It is often best to judge people by what they do rather than relying on what they say.This is certainly true of political parties, who often change their minds in office from their election promises.
I see at first hand what Lib Dem led Wokingham and Labour led Reading do. Both pursue a relentless vendetta against motorists, closing roads, Â narrowing roads, restricting junctions, imposing more rules and speed limits. Both are spendthrift, claiming they do not have enough government money.Both allow the growth of potholes.
Both put up parking charges and make access to their towns difficult for those coming by car. Both claim a shortage of money despite receiving substantial national grants.
Both put up Council tax by the maximum.
Devolved government in Wales and Scotland sends the same message. Labour in Wales and the SNP in Scotland preside over a slower growth rate than England. They concentrate on getting more national tax per head to spend than England, yet their public services are often worse and their economic performance poorer.
June 18, 2024
Certainly true of the Conservatives for the past 40 years Blair and Brown even worse. The problems with our electoral system is you often cannot judge what they will actually do until they are elected by then it is too late you are stuck with them.
Tories, Labour, LibDims, the Greens are all clearly tax to death, regulate to death, big state, net zero zealots, war on landlords, motorists, the self employed, small business⊠open door immigration legal and illegal people. Labour add the evil class war on private school users to it too.
Ditch the ÂŁtrillions net zero insanity now. For that we need a massive swing Reform. But they are the best chance now of avoiding labour MPs for most seats in England.
June 18, 2024
@Lifelogic +1, all demonstrating the doctrine of the Socialist hard-left. Its about personal-ego and a virtue-signal to pretend you are doing something. Meanwhile the centre ground of the UK, its people, the ones that create the wealth and money to stroke these egos get punished and punished hard. This Conservative Government have become the architects of terminal decline and the other sects want a part of the action
June 18, 2024
Tories built 22,000 houses where I used to live, an urban ghetto changing the nature of the area. No improvement in public services nearly impossible to get dentist or GP appointment and local children dispersed to schools far and wide. 34% social and affordable housing. No housing crisis mass immigration policy is the problem. Sunak told councils a few weeks ago to put up community charge to the maximum!
Perhaps your memory is failing you JR. Javid hiked community charge when we were promised a freeze! Your party in 2014 put some of the Environment Agencies work back to councils and councils allowed to add 3% to community charge, same for adult care that your party promised to resolved! The charge was not reduced when EA created and some work taken from councils! We are paying several times for the same service. But who has loaded councils to find housing for immigrants? Tory governments! Same for social and adult care, rock up all the third world population Tory govt wants welfare claimants! Where are student families housed! Come on JR your partyâs record on community charge is horrific.
June 18, 2024
The other problems is so many people circa 50% pay no net tax after direct benefits. Nearer 80%+ in many Labour areas. So they have every incentive to vote in parties that promise ever higher taxes for others and better benefits for themselves.
June 18, 2024
Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt and Robert Jenrick might well all lose their seats. So when the disaster of Starmerâs Labour win (even worse than the Tories) we can console ourselves with these and many other richly deserved evictions.
What on earth made the foolish Sunak go for destruction six month early, personal reasons I assume! Perhaps he perhaps he thought âunequivocally liesâ on vaccines safety would not last much longer given all the vast evidence and he had zero chance on his other four promises.
June 18, 2024
LL, lock step to EU is more important than getting elected. If either Tory or labour elected we will have same policies. Sunak no longer wants the PM job. Look at the 77 MPs running away from their Tory seats some of whom are former ministers- loyalty? My arse. This party had an 85 seat majority and deliberately failed to implement what they were elected for! It should be no surprise the nation feels betrayed. But the remainers care not, EU first second and last. Blaire just produced a paper for military alignment! That means foreign policy alignment with no control over our military! Clarke currently supporting Labour with Soubry, Boles etc in tow! What does that tell you? Why did Heseltine like the two posh boys who did not know the price of milk? He even helped Osborne with regional rot to Balkanise England.
June 18, 2024
Councils in my local area act similarly. Unfortunately voters elect them again and again, due to Party allegiance or on a rotating basis (due to swings in national politics).
On the one occasion a “local” party was formed, they promptly doubled the precept too, and undertook works of no value value to ratepayers that made the town uglier.
It seems that the power to spend other people’s money on your pet projects is what attracts many of the wrong sort of people into politics.
June 18, 2024
Im looking at the open borders and mass migration to see what Conservatives believe.
Conservatives believe our children shouldnât be able to afford homes or have access to health care like we did.
Actions speak louder than words.
June 18, 2024
+1
June 18, 2024
+ 1
June 18, 2024
Conservatives believe that to atone for the British Empire we must accept colonisation. They now the knee to every Imperial edict against that native population, which is not even recognized as the native population. They impose by force every sort of perversion, trashing our Christian culture and normal instincts.
Time for us to do some trashing of our own.
June 18, 2024
Its a replacement agenda. We kept voting the wrong way.
June 18, 2024
Yes, Sir John and, as we all know, that relentless vendetta against motorists has taken place under a Conservative government. I am sure I recently heard Rishi Sunak say he would reverse the expansion of Ulez and of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. He said he would bring in legislation to stop Labour imposing additional costs on motorists. If he says he will do it if re-elected, why on Earth hasn’t he already done it?
June 18, 2024
+1
June 18, 2024
@Kathy +1 asked and answered
June 18, 2024
” (Sunak) said he would bring in legislation to stop Labour imposing additional costs on motorists. If he says he will do it if re-elected, why on Earth hasnât he already done it?”
Why not, indeed?
Perhaps our host would like to tell us why the expansion of ULEZ was allowed to proceed and why all of the traffic restriction zones and Cycle Lanes that have plagued our car journeys have been encouraged to go ahead, often paid for with Goverenment funding !
Ministers could actually have said No, so there has to be a reason why they allowed them to go ahead :
Is it that Ministers really like these ideas and are happy to sign off the cost ?
Is it because a majority of “One Nation” Conservative MPs support these projects ?
Is it that they mistakenly think that a majority of voters support the projects ?
Or is it because they are bullied by Lefties in the civil service into signing the cheques ?
Which is it ?
June 19, 2024
It is disappointing not to have received a reply to my perfectly reasonable question.
Somebody must know the answer because what the Conservative government has allowed to happen is totally against the wishes of voters and is certainly not Conservative.
June 18, 2024
Voters in local elections tend to be more aware of what their Councillors do as the effects are similarly felt by their immediate neighbours. They can then vote with more effect. In national elections, those same votersâ preferences might be overridden by vast numbers of others across the UK who are differently affected. Local quirks like Wokingham & Reading may be rarer.
June 18, 2024
All very true Sir John.
I particularly agree with your comment, judge people by what they do and not by what they say.
Perhaps you can remind us who it was that promised control of migration into the tens of thousands back in 2015?
Was it the same leader who also promised to carry out the wishes of the British People just before the Referendum and then ran away shortly after it, refusing to do what he had said he would do?
We believe in low taxation…remember?
As another dozen boats arrive in Kent carrying unknown persons onto our shores and into our social support systems, it is good to know and remember, we are the party of defence and security. Maintaining secure borders for all the obvious reasons is what we do….don’t we?
June 18, 2024
+1
June 18, 2024
Let us not forget the Bonfire of the QUANGOs. But they poured fuel on the fire instead of water.
You have to admire Mr. Redwoodsâ apparent lack of self awareness. Well, yes, Mr. Redwood, your party is about to be judged on its actions – which have been opposite its words.
June 18, 2024
It doesn’t matter which flavour of local politician is elected, they all have to divert every last penny into the bottomless pit of statutory benefit provision. What’s left for disgressionary spending is less than nothing.
Best thing for local government is to remove all legislation and let local democracy decide. If they make a mess of it that’s the fault of the voters and investment will go to other regions.
Alternatively make statutory responsibilities nationally funded.
June 18, 2024
As the state takes half your money off you throughout your working life, it is right that they give some of it back when you need it.
June 18, 2024
Dave, you should have a read of the “Local Government Financial Statistics England No.33 2023”. You will see why the UK system of Local Government is considered; in Europe, to be the one most dominated by its National Government’s diktats and “penny packet funding”. England’s system of Local Government has been forced into terminal decline since 2010; there is no cure available internally. Electing local councillors has become pointless. The 317 local government units are basically remote operating units for Whitehall / Westminster. There is no functional local democracy anymore.
June 18, 2024
Lib/Dem, Labour can be judged as you suggest, sociialism thrives on other peoples endeavour and money. Consocialism in government has proved itself to0 be much the same. The baubles they are scattering are worthless.
The only party that did what it said on the tin were the evolving UKIP/Brexit/Reform Parties. Their first two manifestations got us out of the EU. Only for the remainer Commons to row back from it, resulting in the chaos we all experience daily. Reform are offeering a contract, possibly the only honest document of intent to materialise in this election. It lights the way to a different path for recovery for the UK, possibly the most Conservative thinking you will hear during the approach to 4th Juiy. Certainly the most honest and sincere. It gets my vote, there being no logical option. I commend it to all participants in this diary.
June 18, 2024
But particularly to those that if might waste a vote on a liblabcon.
Time for conservative MP’s to stand down en-masse.
June 18, 2024
Medice, cura te ipsum.
June 18, 2024
Indeed, at the stroke of a pen our national government can by regulation overrule any local decision or impliment a new local government bill or bride the councils like they did with mayors and police commissioners
June 18, 2024
In other words a doctor should be in the best of health in order to cure his patients.
Our politicians have used politics extensively to â cureâ themselves but have omitted to pass any of the benefits on to us.
In fact we have been totally fleeced.
June 18, 2024
Yawn.
June 18, 2024
Good Morning,
Perhaps this post needs a bit more information; what of the Conservative run local authorities? I have no doubt that there are good ones, run by honest, competent, economically prudent people, where services are maintained and potholes dealt with. Are are we to conclude therefore that all local Conservatives are good managers of public money and assets? If it were so then surely we could find the best of them and invite them to run for national office, carryout the same good work and serve the nation as well as they did the local authority. Where are these good people? Why has Conservative HQ not found them? Why do we he such incompetent, inexperienced, deluded, arrogant members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party?
June 18, 2024
I am generally pleased with the Conservative council in Hillingdon, we have libraries and parks and the town centres are clean. We have regular bin collections and recycling goes into one bag.
The Mayor of London raised his take by 10% this year and the Conservatives council raised their collection the maximum. Our roads are full of potholes.
June 18, 2024
Well of course we do need to judge the âConservativeâ government by what they have done rather than by what they have said. Indeed itâs what they have done that prove they are liars, thieves, incompetent and downright dangerous. The Cameron Government was DELIGHTED to be in coalition with the disastrous Liberal Democrats, and disappointed to win having promised and in/out Referendum. Coke Cameron was depending on his coalition partner to refuse to allow him to deliver said referendum.
Those who advocate PR – take note.
The fake âconservativesâ have not one leg to stand upon and must be sacked at all costs, and comprehensively apart from any other reason, to leave Starmer in no doubt that we will do the same to him.
Iâm coming round to the proposition that we need to vote for whosoever will put the Tory candidate out UNLESS you are fortunate enough to have a Spartan on your ballot paper. Vote for them even if, and maybe especially if, like Bridgen they have been kicked out by the globalist, corporatist, warmongering, unelected, capital destroying âleadersâ of the Conservative Party.
June 18, 2024
Lynne,
You are mainly correct. If I had Andrew Bridgen I would vote for him. I do not. I will vote for the Reform candidate standing in my area. I agree with Agricola above.
I want both Tory and Labour destroyed, through the ballot box, because they fanatically will not give up their beloved EU. Therefore they need to be electorally destroyed. It is the only answer. Tory party have no excuse they had an 85 seat majority to deliver that single issue with some changing their life-long voting pattern for Labour to lend the Tory party their vote! The nation was betrayed. The. voters betrayed. There should be a price for their Treachery.
The Tory party has got rid of All leading prominent leaver Ministers. I regret Johnson not get ridding of all the pro EU one nation Treacherous May types in 2019, changing selection for candidates back to associations and cleansing the Tory party to only have conservatives. He was dealing with fanatics. Making them pledge Brexit meant nothing to them as they would remain of the view what sort of watered down Brexit! Now the public needs to destroy, politically through the ballot, both Labour and Tory party.
June 18, 2024
On 6th July, weâll celebrate the 2395-th anniversary of the Battle of Leuctra that saw the Boeotians beat the Spartans, shattered their influence and brought their decline.
June 18, 2024
@ Theopompus – indeed we do, an annual event for me in which my therapist joins.
Whilst Mr. Farage to an extent could be playing the part of Epaminondas, whose innovative tactics won the day for Thebes, who will be the Philip II figure who learned the lessons of that battle to in turn shatter the Theban supremacy?
June 19, 2024
And who will comprise the Theban ‘forlorn hope’?!
June 18, 2024
Lynn , you tell us not to support PR and then make the argument for it by advocating negative voting. Under PR people vote for what they want and not against what they don’t want. Occasionally, a superspiv like Bliar or Cameron cons a lot of thick people, cloaking themselves in the union flag and involve us in wars which have no basis in the defence of the realm but most of the time people vote against what they don’t want. The liblabcon is most unlikely to survive a system in which all votes count rather than only one third: all the main parties are well past their sell-by dates. The mass immigrationists, the net zeroists, the rabid warmongering loons all need to be driven out of office otherwise this country will not survive.
June 19, 2024
Yes you can vote for âwhat you wantâ but NOBODY gets what they voted gor because the politicians then repair to back rooms and make deals.
As a result, knowing that they will NEVER HAVE TO DELIVER WHAT THEY PROMISE, they promise the earth.
Moreover you can NEVER sack those at the top of the list. So Hans Dietrich Genscherâs priority in the âback-roomâ was that he would support anything so long as he remained Foreign Secretary. Once his family had voted that was his position. The German voters could never dislodge him.
Look at the result and donât give the politicians more power! Imagine that Blair, Major, May, remained on the front bench and there was NOTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT IT. What if the Moslem Party of GB was the âkingmakerâ with 5% of the vote? Their price – Sharia Law and burkas?
Engage your brain in the name of God!
June 19, 2024
Perhaps God is smiling, looking down thinking ‘funny concept this democracy!
June 19, 2024
Remember we had a Referendum on PR in 2011 – surely we all voted? 67% voted AGAINST. Now accept that or do you want referenda repeated until the ârightâ decision is delivered?
In that case when do you think we will be voting on Rejoining the EU?
June 18, 2024
Reform UKâs Contract with the People appears to be presented honestly, and probably is.
In debates, Farage focuses on facts, knowing that Truth itself is everyoneâs most loyal friend.
In that Reform is most likely to be a force in HM Opposition, voters assessing some of Reform policies as being too radical are assured that their power will be limited to tugging Labour toward the right direction.
The key issue is that Reform have formed their Contract based on what they sense and know: very large numbers of voters feel and want based on solid research.
Several of Reformâs costings are unverifiable in advance. When Farage was asked to confirm their accuracy for outcomes, he replied accurately that he could not. That is simply the Truth.
The future cannot be known until after the event.
Government idiots claim the accuracy of their own forecasts based on what the OBR prophesies, but the OBRâs forecasts are out by tens of billions of ÂŁ.
People trust Farage.
June 18, 2024
There’s clearly conviction there, whereas all we see with Sunak and Starmer is managerial effort without effect. Davey has gone from being incompetent in government to buffoon. Presumably thinking he’s the heir to Johnson but it doesn’t work like that.
Either way, every Reform vote counts now.
June 18, 2024
Reform party is new and will not be varnished election machines like the established parties. That in itself is good as long as it has honest intentions 7 like the main two.
June 19, 2024
@Hope; Rabble UK new? Utter nonsense.
Rabble UK is a rebrand of The Brexit Party which its self was largely a rebrand after UKIP split into two factions.
If people such as Farage can’t polish their election machine, having been in politics since 1993, having been a (MEP) politician since 1999, having lead such campaigns since 2006, then surely their campaigns must be the definition of failure!
June 18, 2024
@Bloke; Rabble UK honest?! Their ‘contract’ is nothing more than ÂŁ140bn of mostly uncosted pledges, along with a total misunderstanding of international law, and a (small print) cancellation clause.
June 19, 2024
@jerry
âButterfliesâ is the collective noun for a rabble. A disorderly crowd of those can trigger a landslide, even with ‘lies’ at the end. Caterpillar is a heavy earth mover to clear the way.
Contracts are agreements. Voters have free choice to accept or decline. Millions assess Labour or Conservative terms for another five years as too risky. The majority can still change loyalty at any time to force a better outcome.
June 19, 2024
@Bloke; Nice try, but a bulldozer in inexperienced hands is quite capable of burying its self, its operator and perhaps anyone else who has been foolish enough to get to close. Manifestos are also agreements, but they don’t come with a cancellation clause.
June 20, 2024
Agreed.
June 18, 2024
Farage pushes the tax payer money myth. Thus the OBR and IFS just are him for breakfast.
See how the propaganda works ?
June 18, 2024
Farage’s attitude over this is just not good enough. First he calls it a ‘contract’ because people think Manifestos are dishonest and then he says he cannot be relied upon to keep to his contract with the people! Yes of course things may be difficult but the only politicians (that is next to none of them) worth much are those who make worthwhile promises and keep to their promises by making it their political priority. That is why I liked Sarah Palin so much because she was just about the only senior politician who always promised at elections to cut taxes and always did so, overcoming the difficulties in so doing.
June 19, 2024
@Geoffrey Berg; A politician such as Palin might get away with a policy of “cutting taxes and be damned” when so many of her electorate are historically self reliant, you couldn’t and still can’t live bordering the Arctic Circle and not be, the same self reliance is equally found elsewhere. Palin’s politics didn’t transfer well into the other 49 US States during the 2008 POTUS campaign through, did they, McCain all but destroyed his campaign as soon as he announced Palin as his choice for VP.
June 19, 2024
The 2008 Presidential election wasn’t lost because of Sarah Palin but in part because John McCain was an inadequate candidate (technically though not in policy terms worse than Obama) and in larger part because coming just a couple of months after the banking crash in 2008 for which the incumbent Republicans were unfairly blamed it was almost unwinnable anyhow.
June 23, 2024
@Geoffrey Berg; Nonsense, McCain was riding very high before he named his running mate, he was being tipped for the top job. But have it your way, if McCain was such an “inadequate candidate” what does that tell us about Palin, as bad, or just desperate, accepting the invite to run as the VP to such a candidate – duh!
The incumbent Republicans were not unfairly blamed, with regard the 2007 subprime banking crash, anymore than the right wing unfairly blamed ‘Crash Gordon’ here in the UK, I recall Gordon Brown being told he should have “fixed the roof” … surely the same’s true of Bush Jr?
June 18, 2024
Yes Sir John. Watch what they do.
The electorate is about to give the Not-a-Conservative-Party an electoral punishment beating it will never forget because of what it has DONE, which is diametrically opposed to what it was instructed to do ….. and “promised” to deliver.
Over the last couple of decades, the Not-a-Conservative-Party surrendered to the language of the Left. Then it surrendered to the objectives of the Left. Then it surrendered to the agenda of the Left. And finally, it surrendered to the policies of the Left.
And in so doing, it’s made itself obsolete.
Those who want globalist-“green”-socialism, will vote for globalist-“green”-socialism. Those that don’t, won’t vote for a Party that talks conservative but delivers globalist-“green”-socialism.
June 18, 2024
+42 Donna.
If we are going to be forced to swallow left wing woke, we may as well have the original 100% proof delivering it to us rather than the charlatans presenting it in a different coloured bottle and claiming it is different.
June 18, 2024
Deep in the public psyche I reckon that anger has grown because the tories made fools of many.
The âbloodiedâ nose will be delivered remembering the foolish fear and desperation for (obviously) dangerous remedies.Because they trusted and believed the government!
Fool me once and I will punish you by sinking my country into years of communistic torture.
Or so goes the narrativeâŠ.
I will cut off my nose, ears and stop up my mouth to punish âŠ.ohâŠwho?
Or maybe next time I will do the sensible thingâŠand not comply.
June 19, 2024
They were FORCED to comply. One woman arrived at hospital requiring a Caesarian section. They refused to admit her until she took the jab. Her baby died.
My niece took the jab at 8 months pregnant – or lose her job and income through her parental leave.
June 18, 2024
Spot on.
June 18, 2024
@Donna; Yes the electorate do appear to be about to give Rabble UK _and_ the current Tory party, those Not-Really-Conservative-Parties, a right grubbing, perhaps to the extent that after 100 years the Liberal(-Democrats) will once again be the official opposition. Is Labour, the LibDerms, Starmer, Davey, really that popular, or is it just a case of “Anyone but xxx” voting…
June 18, 2024
Donna :
Absolutely correct.
This is because the One Nation wets, who say âelections are won from the centre groundâ, have no conviction for conservative policies, only an interest in keeping themselves in office.
And so long as they remain in office, theyâre quite happy for power to be handed to the Civil Service, NGOs, Comcoms, academia, judiciary et al. Previously of course it was the EU.
Hence we end up with a uniparty Parliament and an obsolete Conservative Party who are unable to provide an alternative for the voter for such major issues as high legal and illegal immigration and the economy destroying Net Zero.
June 19, 2024
They are not centre ground, they are far left wing extremists who will not let go of the EU socialist eutopia.
Treacherous May acted behind her ministers backs, she reneged on her promise to let a leaver minister lead Brexit! Every turn she betrayed the national vote.
June 18, 2024
All egged on by Central government. Tax, spend and waste taxpayers money very often for little or no benefit to said taxpayers.
Reform manifesto should have been the tory one so it just demonstrates how far Fishys mob have strayed off the rails.
June 18, 2024
As I have said many times before Councils are now just a legal money laundering establishment.
Get in as much as they can by almost whatever means, and distribute to those who QUALIFY for social care or financial help of some sort.
The idea of looking after and maintaining a sensible, and workable, fit for purpose infrastructure, now appears secondary.
June 18, 2024
As I have said many times before, Councils now appear to be just a legal money laundering establishment.
Get in as much as they can by almost whatever means, and distribute to those who QUALIFY for social care or financial help of some sort.
The idea of looking after and maintaining a sensible, and workable, fit for purpose infrastructure, now appears secondary.
June 18, 2024
Brian Monteith, writing in The Scotsman, has a very powerful comment on the Covid Tyranny and WHAT THEY (the Westminster Uni-Party) DID ….. and why there is an omerta of silence about it.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/the-covid-conspiracy-of-silence-nobody-is-talking-about-brian-monteith-4667726
I for one will never forget it and never forgive them.
June 18, 2024
@ Donna – indeed, a powerful commentary. Thank you for referencing it.
I thought it instructive that Mr. Monteith wrote of lockdowns “Those like Sunak who introduced them and those like Starmer who clamoured for them to be sooner, harder and longer dare not talk about it. Likewise those Labour politicians in Wales and SNP politicians in Scotland who made their lockdowns even more extensive dare not talk about it.” We are expected only to forget, no absolution seems to be required.
June 18, 2024
We have a LibDem council, and compared with some theyâre not as bad. I think thatâs because the residents mostly jump on them when they do stupid things. During the lockdown, when the plant pots arrived in one part of the Borough, blocking roads, they only lasted a week. The ridiculous cycle lanes, with their wobbly posts, lasted a bit longer, but drivers were breaking the posts whilst waiting in traffic jams.
However, the libraries and three small museums are being gradually, âvolunteer ledâ or are accessible, in the case of one or two off the libraries, by swiping oneâs library card to gain access.
That said, a lovely Ukrainian student, learning English, elderly chap, said heâd been to Eastbourne recently. On further questioning, it transpired the council (us taxpayers) had paid for a coach of Ukrainians to go for the day. That and lots of lovely yellow lines for people to walk within in the half empty, expensive car park is utterly wasteful.
On car park fees, they wonât budge! Iâve written numerous time to the head of the council, but nadda!
I expect people are doing what we do, driving over the borough lines, to Surrey proper where parking is considerably cheaper!
June 18, 2024
Sir John, could I just point out that this is a general election, not a council election. Sunak’s Conservative government at Westminster is being judged for what it has done, and not done. I don’t like the LibDem council, but that’s not going to affect how how I cast my vote.
June 18, 2024
Tell me Sir JR, who in Westminster is representing England?
No wait I’ll tell you, no one. England is governed by the UK PARLIAMENT. Unlike Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland who have their own parliaments for their own devolved matters.
A quarter century on from devolution and still England is ignored. And it certainly won’t get any better under the next government.
Shame on every one of you who have allowed this corruption of democracy to go on.
June 19, 2024
In Parliament every Constituency is represented. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are NOT represented as entities. Neither is England.
The problem is the assemblies set up in the Celtic fringe which should be dismantled. The Celts HATE them!
June 18, 2024
Councils are just follow the governments national strategy on net-zero âŠ.yeah know, get the cars off the roads and employ a net-zero officer in every department
June 18, 2024
It varies. I have a London Labour council and one of the lowest council tax rates in the country. On the other hand Conservatives were in a majority on Spelthorne Council when they lost millions of pounds on commercial property speculation.
June 18, 2024
Devolution & lack of accountability is the issue. All governing bodies, including Quangos & NGOs should have all senior managers financially accountable. That would ensure waste, over spends & vanity projects were curtailed. It’s not rocket science!
June 18, 2024
I read some Tories want Johnson (Lord) of the Manor of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell to come riding in to save the electoral disaster that is arriving. Desperate and mistaken measures.
June 18, 2024
Sir John
I understand what you are inferring with this, evidence-based facts to how these individuals act for their personal religion and belief set. Then look at this Conservative Government, the ones that empowered and told the Councils they should fleece the motorists in this manner in the first place. The ones leading by example at the âtopâ of tax everything, then tax it some more, then borrow more than those that have to pay can afford to pay-back. They refuse to manage so why should any jobs-worth bother.
Not anywhere is there a requirement for anyone to manage expenditure, just how you can drain more taxes, money, from the already crippled economy and the people of this Country.
You must âearnâ before you can budget a spend, taxes are not earnings they are a way of removing the life blood from the economy.
In the words of the song – âI’m starting with the man in the mirror, If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself, and then make a change!â – it should be writ large on the desk of all those in power.
June 18, 2024
Sir John â todays announcements in the Media
âLabour could be in power for 20 years if voters âget this wrongâ at the general election on July 4, a Tory minister warned this morning.
Sir Mark Spencer, the farming minister, claimed Labour would âchange the voting systemâ if it wins power in order to boost its chances of staying in office.
The voters get this âWrong!â â these guys are on another planet, the voter isnât the one, itâs the endless failure of what they themselves call a Conservative/Tory Government that has failed to deliver on promises endlessly that anything they say becomes a lie.
Vote Conservative and get hard-left Socialism were was that in the manifesto?
June 18, 2024
Yet Labour and the LibDems tell us to look at (sometimes previous) Tory controlled councils to see what they really believe… Such problems often stem from central govt though, not local mismanagement, perhaps the visible signs are just more obvious under Lab and LibDem councils as they try to keep (the less visible) essential public services accessible that those without independent means rely on.
And Tory council potholes are just as large as in any Labour or LibDem controlled areas, and due to competitive outsourcing to the private sector many repairs are delayed due to the sub-contracting process, and then often not done properly -the private companies know it ensures repeat business next year. Whilst traffic claiming so often gets forced upon councils by DfT policy, funds tied to imposing more LTNs or Safe Cycle Routes.
The High Street area in my Town suffered from Tory imposed one-way systems, pedestrianization and a traffic claiming scheme some years back, the latter especially, far from making the area safer, made it far more dangerous due to many visitors thinking the entire area is traffic free! In doing so the then Tory council effectively made the entire town centre a LTN area, forcing the traffic on to roads even less suitable!
June 18, 2024
“Both claim a shortage of money despite receiving substantial national grants.”
Local Authorities can be in receipt of substantial national grants but for those grants to be worth less year-on-year, due to inflation and frozen central govt funding. Can our host confirm neither Wokingham or Reading Councils had their national grants frozen during the fiscal years he is talking about?
“Devolved government in Wales and Scotland sends the same message”
Yet the electorate of both repeatedly elect such Govts, why might that be, are they all suffering from collective Schadenfreude. Perhaps what is important to someone living along the M4 Thames corridor might be a world away from what is important to those living along the M74 corridor, someone living among the Welsh Valleys.
Reply No freezing of grants. Wokingham second best funded Council out of 6 in the area always claim to be the worst funded.
June 18, 2024
We need the ability to recall an MP at least twice in every five year Parliament, so that they have to take notice of their voters and can be held to account if they don’t. The problem is once elected it is impossible to get rid of a government that does things that are hostile to the UK and its people.
We also need referendums on major policies, like Net Zero and Immigration, so the government is in no doubt about what the voters think.
The Conservatives have made a complete mess of the last four years and will be punished for that.
June 19, 2024
Referendums are very dangerous because the power lies with those who choose when to call what referendum and pose the question. Not to mention âcountâ the votes!
June 18, 2024
There are too many cars, and not enough road. Heavy traffic and cheap bitumen repairs cause the potholes. Low traffic neighbourhoods, traffic calming measures and 20 mph zones are very popular in the residential areas that are affected by rat-run traffic in the rush hours.
Describing this as a “war on motorists” is disengenous. Motorists have choice. If their usual rat-run to work is affected by a LTN, they can find another route that avoids the residential area. Better still, leave the car at home and walk to work, use a bicycle, public transport – or get into car sharing
June 19, 2024
You should take Mrs Goldâs advice and concentrate on badgers. Stay home – your heavy EV is breaking up the roads.
June 19, 2024
Based on the view from my window at the start and end of every school day I suggest so much more damage is done by all the SUVs which are far heavier than my EV.
June 19, 2024
Around here the rat runs are used by residents trying to get out of the estates and to work so your suggestions doesn’t really work, particularly as modern developments are not designed for bikes have no bus provision nor easy walking access to existing routes.
June 19, 2024
Poor publuc transport hence too many cars.
June 18, 2024
In that respect Tory councils do a lot better, although they are not immune from woke projects and moving towards 15 minute cities.
We want councils to keep our streets clean – a hard job considering how much filth is left in them by the ignorant that don’t understand what bins are for.
We want councils to weekly take away our refuse using a simple system that is effective – How many labour or libdem areas do this?
We want common sense from councils, not ridiculous vanity schemes, which is why most of us want a true conservative government in power. Just a shame that the Tory hierarchy has been infected with so much warped ideology while globalism is their goal.
June 18, 2024
âBoth [Lib Dem & Labour] are spendthrift, claiming they do not have enough government money.â
The purpose of high and wasteful spending is to provide an excuse for high taxes to take wealth out of the hands of the citizen and eventually make everyone reliant upon the state. All existing Parliamentary parties are signed up to this plan.
June 18, 2024
âIt is often best to judge people by what they do rather than relying on what they say.This is certainly true of political parties, who often change their minds in office from their election promises.â
Such as saying that immigration will be reduced to the âtens of thousandsâ and then importing over a million?
Or, whilst claiming to want to improve our standard living implement instead the economy destroying Net Zero Strategy?
June 19, 2024
1.9 million in the last year imported @ÂŁ250k each (according to EU calculation).
They ALL have to go. Not just last years imports, but the LOT. They pose an existential threat to the British nation.
June 18, 2024
In January Sir John informed us
The forecast government spend is ÂŁ1,189bn in 2023-24 (not sure if we have final figures, but this year’s will be higher). 7.5% of ÂŁ1.2 trillion is ÂŁ90bn. Reform are claiming that slashing government waste could save ÂŁ91bn. That looks spot on. Now, where is Marianna Spring?
Reply Lower productivity does not apply to the very substantial benefit and pension payments
June 19, 2024
Reply, rejecting âasylum seekersâ has everything to do with it though.we have to accept that the native population is sicker than ever before because of the Johnson Government Jabs. Increased Health and Benefits payments re here to stay. But we canât afford anybody else.
June 18, 2024
âI see at first hand what Lib Dem led Wokingham and Labour led Reading do. Both pursue a relentless vendetta against motoristsâŠâŠâŠ..Both allow the growth of potholes.â
This anti motorist vendetta is insignificant compared to the Conservative policy of Net Zero and forcing us to buy evs, which are more expensive, less practical, more dangerous from fire and explosion and cause more potholes as result of their increased weight. And even less âgreenâ than ices.
Furthermore, as shown by engineer Stephen Broderick in his written evidence EVD0062 to the HoC Business & Trade Committee dated 23/02/2018, 80% of local grids only have the capacity to supply power to slow 7KW ev chargers to 1 in 7 houses :
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/82722/pdf/
And pity those who live in flats and this is before the power requirement for 4KW heat pumps running 24/7 in winter….
June 19, 2024
The written evidence you refer to shows nothing – it is an unproven opinion piece that forms part of his doctoral dissertation. He gives no references for his data, eg the source of the average 27 miles per day. He makes no allowance for EV adopters using destination charging, solar generation or batteries or smart tariffs to offset and timeshift charging.
Whilst questioning the ability of the distribution network to cope effectively is a reasonable concern in the absence of proper data and analyses that evidence paper is nowhere near sufficient.
June 18, 2024
Due to prorogue of parliament my MP said he canât reply as an MP as they are in suspension âŠ.but heâs still drawing this months pay as an MP ?
June 19, 2024
No. There are no MPs, just the fundamental skeleton government continues until handover.
There are also no professional Central Office workers in the Constituencies, the voluntary sector takes control, thatâs why the âchairmanâ becomes the âsub-Agentâ (unpaid).
June 19, 2024
I was highlighting the fact that MPs are still paid during prorougue ….for not being MPs
June 18, 2024
Iâve lived under Conservative councils most of my adult life. Certainly when I lived in Wokingham and now in West Dorset. Maximum increase in council tax every time.
June 18, 2024
Thousands of âcome to the partyâ letters signed by Boris âitâs a work eventâ Johnson being sent to voters this week! đđ€Łđ„đŸđčđ
That will cement a few undecided voters! Tories still on course for a full suicide. No Wake planned.. not even a Woke planned.
June 18, 2024
L A
Is that a Lock Down party?
June 19, 2024
Johnson never noticed âlock-downâ that was for others. He just carried in with the cake and pies and his Co-Horst who were âscaring the pants off the nationâ continued with the extra-marital sex.
Isolating our parents from ten or families caused many to âdie from lack of food and waterâ according to the Scottish Covid Evidence – but happily Drs could (for the first time ever) sign death certificates certifying a cause of death without ever having seen the patient or the body.
This was a democide.
Now they want us to vote for them! Approve what they did to us in the last Parliament.
No chance!
June 18, 2024
Quite so, SJ. There’s none so blind as those who will not see nor none so deaf as those who will not listen.
How any democratic minded person can vote for the Lib Dems, defies political logic.
Their own leader, when Minister for the Post Office, refused to meet with the appointed Leader of the innocent but criminally persecuted post masters. The total number affected was over 700, so they all deserved a hearing at the time. However such a meeting was refused, several times. Why? Their leader, Mr Bates, represented 700, so were they “unworthy” of any Ministerial attention?
Furthermore, he also wishes to over throw the democratic decision of the people in 2016 to leave the EU. This is despite his Party joining the others in promising to honour our decision on Referendum Night – REGARDLESS of the outcome. These key events prove, categorically, the man does not really believe in democracy at all
He’s just another ‘professional politico’ – in it for himself and the electorate are merely useful idiots.
June 18, 2024
Council tax will no doubt double in England under Labour just as it did last time they were in power. But please letâs not kid ourselves after fourteen years of a âToryâ Government, they are anything but exorbitant already. My small private non-index linked private pension is almost swallowed up in income tax and then 14% of our below average earnings pensions after tax are taken from us in council tax by our Conservative council. We have no streetlights, no pavements, no buses, no kids at school but quite a few potholes. Apparently a chunk of our tax goes towards pensions to give better pensions than we receive ourselves and another towards social care yet if myself or my husband are unfortunately to be bereaved and then need social care, our house will be taken to pay for it. Welcome to Socialist Conservative Britain.
June 19, 2024
You and us were encouraged to fund our own pensions so that more could be taxed later….a stealth tax.
June 18, 2024
Our council was âno overall controlâ but is now Labour. Very lefty under âno overallâ because I think that the so called Independents are usually Labour who could not get a seat as Labour. ie a trick as per.
Roads closed. Horrible street furniture. Virtually run by a dreadful Residents Assoc. Up to all sorts with knee taking and culturally appropriating ( at vast expense) trees that just hate our climateâŠand die. Nothing works.
When we first came here it was wonderfully Conservative. Worked like clockwork. Gorgeous shops. Lovely streets. Fabulous MPs.
And then there were no conservatives at all.Just blinking anarchists masquerading as politicians.
June 18, 2024
Wokingham – We had 2 more Libdem colour campaigning leaflets today. One used Royal Mail addressed to me, the other in the door letterbox ( note to self to get a terrier with sharp teeth).
Should Sir John investigate political spending by Libdems in Wokingham? During the last election I recall we 13 different mailings. I thought there was a ceiling on expenditure? If they are within it, it is pointless.
Who is funding all this?
June 19, 2024
@Mickey Taking – I note the Liberal Democrat candidate doesn’t even live in the Constituency any more. I have noticed before they appear to have a tandem non-affiliated funding operation from outside the normal Political Wing, therefore restraints that carries out so-called non-aligned political campaigning, more in common with ‘BestForBritain’ and similar left-wing pretend organisations
June 18, 2024
800 illegal aliens /boat people arrived today from the safe country of France
June 18, 2024
There was an informative article in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph by Kamal Ahmed in which he wrote about Rachel Reeves’ and Labour’s economic ideas but not their funding.
It is apparent Reeves and therefore Labour have outdated Keynesian ideas (even Labour’s Jim Callaghan said in 1976 -‘We used to think that you could spend your way out of a recession….I tell you in all candour that that option no longer exists’). Labour are keeping this secret so we don’t know how far Reeves is intending to go in this nor how it will be funded. I suspect she intends to go a long way (otherwise it would have little impact). I suspect (which of course she can’t say after criticising Truss for unfunded measures) she intends to do this by directly or indirectly increasing the national debt.
We know after the Second World War Keynesianism has consistently failed. The state is bureaucratic and inefficient with its personnel generally ignorant about business and not even incentivised for success nor penalised for failure. So government interventions generate losses for taxpayers, not growth. Yet apart from Blair Labour has always eagerly created national plans, National Enterprise Board and now a’National Wealth Fund’. So Reeves is likely to produce more inflation, more debt, higher interest rates and failure instead of growth by resurrecting failed Keynesian ideas.
Labour is a ‘specialist in failure’ to borrow Mourinho’s words!
June 18, 2024
off topic.
A new record = over 750 illegal boat arrivals in a single day.
Weather set fair for days to come.