off the same production lines as the better advertised brands. Bro-in-law used to work in confectionary manufacture and said that frequently it was simply a question of packaging.
Friend in the health supplements business said the same; the only differences were the packaging and price!
However, there's always been a little niggle of concern in my mind about people working at high levels of intensity doing so for long hours.