Government in touch with the people. Not!

Today I am seeing calls from Dominc Raab, the Foreign Secretary, for individuals abroad to return home due to the coronavirus situation.

It's interesting because my parents have been attempting to return home for over a week since their expected flights were cancelled without notice and having, it seems, got a flight arranged, it seems likely that when they reach the UK their onward travel options are problematic at best, especially since the restrictions just put in place by the Prime Minister mean I cannot go to get them.

I have responded in a tweet to Mr Raab, , but it is amusing to see just how many other people are commenting "oh yes and how are you planning to get them back".

It seems that we have a crisis on our hands, and it isn't easy admittedly but it is a monumental failure of government to lead with panicky noises and no constructive contribution.

I am sure this will be a historic event, I've already taken my photo of empty shelves in the UK, something I haven't seen here  in my lifetime, but thinking of historic events I suspect Mr Raab has shouted "man the lifeboats" without perhaps realising he forgot to arrange any.

Conservatives

Wow, they are all at it.

I would like to do a post on the lib dems (who?) but I suspect keeping their political ambition to about half the voting populace knowing the name of their leader (Farren perhaps? ) is sufficient for this time around.

Or perhaps talk about labour (who?), to be fair that is easier as their policies except under New Labour (aka conservative) have been the same for my whole life, overspend, break the economy, perpetuate old methods of working. They do add the new dimension of just what level of destruction to themselves they can cause by the old labour world clashing with the modern and a leader who is yet to show, we'll anything positive.

But no, stick with the conservatives who are proposing, for this 5 minutes anyway, that no one will have to sell their homes for care and we will be able to not spend it all. Not sure how that will get administered and not drained away by councils. The practical note here is that this seems disingenuous to me. At present one does  it have to sell ones home to cover care costs, they can be recouped from sale on death. What the Tories have not mentioned though is that any interest rate other than below inflation is compound and hence will escalate and given the current rate is massively over inflation it is clearly designed to take all remaining wealth at a punitive rate. Good luck not paying out that last 100k.

The Greens

Today on Radio 2 I heard that the Green party has a 4 day working week in their general election manifesto.

I am interested as to how this would work and be financed. I am contracted for a 5 day week, does that mean I would be stuck with that? Would I automatically change to a 4 day week? Would I automatically lose 20% of my salary or would I be paid overtime for day 5. Is there more chance I would get acknowledgement for all the extra hours I have to do anyway?  Other full timers will be on 5.5 or 6 day contracts.

It sounds like a policy that hasn't been thought out, sounds like a vote winner to me too.

To ask practical questions though, what is the benefit for employers? Sounds like more legislation, more staff and lots of transition to me. What is the benefit to the country? We have unemployment but do we have enough unemployed with sufficient skills in the correct locations to fill the 20 to 33% additional roles, a bit of fag paper maths suggests we have nowhere near enough unemployed regardless of skill and location.

Still, a 4 day week sounds good from where I sit.

Post brexit independence vote Scotland

The news today is that the marginal remain result achieved in Scotland in the Brexit referendum means the SNP fancy another shot at independence from the United Kingdom.

I was 95% remain in that same Brexit vote so must by the same logic, along with around 49% of the UK population, be due my own independence referendum.

Now there are some practical considerations that come to mind.

Firstly, currency, I reckon as there is just one of me that I will get away with keeping on with the great British pound, I doubt little old me will be a problem and certainly keeping my address and domicile will make it easier to keep getting paid.

I do quite like the passport, it has presence does a British passport.

Then there is cash flow. The excellent news is that as an independent nation of one, I will not have to pay to close down a nuclear submarine base nor indeed will I have to pay to build a new one in a different nation. Scotland on the other hand, well that is a mighty big bill to saddle yourselves with if you choose that route, you want it you out for it.

Not to mention reprinting all that headed paper.

On the plus side for Scotland they may avoid independence yet. If I go for the referendum of independent me I can vote leave, or indeed stay; but when the entire population of the United Kingdom votes on Scotland leaving it is difficult to say how that will turn out. Are you telling me that there will be a partial vote again? No, I don't believe that, if there is voting for a part of the union to leave then the union must vote not just part of it. You could say that it's actually more like a divorce where one party can go it alone if that party is having an affair but think of the divorce settlement and who gets the kids?

This could go on for a while so a last thought for all you Scots who have heard enough of this. What happens when a single policy party gets its way?

It seems that they don't gracefully fade away, (cough) ukip (cough), or will that be England Independence Party soon?

Brexit

So the government bottled a proper discussion :
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/131215?reveal_response=yes

Perhaps the question raised from that waffle is in what way do the houses actually represent the public opinion of their wards.

Brexit

Last night's vote shows that not only is 1.9% as a majority far too be representative, surely the margin show have been 5% or even 10%. But more over demonstrates that the majority of people are led my media hype and should we really allow everyone to have a vote when based on waffle.

Still I am now looking forward to all thosee extra hospitals.

The United Kingdom

The "United" Kingdom.

It is interesting too see how the British government is ensuring we remain a United Kingdom by preventing most of that "United" group from voting about their continuation as a United entity.

Strikes

I hear the TUC are talking about strikes again. I understand that public sector workers are upset with good reason too but strikes are just going to make public opinion worse.

Scottish Independence II

If the vote is yes then the cost will be high, if nothing else the entire cost of moving the nuclear capability should be footed by the Scottish parliament.

Scottish Independence

As part of the UK everyone should vote on Scotland being independent - if the vote is yes then fair enough