A lot rests on the budget
     The polls show there are many former Conservative voters refusing to commit to Conservatives again who do not trust Labour or want a Labour government. They say they will not vote, or will vote Reform. When pressed they say they want the government to do what it promised and what they expect Conservative governments to do.     Defining this and delivering is therefore the task of Prime Minister and Chancellor. They recognise they need to curb migration, as the 2019 Manifesto promised and as the Prime Minister has pledged. As they lower the excessively high rates of legal migration this year they need to make sure the Treasury and OBR accounts for this in an accurate way. They should put in many economies on public services, as cutting migration by 330,000 as promised (legal and illegal) reduces pressure for school places, for health treatments and above all for subsidised housing. It should make it easier to honour the pledge to get the waiting lists down in the NHS. The EU in 2016 said a new migrant cost a state Euro 250,000 in capital to provide a home, and in costs to offer good public services.    The government understand that winning people back is above all about the economy. Three of the Prime Minister’s own five pledges are to lower the debts, halve inflation and grow the economy. That is the right emphasis. People expect from a Conservative government prudent finances, lower taxes, more jobs and decent growth. They know from bitter experience that past Labour governments end with burgeoning debts, higher unemployment and downturns. The 1964-70 Labour government devalued the pound and had to go for austerity. The 1974-9 government ran out of money, had to borrow from the IMF and created a recession. The 1997-2010 government allowed an inflationary banking bubble, created a deep recession and ran out of money. This government and its Conservative predecessors since 2010 have created 800 extra jobs every day they have been in office, got unemployment down, and presided over faster growth than the larger European countries. Even the shocks  of covid lockdown and the Ukraine war did not undermine the good record on jobs, essential to people’s living standards and self esteem.     All this makes the budget crucial to plans to win back lost voters and to show the economy is on track to deliver that faster growth, lower inflation and controlled debt people expect. The big inflation was a blow delivered by the Bank of England, making similar mistakes to the US and EU Central banks. If only they had kept money under better control as Japan and China did we could have been spared that agony. Labour of course supported the  Bank’s bad policies throughout.
      The task of growing the economy with low inflation is made very difficult by the very institutions that are meant to bring stability, wisdom and competence to the task. The Bank has followed its inflationary monetary policy phase with overdoing the correction. It now needlessly sells bonds at big losses to sandbag the Treasury and taxpayer with huge bills.The OBR pads the figures with bad news, usually exaggerating the future deficit and borrowing and acting as a shop steward for more public sector spending. It ignores the productivity collapse in the public sector and assumes all the current spending is worthwhile.     The Chancellor needs to cut through all this unhelpful policy and commentary. It is not money well spent to send the Bank of England ÂŁ34 bn so far this year to pay for their losses. They should stop selling the bonds they bought so badly at a loss and hold them to redemption. They should copy ECB policy on the payment of interest on commercial bank reserves to curb the running losses on their ill judged portfolio.     He should demand more care with quango and nationalised industry spending. Why are Post Office managers paid so much for losing the state a small fortune and for treating their sub postmasters so badly? Why do the railways need ÂŁ12bn a year of subsidy when they run so many near empty trains that people do not want to use, and fail to run trains people do want because they cannot get on with their staff? Why do large projects like HS 2 and the nuclear plants overrun so badly?      He should speed up and intensify the work he has asked the Chief Secretary and Cabinet Office Minister to do to win back the big losses of productivity in public services. There is around a ÂŁ30bn extra cost to deliver the same things as in 2019 before allowing for all the extra costs of inflation on top. Where is the stop to all external recruitment into the civil service and administration of other public services to start winning  back lost productivity? Why has the explosion of managers and Directors in the public sector resulted in so much worse productivity?      He needs to review value for money and desirability of the various policies for net zero. ÂŁ20 bn for carbon capture and storage is a huge sum. This idea should be largely financed by the private sector with limited and phased taxpayer money. The Government car service has one third of its fleet now as electric cars, which cost 18% more than the ICE cars they would otherwise have bought. Is this value for money? Why can’t the government concentrate its net zero spend on obvious wins like proper insulation and controls on heating and lighting in its vast public estate? Spend to save money as well as cut energy use would be a win win.
       Labour tells us we need more nationalisation, starting with the railways. As they are largely nationalised already they see a way to do this without having to compensate existing owners. Which features of nationalised HS 2 management does Labour think would help with the rest of the railway? Or is it the Post Office model of computerisation and treating staff that appeals?
      Armed with better cost controls and an attack on some  of these areas of needless spending Chancellor and PM could show how you get more public service for less cost under Conservatives. That would mean money left over  for tax cuts to boost living standards and make it more worthwhile working. That is what all these reluctant Conservatives want.
February 11, 2024
Nothing is real today, even the economy. Pumped up by QE, public projects and dodgy data, it’s a mere mirage. We’re seeing an assault on reality itself to maintain and expand the grip of the leaches that control our world and replace it with a woke narrative of lies, hate and destructive intent
I ignore Tory nonsense if they’re not prepared to do what is necessary and blow apart the repulsive status quo that seeks nothing less than the total destruction of all our moral world and its replacement with a world seeped in racist ideology. Mao would be proud of the British governing class and its political class
February 11, 2024
Cutting net migration by 300,000, what a joke, that still leaves it at about half a million annually.
No thanks. Enough is enough.
February 11, 2024
No Ian, 3.5 million gross over two years. The govt does not know or control who leaves the country. Those leaving based on an unreliable estimated figure. This cuts the figure to about 900,000 each year!! The Tory party want and choose 900,000 legal immigration each year of whom 2,700 are the golden visas- the brightest and best! The rest low paid welfare claimant dross.
No amount of house building or increase in public services could keep up with this massive unwanted number. It is gargantuan. Tory party mass immigration policy clearly aimed at destroying our way of life, nation state and culture. This should now be obvious to everyone against their repeated lies to get elected.
Those here are not integrating with their alien cultures, not speaking English and openly state if their daughters become to westernised will be sent home. Think about that. Why is it not classed as their home and why have they come here if they do not like our language or western way of living?
February 11, 2024
It is interesting to read the comments on Conservative Home – a change from the regular posts on here.
I do note there are now less comments from the Gauke fans over there than had previously been the case.
February 11, 2024
Good to read Russia economy growing more than any of the G7! Those non sanctions must be biting! EU buying 30% more LNG and the inter connectors to UK mean we are funding both sides of the war! Great thinking Snake/Hunt,
February 12, 2024
Russiaâs economy is growing only because of vast Govât stimulus via defence spending. A collapsing exchange rate and interest rates of 12% tell the tale. Russia is also having to sell oil and gas at a big discount because of sanctions.
But, it is true that the average man may be little affected as yet because Russia is self sufficient in food and fuel, those two necessities of life.
February 11, 2024
Triple it and we might get somewhere.
February 11, 2024
I see the Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland First Minister has declared she wants to develop a ‘partnership of peace’ with Hamas. This act of provocation and an endorsement of Iran’s terrorist on the mainland of the UK has never been seen before and England will be expected to finance this threat. What an utterly preposterous and dangerous situation the British PM has led us all into
You have to sink to your knees and weep at the ignorance and dereliction of duty by the Tory party
February 11, 2024
Indeed how long before Labour cave in to Muslim groups in the UK as Major did to Sinn Fein.
Former British soldier to be prosecuted in 1972 ‘Troubles’ killing in Northern Ireland
Unnamed ex-soldier accused of fatally shooting Patrick McVeigh in Belfast
This is over 50 years ago what is to be gained by this insanity!
February 11, 2024
Blair and Major!
February 11, 2024
Why is the British pm responsible for these foolish statements by Sinn Fein?
February 11, 2024
From what I can make outâŠmight be totally wrongâŠ
She is looking to the next election. And to international support for unification.
Much grass roots anti Israel sentiment so she has had to shift away from the US ( who helped Sinn Fein discard its IRA connotations)
Sinn Fein has a long history of PLO support.
Remember Adamâs scarf?
But her position seems difficult in that she also supports the victims of Oct 7th.
Funny about all the cruel bloodshed, convenient famine, expulsions and replacements in Ireland over the centuriesâŠour âeliteâ trying to make sure that Ireland posed no threat to the U.K.
How about a united Sinn Fein Ireland?
After all that wasted effort, death, destruction, sufferingâŠthe usual stuff.
February 11, 2024
*Adamsâ
February 11, 2024
You say the government’s EV fleet costs 18% more but not only that it will be paying less tax back in on fuel and other charges and the vehicles will be less flexible on range and will have to hang about recharging (doubtless with driver hanging around on full pay. Keeping older vehicles for longer usually costs less than half the cost of new EVs. Not only that but causing a new EV to be built increases CO2 too.
The way to win the next election is ditch net zero fully, cut government waste, cut taxes, stop almost all immigration (we have had 750k net last year more than enough for 10 years), a bonfire of red tape, cut the size of government… the complete opposite of the Sunak/Starmer agenda.
Three of the Prime Ministerâs own five pledges are to lower the debts, halve inflation and grow the economy. Sure but he has failed on all his pledges other than inflation (inflation that he caused to go up to 12% in the first place with his net zero, QU, currency debasement, lockdowns, furlough, corrupt Covid loans
It is the right emphasis but is not being delivered they are not trying.
February 11, 2024
Also tackle real crimes with some real deterrents – again not something the police, justice system or this government seem remotely interested in doing.
February 11, 2024
I see that the PM is trumpeting ânewâ laws/police powers that will enable them to stop trouble at demos.
What??
February 11, 2024
They have existing laws, but choose to ignore them or apply them absurdly selectively.
February 11, 2024
“The way to win the next election is ditch net zero fully, cut government waste, cut taxes, stop almost all immigration (we have had 750k net last year more than enough for 10 years), a bonfire of red tape, cut the size of government⊔
All true LL but even if they pledge to do these things, we know that Tories tell lies and cannot be trusted. The only way to possiblty guarantee the above is to vote Reform into a position of power.
February 11, 2024
Indeed read their last few manifestos âto the tens of thousandâ, âtax cutsâ, âlaw and orderâ⊠or Sunakâs five pledges and you will not believe anything they promise ever again.
February 11, 2024
Sunak and Hunt should also stop lying about their tax cut (actually an NI cut but of far less than fiscal drag is putting taxes up – we can all see this.
Perhaps if we paid taxes at 22% of our income as Sunak does we might be rather happier. Someone on an average wage of ÂŁ34K pays about ÂŁ12K in tax and national insurance (both types) over 1/3. Plus many of their cost of working (commuting costs and parking at work) are not even tax allowable making the real rate even higher still. Needless to say Rishi’s commuting costs are paid tax free on expenses and he gets free parking everywhere and cars, jets, helicopters plus their drivers on expenses too.
What proportion of Sunak’s gains were due to big pharma and their net harm Covid Vaccines coerced into people with zero need for then even had they been safe or effective?
Reply Sunak pays Income tax at the same rates as the rest of us. His investment that delivered him gains are in a blind trust so we and he do not know what made him the money
February 11, 2024
To reply:- Sunak almost (see below) pays “income tax” at the same rate but gains are at 20% & most people do not have circa 80% of their income as investment gains. Also he gets free parking at work and his commuting costs are all also paid & tax free on expenses.
A junior doctor (and most other employees) on say ÂŁ34K in London have to pay to park at work and for commuting and it is not even tax allowable so they do actually end up paying income tax and NI at effectively higher rates in effect on their income after costs of working. Nor do they get subsidised bars, restaurants and creches.
February 11, 2024
Or subsidised housing. I would rather see my taxes pay towards front line workersâ accommodation in London than our self serving MPs. Also, Junior Doctors (England only) are paying an extra 9% of their incomes on student debt. Itâs a disgrace Junior Doctors have to pay to park to save peopleâs lives (again England only) Compare that to some MPs who are even sticking their parking fines on their expenses. No wonder they are leaving in their droves.
Reply MPs like Drs pay for their own home. Like most employees MPs when having to stay away from home for work get sone of the costs covered on expenses.
February 11, 2024
Reply to reply: âsome of the costsâ? Pull the other one. MPs expenses scandal proved most of t.hem were covering more than some of the cost.
Reply The replacement scheme does not let you reclaim all your costs.
February 12, 2024
Your calculations are incorrect. On 34,000 the paye worker pays 34,000 – 12570 = 21430 x 30% (20% tax 10% NI) = ÂŁ6429 tax and NI. If they are a plan 2 student they then pay 9% on the amount over 27,275 = 6705 x 9% = 603.45.
None Grad pays 6429/34000 19%.
Grad pays 7032.45/34000 21%.
There is also a 5% workplace pension which will provide a very poor reward in comparison to public sector pension workers whose contribute with give them quadruple and Starmer wants to make that even more for your doctor friend.
February 11, 2024
To afford tax cuts is simple kill all the essentially parasitic jobs in the state sector and in the private sector in compliance about 50% are essentially pointless or parasitic doing positive harm.
To afford tax cuts we need to:-
1. Ditch net zero and go for cheap reliable on demand energy.
2. Have a bonfire of red tape, ditch the equality, diversity and inclusion drivel.
3. Halve the size of the state.
4. Stop paying health people not to work and make work pay.
5. Stop rigging markets in health care, education, energy, banking, broadcasting (sell off the dire propaganda outfit the BBC)
6. Ditch the evil Ofcom that did so much to push lies about net harm Covid Vaccines.
7. Cut and simplify taxes – tax lawyers and tax advisors are not really productive workers.
8. Kill the rest of HS2
9. Ditch carbon capture and the war on plant food a bit more is a net good anyway.
10 Drill, frack and mine for coal.
11. Continue with UK steel production where competitive (with this cheaper energy)
12. Fire Bailey and 90% of the fools at the BoE.
13. Stop the migrants and stop putting then in “free” accommodation needed for UK tax payers.
14. Kill all the soft loans (often ending up as grants) for worthless degrees as about 75% are.
Reply Any idea how?
February 11, 2024
To reply – Not easy in the few months you have left having wasted 13+ years rowing in the wrong direction.
I meant fire Andrew Bailey and all the 90% fools at the BoE and retain the circa 10% of sensible people there. I know one of them so there surely must be a few more.
February 11, 2024
Reply to reply.
Any idea how? Therein lies your partyâs utter lack of governance, inspiration, aspiration or strategic thinking. Even you should be embarrassed by your clueless answer.
Act as a Conservative Party.
Grow a pair of balls.
Make the civil service do as asked or be fired, how? Change their employment status back to what is was so you do not make massive pay outs to get rid of them. Rycroft should be gone by now under any reasonable standard of performance.
February 11, 2024
Rather a rude comment. Mr Redwood is not in government and is asking Mr Lifelogic for practical suggestions. It’s easy to rail against the government, much harder to make recommendations that have some likelihood of success.
February 11, 2024
Rather a rude comment but a comment which reflects the way many ex-Tory voters feel.
For example, the incumbents should never have fired Truss and then have the media brief against her. It makes you think that the governments dreadful performance is intentional.
It seems it is the public sector and international global bodies that run our country, not the government.
February 11, 2024
I do not blame JR at all he is one of the circa 50 sensible Tory MPs, the problem is most Tory MPs and the current leader and Cameron are deluded net zero lovers and Libdems and socialists in essence.
February 11, 2024
Lifelogic
you are getting so carried away that your proposals are unfortunately so unrealistic that they are not possible
February 11, 2024
To reply;- Any idea how?
Well rather impossible with the globalist, socialist & “believer” in the new zero religion (for others not himself) Rishi Sunak in charge. The man who caused the 12% inflation (currency debasement) and economic damage as Chancellor.
Very clever of Sunak to blame it on Truss/Kwasi they were just the last straw that finally triggered it to fall. Even Labour have fallen for the idea it was all Truss and her tiny few days in office.
February 11, 2024
Reply to reply : How? By passing laws that effect those changes. That is what MPs are there for.
February 11, 2024
Not easly to pass laws to reverse net zero when 90% of our scientifically ignorant & deluded MPs are believers in this mad religion or are on the make and just pretend they do.
February 11, 2024
@R.Grange – We have a UK Legislator the refuses to legislate for and on behalf of the UK that has empowered and pays them. Any law that is on the UK statute that wasn’t created by our legislators, cant be amended or repealed by them, is a law that it and its supporters refuse the basic principle of a Democracy.
February 11, 2024
Reply to reply.
Sir John – You seem to be confirming that the Not-a-Conservative-Party is either incapable or unwilling to do what Lifelogic suggests. What was that 80 seat majority (now down to about 65 seats) for if your Party is either incapable or unwilling to do what is necessary.
No.6 Ditch Ofcom. Just do it; a one-page Statutory Instrument will do the job.
February 11, 2024
Donna,
I find JRs reply astonishing. Totally clueless. Even though he previously gave his govt advice to cut taxes and act like conservatives! Start culling 90,000 civil servant jobs, stop hiring former Labour ministers and advisors to quangos who rule âŠgovt. ONS and OBR full of them. Guido gave them a clue. Simon Stevens a Blaire health advisor allowed to run and direct the NHS left wing agenda for years!!
Cameron appointed many former Labour ministers!
Reply I am making the point in my reply that the long list of things to do is not feasible. I set out here actions that can be done to improve outcomes.
February 11, 2024
Yes, but your party and govt.âs have wasted 14 years. Instead of reversing what Blaire did, your party built on it and hired his former ministers to champion those goals!!
Therefore to claim Labour would be worse is utter fallacy when hiring Blaireâs ministers instead of former or then current Tory politicians!
February 11, 2024
Another four off the majority after Thursday next week too.
February 11, 2024
How…..Easy, put a real conservative in No.10 who has the spine, character and strength to do these things. Most were on your manifesto. Bunter Johnson was given the power by the electorate, but failed.
Question: Will absolute total government debt rise or fall in 23/24 from 22/23? That’s your yardstick for prudent fiscal management in a period of extortionately high taxation.
February 11, 2024
Yes! With the power of the pen!
We all know that Nut Zero is a fraud, stop that and a lot of saving fall into place.
February 11, 2024
“Reply Any idea how?”
The voters who wish to enact these policies, and I would include the ending of mass immigration, should wake up and realise that any vote for any of the existing Parliamentary parties will be taken by them as a mandate to continue with Net Zero, mass immigration, high spend and tax policies etc etc..
Should such a Government come to exist then it will need to use referendums to overcome the refusal to implements its laws which will come from the Civil Service and judiciary amongst others.
February 11, 2024
Reply to reply:
If Sir John doesn’t know how to do something, he doesn’t think it’s worth seeking or demanding. Wouldn’t do, would it, to upset the party and colleagues.
February 11, 2024
@Reply – It is actually simple, if we had a ‘Conservative’ Government there would be control on all expenditure. Government wouldn’t be involved in day-to-day hands on doing just for the ego and glory, all services would be Contracted out. Fail to deliver on a Contract – loose contract. That is how you privatize enterprises that have no market place competition. Then stop giving money to those industries that are immune from completion in their home markets, that are not restricted to the NetZero constraints imposed by this Conservative Government
February 11, 2024
Apparently, there is still a “special relationship” betweeen America and the United Kingdom. At a poorly attended campaign rally in South Carolina yesterday, Mr Trump stated in plain language that he would “encourage” Putin’s Russia to attack NATO countries that were not spending what he thought was sufficient on defence. He has previously stated – and demanded that plans be prepared – that America should withdraw from NATO. These statements are extremely concerning to a country such as ourselves who has spent 14 years cutting defence to the bone – and who rely on American suport to deter Putin
February 11, 2024
Yeah! but most of what comes out of Trumps mouth is infantile nonsense. Whereas Bidens is geriatric nonsense. It’s a bit of a worry innit !!
February 11, 2024
If Trumps gets these countries to invest more in defence (as was his clear intention) he will have done those countries and the word a great service. A shame Germany and the EU did not listen to Trump when he warned them, very clearly indeed, of the obvious dangers of becoming too dependent on Russian gas and oil!
February 11, 2024
Did Trump say he would encourage Russia to do whatever they want, or was he referring to NATO under-payers as the âthemâ?: Telling them to do whatever they want, such as pay more or defend themselves.
February 11, 2024
@ Sakara Gold – should America withdraw from NATO we should too – and rejoice that it would be a good way of keeping us out of future wars, itself by far the best option. We are surely done with pulling others’ chestnuts out of the fire.
February 11, 2024
The thinking with Donald Trump is that if these under-contributing countries believe him just 5%, that’s enough for them to focus on stepping up.
February 11, 2024
Too many have not stepped up at all in the special naval operation in the Red Sea to curb the Houthis.
February 11, 2024
Sakara
Afraid the whole of Europe depends upon the USA for defence, that is the real problem, I am no supporter of Trump, but he is right in saying many have not made sufficient contribution to NATO in the past, but still expect the USA to fight for their survival.
Afraid many politicians do not like hard facts when they are presented to them.
The World at the moment is in a dangerous place, and what are we doing, cutting our armed forces !.
February 11, 2024
What he actually said SG, was that he “once told” a senior Politician (from a NATO ally) that he would not defend an ally would did not meet their NATO spending commitments. Admittedly, he also told them that he would ‘encourage’ an attack but it was in effect a ‘negotiation’. I often used to exagerate things (just a bit) when negotiating – after all, I wanted the best result possible. Trump is a businessman and will understand the basics of negotiatation very well.
Perhaps he was also just really annoyed that everyone in the room was effectively having a free ride at the expense of American taxpayer. The US effectively delivers 69% of all NATO spending. If I was a US President looking at Europe and their lack lustre military investment, I would be wondering why I’d come all the way across the Atlantic to defend us too. Trump was talking to American voters yesterday (not German, French or British ones) many of whom are having a tough time at the moment. Don’t you think ordinary Americans are wondering why should they pay (and possibly die) to defend Europe, when all the evidence is that Europe seems unwilling to defend itself?
And who knows who he told this to? Maybe, it was a certain German Chancellor, whose staff laughed openly at President Trump when he told them that they couldn’t rely on Russian gas. Well, they are not laughing now, are they?
Trump may be many things but I very much doubt he’s a fool and he knows US voters. I’m sure we can rely on America but we certainly shouldn’t take their goodwill for granted as we currently do…
February 11, 2024
It is special – what other country jumps to state we agree with the US before the ink has dried or the casualties have been taken to the morgue – that is if the place can support a morgue.
February 11, 2024
The problem with grid capacity and heat pumps is even worse than I had indicated the other day.
A house with gas (or oil/coal/wood) heating, hot water and cooking might only use about 1/20 of the electricity as one with heat pumps and EV car(s) on average. But worse still of the large heat pump demand circa 80% will be in needed only for a few very cold winter weeks. So the grid and generators will have to cope with this peak demand when for the rest of the year demand will be less than 10% of this. So you need massive grid and generating capacity improvements that will largely not be used 80% of the year. When you look at the costs and engineers we have available to do this work it is clearly not going to happen for very many years if ever. The investment makes no sense environmentally or economically. Heat pumps anyway cost more to run as electricity cost far more than gas – so even with typical CoP amplification factors they make very little sense.
Then at the supply end you get a similar issues you connection up an array of wind farms or solar farms with capacity to carry their max output but on average only carry 20% of this all year so very costly per KWH delivered. Total insanity.
February 11, 2024
@Lifelogic – why is energy costs in the UK up-to 50% dearer than that in the Countries we are competing with. This government is selling the ‘heat pump’ to the nation as being at zero cost. Is that a lie?
February 11, 2024
Yes get fracking, drilling, mining we cannot compete with energy costs double+ those of the USA.
February 11, 2024
LL :
Youâre assuming, quite wrongly, that the Net Zero plan is to transition domestic heating to heat pumps and private transport to evs. They already know it doesnât make sense and is impossible both financially and in engineering/manpower capabilities.
Instead the idea is for demand to be made to match the chaotically intermittent supply with demand destruction aka demand side response (DSR) using smart meters as no plan exists for any grid-scale electricity storage.
So the âNet Zeroâ of the âNet Zero Strategyâ refers to the amount of heating and transport that will be available when the wind doesnât blow and the sun doesnât shine (dunkelflaute).
This net zeroing will also help to reduce CO2 emissions, so a win-win.
February 11, 2024
LL for PM.
Reply to reply. Vote LibLabCon out of power, but it may be too late!
February 11, 2024
Why canât the government concentrate its net zero spend on obvious wins like proper insulation and controls on heating and lighting in its vast public estate? Well not their money what do they care? They still fly aroung on private jets and in first call so they clearly do not give a damn about saving energy or CO2.
Some insulation can make economic sense but a lots cost far more than it will ever save. In older homes where many people can only afford to heat one room anyway there is no point in insulating the whole house just the warm room. Much insulation will never pay for itself as interest on the money borrowed (or loss of investment return) to do the insulation plus depreciation exceeds all the energy savings.
February 11, 2024
@Lifelogic – you seem to be suggesting that those that have stolen our money, stolen the Country have applied thought and reasoning beyond the practice of stroking self-esteem, electioneering of signaling of a virtu,e to have what comes out of their mouths make any practical sense.
February 11, 2024
LL,
Ten out of twenty three posts today. You should have thrown in a couple more and breached the 50% mark.
Maybe a Covid one, or âxxx is surely right in todayâs Telegraphâ. The usual rawmaish would get you over the line.
February 11, 2024
Can you tell rishi that his sponsored Facebook ads just make him look like the vacous low performing salesman he is.
Thanks
From an NHS hospital where major operations are being carried out at the beds in the wards because there isn’t enough theatre capacity, with far more primative instruments, causing the patients far more pain, more like battlefield surgery than anything you expect in a developed country hospital.
An NHS where locum GP’s are unemployed as they have been replaced by PA’s who simply cannot distinguish between the serious and the trivial. Where unqualified people in 111 are doing triage based on far too simplistic scripts and sending seriously ill people to already overworked pharmacists.
Where paramedics and nurses are fraudulently pretending to be GP’s .
Too much demand, not enough capacity, and instead of proper triage at the front door, we have first come first served, where massive resources are wasted on trivia, people with serious conditions are discouraged from being checked, and services are just cut off for the day when they run out.
Communist nirvana, where VIP’s jump the queue.
February 11, 2024
âthe vacuous low performing salesman he isâ and a rather dishonest or bent(?) salesman too. He and Hunt have not even started cutting taxes yet – they are still increasing them very significantly. He as Chancellor caused the currency debasement 12% inflation with QE, the net zero religion, the currency debasement and the idiotic covid policies lockdowns, furlough and net harm vaccines even for people with no need of them even had they been safe and effective. He even drummed Andrew Bridgen out of the party for the crime of daring to tell the clear truth on vaccine dammage. He claims to want to cut immigration but has deliver 750k of just ânetâ immigration in just one year – mainly legal immigration he could stop very easily if he wanted to.
Sunak also blames the NHS still increasing waiting list on the junior doctors strike. My relative (who is not striking) a junior doctor gets ÂŁ26k take home in London rent on a small room in a shared flat is ÂŁ12k student debt interest ÂŁ7k, gas, elec, water, commuting costs, council tax leaves him a negative sum for food, drink, fun, clothing, washing powder, tooth paste, prof. fees, lunches⊠they are simply not paid enough to live on without parental help or further debt – so can you and that silly Health Sec. under training a lawyer paid ÂŁ160k PA not see this? Why perhaps do you think they are on strike? Boat people a d people on benefits get more disposable income!
February 11, 2024
The NHS needs proper front door triage by docs and nurses, not 111 call centre scripts and GP receptionists.
It needs training places to be given to actual doctors, and not pretend PA non doctors. It needs to be run like a Vietnam field hospital, not like a gay nightclub.
February 12, 2024
Your maths doesn’t stack up. Paying ÂŁ7k of student debt interest at 9% requires ÂŁ77,777.78 of income on which student loan interest is being charged. To be paying that much means an income of around ÂŁ100k, and someone on that much doesn’t take home just ÂŁ26k.
February 11, 2024
@Iain gill – you forget that Rishi doesn’t know what the NHS is beyond the acronym
February 11, 2024
It’s surgeons we need and enough theatre space and post-op wards.
February 11, 2024
The case I know about had 2 surgeons doing the op at the bed in the ward as there was no theatre capacity. You cannot knock the surgeons for carrying on saving a life regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in. The NHS drive to replace anesthesiologists with AA’s is even more dangerous than no theatre space, 2 years training which nobody ever fails cannot compete with proper medical degree and post grad specialist training which many do fall. Do you really want your family to be having all their vital functions controlled by an AA?
Madness sheer madness.
February 11, 2024
HMG has maxed out on tax. This reduces the ability of the majority of the population to play a part in the economy. They cannot buy things.
HMG must stop spending on vanity projects, must drastically reduce the numbers it employs and cut back its interference in peoples lives. We suffer too much government. It should concentrate on core activity because defence has been neglected and policing has become so ineffective such that crime is possibly our only growth industry.
We have power/energy resources, use them, but under a business plan that gives us cheap energy, a la USA, and removes the need to financially bail out swathes of the population and industrial high end users. Stop subsidising the EV industry that few buy into and incentivise the car industry via tax to come up with marketable alternatives. EVs are not marketable on many grounds.
Stop legal and illegal migration, reducing it to those whose life is threatened. Currently it costs us a fortune , adds markedly to our dying infrastructure, and is fast destroying the culture and values of the United Kingdom.
Conduct a war on woke, an open insult against what the UK has and currently represents. Yesterday I drove through our racist colonial countryside enjoying an excellent lunch served by a professional mix of colours. What a load of crap our unemployables talk when given modest power and a platform. In passing I would commend our farmers for keeping the countryside so orderly. Get residual EU off their backs with rewilding nonesense and give them every incentive to produce good quality food, while curbing supermarket avarice.
None of the above comes remotely near consocialist agenda and thinking. By writing to the Conservative electorate you give the commendable views of SJR. Those who support such views can only abstain or vote Reform, such is logic applied to their decision making.
February 11, 2024
agricola:
One budget is not enough to turn against the immense weight of 10-14 years of heavy wrongdoing in government.
Absence of anything better results in voters being corralled into the Reform Party as their only source of credible better intent and policies worthy of support.
Reformâs preparations are steadily gathering higher power capability. Perhaps 20 or more Conservative MPs will suddenly âdefectâ and join them at a crucial moment unexpectedly. The irony is, there would be no âdefectâ in Reform: It would be near perfect for victories.
February 11, 2024
I’d vote for you AG đ
In practice, i’m going to vote for Sir John (even though I’m not enamoured with his Party). Therein lies the problem. Successive ‘Conservative’ governments have been very far from Conservative in nature and much more Liberal in practice. I’ve resigned myself to having the chameleon Starmer as PM and watching our country driven further into the ground in the name of Net Zero and other wealth destroying beliefs. The Conservative Party will convince itself that they have to move further to the left to regain power and in doing so will further alienate it’s traditional support. I’m not sure they will vote Reform though. I think it much more likely that they will simply abstain.
February 11, 2024
agricola : “Stop legal and illegal migration, reducing it to those whose life is threatened.”
It is nonsense to accept into the UK all the masses of illegal male (90% +) âasylum seekersâ coming from deeply misogynistic countries where it is the women who really have a claim to live in a country where their life is threatened. They should all be returned to their home countries. If theyâve converted to Justin Welbyâs theology they can easily revert back on the flight back home.
February 11, 2024
In the 2019 Manifesto the Government didn’t promise to cut legal immigration by 330,000. It promised to reduce immigration from what was then the already unacceptable 250,000 pa. And that was after Cameron had promised to reduce it to the tens of thousands.
Sunak has NO mandate. His claim to PM legitimacy is that he will deliver the 2019 Manifesto. So he should be aiming to deliver a reduction in legal immigration below the 250,000 level (or better still back to the tens of thousands).
A reduction by 330,000 means 900,000 legal immigrants in one year – a city almost as big as Birmingham.
NO DEAL. NO VOTE.
February 11, 2024
219,000 was the figure and that was above the tens of thousands previously announced. Osborne helpfully told us no one was serious in private. This confirmed JRs party was deliberately ly8ng to get elected.
February 11, 2024
@Donna +1
There is an answer, that is to search through the Party’s MP’s find which ones are Conservatives, instantly all those that have had ministerial positions with collective responsibility in the last 14 years should be excluded. We are still held back by the Boris Johnson collective responsibility of non-Conservatives. Then preferably choose the least experienced and anoint them as PM. That would create a sure fire winner at the election, otherwise they all have to go, we get a couple of terms of purgatory before there is any chance of getting back on track.
Would any of the alternatives be as bad, worse – how could they be,one Socialist for another is not a choice
February 11, 2024
Ian B :
Just stop voting for any existing Parliamentary party.
February 11, 2024
We know from a whistleblower from within the Home Office that interview times for asylum applications have been drastically cut with approval rates soaring. For every successful applicant, they can bring their family into the UK.
From the GOV.UK site:
Family reunion
Your partner or child may be able to join or stay with you in the UK if:
âą you were part of a family before you were forced to leave your country
âą you have protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection)
Thereâs no fee for applying for family reunion for eligible family members.
How will this impact the immigration numbers and the cost to the taxpayer?
February 11, 2024
Christine.
I think you will find that this has always been the case, hence the real immigration figures are a farce and why so many come here legally, they are the illegals families, what a sick joke of a Government/Country we have !
February 11, 2024
You say the 1997-2010 government ran out of money, but isn’t that what governments are supposed to do? Only collect what is needed and spend it all.
You also mention the government creating 800 jobs a day since 2010. How much of that was bloating of the public sector? When it comes to the private sector, that is down to individuals and their initiative, despite the barriers government puts up. We started our business in 1997, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to start a business with a view to employ anyone now. As if the burden of bureaucracy wasn’t heavy enough, we now have the ridiculous situation of the Equality Act where the employer is held vicariously liable for stupid behaviour of his staff, whilst at the same time supposed to detect the wrongdoing that creates the liability. Totally bonkers.
February 11, 2024
@ Dave Andrews “Only collect what is needed…” – once again Sir Humphrey Appleby has explained, that the Treasury “pitch for as much as they think they can get away with and then think what to spend it on”.
February 11, 2024
@Dave Andrews – its not about controlling spend, managing the economy. It is now about how big can you get the State, build Civil Service Empires and just generally waste money. They are all hiding behind the enforced discrimination act, using it to create a divide( a slap in the face, a disingenuous kick in the teeth for the great majority of always engaged human beings) and build taxpayer funded empires. A Conservative Government that has created a divide where one never existed all for a very expensive taxpayer funded ‘virtue signal’
February 11, 2024
Firstly apologies for the length of this post.
The problem with all political party’s over the years is simply a failure to be truthful.
They all make promises to the electorate which sound good at the time, but are unrealistic, have no idea how much they may cost, or even how they will start to deliver on those promises.
They then dress up those unrealistic promises with further so called progress reports, that we later find out contain dodgy figures on both cost, timescale, and so called real progress.
Over 10 years ago we were promised Immigration would be reduced to tens of thousands !
Result, Millions more have arrived.
In 2010 when the Labour Government ran out of money (not for the first time) the Conservatives/Libdems were elected on a, trust us with the money and economy promise.
Result we are now 3 times more in debt than we were then.
in 2016 the population voted for Brexit.
Result, the majority of MP’s in all Parties deliberately frustrated the process for years, and failed to deliver a sensible and workable result.
Trust the Conservative on Tax has been the narrative for years.
Result, we now have the highest taxation for 70 years.
All parties suggest they will keep costs of the State under control.
Result, Quangos and Civil service numbers have increased massively, whilst the service it provides/oversees, simply gets worse.
All Parties say, Defence and Law and Order are our priority.
Result, our armed forces have been massively reduced in numbers, so have the Police in reality, when compared to the population increase, and the Justice system appears to be in chaos.
Failure, after failure, after failure.
Then we still get from all Party’s “TRUST US”
REALLY ?
February 11, 2024
@Berkshire Alan +1
You nailed it, there is no Conservative Party (that label is a miss-representation) . The Voter has been left with which extreme left wing Socialist Party will you vote for
February 11, 2024
Wellingborough-by-election odds with odds-checker
Labour 1/12
Reform 12/1
Tory 16/1
LibDem 250/1
Green 500/1
February 11, 2024
glen cullen :
When are the Tories going to step down/aside to stop splitting the vote/taking votes away from Reform?
February 11, 2024
It would appear that the bookmakers and the people donât like the tories anymore âŠand they definitely donât like the greens
February 11, 2024
Kingswood-by-election 15th Feb, odds with odds-checker
Labour 1/10
Tory 9/1
Reform 11/1
LibDem 100/1
Green 250/1
Rochdale-by-election 29th Feb, odds with odds-checker
Labour 1/3
Workers 2/1
Tory 33/1
Reform 40/1
LibDem 100/1
Green 200/1
February 11, 2024
â they want the government to do what it promised and what they expect Conservative governments to do.â
This is so true John but only one problem, we donât have anything anywhere near resembling a Conservative Government so it isnât going to happen. You are in the wrong party John. Most of your colleagues, Sunak and Hunt included, are wet out of touch Liberals who have no intention of doing what you suggest and which many of us want. Which is why this life long Tory voter will be voting Reform.
February 11, 2024
Messrs Sunak and Hunt will continue with their managed decline policies as neither has the motivation to do otherwise: before long Sunak will probably be living abroad (some say USA but it would be Singapore if I was in his shoes), and Hunt is firmly on track for a comfortable retirement with one or two non exec directorships. Net Zero is here to stay and illusory tax cuts will fool no one.
February 11, 2024
MPC :
I expect messrs Sunak and Hunt will both be leaving the UK to avoid Net Zero.
February 11, 2024
HMG know very well what they should be doing – so why are they pursuing policies that are opposite of what we need?
There is no energy shortage, only a bewildering reluctance to use what we have.
There is also no water shortage – just mismanagement, and a desire to put controls on what resources we use, for no good reason.
HMG are constantly pushing meters on resources so that they can limit our usage. That is quite clear but still they deceive us with other reasoning that doesn’t add up.
There is no need to tax us all into the ground if they stopped spending and wasting our money on nefarious activities. They can’t even budget.
Does anyone really believe the Chancellor when he says we can’t afford tax cuts – only idiots that cannot see through the deception.
February 11, 2024
Could I also make a plea for some basic level of training for ministers whose job it is to be on the airwaves trying to stop the heavy defeat weâre currently looking at? The other day Laura trott, chief secretary to the treasury – which means sheâs in the cabinet I think? – was quite unable to respond to a most basic challenge from Evan Davis on the topic of the ratio of debt / gdp. How is this possible? It is her full time job to be on top of these kind of stats, the CFO of a company who came over so incompetently would be fired.
Reply Not true. She used public sector cum Bank of E and he used ex Bank of E.
February 11, 2024
Reply – Reply
“Not True” then why did she not correct the interviewer.
A simple, you are wrong because you are using old numbers from the BOE would have sufficed.
February 11, 2024
In the excerpt I heard – which wasnât the whole interview admittedly – that unfortunately was not made clear.
February 12, 2024
John, you wouldnât have got caught out like she did. The fact you are on the backbenches and Sunak and Boris before him chose people like Laura (very promising for the future Iâm sure but at the moment the wrong spokesperson for your party) shows him up as he gathers the wrong people around him.
February 11, 2024
I will not vote for this government as it is not a Conservative government.
I agree with your article, Sir John, except I do not want to “curb” immigration but rather would like to see it drastically cut.
The propaganda that is pumped our way suggests that immigration is some kind of unstoppable force. It is not. The government could stop immigration at any time.
February 12, 2024
Kenneth
Immigration needs to be completely stopped for 10 years whilst we think out, and then take a re-set with a completely new set of rules.
In the meantime those 10 years could be put to good use by training those we need from the existing population.
February 11, 2024
This govt has not done what it thinks is affordable but made reckless choices instead, causing widespread wasteful and dangerous lingering mess.
February 11, 2024
But all of this would require people at the top who believe in the principles of Conservatism, and are capable of promulgating them, two qualities almost totally absent from the Government front bench.
February 11, 2024
At best, what you describe as being needed is too little too late
February 11, 2024
Were the imprisonments and Ukraine really âshocksâ?
It seemed to me that the govt. rushed headlong into both disasters ( expensive in every possible way)
Both totally unnecessary and incredibly divisive.
Both with very long shadows.
February 11, 2024
We know, because you told us, what we ought to have had in the last couple of budgets but did not get from Chancellor Hunt, to the great disadvantage of us all. Now even should he abolish income tax it would not sway my vote in favour of sustaining this rotten government.
February 11, 2024
And in all that time you have failed to provide a basic dental service for everyone whilst chucking money away as if it were confetti.
February 11, 2024
I still plan to spoil my vote, the current Lib / Lab Conservative party needs to go as they can’t be trusted.
February 11, 2024
âReluctant Conservativesâ is a polite term for the people who are disillusioned and disappointed (to say the least) with the performance of so many of our parliamentary representatives. Itâs too late for them to make amends, they need to be and will be swept from office.
February 11, 2024
A demoralizing comment seen at breakfast,
A comment at the spectator:
It’s over folks. Even my quaint little coastal town is starting to change towards something resembling inner city gangsta land with groups of strange blokes hanging around in open areas. (I first witnessed this in Milan eight years ago. The Italians went about pretending it wasn’t happening but at least there were armed troops on every corner.)
And once it happens to you (and it will) the existence that you loved is gone forever. It is not a passing phase – it is your new perma-reality. Oh. You can try and run from it but having done this once already I can tell you that it is better to surrender to it or go mad. You can’t keep selling up and moving on from friends in some rootless fashion.
I will never forgive the Tories for this.
Never.
February 11, 2024
Lago
What you describe can be seen in very many areas I am afraid, but we cannot discuss it properly because it will upset some people, and you may be charged and taken to Court.
I see it is being reported/highlighted today by Ross Clarke, Sunday Mail, that the Whole of Englands Countryside is Racist, according to a recent study report .
How do these people get media and airtime, and who funds these so called one way studies, guarantee taxpayer money is somehow involved.
Why are we so fond of giving in to these minority views. and why if the Country is so bad, do these people stay and then try and make this Countryjust like the one they left behind !
February 11, 2024
Spot on mate. The woke Globalist virus is doing the same in Ireland. The nation we once knew and cherished has been deliberately and maliciously ripped apart in the pursuit of profit, control and power
We could all name names. I only hope I can survive long enough to witness those filth pass on before I do.
February 12, 2024
The Government is deliberately spreading “the enrichment” around the country.
It’s an extension of Blair’s deliberate policy of “rubbing the right’s nose in diversity” except now it’s “rubbing any remaining traditional British communities’ noses in diversity.”
February 11, 2024
My confidence would return if all of the points Sir John makes today became installed in a Government led by a Prime Minister who displayed a leadership that could and would win support ; such a leader would have to have a Cabinet with talent and down to earth experience ; as things stand I doubt that it can and will happen . The cries also for an untrustworthy Boris to return are nonsense ; we all know that leadership must be meaningful . The sun is struggling to emerge from months of gloom and despair .
February 11, 2024
So, with a reduction of 330,000 immigrants, 400,000 or 500,000 still remaining is acceptable to Sir John.
February 11, 2024
Just stop spending
February 12, 2024
They can’t!It’s a ponzi scheme.
February 11, 2024
Sir John
âformer Conservative voters refusing to commit to Conservatives againâ â Wrong these people are still Conservative, they havenât deserted the ideals of Conservatism. It is the other way around.
However, we have the situation that those in this Government, a pretend Conservative Government seem to believe in a BIG (massive) Controlling State, they believe that to give others hard earned money away like confetti is for them to do. This Shower (what else can you call them) have ramped up taxes and borrowing beyond all comprehension â the taxpayer sees zilch in return. All in all, the last 14 years have seen the Party in power renege on every manifesto, every pledge to gain power. How many more times will we be lied too?
It is the Governments of the last 14 years and the ones hogging todays limelight that have deserted the Countries Conservatives. The voters are not walking, they have been left high and dry, hostage to which Socialist ideology do you prefer â that is not a voting option.
February 11, 2024
Welcome to the Lifelogic blog.
February 11, 2024
The problem is that this “Conservative” government is no better at controlling public expenditure, currently running at 46% of GDP pa, than Labour would be. Every Wednesday at PMQs there is a pissing contest between Messrs Sunak and Starmer to demonstrate their ability to waste taxpayers’ money. Liz Truss lost her job because she promised unfunded tax cuts (and the BoE has attempted to blame her for high interest rates). The Sunak/Hunt unfunded public expenditure increases are by contrast approved of by our woke establishment, opposed only by Reform and approximately one third of the Conservative parliamentary Party.
The March budget is the last opportunity for the Conservative Party to reform itself by ACTION to reduce public expenditure (and taxes), followed by a manifesto offering more of the same. Otherwise I, a past chairmen of Hook Conservatives, plus circa 12% of the electorate, will vote Reform. Your MOVE – not just fine words on a blog site.
February 11, 2024
As a voter, my problem is, there are too many pseudo-Tories in the HoC and far too few true blues. The Labour Party, under pseudo-commie Starmer, thinks more of foreigners than his own electorate, and the wishy-washy flip-flopping Lib Dems, were always a waste of Parliamentary space. Our disowned local Tory MP has not had his local office open since lock down, so his seat will not go to his expected replacement.
Due to the disastrous decades of Government involving all three Parties, I can neither rely upon nor trust any of them, so I will be voting for the Reform candidate here who represents all the good things the Conservatives have abandoned.
With many of their candidates from the Brexit Party and the Conservatives of old, they are not going to be without experience.
February 11, 2024
Cost of Labour’s now watered down environmental policies = ÂŁ28 bn pa.
Cost further down the line on housing, schools, health care and infrastructure, from a population increase of 400,000 pa: 400,000 x Euro 250,000 = Euro 100 bn pa = ÂŁ85 bn pa, three times as much.
“Privatise the profits and socialise the losses”.
February 11, 2024
From the MsM
“Now bring Boris off the bench, Rishi. He’s your star striker”
then the comments – mainly negative.
The policies of Kim Jong-Johnson made the Conservative Party unpopular.
He’s a proven liar and incompetent.
BoJo is obviously campaigning behind the scenes who else would think he brought anything to the Country but 100% misery, lock-downs, high tax, high borrowing and a NetZero plan that is so bizarre its criminal.
One of the many reason the Tory Party is in a mess is that we still have the Boris Johnson collective responsibility cabinet destroying the country with his Socialist ideals. There is not a Conservative amongst them
February 11, 2024
The core Conservative voter wants growth and higher productivity and that is not achieved by cutting taxes at this stage in the cycle.
We need further investments in education, training and infrastructure, all items which have been neglected ,during more than a decade of Conservative rule to enable us to achieve more growth and productivity.
Our investments in infrastructure over the past 13 years has been half of what it is in most western European countries.
Reply We gave grown faster than most EU countries. Educational standards have risen well 5hanks to schools reforms.
February 12, 2024
Sir John,
Using censorship to hide the facts does not become you well
Reply I delete when a post contains wrong facts and figures that are the centre of the argument and do not have time to present and check the correct ones.
February 11, 2024
“The Chancellor needs to cut through all this unhelpful policy and commentary.” You mean Mr Tax rise when it not required, you mean that is borrowing like there is no tomorrow. You mean that is using fiscal drag so as to pretend to fund taking less money of the less fortunate than him. Then never forget his record on destroying the NHS as Health Secretory. He is a liability to anyone that believes in Conservatism.
February 11, 2024
Ian B
what an absolute load of nonsense we need the investments in education and infrastructure which have been neglected
February 11, 2024
“The big inflation was a blow delivered by the Bank of England” and the BoE’s ultimate bosses that have permitted this unchecked – Sunak/Hunt
February 11, 2024
Listening to Gove this morning, I felt like hurling a brick through the television !
He has hit the headlines by suggesting youngsters will abandon democracy if they cannot buy a home.
The real issue is that the Conservative party has allowed the numbers of migrants to go in completely the opposite direction to that wanted by a majority of voters. It is the rest of us who will be tempted to abandon democracy if politicians don’t start listening and acting in the way voters are demanding.
NHS waiting lists would not be running a the current levels, and we wouldn’t have a problem with the number of houses if the Conservative party ever had any intention of following their own policy. The 300,000 dwelling units Gove claimed that they have built since 2019 would have been enough had they not invited upwards of 1.5 million extra net migrants in over the same period. The party has broken every manifesto pledge on the subject since Cameron’s proposal to reduce net immigration to the tens of thousands !
A majority of us are already deeply angry that no political party is currently giving a cast-iron commitment to reduce net migration to an acceptable number. No, Sunak, a net 400,000 is still far too many!
February 12, 2024
+1
February 11, 2024
A lot rests on the budget.’
Just how much bribery will it take? How many promises delivered? How many alarm bells rung at voting the other lot in?
February 11, 2024
âThey recognise they need to curb migration, as the 2019 Manifesto promised and as the Prime Minister has pledged.â
2019 was 5 years ago and during that time the Conservatives have increased immigration massively to record levels so Iâm not sure what relevance you think the manifesto and Sunakâs âpledgesâ have ?
February 11, 2024
Seriously? How does letting in 400,000 INSTEAD of 700,000 make it easier to get waiting lists down?! What gibberish is this? You talk about this as an achievement! Itâs no good. Couldnât read any further. Blood pressure at boiling point.
February 11, 2024
Have the 15 criminals who stole the French fishing boat yesterday, been arrested to for immediate return to France to face French justice yet ?
February 12, 2024
Of course not. But I expect the boat has……and France had no issue with THAT being returned.
February 12, 2024
Good to see the retired army officers calling out the ridiculousness of the diversity, equally and inclusion agenda in the military.
The are correct we need to be pushing for a genuine meritocracy, we need to stop the open discrimination against white hetro working class males, or anyone who doesn’t buy into the lefty group think.
My main question is why the equivalent senior leadership in the NHS and in the civil service have not written similar letters.
February 12, 2024
Retired army officers aren’t the issue, its the current woke army officers being influenced by government policy & political correctness looking too their next career ….there was, in the last decade, only one female RAF officers who had the bottle to resign over policy
February 14, 2024
like promotes like, and if you have woke at the top it ripples up
February 12, 2024
Annual pay rises to slow for the first since the pandemic
Employersâ expectations of how much they will have to increase pay over the next year have fallen for the first time since 2020. Bosses in the private sector report they expect to increase pay by 4pc in 2024, down from 5pc.
Public sector workers will see a similar decline in wage growth, with bosses predicting wages will only rise 3pc – down from 5pc.
These bosses are absolutely kidding themselves, the minimum wage is going up by 10%, people are pushing for their differentials to be maintained. You canât pay a 21 year old ÂŁ23,795 (40 hour week) and expect the 32 year old next to them to take 3%-5%.
February 12, 2024
â Idle hands are the devils workshop â. The MoD clearly has too much time on its hands as well as too many hands judging by the number of woke committees they have been busy setting up. The uniformed numbers in our defence forces seem to have sunk to a new low but what about the suits ? What is the ratio of suits to uniforms ? how does this compare historically and how does this compare with other countries such as , say, the USA, France, and Australia ?
The MoD seems a good place to start looking at Civil Service over staffing.