True devolution that would be popular is devolution of power to individuals and families. Indeed, in a good democracy power rests with the people and they only surrender those powers to government that are necessary for an orderly society. Government uses or abuses the powers subject to public opinion and the need to seek their renewal at general elections.
The overmighty state is now too intrusive. We do not need to be told what cars or heating systems we have to buy. We do not need so many bans and restrictions on how we use the nationalised roads we have paid for. We do not need anti money laundering checks every time we want to move money we have earned and paid tax on from a U.K. regulated bank account. Self employed people do not need IR35 controls. We do not need British Energy or a wrongly named National Wealth Fund. We do not need to be compulsory investors in costly carbon capture and storage. We do not need a monumentally  costly HS2. We should not have to pay a licence fee to use a tv if we do not watch BBC. We should not have to pay farmers to stop growing food. We do not need enforced wokery over what we can say.
December 23, 2024
Good morning.
Unfortunatly, Sir John we now do need to do this as we have moved from being a ‘high trust society’ to a low one. The reason for this is due to one of the things ‘we do not need’ that you missed out. The kind of people that arrive everyday, without invitation and some with.
Things change. They always change. Sometimes for the good, and sometimes for the worse. But what has changed and made things so much more unbearable is the pace of change and the fact that said change, when the people of the UK have been asked to express a will, have stated repeatedly that they never have, nor do not want such a change. And yet it continues.
I recently watched an interview on YT on Syria and the various groups involved in that conflict and what it all could mean for the future. One thing that struck me was how ‘diverse’ both culturally and religiously Syria is. A true patchwork quilt of a nation created from the former Ottoman Empire. A nation that is not homogeneous is a nation that is not at peace with itself. And such a nation, in order to control the various factions, require a repressive government to keep a lid on it.
Hardly a recipe for, ‘Power to the people’.
December 23, 2024
This is an interesting, and scary, article from Conservative Post, predicting that the level of mass immigration which is being imposed on us by the Establishment is creating a Failed State. I sent it to my LibDem MP asking if he and his colleagues wanted to be responsible for creating a Failed State in the UK and, surprisingly, he replied and said he would be reading it over the Christmas break. It would appear that even the LibDems may now be “getting the message” over immigration – albeit two decades too late.
https://conservativepost.co.uk/story-of-the-century-flawed-migration-policies-to-cost-the-uk-government-a-trillion-pounds-a-year/
December 23, 2024
It will require a disruptor, who shares your view, to win power to achieve devolution of power back to individuals and families. The current model of devolution and it’s advocates, to yet more politicians and their expensive bureaucracies, will fight it tooth and nail because what they really want to do is boss the rest of us about to do their bidding.
December 23, 2024
Indeed – plus we do not need net zero, we do not even need state schools just vouchers for people to use at privately run schools, we do not need an enforced virtual state monopoly NHS, we do not need all the rigged markets like energy, transport, healthcare, housing, banking, schools, universities… we do need defence, law and order, cheap on demand energy, a bonfire of red tape and a stage sector less than half the current size.
December 23, 2024
Also we did not need the net harm Covid lockdowns or the net harm Covid “vaccines” coerced on to us and which have done vast net harm.
Labour busily doing the complete reverse of what is needed needless to say. Having been given power by the failure of the Con Socialist for 14 years to even try do what they promised in three manifestos.
So how long before for two Tier Kier starts the his vast gerrymandering agenda, the delaying of local elections, the votes for children, boundary rigging, votes for non British recent arrivals, stuffing the Lords with placemen amd women… all this is surely on the way given their huge majority.
December 23, 2024
And what precisely is the effect at a personal level? A few pennies more in tax etc a little less in terms of public services? At the margin at best for most.
I feel sorry for people who are permanently angry about a host of things they have no solutions for or can do anything about apart from cast a vote. Faux outrage about the loss of the winter heating allowance when rightly it should be targeted at those who truly needed it as an example.
Out and about in a not particularly wealthy part of the world, pubs, shops, restos, panto, everyone enjoying themselves, grumpy about stuff yes but no more.
I learned a long time ago to banish as much negativity as I can to ensure my cup is more than half full. The outlook was, is and will be bright. Bah humbug to those that can’t or won’t.
Reply Christmas is also a time to show sympathy for those who cannot afford the heating our who are about to lose their jobs. The Budget has had a bad impact and we need to discuss how it could be changed for the better.
December 23, 2024
Someone tell Kemi to stop saying “I am engineer” firstly it is becoming almost as tedious “I am the son of a toolmaker” and secondly she still supports the insanity Net Zero & so is obviously not a very bright engineer more of a software person I suspect. But then she did not even take Physics A level. Plus she then did a Law Degree so perhaps was not too keen on this.
Best of luck to her though – she is better than “six months early and Covid vaccines are safe” Sunak but that is a very low bar indeed. But the Tories need to get off the we like net zero but want it a bit more slowly.
How many years do wind-farms have to run before they save CO2 rather a lot I suspect. They certainly bring the CO2 emission forwards initially. If tree food bothers you.
December 23, 2024
Welcome to the post democratic world where the gentleman from Whitehall definitely thinks he knows best.
Bliar was spouting in the Telegraph last week on the need for digital ID
Excellent for keeping tabs on the population credit score determined by said government.
You’ve had 2 flights this year computer says NO to any more
You’ve had your allocation of alcohol this month. Computer says NO.
You see what I mean, that’s the end game for digital ID
December 23, 2024
True we are overgoverned and regulated when at this stage in UK developement the emphasis should be on personal responsibility. Dependency is a bad philosophy, because it quickly turns to control. The only control required is on the extremes of human behaviour, defined as the point at which the freedom of an individuals actions intrudes upon the freedom of another individual. To murder or pollute a tranquil setting with a ghetto blaster are among obvious examples.
The blanket intrusion of government is all too frequently inadequate, being diluted , as is the effect of a number 7 cartridge at 60 yards. Those, like the man sleeping on the pavement in my home town yesterday, fall through the net, while too many lazy and profligate are content to live on the taxes of others. I hope the Sally Army took him into care.
Sally Armies and countless other charities are a monument to peoples christian choice to care for the less fortunate and animals in need. I hope it is ill founded rumour that current government has hit on the wheeze of taxing all charitable donations at 45%. If true it equates government with those who steal from church poor boxes or snatch poppy cans. It is the point at which government has lost its moral compass. It is not a case of too much interference in our lives, it is theft, and no different to shop lifting or street mugging.
Attacking the charitable status of private education was judged by the thin lipped of government to be a step they could get away with, the iceberg tip. Are we now faced with the reality of what floats beneath the surface. Charity in the UK picks up the pieces of government failure, has that failure become so embarassing that it must be financially attacked into none existence.
December 23, 2024
They may “get away” with the VAT attack on private school fees but it will raise no money for them and hugely damage education overall. Imaging a of a working couple where one is working earning say ÂŁ100K just to pay after tax two school free. If they stop work the government lose ÂŁ60K in tax and have to pay about ÂŁ40K to educate the two children. So if just a tiny % do this they are out of pocket.
December 23, 2024
Indeed not. Whilst much of this was bad under the Conservatives, with no sign of a reversal, that was more because of the ineffectual and useless succession of leaders post Cameron rather than ideological commitment to statism and wokery. Now we have a government whose guiding light is statism, wokery, kowtowing to the enemies of the West, climate hysteria etc. for the smallish minority who believe in this to have voted for it is fair enough, they’ve got what they wanted. But for those who count themselves as right of centre and don’t like all this, if they chose not to vote for the 4/10 Conservative option, they need to look in the mirror to see who has brought about the 1/10 result of a leftwing Labour govt.
December 23, 2024
Post Cameron? The “Heir to Blair” was part of the rot. The Conservative Party has four years to make it’s mind up which side of the fence it’s on. If it sticks with the ‘broad church’ idea, then it will get crushed (again). Stop CPHQ choosing pseudo Lib Dems for candidates and get rid of the left-leaning infiltrators and they may have a chance. The CP has no God given right to rule this country, it has to be earned.
December 23, 2024
I would welcome a dose of libertarianism in this country, so your devolution of power to the individual would get my vote.
I would stray further though, and want some safeguards to prevent government from reverting to its current path towards tyranny. Firstly, a British “First Amendment” equivalent, to prevent Parliament and Judiciary from impeding our freedom of expression. Secondly, a review of our voting system (I like primaries, referendums on important matters).
December 23, 2024
A needs-based Government would be better than the present over-obtrusive mess of restrictors and wasters. It would be small, efficient and inexpensive, in a land that did not squash in so many unwanted others from overseas.
It would tick over quietly in the background, preventing and solving problems for the people it is supposed to serve.
Most of those people would then live safer, happier, healthier lives, enabling their children to develop into magnificent citizens for the good of all in a better world.
The people don’t need power; they just want freedom to thrive!
December 23, 2024
I agree, Sir John. The State is over-mighty and is seeking to control our lives in ways unthinkable only a few decades ago.
They don’t intend stopping; they intend for it to continue and become even more oppressive. Digital IDs; a Central Bank Digital Currency; “Vaccine” Passports and a Chinese-style Social Credit System are all on their Agenda. The Covid Tyranny was a very useful experiment in population CONTROL and how much they could “get away with” as Prof Neil Ferguson so bluntly put it. We are being herded into a future where nothing will be permitted unless you conform and the Overlords have specifically allowed it.
When the WEF says “you will own nothing” that’s precisely what they mean: the “Stakeholder Capitalism” they propose is basically Corporatism (and that is Mussolini’s description of Fascism – a fusion of Government and Corporate power).
Ronald Reagan was right when he said “the scariest words in the English language are I’m from the Government and I’m here to help.”
December 23, 2024
I strongly agree with maximising power to individual people, or in other words maximising freedom for individual people in deciding how to live their own lives.
December 23, 2024
True devolution would allow us to keep more of our own money and decide how to spend it rather than the government and local warlords telling us how they are going to spend our funds and borrowing to do it.
December 23, 2024
Where would the bloated, unproductive, grade-inflated and non-exporting civil service be without all these regulations to monitor and enforce? What about the ever-growing QUANGO sector, which provides thousands of well paid jobs for the old boys and girls, frequently working from home for only three or four days a month – with their generous non-contributory, index-linked final salary pensions? Or the WFH jobsworths working for the councils, thinking up new ways to enforce their will upon ratepayers?
Eventually a debt-fuelled sterling crisis will mean the IMF is going to turn up and impose restrictions on the UK government/public sector, which is now about 25% of the economy and rising.
Add the national debt, credit card debt, business loans, mortgage debt, student debt, car loans etc together and it’s roughly 2.5 times GDP. Good grief.
December 23, 2024
If only the Conservative Party had said this, and acted accordingly, for the past decade we would be where we are today.
December 23, 2024
We almost di not need government, certainly this type of government.
We do not need to be told how much we need tp pay someone to work for us.
Landlords do not need to be told how and what the should rent their property for.
Governments should only do that which the public can’t do, that is, National Security, ensure a fair Judiciary, 5o resolve disputes, road maintenance, all else is excessive interference by those who can’t do for themselves.
The government and politicians have become the problem not the solution
December 23, 2024
“good democracy power rests with the people” – it is the only form of Democracy anything else is a fudge to make dictators feel good about themselves. In the same way real democracy ensure those that have been empowered are challenged at every opportunity, hence the accepted practice in a democracy those in power seek confirmation every 2 years – only those with something to hide want longer.
All businesses large or small have to have their boards direction approved and accounts signed off by the shareholders, usually yearly. Its a requirement even with Companies House. UK.plc/GB.plc owned by the people, who are the only shareholders, yet ruled by despots who refute and resit challenge which in this age of transparency suggests they believe themselves to be beyond the requirements of common decency, the need for accountability and responsibility all the traits of a dictatorship.
December 23, 2024
Plenty of waste there. Easy to fill in the ÂŁ22bn blackhole from this list.
December 23, 2024
Excellent summary of what we should not be forced to do by an overbearing government, but yet they still impose their agenda on us. An agenda that nobody voted for.
The fact that so many people didn’t vote at the last GE because they were disenchanted with only 2 options that were likely to form a government means that labour got in by default, not because the country wanted them. Still they push their evil schemes on us, having a big majority of MPs, and we can do little about this. Just imagine how much damage they will have done by the next GE?
This is the first government that doesn’t even hide its contempt for the people of this country. Their ‘know best’ attitude with no consultation means we lose freedoms at a regular pace. Their style of government goes well beyond inexpertness and misconduct – This is a rogue government of the worst kind.
December 23, 2024
What we need or don’t need plays no part in what is provided by government Sir John.
The outcome of government seems to be increasing wealth for those who were once not wealthy.
Take a look at Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, if that does not raise questions of wealth accumulation from unexplained sources then look at the case of Joe Biden and his Green champion ex vice president colleague Al Gore.
What the people want and deserve plays no part in those individual’s aspirations, or personal wealth generation.
December 23, 2024
Hi sir John
If only you could have been prime minister
Merry Christmas and a happy new year