The persistent use of right and left as ways of analysing politics much favoured by the BBC and other commentators is way out of date. I heard yesterday morning the BBC describe Bolsonaro as extreme right and Lula as left in Brazil. Both are different kinds of populists who worry the global elites, though they currently think Lula will conform more with their wishes if he gets another period in office than he did the first time so they do not call him extreme.
The populist against the internationalist  is the best shorthand or generalisation to capture modern politics. In Europe we see globalist parties like the old Social Democrats and Christian Democrats can no longer win majorities and need to form difficult coalitions with other parties willing to trim to the establishment line to get Ministerial office. We see waves of challenger parties seek to assemble a popular army against the elite. In Greece Syriaâs mounted a strong but ultimately unsuccessful challenge. In Italy first Lega, now Fratelli, try to moderate EU internationalist policies. In Spain Vox has dented traditional parties. In the UK the Conservatives could only win a convincing majority by embracing populist Brexit.
In the USA the Republicans could only win the Presidency by embracing populist Trump who railed against the internationalist establishment Democrats.
I myself find myself in agreement with the populists in some of their challenges to damaging elite theories and policies, but not in agreement with their more extreme views and actions. The internationalists are not always wrong and do include many talented people with good ideas and the capacity to improve the lot of the people. I do not like the arrogance and thuggish dismissal of any alternative view that the elite at their worst display. Nor do I like rioting Trump supporters loose in the Capitol.
October 30, 2022
All these labels mean different things to different people and in different places. Democracy should give some real power to voters but with most democracies very little power actually gets to them. They only get to elect representatives (often only the least bad of two options anyway). Plus they will rarely do what they promised anyway more likely to respond to party than voters. A we see with Boris & Suankâs serial manifesto ratting on tax, borders and the triple lock.
More referendums voters van initiate and more ability to deselect representatives is needed. The other issue with democracy is indoctrination as we have with the net zero agenda by government and the BBC. Voters can be force to pay taxes and TV licence fees that subject them to propaganda on climate alarmism open borders, the NHS, socialism in general and the likes. A BBC interview the other day by Amol Rajan (an english graduate) of Greta Thunberg (a school drop out) telling us about energy, physics and climate change. Amol went on about Elon Musk head of Tesla. Amol seemed to think that electric cars save the world. They actually increase CO2 compared to keeping you old car and the battery mining causes many other environmental issues Rajan. But what do English grads. and Greta know about engineering, physics, climate, chaotic systems, entopy, energy, transport� Greta seems to think taking a racing yacht rather than flying to New York is a good plan to save CO2 even if the crew have to be flown in and out.
October 30, 2022
King Charles is now expected to host a pre-summit reception at Buckingham Palace attended by 200 international leaders in the field, decision makers and NGOs. Sharma is expected to attend, as is the prime minister, who will make a speech. So much for the King’s promise to keep out of politics how many sensible climate realists will attend I wonder?
Palace sources say the King understands that his role has changed since his accession and is now about âconvening people with expertiseâ, in this case on climate change. (So is this expertise on energy, climate, physics or expertise on climate alarmist propaganda Charles?
9 Jul 2009 â Just 96 months to save world, says Prince Charles so rather too late mate. “The price of capitalism and consumerism is just too high, he tells industrialists” how can I spend millions PA on my personal travel and heat my palaces if the billions of plebs are also allowed to have cars and a week in Spain?
Do as I say not as I do you silly plebs/subjects!
I just listened to Sunak on Choppers Politics Podcast his voice and delivery seemed very, very similar to the dreadful & failed PM Tony Blair.
October 30, 2022
LL,
Get used to it. Osborne and Hammond now back out of the shadows and onto the airwaves. Both central to pro EU remainer socialist govt! The coup is in full sight. Osborne claimâs the clowns are gone, Hammond expects welfare claimants to get inflation rises! Both of these clowns failed to balance the structural deficit, both failed to deliver Brexit and both massively failed to deliver a cut in immigration. The reverse on all three was their aim. We can either think they tried and failed or we can think they lied to get elected and never had any intention on delivering their mandate in office. I think the latter.
JR, you and chums must act to oust Sunak and his backers from office. Theseâ little helpersâ acted against democracy and the sovereignty of our nation.
October 31, 2022
Whatâs the point of Hunt if he is already indicating he isnât up to the job and needs to call in ex-chancellors who frankly failed. He is now obviously a place man whose seen as âdo as heâs toldâ fixer.
He screwed up NHS procurement and pandemic planning. He didnât train enough UK born nurses and doctors. He didnât overturn the training system that isnât working. He didnât set up any vocational six year pathways to allow people up to grade 4 and into open university degree nursing. Basically to me heâs a do nothing fop.
October 30, 2022
The candidates people can vote for are typically those with a political ambition. Useful people who could actually do some good in government are already busy in their businesses, and can’t leave them to become an MP.
October 31, 2022
Quite and whoâd want to work on the same side as so many back stabbing đ s.
October 30, 2022
Much to agree with here, but the key problem is that if you vote globalist you get globalist, and if you vote populist you also get globalist. Johnson is the ultimate proof of this, but we could also point to Truss, turfed out pronto to be replaced by a globalist.
Trump managed to buck the trend, but as our host says, some of the more extreme actions by his supporters didn’t help the cause and were wrong.
So how to respond? With a string of strong populists with a strong following. Here Brexit has to be the trailblazer. So it takes us to a new party with a strong following. Could probably have worked way back in 2010 with UKIP had Tories realised what was in store. Today’s post is 12 years too late.
October 30, 2022
+1
October 30, 2022
Lets not rush to judgement on Jan 6th. Lots of lines of enquiries to come out of that.
– Most were peaceful and were not violent or armed. They were allowed entrance.
– Direct fatalities were protestors, shot or beaten by the state actors. Use of force inappropriately, firearms, batons mace,gas, flashbangslooked etc may have created stampede conditions causing a crowd reaction.
– a line of enquiry is that this was a manufactured incident by agent provacteurs.
– Trump offered plenty national guard to manage any eventuality.
Does not condone violence though.
A certain Chinese man said ,
Every Communist must grasp the truth, “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
Who was using the guns?
October 30, 2022
You won’t find much more of a globalist than Trump with his silly golf courses all over the planet.
And it’s a completely False Dichotomy.
Yes, sure, if you want thug rule – as these populists and their mobs generally do – then you have to crush those physically closest to you first, before joining up with like-minded oppressors elsewhere. That happens best from an isolationist position rather than as part of a civilised community of nations.
October 30, 2022
Think of the starving children!
Those with broadest shoulders must contribute most!
Seems fairly populist to me Marty
October 30, 2022
NLH
Trump cut through the oppressive fug as only a shock-jock politician can. It’s when the likes of a Reagan or a Thatcher are called “extremist” or “far right” (as the BBC likes to do in order to manipulate its audience) that we are denied a varied spectrum in politics and The People end up electing oddballs.
Your comment yesterday about the EU sparing us war in Europe, the caveat being ‘among its members.’
A total distortion of truth in the present situation.
NATO prevented those wars (not the EU) but NATO has courted Ukraine with the chance of EU membership (and all its freebies for new entrants) as NATO (AKA US neocons) does – planting flags and missile bases in former USSR territory nearly all the way up to the Russian border and brought us to the brink of the nuclear catastrophe you fear.
Ironic that we are prepared to stand against a nuclear armed tyrant for Ukraine’s right to join the EU whilst you tell us that we can’t leave the EU because of a band of lightly armed terrorists.
October 30, 2022
LL,
I seem to recall her yaught was made from the same material as racing cars, carbon fibre very energy intensive!
October 30, 2022
+1.
Someone I know has just bought a new EV car, he drives only about 5,000 miles PA. The car & battery Gâtee is 7 years after which the car will have very little value at all as it will need a new battery shortly. So it will end up costing him about ÂŁ1.50 a mile more than keeping his old ICU car. It will also produce more CO2, this even if it is charges entirely on low carbon electricity after energy used to build the car and battery. So why are Gov. pushing these vehicles exactly?
October 30, 2022
LL,
BMW moving its min plant to China where energy costs are cheaper!! Welcome to Sunakâs globalist world where it is better to import goods from coal fired power station energy China than build here!! Same for fracking. It is Sunakâs policy to stop fracking here but import it from Qatar and the US!
Osborne said the clowns are gone, he needs to take a closer look at the occupants of No.10 and No. 11! Do they know the price of milk! I suspect Sunak will share the pain of cost of living and energy while swimming in his pool.
October 30, 2022
@Hope exactly right!
October 30, 2022
LL,
How about the globalist EU project as an experiment to world governance? Mass immigration is promoted and used to destroy nation states and the culture of nation states- to stop any resistance of rainbow nations being formed so each nation acts as one.
For me world governance needs to be stoped.
The N.Ireland protocol is a stain upon our standing in the world and our sovereignty. It is being used to stop the UK leaving the clutches of the EU and keep our country in its orbit. It should be scrapped not negotiated to hide true content or a means to continually kick the can down the road until weak Tory govt caves in. The Tory party seem to forget the repeated lies the Tory leaders told the DUP! Is Heaten-Harris aware of context? What right minded DUP member would believe a Tory minister! Action not words are now required. We had the Brexit means Brexit, no deal better than a bad deal, do or die, no borders down the Irish Sea, no checks on goods, empty threats of article 16, EU threats to cut off electric, stop food lorries at Dover unless lockdown our country, no vaccines to UK, stop PPE headed for UK. When will Tory ministers get a back bone and stand up for our country and leave the EU!
October 30, 2022
A good article by the generally sound Peter Lilley in the Telegraph today on Fracking.
âBlame for the fracking tragedy lies at Starmerâs door
The Tories should invite the opposition to support the industry to prove their patriotism.â
The only thing he gets rather wrong is:-
âMost people would discover that the anti-fracking lobbyâs scare stories are as baseless as those of the anti-vaxxers.â. Personally I am only anti dangerous and ineffective vaccines is not everyone? I had three Covid vaccines and then caught Covid shortly after. Alas the evidence is that these vaccines have, almost certainly, done huge net harm and certainly have done for the young.
Fairly ineffective and fairly dangerous too the stats. strongly suggest. You should have said âas baseless as the claims of an imminent climate emergency caused by manmade CO2â Mr Lilley.
October 30, 2022
Vaccines are a balance of risk, for oldsters (like myself & wife) they made good sense (a reasonable bet that potential good outweighed the potential bad) but I certainly don’t want my Grandchildren vaccinated (at least for Covid) as there is no real benefit to them, just risk. The rational seems to be that it will benefit others if children are vaccinated but that’s simply not a good enough reason. A vaccine should be given protect it’s recipient, not place them at unneccessary risk.
We have now both been invited to get another ‘booster’ (our fifth jab?) but is it only three months since our last one and frankly, I’m not in a great hurry to do so.
October 30, 2022
Indeed a balance of risk, but even for oldies it is not clear that they do any more good than harm.
October 30, 2022
IanT,
Yet the socialist Tory party will not provide the figures to allow true informed consent and still shut down, smear or censure any other point of view!! Now Hunt is in place we can only expect more Chinese authoritarian dictates will follow!
How many of the 38,000 vetted for covid or even security checked? None I suspect. They are given GP appts though!! Plus four star hotels. Is this what Osborne means by current govt clowns? Sunak part of the govt for a long time wrecking the economy- a bit late for him to claim he will sort out the mess he created. Was Gove listening and watching when Sunak was tanking the economy? Perhaps he was partying.
October 31, 2022
IanT: It may be best not to deplete your immune system any further. I’m not surprised to read that you were one of many who got triple-jabbed, then caught Covid (if that’s really what it was). A vaccine that doesn’t confer immunity isn’t worthy of the name. We are where we are, though, with most of the population injected. I agree informed consent to any future jabs is vital. The trouble is that current statistical info allows you only to compare risks to the jabbed versus to the unjabbed. With the majority of the population injected, what’s needed is to know the risk in taking yet more of the substance into your body versus the risk in not doing so. As far as I know, the official statistics don’t compare Covid infection, hospitalisation and death rates of the double-jabbed with those who continued with boosters. That information would be important for a lot of people currently wondering whether to continue with the Covid vaccine, I would have thought.
October 31, 2022
As far as I’m aware, neither myself nor my wife have had Covid (we’ve never tested positive nor had any symptoms) but other members of our family have. One son declined to have the vaccine and did get Covid and was quite ill for a week or so. Another did vaccinate, has tested positive on several occassions but has not been seriously ill from it. Both my wife and myself have other medical conditions and (at our age) the vaccine was a reasonable risk to take. But perhaps you can have too much of a good thing, we will wait a while till our next jab.
October 30, 2022
Populism, globalism, whatever. How about sanity?
How many pigs were incinerated because they were too big to fit into the the pre-determined size of plastic packaging?
INSANITY!!!
October 30, 2022
Is this the best narrative the globalists can come up with âŠ
Daily Mail – â Cabinet veteran Michael Gove tells Britain ‘we are sorry’ and promises new government will fix the economy by rolling back on Liz Truss’s policies, in further embarrassment to the former PMâ
Note: Liz was PM for 44 days and none of her policies were ever implemented.
October 30, 2022
@ Javelin – no, it is the best M. Gove can come up with, fully explainable by the fact Liz excluded him.
October 30, 2022
Exactly they have nearly all been reversed yet mortgage rates are still double. The problem was they mess left by the tax to death, borrow, waste, lock down and currency debase policies of Osborne, Hammond & Sunak not the few days of Truss and Kwasi.
October 30, 2022
Mortgage rates are still low historically. The problem is that just as in America prior to the 2008 crash, people were persuaded to buy houses they could not afford (and their stress tests do not seem to have worked very well) and this kept the prices rising which is what the rich want – high asset prices without any work. A correction has long been due and the same will happen to the stock market in the end. They never learn and the rich will be standing by to hoover up any assets going at fire sale prices. Maybe savers will get a look in at last – I see you can now get 4.5 percent on savings for 2 years. Taxes have been used to keep the asset value machine turning.
October 30, 2022
No. Savers aren’t getting a look in. They are probably worse off if you include double digit inflation on those paltry interest rate rises.
It’s still the case that the ombudsman will award a few hundred quid to a customer for a bank error whereas a customer will be fined thousands for the same bank error.
October 30, 2022
clarify – the customer fined thousands over the same mistake (as they tried with me. The ÂŁ3k fine was cancelled as it was their mistake but I was awarded ÂŁ150 despite having spent that whole summer fighting my case, with expenses.)
October 30, 2022
Well 4.5% is the nominal rate Graham but with inflation running at near 10%, the ‘real’ rate is of course -5.5% (which doesn’t sound so great does it?). Of course, if inflation dies away quickly (to say 3-4%) then that 4.5% may look more attractive but we could just as easily have a bout of stagflation.
Who knows what will happen? The BoE and Treasury don’t that’s for sure.
October 31, 2022
Of course, but banks are never going to pay savers more than they charge out themselves and 4.5 percent is still much better than 0.10 percent. It is getting back to reality is what I am really trying to say. Low rate interest is now in the past.
October 30, 2022
Many people are now paying higher mortgages than they otherwise would be doing as a direct result of what Truss and Kwarteng did in those 44 days.
Reply Not so. Long bond rates same as before Kwarteng statement . They are well up on the year as US ones are where mortgage rates are over 6% . Fed anD Bank of England have put up these rates to fight the inflation they created.
October 30, 2022
Reply to reply. While it’s true the BoE caused inflation to rise it’s also true that Sunaks covid fraud money sloshing around the economy has also contributed to inflation. The covid fraud money has yet to be recouped, the government likes to keep quiet about this.
October 30, 2022
@Peter Parsons, Sorry but that comes over as silly, the seeds were sown by the Boris/Rishi Cabinet and its members of the day they all collective ensured the situation would manifest itself.
What happened was the briefing to the media by the Establishment had to address the concerned that should one Country step out of line and succeed the World Government by the ‘World Economies Forum (WEF)’ would have to compete.
It is now all calmed down and the cost going forward will be on all citizens of the UK with extremes of financial depression and poverty to the benefit of those that drive the WEF thinking. The WEF cannot afford or contemplate competition.
The WEF has now got their people in the UK Cabinet â that’s not a conspiracy theory just look at who attends the WEF meetings. That is why we have more Tax(A 70 year high and growing) not savings from the Establishment
October 30, 2022
Well, at worst they speeded things up a bit Peter. In some ways they may have done some young folk a favour. How many would have taken on huge mortgages on over-priced property that they couldn’t really afford?
Many Millennials (my sons included) seemed to assume that rates could never go up and property prices never went down. I’ve always told my children that the only thing that mattered is what you pay for your home and what you sell it for (any valuation in-between is just a paper gain/loss) and with luck that number will be positive.
But of course, this assumes that you are not forced to sell whilst in negative equity.
October 30, 2022
Additional note: Queen Elizabeth died only 24 hours after appointing Truss as Prime Minister and the country was plunged into an extended period of official mourning and ceremonies. Very little Government business was carried out.
Yet we’re supposed to believe that the chaos engulfing the country and the wreckage of the economy was all her and Kwarteng’s fault.
They really do think we’re stupid.
October 30, 2022
Donna, very well put! They say we are stupid.. frequently! Look at some of the remainers/globalists comments on this blog.
October 30, 2022
Yes, they do indeed think we are stupid. The BBC read out a statement from Gove in which he apologised for Miss Truss being appointed when the electorate wanted Mr Sunak! This is Maoist manipulation of opinion and it is chilling to think where he will go next. Digital central bank currency, Chinese style? Every other report/leak is now destroying the reputation of the Truss administration in an attempt to get us to accept the double coup. One can only assume he is doing the leaking as he always used to.
October 30, 2022
Well I hope that he will do as promised and leave politics at the next election. Maybe the good people of Surrey Heath will help him on his way, should he have (yet another) change of heart.
October 30, 2022
Well some people seem to have fallen hook, line and sinker for it Donna, rather odd.
October 30, 2022
Her policies were never going to be implemented. They were pro British and diametrically opposite to WEF and Davos agenda. Everything will be blamed on her few days ad PM but the sheeple aren’t entirely stupid.
October 30, 2022
Javelin: “Liz was PM for 44 days and none of her policies were ever implemented.”
Not only that, but the economy she inherited had just been vandalized by Rishi Sunak – former Chancellor of the exchecquer and responsible for printing more than ÂŁ2,200 billion in sterling expansion.
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/quantitative-easing
Anyone at the time think that would lead to massive inflation? Well, yes. Me for one. and Peter Hitchens who said as much on LBC. But not the guy who was paid a kings ransom to run the economy in a sensible manner and who is now blaming Liz Truss for the crisis he created.
October 30, 2022
At least the socialist Mr Gove is no longer wittering on about putting VAT of private school fees and abolishing their tax status. This so as to make their users pay 4 times over to use them where state schools are free. This would kill many good schools and cost the state more as many would then have to switch to state schools.
I speak as someone who went to a northern state grammar school.
October 30, 2022
Reptile Gove caused us to have treacherous May!
October 30, 2022
Indeed worse still it cost me my bet on Boris (at the first attempt).
October 30, 2022
Globalism has led to overreach as it rolls back it leaves countries in perilous situations.
Letâs look at a few examples.
– Electric cars are dependent on batteries from China
– European energy is dependent on fuel from Russia
– African counties canât feed themselves unless they get fertiliser and grain from Ukraine
– Europe has millions of immigrants from countries we may go to war with
– We import billions of pounds of goods from China and have lost manufacturing skills
– We are dependent dependent on Indian software which is a country that is forming the rival economic BRICS group
October 30, 2022
Javelin: “We import billions of pounds of goods from China and have lost manufacturing skills”
No, not lost. The international banking and political elite gave it away.
October 30, 2022
A PwC report shows a large different in gender attitudes on company board members by gender with 66% of females thinking reducing the impact of âclimate changeâ was a priority âeven if it impacts short-term performanceâ but only 45% of men.
So why is there a 20% difference by gender? That question cannot easily be answered says the (female) head of corporate governance insights centre at PwC.
Well perhaps not if you work for PwC and have to be rather P/C. But perhaps it is tjust hat so few women study physics, maths and engineering and so mostly, one assumes, they just trust the endless BBC, Government, MSM, IPCC, charities… propaganda without being able to question it much?
At undergraduate level only 20% reading these subjects are female. This despite the fact that far more women go to university overall 57% to 43%. Roughly circa 4% of female graduate will have read these subject at degree level whereas more like 20% of male graduates will have done. The vast majority perhaps 90%+ will have little or no understanding of science beyond GCSE level – rather like the vast majority of MPs.
I have often noticed that the more devout and virement people are on the climate alarmism religion the less they know about energy, electricity generation, engineering, physics, energy storage, weather, chaotic systems, entropy, probabilities or climate. They believe it all but mostly do not even know the difference between energy and power or the first thing about electricity generation. Some (like the mad âexpertsâ at the DofT and the BBC) âthinkâ that cycling and walking produce no direct or indirect CO2 at all so ignorant are they of the scientific realities.
October 30, 2022
What are any of your posts to do with the subject. Just a daily excuse to bombard us with your obsessions and again and againâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠ
October 30, 2022
What 20% gender difference?
Maybe they studied other sciences or STEM subjects and have a far better grasp of natural systems and maybe even engineering than you do.
As for your last paragraph perhaps you don’t know as much as you believe you do or would like everyone to think.
October 30, 2022
The ~ 20% difference is in the % of female directors thinking reducing the impact of âclimate changeâ was a priority âeven if it impacts short-term performanceâ compared to male directors thinking this. Circa two thirds of women directors thought this whereas only 45% a minority of male ones a very large difference.
I am sure many women do indeed have a better grasp of physics, maths and engineering than I do a few have even come top in the Cambridge Tripos exams. But not very many women do choose actually to study these subjects circa 20% of the intake. Overall in all Stem subjects (not just maths, physics, engineering) the figure, seems now to be 40% female. In medicine more than 50% are female & 80% of psychology undergraduate students are female and even higher ~ 85% at the better universities.
October 30, 2022
according to your own stated figures the difference was 19% not 20%, in science, technology and engineering precision matters.
Gender doesn’t matter a jot, it’s capability, contribution and competence that matter at any level and in any field. The first assembler was developed by Kathleen Booth who passed away a few days ago, her work directly influenced the design of the UK mainframe computers and so had great impact but all you can bleat about is ratios of male to female.
You need to reflect on whether you respect science and engineering as much as you demand of the government functionaries.
October 30, 2022
Well, the 19%/20% is obviously just the decimal rounding up/down adjustments! Gender does matter, if we have under 20% females doing physics, engineering and computer science and yet 80%+ reading psychology it shows very significant differences in the choices the genders make. I had never heard of Kathleen Booth but looking at wiki she seems a sound & good scientist. She died at 100, interestingly people over 100 are about 83% female which is also interesting and relevant.
October 30, 2022
PwC have invested heavily in ESG certification so it’s in their interest to push reports that promote the global warming scam.
October 30, 2022
Quite. Try becoming a supplier to this monolith. The accreditation and compliance required from an SME with little bearing on their overall direction or outputs is hugely burdensome and completely pointless.
October 30, 2022
LifeLogic: “But perhaps it is tjust hat so few women study physics, maths and engineering and …”
And fewer politicians.
October 30, 2022
Indeed what proportion of MPs have any science or maths much beyond GCSE level. John Major was Chancellor and PM but he even failed his all his maths and science O levels. Yet they think they can inform & lecture us about energy, climate, physics, economics, transport… most do not have a clue.
October 30, 2022
Notice, LL, the first thing PPE Hunt did on being catapulted into the Treasury was to get the Chief Secretary sacked, Chris Philp, a Grammar School boy who got an Oxford first in physics and a masters in theoretical quantum mechanics.
October 30, 2022
+1
October 30, 2022
LL,
I think you might be wrong with the qualifications held by PwC staff. I suspect a large proportion have maths and science degrees. Would you provide the numbers please or are you guessing? If the latter then your point is fundamentally flawed.
October 30, 2022
I am not talking about PwC staff’s qualifications at all, this was a report by PwC on company directors attitudes to “Climate Change” showing a significant gender difference!
October 30, 2022
A disproportionate number of women go into medicine though. It seems that degree is less of a science and more of an apprenticeship. Sure, there’s lots to remember but most of it is learning by rote and very unlike studying science at Master’s and above. (I have two children, each in either.)
October 30, 2022
Indeed and Psychology 80%+ it seems they prefer engineering on people to engineering on bridges, aircraft, cars, engines or computers.
October 30, 2022
@Lifelogic Also missed you can have everything if you have an econamy to fund it. Tax shouldn’t be for an every growing State machine.
October 30, 2022
+1
October 30, 2022
The FCA has apparently moved to clamp down on âgreenwashingâ claims with restrictions on investment managers using terms such as âgreenâ and âESGâ in fund marketing and a new set of consumer-friendly labels for sustainable investments. Rules set out by the Financial Conduct Authority on Tuesday include using a set of three fund labels to distinguish types of âgreenâ investing imposing a higher burden on firms to back up marketing with evidence.
Well start by looking at the endless green washing lies and adverts from government. the BBC and many companies suggesting that public transport, electric cars, HS trains, walking, cycling are green or zero emission…. it is nearly all complete B/S. EVs are emissions elsewhere cars (& more emission too).
October 30, 2022
I would describe myself as a nationalist and an internationalist. But my understanding of the word âInternationalistâ is someone who believes in cooperation between nations, as opposed to a globalist which believes in common government and rules etc. Realist versus Liberalist in academic terms.
October 30, 2022
Indeed cooperation is fine being locked or controlled by is not.
October 30, 2022
Well said, DaveM.
October 30, 2022
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt considers forcing electric cars to pay road tax by 2025 to help increase taxes even further. So even less reason to buy one, they already cost about ÂŁ1 a mile more than keeping your old car in depreciation and finance costs. Plus they cause more CO2 not less.
So Hunt has undone nearly all of the Truss/Kwartang budget & yet mortgage rates are still circa double what they were. So one assumes the inflation/money market problem was little or nothing to do with this budget but already baked in by Sunakâs negligence as Chancellor, his extended lockdowns, the net harm vaccines, tax, borrow, print and waste (eat out to help out) agenda and his currency debasement?
October 30, 2022
You would assume wrong. Rates have stayed higher because the markets are now less trusting of this government.
October 30, 2022
Well perhaps less trusting that they have much real chance of keeping Starmer/Sturgeon out of power in ~ 2 years.
October 30, 2022
Both the BoE and ECB have lagged behind the Fed in raising their rates Peter, which (given the USDs current postion as the global reserve currency) was a dangerous game to play. This has been going on for some time. One measure of the the USD against other currencies is the DXY index, which compares the USD against a ‘basket’ of currencies.
The Dollar has been steadily rising against this index all year – and it’s interesting to note that the largest component of this index is the Euro (nearly 60% of it). So money has been moving into the ‘safe haven’ of the Dollar for some time, increasing it’s value and placing many economies under pressure. We pay for our energy in USDs but many emerging markets have to borrow (and pay interest) in Dollars from local currency earnings and these payments have been going up quite sharply with USD exchange rates, causing havoc in poorer countries.
So whilst Truss may have been far too eager in her announcements, she wasn’t responsible for the LDI problem or the BoEs lagardly response to the Feds three 75 basis point rises. All the really expensive parts of the ‘mini’ budget had been well telegraphed and the 45p reduction (ÂŁ2B) was really peanuts compared to the energy price cap. With gas now down to a third of the peak price and weather remaining mild for the moment, even that may not have been as expensive as some thought. I suspect one reason to delay OBR numbers currently is to factor in actual energy costs over October. Who knows, with a more deft touch, Liz may have benefited from these? The real danger now is that Hunt overtightens as we enter into a global recession and makes our journey through it deeper and last longer than it has to.
October 30, 2022
A correction was way overdue. Interest rates have been artificially kept low for too long with money printing etc. When money is rated as worthless, inflation ensues which we are now seeing. The banks were given too much money for too long, such that they no longer wanted savers money and I believe that on the Continent it was even rated at less than zero – i.e. you pay the banks to keep your money. That is now being corrected and don’t expect interest rates to go so low again unless the government interferes again.
October 30, 2022
Presumably the markets also dont trust Europe’s and USA’s Governments either Peter.
October 30, 2022
I wish more of our MPs held such views!
Apart from the Populist-Internationalist axis, I imagine a chart that also has a libertarian-authoratarian (or democratic-totalitarian) axis, to better represent what’s going on in our world today.
October 30, 2022
How many Tory MPs have sensible JR type views? 10, 20, 40? How many did not vote for Ed Miliband’s bonkers Climate Change Act ~ 10 perhaps including abstentions?
October 30, 2022
Lifelogic,
7 out of 20 posts today.
‘Lifelogic’s Diary also featuring Sir John Redwood’
October 30, 2022
Peter
Instead of criticising why donât you increase your output?
Why do you constantly attack LL?
You seem to have declared a vendetta against him, surely it is you who have a problem?
LL posts with sagacity, shame that you canât emulated him
October 30, 2022
Peter. It’s up to Sir John whose posts he puts in.
October 30, 2022
The whole point of a blog is to share views with others blog. Whether you agree or disagree, it is how ideas are expanded or debunked. I enjoy reading others views here as much as JRâs. You are allowed as well Peter.
October 30, 2022
Wanderer :
I also believe that the major axis is between authoritarianism and democracy. I see no difference between globalists and (international) socialists/communists. Both believe in uncontrolled immigration, total control of how to live, beliefs and behaviour and the elimination of personal wealth.
The globalists âyou will own nothingâ is identical to the communist idea of the state owning everything. Political correctness/wokeness is just the same as the communistsâ need for speech, thought and mind control
Mrs. T. said that you cannot buck the markets. But of course you can if you are controlled by communist/globalist authoritarian elites who do not care if those they rule over live or die. Hence the deaths of many millions under communism in the last century under Stalin and Mao.
The late, brilliant, Nobel prize winning Physicist, Richard Feynman, said âFor a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.â
But an unsuccessful technology, such as Net Zero, can exist if we have authoritarian government. The false science of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming (CAGW) is being used as an excuse to force through a transition from cheap, reliable energy to expensive intermittent energy even though it will lead to economic ruin.
Although the UNâs global communications rep has recently told the WEF âWe now own the science (on CAGW) and the world should know itâ, Richard Feynman is correct and Nature will not be fooled and consequently the resulting economic damage from this new UN/globalist/communist authoritarian rule could well result in the starving to death of many millions of people across the globe, possibly in numbers even greater than the deaths in the last century caused by communist authoritarian rulers.
October 30, 2022
Globalists may be starting to worry less about voters and what they think. If they can just get governments who follow their interests they don’t appear overly concerned that the public don’t like it.
October 30, 2022
Exactly, Peter. Democracy has to be destroyed first, or, as in the case of the UK, just give the voters the choice of the same things across all parties, ie. ensure all parties are socialist, eco-loon, dictatorial, democracy avoiding, unpatriotic, and world beating in the virtue signalling stakes.
October 30, 2022
+many
Because up until now at least they know they can rely on the gullibility of people.
Look how govts have totally destroyed their populist opposition.
Not by pleasing the people and winning votes but by lying and personally demonising perfectly legitimate political leaders. And people believe them!
Compare and contrast the Capitol riot with what goes on in our streets (with police blessing).
Compare and contras fatal police mistakes and their consequences.
How can one? Because ALL is tarnished by bias.
October 30, 2022
Politics in this century reveals an ugly face, too often intolerant and uncooperative yet frequently false and sectional and failing to deliver for the people. I do think the Generation Z-ers are going to find just cancelling what they do not like is not going to work as a corrective measure.
(There is a z missing from Syriza in the second paragraph.)
October 30, 2022
It would be good to see some of your colleagues recognising the new political configuration as you do, Sir John. But that would mean recognising where they and the Conservative party really stand, on issues of national sovereignty versus global hegemony. UN-associated bodies such as the WHO and the UNHCR, plus the IMF, have been dictating a lot of policy-making recently, and our energy and defence policies haven’t really broken free of our former EU membership. Brexit was an opportunity for the country to put national interests before those of international elites, but I don’t get the impression there’s much enthusiasm in your governing party for doing that.
October 30, 2022
+1 exactly Phillip that is why there was a80 seat majority where people thought Johnson would put country before EU! Sadly he and his lying treacherous miserably failed and Hunt intends to row back using economy to restrain our freedom. JR and colleagues watch on, this is how we got Traitor Mayâs sell out!
In fairness to JR he is a very small conservative minority in his overwhelming socialist party.
October 30, 2022
In all of this we have to consider that elite and extreme theories and policies that are being played out by the internationalists are the real issue. The right or populists are not imposing a warped view of life on the rest of the world.
While those that are intent on resetting the world, using up carbon credits as they travel in luxury to their next big jolly, we can only wonder how we are sleepwalking into disaster. Their hypocrisy will be overwhelming as they preach their dogma, once again, and MSM will follow on behind like good lap dogs.
As Internationalist policies take effect, like stopping farmers using fertilisers, we will see people die – just as they will from the economic cold that is coming our way. But not to worry, the internationalists will always have their jet planes.
What will we have?
In this time it is not the populists we have to worry about!
October 30, 2022
It is funny the role played by semantics in modern politics.
I always assumed that popular policies equalled votes and yet now, populist policies are somehow bad.
I assumed that it was necessary to have an international outlook in the modern world where a nation trades and cooperates with other like minded nations however, trading with and getting on with other countries, does not mean you want a world government nor even a single European government.
As we have become supposedly a more inclusive, diverse and tolerant nation, we have become, in reality, a far more intolerant country where only thinking and views approved by the Cultural Marxists are allowed. It has killed off our sense of humour and our national identity but, then again, I suspect that was the intention.
Who actually sets this agenda, that is the real question?
October 30, 2022
Spot on fella.
The term populist is a term of abuse and demonisation but they are simply voters who have voted in a manner that the Globalists in charge find inconvenient to their agenda.
The Michies (trained Marxists) of the world are back in charge and John’s party leader EMPLOYED her
October 30, 2022
+many
Maybe agenda set by ÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁs?
Maybe it always was but now the parasitic elite have gained much more control over us through the media and internet. They probably pay their supporters well in one way or another!
A horrible web of control and reward.
October 30, 2022
Absolutus Firmamentum +++
October 30, 2022
You ask ‘who’ – where have you looked, Cliff, to try to find out who sets the agenda? The WEF has a web site, which should help. Also, you could try the Open Society Foundation, funded by billionaire ‘philanthropist’ George Soros. Then there’s the Trilateral Commission think tank, which in its 2022 report advocates ‘transformative goals’ such as:- ‘Every person should live and work in a net zero world by 2050, [and] should have access to the benefits of the digital revolution.’ As a member of the Trilateral Commission, Starmer presumably agrees with enforcing all those ‘benefits’ on us, if he gets the chance.
Reply These attitudes are well embedded in most governments, the UN, IMF, main Central Banks etc. Arguably the think tanks respond to what the governments want.
October 30, 2022
Or the Governments are responding to what the Globalist “One World Government” organisations want.
What the people want is irrelevant to both of them.
October 30, 2022
Of course they are, Donna. No doubt about it. You only have to look at the history of the climate movement since the Club of Rome in the 1970s, or the WHO’s recommendation in early 2020 to follow China down the lockdown road, to see the direction of influence. The next one to watch will be the WEF’s ‘Smart Cities’ agenda, which governments will soon be pressured into implementing. Oxford City Council seems to be making a start on it already, according to media reports.
October 30, 2022
Below, Reform UK’s message sent to me this afternoon. In reply, I have given a small donation to that party as a ‘Thankyou’ for providing a light at the end of this dystopian tunnel. (Liz Truss, on being democratically elected, had provided that light for many like myself, only to be undemocratically replaced by a WEF placeman.)
Reform UK:
‘CBDCs shift too much power away from individuals and into the hands of governments and central banks. We have seen in places like Canada â once considered a respectable and democratic member of the free world â how governments can turn off access to money for those they consider a challenge to their authority. We must always be on guard to ensure the state does not grant itself powers which, in the wrong hands, could be gravely misused.
‘Cash is King. It gives individuals freedom and agency over their finances. It allows the less well-off to budget. It is essential to small businesses and the self-employed. It gives the vulnerable and the abused the chance to escape hardship. It is a lifeline to the homeless. It makes spontaneous charitable giving easy. It makes the gifting of money to friends, relatives and children all the more endearing; we can’t see the Tooth Fairy making digital transfers under a pillow somehow!
‘Rishi Sunak and the Bank of England both insist any CBDC would not replace cash and bank deposits, but instead complement and work alongside both. However, we all know far too well how something which begins as an option can quickly become the rule.
‘Reform UK will oppose the creation of a CBDC and all attempts to turn Britain into a cashless society. We would ensure banks have an obligation to provide access to cash and that retailers are strongly encouraged to accept cash as payment where feasible.’
October 30, 2022
Gets my vote.
October 31, 2022
We can all do our bit to help scupper the Globalists’ plans for Digital Currencies. Obviously cards are very convenient for large purchases. But use cash for smaller purchases. Use it … or you’ll lose it and the limited amount of freedom and privacy from the prying eyes of the Government forever.
October 30, 2022
I hoped to watch Frankie Boyle on BBC catch up last night expecting some edgy stuff.
Oh dear. The man’s been completely tamed – a boring and pasteurised shadow of his former self, his guests totally right-on too.
Nothing but a BBC propaganda job.
If only the Tories would ignore the BBC.
October 30, 2022
We are dealing with ideology not reality..understand that most important point.
Terms like populism, fascist, far-right and right-wing extremist are other similar terms used for the same purpose ie to demonise and to tarnish by association. This type of politics has successfully destroyed the Tory party who feared being labelled ‘far right’ and so capitulated to Labour and their now dominant allies across the body politic
Socialism has led to the genocidal slaughter of over 100m in the last 120 years and still people label themselves Communist and Marxist without censure or restriction. Why? Sartre is a prime example. Pol Pot. Stalin. Lenin. Hitler. Mao. Castro etc etc etc. Even Mussolini was a a Socialist.
The search, yearning and long term claim on power is something all Socialists never get tired of pursuing. they live it and breathe it. These people are the true evil who view humanity as fodder for their EXTREMIST ideology
Without the Tory party who used to oppose the Socialist variant we are naked in the face of something utterly demonic. There is no level of abuse and hate the Socialists won’t generate or tolerate to achieve their aims
October 30, 2022
The struggle is the same. Those who believe is freedom or at least some freedom and those that believe government is the answer to everything. Given that virtually every problem we face is caused directly by government, either maliciously or incompetently, I would the globalist statists do not have the answer to anything and all their policies are disastrous.
October 30, 2022
Sir John appears to have accepted the latest politically-correct change of language the “internationalists” seek to impose on us.
We are no longer supposed to call them “Globalists” since they know that has negative connotations for many people. It is now, apparently, anti-Semitic to call people who aren’t Semites “Globalists” and it is just their latest example of using a claim of racism to try and silence the opposition.
Globalism has been imposed on us by these people largely through stealth by signing treaties and creating Supranational Organisations, which are then used to impose laws and policies on us which have no democratic consent and which they know would never gain that consent. The EU is the prime example of this.
Brexit was a demand by a majority of the people to restore national democracy and policy accountability. The Globalists in the Establishment did their level best to prevent it and eventually, very reluctantly, accepted a weak version which they are now trying to reverse …. again through stealth.
There is considerable evidence that Covid was a planned event. That may or may not be correct, but what is undeniable is that it has been used by the Globalists to achieve and swiftly advance many of their long-term objectives. And they don’t even bother trying to pretend otherwise. King Charles (as Prince of Wales) told the WEF “We have a unique but rapidly shrinking window of opportunity to learn lessons and reset ourselves on a more sustainable path.â With his words, he is endorsing the WEF plan to make British citizens’ lives colder, poorer, restricted and hungrier, as well as those in The Commonwealth, as the Sri Lankans have found to their cost.
I don’t want a One World Government, which is what they are seeking to achieve. I have nothing but contempt for these people and there are far, far too many of them in this Government which is why I won’t be voting for it when their latest imposition, Sunak, is finally forced to call a General Election.
October 30, 2022
Excellent summary, thank you, Donna. You bring clarity where a deliberate fog was ordained.
October 30, 2022
A balanced summary of world politics. Very interesting to know what you think.
October 30, 2022
Left, Right, Globalist, PopulistâŠwhatever.
It would just be very nice not to have the country run on flagrant BIAS.
Let us have our politics but let the state be totally impartial.
(Which clearly it is not!)
October 30, 2022
â In the UK the Conservatives could only win a convincing majority by embracing populist Brexitâ
Iâm sorry JR but this statement isnât correct for two reasons. One is that the vote in the referendum proved that more people wanted to leave the EU than wanted to remain, and it was assumed that this would be acted upon. Thus the huge majority vote. Rather naively people trusted the politicians to do just what theyâd voted for ie, removal from the EU. To say the Conservativesâ embracedâ the vote to leave is a bit of a stretch, when large swathes of the Conservative were, and still are, actively working against the peopleâs vote.
Your blog today is concerning because it sounds like you were only paying lip service to conservatism. I didnât think this was the case as I believed you to be a true conservative. Am I wrong?
October 30, 2022
Does this new austerity extend to 4**** hotels and country residences?
To ÂŁ40 pw pocket money and healthcare ( whatâs that?).
Just like waiving of border control during the Great Imprisonment.
Economic freedom and freedom of movement for someâŠbut not others!
October 30, 2022
It was populism that gave Germany Hitler and the Nazi Party. Similar in Italy with Mussolini. Populism got rid of apartheid in South Africa yes, but with the death of Nelson Mandela it’s now delivered them a corrupt ANC and worse levels of poverty and lawlessness than there was in the National Party days. South Africa used to be a country you could safely visit, now it’s best to avoid.
Behind most populist movements there are decidedly unsavoury characters. Moderate reform really ought to be the way forward.
October 30, 2022
Behind globalism, Dave, there are some very very unsavoury characters, including believers in eugenics.
Populism is the rather moderate idea that people should be allowed to see their wishes in the ballot box carried out, whether that be Syriza in Greece or Brexit in Britain. Also the expectation that what gets into the ballot box got there legitimately.
October 30, 2022
Perhaps if the US authorities had given people’s concerns about the election some priority ( and there was lot to be concerned about) and so given some assurance to people that it was a fair election, then there wouldn’t have been the mob to storm the Capitol. A failure to respond to people’s concerns was at the heart of Jan6th.
This is what is so dangerous to our political class with their addiction to Globalism and Internationalism, people can see the country going to hell in a hand cart, yet our political classes are incapable of responding to them, for they are limited in the action they can take by the undertakings and agreements they have signed abroad , prioritising those over our national interest. The most pressing case of late is the invasion on our southern coast, the underlying facilitator of this is not the smuggling gangs, but what politicians have signed us up to in the ECHR and Refugee Convention, and these they will defend to the end. So what is left for people to do if they want this madness to end? Have an insurrection? For you don’t leave us much other choice.
What is really depressing is that you might have thought the British political establishment would have learned some lessons over Brexit, now what was that about? Sovereignty!
October 30, 2022
What a lovely middle of the road nice man Sir John prefers to be seen as.
I dare say many observers have noticed that the broadcast media is beginning to describe any organisation or individual who has a view which differs from their political Left and wokism as ‘far right.
They will move further on this and sadly middle of the road preferers will dare not challenge them, because they will also be described as ‘far right’. Far too risky.
October 30, 2022
JR: “Both are different kinds of populists who worry the global elites,”
So when you say ‘populist’, in a democracy, that would be the party that gains the most votes from the electorate at large, No?
Because if so, that’s the party of ( small ‘d’ ) democracy, right?
‘Global elite’, those previledged few who wish to manipulate the population, for their own ends.
October 30, 2022
Right, Left, Populist, Globalist are all corrals into which vested interests would herd us. Clear your heads of dogma and the script according to the cowboys doing the herding, then when free of political crap, ask one question, what is in the best interests of the UK and her population. Answer that question on all matters arising and a way forward emerges. The dictats of the EU, Cop 27, Silicon Valley, or Biden are of no interest unless they offer tangible benefit to the UK and her people. Action today.
October 30, 2022
Labels are so easy to put on people and policies, even when not true, so difficult to remove when they are constantly repeated, and repeated, and repeated.
It’s a deliberate ploy by the media to try and influence their followers, to push forward their own particular agenda.
Stupidly many Mp’s are nor bright enough to understand the situation.
They eventually got rid of Boris, they got rid of Truss, how long before Sunak suffers the same fate, they have already started on Braverman.
October 30, 2022
Don’t you mean Democrats against Globalists? Trying to portray this as some sort of even-handed dispute is rather like those who respond to Islamic terrorism by referring to an imaginary threat from the ‘far-right’. ‘Populism’ is often a term used to sneer at taking account of the wishes of the majority of the electorate. By contrast, the globalists defy the majority by forcibly altering the demography of their country in violation of international law, reducing the quality of life, and imposing state-mandated medical interventions.
October 30, 2022
I was thinking along those lines. I have always thought of populist being the same as a democratic majority, but they want to give democracy a nasty name because it doesn’t always produce the ‘right’ result and the PTB (the world over) would prefer to do away with it altogether. The EU shows them how! Allow them to vote, but don’t allow them to vote on anything that will make a difference! The MEP’s are too well rewarded to risk losing their seat, unless they are out and out patriots and put country before self.
October 30, 2022
The real difference in politics is laissez-faire versus intervention.
The population votes for intervention because they think it will favour them.
How we laughed.
October 30, 2022
Sir John, you have provided a historical observation about the Conservative Party: “[it] could only win a convincing majority by embracing populist Brexit.” At a time when its senior leadership is of a notably globalist persuasion, wedded to the worldwide green religion, and when its policy towards matters such as wokery, illegal immigration and obstruction of the King’s Highway comprises a lot of indignant talk but little of substance, a current observation might be: “The Conservative Party’s drift towards morphing into the Liberal Democrats, assuming in the process that its natural supporters have nowhere else to go and will fall in line, may be severely tested if a credible populist movement now came together as the Brexit Party did not that long ago.”
October 30, 2022
Excellent post Dennis.
You are also correct in your view about export of goods from UK and vice versa. The N.Ireland protocol is a stain upon our standing in the world and our sovereignty. It should be scrapped not negotiated to hide true content or a means to continually kick the can down the road until weak Tory govt caves in. The Tory party seem to forget the repeated lies the Tory leaders told the DUP! Is Heaten-Harris aware of context? What right minded DUP member would believe a Tory minister! Action not words are now required. We had the Brexit means Brexit, no deal better than a bad deal, do or die, no borders down the Irish Sea, no checks on goods, empty threats of article 16, EU threats to cut off electric, stop food lorries at Dover unless lockdown our country, no vaccines to UK, stop PPE headed for UK. When will Tory ministers get a back bone and stand up for our country and leave the EU!
October 30, 2022
Thanks, but may I mention that I am not the more erudite Denis Cooper who often addresses NI Protocol issues on Sir John’s blog!
October 30, 2022
We are tribal, social animals. The nation serves as the largest domain that we can âbelongâ to.
Attempts to somehow put all humans into a global melting point will never work as this goes against the grain of being a human.
As such, in my opinion, globalisation is doomed to failure.
October 30, 2022
At least until the giant Alien ships arrive over our capital cities! đ
October 30, 2022
Dead right. There is no “us” without “them”
October 30, 2022
Commonality of attitude accretes into large clusters, each opposing the views of others who differ. Globalists have a one-size-fits-all mentality and want others to conform, whereas most folk wish to stay content in peace without wearing strait jackets.
Pressure groups emerge marshalling and acting like armies to fulfil their cause, both for and against. Their loyalties may be as strong as those of family members, and stay unless some conflict separates them, or better, they realise the folly of their ways via persuasive communication.
Difference is the essence of Existence. Globalists may threaten existence of those they dislike by force, yet that power saps when the majority of good citizens pursue harmony in freedom without them. Freedom is more popular.
October 30, 2022
Actions speak louder than words.
Sunak’s actions mean to me he is a WEFman. Make us poor, non-productive, Global Warming worshipers who are easily bossed around.
COVID was a dry run. The elites must have been delighted at the consequences of a relatively harmless disease which could be sold as a lethal killer. We were easily convinced of the efficacy of silly “preventions” like washing hands, antiseptic sprays and masks.
Imagine the BBC’s reaction if during their AIDS jamboree the official advice to prevent the spread was to wash the transmitting article in soap and water between each episode of fun and games!
October 30, 2022
Washing hands was and remains a very good defence against Covid and Flu
October 30, 2022
@John Miller +1
October 30, 2022
Truth is the world is a smaller place than it used to be and the media are almost uncontrollable . All politics and Politicians are subject to intense biased scrutiny and the public can become victims to it . Integrity and valued judgement are critical factors in weighing things up .
October 30, 2022
Bert Young
It’s the 24 hour news cycle and polling organisations doing the damage.
First rule of an invasion. Take command of the propaganda transmissions first.
October 30, 2022
Left and right doesnât satisfy people that want to introduce divisive words like âultraâ âextremeâ and âfarâ it would surprise a lot of people that consider themselves left wing to come up extreme right on a lot of their views on a political compass.
Most people like to think theyâre centrist. Centre left, centre right because it seems more socially acceptable and the conservatives allow all of the disrespectful language to be applied to them without fighting back. Sturgeon is an acceptable nationalist, who borders on being extreme against English Tories and the people that elect Tories. She is very authoritarian to me forcing people to her will yet no one calls her an ultra.
October 30, 2022
In Politics, what is Left or Right? In Germany in the run up to WW2 we had the National Socialist German Workers’ Party(therefore of the left), but they were called the extreme right. It would appear that the more Left wing extremists have a natural tendency to morph in to being extreme Right dictators. Left tends to be in support of the people as long as the people accept âmy wayâ as the only way.
Today we have our illustrious leader hitting the MsM suggesting that as far as the Police go he wants to stamp out WOKE-ness. I would suggest that could be âPopulismâ doing a Boris, rising to the âSound Biteâ. Although having a WOKE Government backed up by a WOKE Establishment, does he know what it means? As any Servant of the People he would put his own house in order before jumping on the new Media bandwagon.
October 31, 2022
The political spectrum is not a straight line-it’s a circle or a horseshoe.
October 30, 2022
“The Great Recession has influenced populist movements today, say Stanford scholars” Worth a read.
To quote: ” The political parties appear to be far more responsive to their donor bases in directions that are anti-populist, which may create a demand for populist candidates. For example, Democratic donors are far more socially liberal than Democrats in the mass public. Republican donors are far more economically conservative than Republicans in the mass public. And donors of both parties are much more globalist than regular people. In this environment, you can see why candidates such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders may be attractive. I also think the Great Recession has a lot to do with this. The way people view institutions has been fundamentally affected by the financial crisis and how none of the elites seem to have faced many consequences.”
If you haven’t already, do the test at “https://www.politicalcompass.org/uk2019”
October 30, 2022
“Disastrous cuts loom, but the Tories have a secret weapon â our weary fatalism” John Harris Guardian “People realise austerity 2.0 will wreck Britain, but many of us have lost the ability to even imagine things could be different”
Gaslighting a whole nation like the UK into Austerity 2.0, is probably the easiest place in Europe for any government to attempt it. After all, it proved a very successful technique with an uninformed electorate, in the Brexit referendum.
October 30, 2022
You and your “austerity” acorn
Going on for many years as the size of the state carries on increasing.
Taxes rise and state spending keeps rising year on year.
October 30, 2022
Politics everywhere fails Democracy. To most of us while Democracy may not be perfect it is more comfortable than the alternatives.
In essence, in having a Democracy aren’t we trying to have a situation were we have âGovernment by the People for the Peopleâ. To that end shouldnât we be selecting our own Candidates who we wish to represent our communities and Country, then through the ballot select which Candidate should represent âUsâ in Parliament. That is not what happens in most case and certainly not in the UK.
Theoretically anyone can get on the ballot. That falls down when the establishment uses taxpayer money to fund political groupings, the end result is the Establishment seeks unchallengeable advantage by using taxpayers money to defend their position to exist. These Political Groups have leaders that then select the candidate to represent you based on how loyal they are not to you but to their leader. Then to further corrupt the system the People cannot select and vote for these leaders â that is what they(the Establishment) call Democracy. This was Highlighted by Daniel Hannan in the extreme when relating to canvassing to be elected for the EU Elections. In a piece he did in the Telegraph he pointed out he had no need to canvass as he âwasâ the MEP for the South of England. In crude terms his Gang Leader had put him at number one on the list, and the only way to remove him was to remove the whole Party. So bad politicians cannot be removed at the Ballot Box, clarity I always and still do see Daniel as one of the very few good guys..
Which ever way you shake it the above can never achieve the aim of a true Democracy.
It is possible to reason that the involvement of Political Groupings in the electoral system does in itself corrupt politics. Going further does any of our known Political Groupings have a handle what is good for the Country and its People 100% of the time. It at the end as with Democracy its self is not about labeling Left or Right, its about serving the People to the best of ones ability without favor or doctrine
October 30, 2022
Dear Sir John,
We are forced to use the condescending term popularist because the correct term Nationalist has been corrupted by history with the use linked to the Nazis and fascist thinking.
Like the English flag is now linked to the far right in the UK.
A Nationalist in a pure sense wants the country to be independent and sovereign not governed / influenced by some outside world government or global organisation. Makes its own laws, culture as it sees fit not dictated to by a global government or commercial corporation. Global Dictatorship is behind Globalism for commercial gain at the expense of the individual.
In this country any person that voted for Brexit was labelled a Nationalist with implied racist, little Englander views by the Remain globalist thinking.
Globalism offered low-cost products and services to the West by exploiting low-cost production in the East. OK for a while but has now backfired on the individual person and their country not able to support itself in times of actual war, Commerical war, or political war.
Globalism was sold on the concept that one country makes this and another country makes that and they trade what they make between them.
Unfortunatly the UK has ended up making/ producing nothing except arms and in some specialist areas. We were also sold the service economy a pyramid scheme by another name and no need to actually produce anything
We can just import it cheaper than we can make it here (wage costs). People lose their jobs. The big question-is it cheaper in all respects to have a higher cost of living with everyone working and can afford the cost rather having to put up taxes on those working to support those not working?
The critical balance between socialism and capitalism (within a country)
Net Zero, importing cheap labour and not so cheap, high benefits for not working, increasing population, have all added to the current state the country. The Ukraine-Russian war has highlighted a problem which has been building for years not addressed by any UK government to date.
We are told that all the low-cost skilled European Labour has gone back to their countries due to Brexit. The truth is the money given by West Europe (UK) to East Europe by the EU at our expense has improved the economies in the East and no longer profitable to work in the UK.
Ireland was a good example. I have to declare I did not mind supporting Ireland in this way. The Globalists need for the cheapest cost of production moved out of Europe to the Far East were cheap labour could further be exploited.
Problem here is that these economies are now a threat to the Western Globalist agenda. America (the Globalist party in power currently) being the source and home of this influence. If you think keeping the war in Ukraine against Russia has got anything to do with saving the ordinary Ukraine from Russia look closer and you will find a Globalist economic motive behind supplying arms to kill people
October 30, 2022
Off topic, there is an extraordinary article in the Irish Times:
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/10/29/uk-may-be-using-ni-protocol-as-leverage-for-finance-concessions-says-bertie-ahern/
In which the former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is allowed to indulge in wild speculation about the reasons for the lackadaisical approach of the UK government to sorting out the Northern Ireland protocol.
Is it because the UK government wants to use it to extract concessions on “finance, insurance, state aids, a whole load of issues, things that have to be dealt with but have nothing to do with Northern Irelandâ?
No, it isn’t. To keep in with the CBI and other business lobby groups replete with Tory party donors Theresa May favoured the Irish proposal to keep the land border completely open, which meant agreeing to focus on goods coming into the UK rather than on goods leaving the UK across the border, the flow of goods in which Dublin and Brussels actually have a legitimate interest; and then to get the fantastic Canada-style trade deal that he espoused Boris Johnson went along with that but narrowed it down to goods coming into Northern Ireland, and now even though it is clear that his trade deal is near worthless we are stuck with the protocol and any attempt to wriggle out of it could lead to entirely disproportionate “retaliation” by the EU; and so the UK government has to pretend to be determined to get the protocol changed while really determined to go along with it even though that means leaving the Northern Irish unionists in the lurch. So the unionists now have London, Dublin, Brussels, and also Washington, all aligned with Sinn Fein and other republican parties against them.
October 30, 2022
Also off topic, another pointless letter to the Irish Times, about a different article:
“For a “far-thinking solution to the conundrum of keeping trade flowing freely after Britainâs exit from the European Union”, Cliff Taylor need look no further than the well developed collaborative proposal “An Offer the EU and UK Cannot Refuse” published in August 2019 by former EU Commission Director General Sir Jonathan Faull and two professors of European law.
It is very unfortunate that the EU did refuse it, instantly, because if its basic principle of “dual autonomy” or “mutual enforcement” had been accepted at that time then nobody would be fretting about the Northern Ireland protocol now.
Considering that we are supposed to be friends as well as neighbours it beggars belief how the regulation of a small volume of cross border trade has become such a source of difficulty between us.”
Pointless not least because the UK government clearly doesn’t want that solution either. If they did, by now they would have followed up on this suggestion from Lord Lilley eight months ago:
https://conservativehome.com/2022/02/12/peter-lilley-the-protocol-mutual-enforcement-of-the-law-can-ensure-goods-are-eu-uk-compliant-without-border-checks/
“In the event of the UK taking action under Article 16 or resiling from the Protocol, it would be sensible, and show good will, unilaterally to make it an offense to export non-compliant goods to the Republic/EU even if the EU chose not to reciprocate. That would reduce any excuse for ârebalancing measuresâ.”
October 30, 2022
Internationalism infers mutual respect and co-operation between nation states. Globalism, to me, has far more sinister connotations which we a currently witnessing.
The great climate change fraud. Over decades their dire predictions have failed to materialise, but each failure is followed by a doubling down, with worse to come, they say. CO2 blamed, a minor trace gas essential for life on earth.
They have managed to destroy our once reliable and affordable energy market with a compliant PM preventing fracking, but not banning the product. Now Net Zero is the new religion.
We have highest tax rate in 70 years keeping us in line with the globalist EU.
We went through the pandemic in lockstep with most of the world, for a virus with a 99.7% survival rate. Nearly half a trillion pounds of additional debt later…….
Our press is strictly controlled and freedom of speech curtailed.
All globalism in action.
October 30, 2022
“Globalisation” was the 1992 objective of UN Agenda 21, for this century. Where the East would grow at the expense of the West. Especially in jobs. A sort of global “levelling up”.
That now being achieved we should ask why are we still providing Aid to the likes of India who have just overtaken the UK in the world’s richest Nations league.
October 30, 2022
Populist Brexit? No such thing, it was always a question of Democracy or submitting to rule by the unelected. Admittedly we never achieved Brexit it is still all talk.
Populists are just a runaway minority seeking a sound-bite and attention headline in a look at me way. Globalists are those that seek World Government in terms of rule by an elite without any shred of Democracy, also called the World Economic Forum WEF.
WEF and the âGreat Resetâ statement, âAs we enter a unique window of opportunity to shape the recovery, this initiative will offer insights to help inform all those determining the future state of global relations, the direction of national economies, the priorities of societies, the nature of business models and the management of a global commons. Drawing from the vision and vast expertise of the leaders engaged across the Forumâs communities, the Great Reset initiative has a set of dimensions to build a new social contract that honours the dignity of every human being.â
They seek to coerce in their own image
There are over 1,000 big corporations signed up to this, The UK sent 270 delegates to the last meeting. On what grounds and legitimacy do 1,000 Monopoly companies get to rule! That is just protectionism by the few against the many.
The real point is that in a Democracy it is the elected representative that make the Laws, Rules and Regulations that guide they way we live. It is then those same bodies that get to amend and repeal those same Laws, Rules and Regulations to suit the requirements of the Country.
October 30, 2022
+1 IAN B
October 31, 2022
The will of the people cannot be revealed by Corporations, only campaigning and winning free ballot can there be any chance.
October 30, 2022
Sir John,
In the past I used to consider myself a centrist, neither left nor right. There were moderate policies on both sides that I tended to agreed with. But in the last two decades the general political debate has shifted so far to the left that I now find myself on the right.
Hopefully with Musk’s takeover of Twitter and the upcoming mid-term elections, the pendulum will begin to swing back.
As for rioting Trump supporters loose in the Capitol, there needs to be a proper inquiry into what really was going on that day rather than the one-sided show trial of the last few months.
October 30, 2022
Populists are nationalists. Nationalists have a strong belief in the nation state and believe their state belongs to them and not to anyone who my roll up or been imported. They are typically not represented in most Western countries not because their ideas are unpopular but because globalists, through infiltration and bankrolling, have taken over the main stream parties and obliged them to put laws on the statute book to deprecate indigenous peoples, criminalise nationalist beliefs, and liberalise and encourage third world immigration. There is no evidence that a country of many different immigrants with entirely different backgrounds can prosper or survive over time as the immigrants always congregate in their own communities with their own cultures and alien loyalties, leading to balkanisation and friction despite the censorship and drivel published by the MSM.
The EU is a grand attempt to abolish the nation state and turn its constituents into a large proto-state: it will disintegrate despite the globalists investment in it because as Enoch Powell stated, it does not have a demos.
The war in Ukraine is already exposing how EU cow-towing to the globalist warmongers in Washington has created schisms between those who want to put their own economic interests first and those who are obedient to the ‘rules based order’ which means putting their own national economic interests behind those of the US. The Tory Party is very much in favour of the ‘rules based order’ and has been engaging in reprehensible behaviour on the international scene for which they imagine they have immunity from retribution.
October 30, 2022
In the UK the Conservatives could only win a convincing majority by pretending to embrace populist Brexit.
October 31, 2022
all politicians pretend on their policies – and sadly it is inevitable that some get elected.
October 30, 2022
We still live in a world where everyone tries to categorise as it fits in easily with data . Most people take things from all over politics , but data collectors are not comfortable with’ none of the above’. When asked to help with research, the researchers get confused when none of the answers apply . I can only optimistically see this downturn/ about turn in political ideology as a springboard to incorporate more of what is good and that is the way I will look , Do you remember Blairs’ song ..’ Things can only get better’ ….it still applies and can be sung time after time.
I remember scratching ice off my bedroom window as a child and the rag and bone man coming down the back entry , door steps stoned with donkey stone and children lucky to have anything but porridge for breakfast . I remember having a bath every day in 2 inches of cool water . I remember the posh people had a joint at weekend which lasted 4 days. In my life there has been much progress and things in a way are getting better but we must take out the bad and refine what we have .
October 30, 2022
I don’t agree a globalist/populist distinction is now more useful or relevant than the traditional left/right distinction.
Left/right is an economic distinction along the lines of economic egalitarianism engineered by the state versus inegalitarianism caused by the free market. That I submit is still the most valid way of distinguishing between Bolsonaro and Lula in Brazil, Republicans and Democrats in America and Conservative (just about) and Labour in Britain (even if there are now commonly differences in social attitudes as well).
‘Globalisation’ is not really an issue for the man in the street but mainly for conspiracy theorists (who seem to think that globalists meet at Davos each year to run the world by their mutual agreement). Due to instantaneous communication, rapid transportation and technological advances, much globalisation (in technology and economics but not necessarily in politics) is inevitable and usually advantageous.
Populists need not necessarily be anti-globalist. The Tea Party is interested in tax, not globalisation. Donald Trump, while rightly pointing out America is being taken advantage of by its allies in NATO, trade etc;, himself runs an international business. Anyhow to win elections in a democracy one must achieve ‘popularity’ (the left used to use ‘class’ distinctions) at least to the extent of being the least unpopular option!
October 30, 2022
All the footage of the ‘rioting Trump supporters’ depict them wandering rather aimlessly through the capitol!
Rioting is surely what we will get here as we are steadily ground down by NZ, mass immigration, inflation and self inflicted unaffordable power. All at the hands of the globalists.
October 30, 2022
The data below is for the 24-hour period 00:00 to 23:59 29 October 2022.
Number of migrants detected in small boats: 990
Number of boats detected: 24
990 is the same size as two full infantry regiments âŠand nobody saw them coming in an armada of 24 boats â this government is a joke
October 30, 2022
Globalist Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is on a free holiday funded by the taxpayer via BEIS to the C40 (world 40 cities) conference in Buenos Aires discussing climate change and the push to net-zero âŠ.Why is our government funding this ? wish he was in London doing his job fighting crime and immigration
October 30, 2022
and who’s funding the Kings COP27 pre-conference reception at Buckingham Palace next Friday
October 30, 2022
So Rishi is backtracking on repealing laws inherited from Europe…
Deary me what a shambles
October 30, 2022
I’ve been waiting for ‘brexit’, as described on the ballot paper, since 2016 ….Tories against democracy
October 31, 2022
Today’s conundrum, will the PM U-turn on his decision not to attend COP 27. Do we not have enough capable representation already attending including the COP President along with his entourage …
October 31, 2022
There’s another important split, which is public sector workers versus private sector wealth creators. We have far too many of the former on generous salaries with guaranteed inflation linked pensions and far too few of the latter. During lockdown the public sector were protected while private sector suffered. We were told to save the NHS which was set up to save us. Labour are obviously the party of public sector unions but Conservatives appear interested only in big business and financial markets.
In my lifetime the political class has stood idly by while great swathes of our industries, famous brands built up over sometimes centuries, and intellectual property have been sold off to foreign ownership usually for peanuts.
That complacency was an easier way to balance the books than a national drive to bring productivity up to world class, thereby eliminating our chronic trade deficit.
The result is clearly illustrated by the falling value of the pound which, for example, fifty years ago would buy over 700 Japanese Yen and will now buy 170. Why don’t politicians strongly promote key industries like manufacturing? It is the most obvious source of wealth creation as you start with a pile of raw materials and end up with something useful. Far too many of them have zero business experience or training in any scientific or technological subject. How can we compete in the high-tech 21st century if our lawmakers don’t have the skills and probably see themselves as public sector workers anyway ?
October 31, 2022
It is a shame, Sir John, that I did not read this diary the day it was published, because you have begun to say what has been glaringly obvious to me for a long while.
UKIP was one ‘populist party’ that was labeled those dreaded words – Far Right.
How fortunate that this slander was unsuccessful in preventing the referendum and finally, almost, a full exit from the EU.
Like you, I do not support the call by ‘populists’ for proportional representation. Surely, that should be labeled far left shouldn’t it?
I can understand why you do not support any idea that we should shun participation in ‘The Global Marketplace’.
In today’s world that is the only market place there is and since we are a capitalist economy we have to be part of it.
But:-
There are some very genuine concerns about ‘Globalism’. You really should not write off all those concerns as ‘Conspiracy Theories’.
Surely it is obvious that the W.E.F., the W.H.O., the United Nations Climate Change Conferences and certain other Global Organisations are working towards World Government.
What about Theresa May signing us up to the Marrakesh Compact, committing us to unrestricted Global Migration?