POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

There is no serious political news. The government gets nothing but bad news on the home front, it doesn't know whether to toe the line and support Israel unconditionally or act as an honest broker and address some very uncomfortable truths. Meanwhile UK plc goes to hell in a basket. Deep Joy!

[PanBiker]

In the larger than normal local forest that is the local Constituency. Tonight is the inaugural Labour Party AGM for the new Pendle and Clitheroe Constituency. Open to all paid up members at 7pm at St Joseph's Community Centre in Barlick. New officers will be elected as is the norm at AGM's. All members will have been notified of the meeting. This is the second historical change to the constituency in my lifetime. 1974 being the last one when they moved the admin boundaries for the county.

[Stanley]

Labour steals the political limelight this morning. See THIS BBC report of the pressure being put on Starmer to speak out against the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to change his position on the Israel-Gaza war, after a trio of senior Labour figures called for a ceasefire. The move from mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, puts them at odds with their party leader. Sir Keir has not called for a ceasefire, instead backing humanitarian pauses to help aid reach Gaza. Labour frontbencher Steve Reed has defended Sir Keir's position. The shadow minister said humanitarian pauses would allow aid to enter Gaza "without stopping Israel taking action to disable the terrorists who attacked them in the first place". In stopping short of backing a full ceasefire, the Labour leader is aligned with the UK government, as well as the US and EU.
I saw reports yesterday that even inside Israel itself, support for the action against Hamas by bombarding Gaza City has decreasing support from the populace, it is down to less than half now. This has disturbed me since it started, Yes, Hamas is guilty of terrible crimes but how does the Israeli campaign compare? If one asks the question one is suspected of supporting Hamas and this is why all the Western Leaders are being so careful of what they say in public. What they are advocating in private is of course a different matter.
This morning it looks as though the Israeli assault has started in earnest. The UN has called for a cease fire to save lives and the Israeli government spokesman immediately said "The UN has lost all credibility". As I said earlier, if you don't give Israel unconditional support you are automatically against them......

[Stanley]

There is no political news this morning. Any politician with any sense is keeping his head down and not making any statements about Hamas that could become hostages to fortune. Once again we see the truth in the old adage "You can't please all of the people all of the time".
Starmer put his foot in it at the end of what was supposed to be a supportive visit to a mosque and is still dealing with the fall out. Mr Sunak has, I think, taken notice and is keeping stum.
So the defection of a former candidate for the SNP leadership is big news........
see THIS BBC report on Ash Regan....
Former SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan has resigned from the party to join Alex Salmond's Alba party. Alba said her decision came after increasing disillusionment with the SNP's leadership and its "wavering commitment" to Scottish independence. Ms Regan, 49, was elected as SNP MSP for Edinburgh Eastern at the last election and becomes the Alba party's first representative at Holyrood. She came third in the SNP leadership contest won by Humza Yousaf in March.

[Stanley]

Once again there is no political news of note, in particular Mr Sunak seems to be keeping his head well down below the parapet!
My attention was grabbed by THIS statement by the head of a company bidding for an NHS contract to handle data using AI.
Any sale of NHS data gathered under a £500m contract would be a decision for the government, the head of a US tech firm has told the BBC. Alex Karp said his firm Palantir would not have access to the data given the way its product was set up. Palantir is seeking to win a contract to provide AI software to bring NHS data together to improve services. Science Secretary Michelle Donelan told the BBC people's private data would not be sold without their consent. Speaking to the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Karp argued that patients' data would be safe if Palantir won the contract for the planned federated data platform. "We're the only company of our size and scale that doesn't buy your data, doesn't sell your data, doesn't transfer it to any other company," he said. "That data belongs to the government of the United Kingdom."
I am disturbed by Mr Karp's statement that the data belongs to the government. Surely it belongs to the individuals from whom it was harvested? Or have I missed something?
On a broader question, I watch the discussions about AI and wonder how we can be so sure we can police the technology when we can't even manage the prosecution of common theft and burglary. Have you seen the data for non-prosecution of fraud? (Have a look at THIS)

[Tizer]

Talking of burglary...
`Thurrock tower block scaffolding 'is a ladder for cat burglars'' LINK

[Stanley]

I noted that Peter...... Another example of what I was talking about in connection with AI....

[Tripps]

There is no political news this morning.

As the late Professor Joad used to say - 'it depends on what you mean by news'. - and how hard you look .

This is a couple of days old but is really a masterclass in evasion, denial, dissembling, and just plain old fashioned lies .
Had the Tory ( who used to be a 'milk man' by the way) pressed the matter - and he should have done - I think he could have got an admission of misleading Parliament and perhaps a resignation.

That would put the busted SNP out of its misery, and done us all a favour. What a shame that Nicola Sturgeon who seemed so promising, flattered only to deceive - in a big way. .

Humza Yusuf First Minister's Questions. 26 Oct 23

PS The Covid Enquiry is impressive . Can't wait for tomorrow for Dominic Cummings. Should be entertaining if nothing else.

[Big Kev]

Britain’s top civil servant described Boris Johnson as “mad” for apparently failing to realise his WhatsApp messages would eventually become public.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 38282.html

I think GB News are welcome to him, although the Comedy Channel would probably be more suited.

[Tripps]

Britain’s top civil servant described Boris Johnson as “mad”

That will be the Simon Case who has pulled the mother of all 'sickies' to avoid being at the Covid Enquiry. That Simon Case?

Apologies and best wishes, if he really is sick of course.

[Big Kev]

The live feed, of the enquiry, on the BBC News website is an interesting one to follow. The government really had no idea what they were doing.
Imran Shafi was asked about the Eat Out To Help Out scheme put in place by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor to encourage people back into pubs and restaurants in the summer of 2020.

Remarkably he was asked if chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty had described it as "Eat Out To Help Out The Virus".

Shafi confirmed that was the case.

I don't think they even considered 'following the science', the daily updates on TV were just a pantomime.

[Stanley]

See THIS. BBC report of the current revelations in the Covid Enquiry.
Shambolic dysfunction in Downing Street, with thousands upon thousands of lives at stake. That is the claim, to the Covid inquiry, from some of those who worked very closely alongside Boris Johnson during the pandemic. They are painting a picture of chaos, and of a prime minister they claim was temperamentally unsuited to the scale of the challenge the pandemic confronted him with. We will see how Mr Johnson and others respond to this in the coming weeks. This inquiry is giving us a look into the workings of government, with the bonnet up. And, bluntly, it is not a pretty sight: a health emergency, the liberty and education of millions curtailed, the economic future of the country on the line too.
And today we are expecting to hear from Dominic Cummings. The one thing we can expect is an attack on Johnson, he has made no secret that he is out to get him.
What a terrible picture we see painted of how the very top layers of government were letting us down. They seem to have lost sight of the basic tenets of wielding power. I have complained for many years of the falling standards of principle and ethics in the political world. I think what we are seeing in the evidence that is being revealed in the enquiry the dénouement of a process that had been insidiously creeping into governance for many years. I see no evidence that any of the other parties could do any better. Even in Scotland, the SNP which once looked so good when contrasted with the Tories has been shown to be corrupt.

[Stanley]

We are faced with appalling evidence of just how catastrophic management inside Downing Street was. See THIS and weep...
The inquiry was shown notebook entries written in 2020 by then chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, in which he said Mr Johnson was "obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life". In another entry from December 2020, Sir Patrick wrote that Mr Johnson said his party "thinks the whole thing is pathetic and Covid is just nature's way of dealing with old people - and I am not entirely sure I disagree with them". Mr Cain said Mr Johnson was concerned about society as a whole, but added that some of the language is not "what I would have used". Mr Johnson's spokesman has so far declined to comment on the evidence given at these hearings, but says he is "co-operating fully" with the inquiry. Johnson said old should accept Covid fate, note shows
There is much more in the same vein and other pieces in the news about it. The words at leap out at you are moronic and viscous. That just about sums it up.
If you can stand more, have a look at THIS.
"We cannot keep dealing with this horrific meltdown of the British state while dodging stilettos from that c***." So wrote Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's most senior adviser in Downing Street, about the second most senior civil servant in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her name is Helen McNamara. And yes - you guessed it - she is next up in front of the Covid inquiry, on Wednesday morning. We already know what she thought about what it was like going to work at the time: "What people probably never understood was just how testy and toxic and unpleasant it got as a place to work during those periods," she told Laura Kuenssberg's State of Chaos series.
The nearest to what you might call 'normal' news I could find is THIS.
Plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices in England have been scrapped. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards. However, a source told the BBC rail bosses were "furious", saying the original plans had been approved by the Department for Transport.
What we have here is an attempt by the government to set policy on transport but having to back down and do a complete U-turn. This is par for the course in their pathetic attempts to govern UK plc.
it'a ll just too depressing....

[Stanley]

Re. the U turn over ticket offices. I heard an industry expert saying that the reason to rail companies are so annoyed is that closing the ticket offices wasn't their idea, under the present arrangements where the government is in effect the operator and the franchisees only managers, the Department for Transport instructed them to close the offices as a cost-cutting measure. Now they have realised what a bad idea it is DofT is blaming the franchisees and trying to look like the saviours of the offices when it was their cock up in the first place....
If you can stand more Covid Enquiry scandal, have a look at THIS.
A "macho" culture in Downing Street harmed the UK's response to the Covid pandemic, a top official from the time has said. Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara told the Covid inquiry a "toxic" environment affected decision-making during the crisis. She said that female experts were ignored, and women were "looked over". She also accused Boris Johnson of failing to tackle "misogynistic language" used by Dominic Cummings. The then-prime minister's failure to take action over abusive WhatsApp messages by his top adviser - that were revealed on Tuesday - had been "disappointing", she told the inquiry.
There is much more and none of it brings any credit to the politicians in charge.

[Stanley]

See THIS for Sunak's latest attempt to distract attention from his failed government and leadership.
People should not be worried about the impact of AI on jobs because education reforms will boost skills, Rishi Sunak has said. Speaking after the UK's first AI safety summit, the prime minister said the technology would improve the economy in the long term. He added that new tools should be seen as a "co-pilot" to help people at work, rather than replacing them. The government's job should be to improve training, he told reporters. Mr Sunak said he recognised there was "anxiety" about the impact new AI tools could have on the workplace, but said it would enhance productivity over time. "We should look at AI much more as a co-pilot than something which is necessary going to replace someone's job. AI is a tool that can help almost anybody do their jobs better, faster, quicker. "My job, the government's job, is to make sure we have a world-class education system," he added. "That is my answer in a nutshell, that's why I don't want people to be worried, because we are building a world-class education system."
I have two observations about what he said....
First, I have heard all this before when the question was asked about the effect of automation and computers on the job market. We have seen the number and status of the workers decline ever since to the extent where a universal entitlement to a contract of employment and benefits no longer exists.
Second, his remarks about education.... total pie in the sky! We are definitely failing our children and the teachers. We can't even maintain the physical structure of the schools, it was Sunak as Chancellor that cut spending on maintenance and contributed to the porous concrete problem. He seems to have conveniently forgotten about that.
Hands up anyone daft enough to be consoled and encouraged by all this!
See THIS if you can stand more revelations about the role of Number Ten in the Covid crisis.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock wanted to decide "who should live and die" if the NHS was overwhelmed, the Covid inquiry has heard. The revelation came to light in evidence presented by Sir Simon Stevens, the former NHS England chief. In his witness statement, he said Mr Hancock thought he, not doctors or the public, should decide who to prioritise if hospitals became overwhelmed. Sir Simon said: "Fortunately this horrible dilemma never crystallised."
There is much more in the same vein if you can stand it.

[plaques]

In his witness statement, he said Mr Hancock thought he, not doctors or the public, should decide who to prioritise if hospitals became overwhelmed. Sir Simon said: "Fortunately this horrible dilemma never crystallised."

So already we have AL Boris Johnson and AL Matt Hancock deciding if people should die rather than lose their tax breaks. The last person who tried anything like this was a chap called Hitler.

[Stanley]

I share your evident disgust Ken. I had the same thought about Nazi policies, the Third Reich thought that the less useful or embarrassing members of society should be weeded out. That was the way Johnson and the Tories were moving. In their case it was 'the old who have had their day'.
See THIS.
PM Rishi Sunak has said that planned protests on Armistice Day would be "provocative and disrespectful". There is a "clear and present" risk war memorials such as the Cenotaph in London could be "desecrated", he added. It comes as a pro-Palestinian march is planned in London on Saturday 11 November. Organisers said they had no plans to be near the Cenotaph and understand the sensitivity of the date. The Met Police said it was planning a "significant" operation and was in contact with organisers, who said they were "willing to avoid the Whitehall area", where the war memorial is located.
Cue Suella Braverman to make an aggressive statement about law and order..... These people are so predictable! The unease of the public with what is happening in Palestine is being used by Sunak and his failed government to distract from proper scrutiny of their performance. Anyone who expresses the slightest reservations is automatically branded as an extremist.

[Stanley]

I forecast that we would get S Braverman on law and order. I was right......
Suella Braverman wants action to prevent homeless people pitching tents on the streets. She says that it causes embarrassment and distress and is a nuisance. She says these people come from abroad and have voluntarily made themselves homeless. I don't think I need say what I think about this, join the dots yourselves.....

[Stanley]

See THIS and then tell me what this has to do with politics?
The Conservative party is facing claims that a former chairman wrote to police because he was concerned that allegations of rape against an MP had not been properly dealt with. Sir Jake Berry told police one alleged victim was receiving support paid for by the Conservative Party, according to a letter published in the Mail on Sunday. The MP has not been named. Sir Jake was party chairman during Liz Truss's brief premiership last year. He is reported to have written the letter shortly after leaving the chairman's job in October 2022.
I have always believed that 'politics' is the discussion of legislation in Parliament that directly governs how our society is managed and organised. I don't see how the matters flagged up in 'BBC Political News' this morning are anything to do with governance. They seem to me to be more like gossip.
If I am wrong again, please correct me.....

[Stanley]

See THIS for more evidence (If it was needed...) that Lee Anderson, Deputy Chairman of the Tory Party is an intemperate reactionary loose cannon.
Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has apologised to a doctor over a "misleading" social media post. He offered his "sincerest apologies" to Tom Dolphin for any distress caused by a post on X, formerly Twitter, related to the ongoing junior doctors strike. The MP has also agreed to pay £1,870 to the British Medical Association (BMA) strike fund to "compensate the upset I may have caused". Dr Dolphin tweeted to thank Mr Anderson for his "very gracious apology". On 6 October, in a tweet which appears to have been deleted, the MP for Ashfield shared a Mail Online article that reported Dr Dolphin had "boasted of charging the NHS for a strike cover shift". On Sunday, he wrote a post to say that his words had been misleading as Dr Dolphin "was not on strike on the date of the shift in question but was simply covering a shift as a consultant for junior doctors who were on strike on 11 August 2023". Mr Anderson, who is also a presenter on the GB News channel, said that he understood Dr Dolphin had donated the pay for his covered shift to the BMA strike fund, and "whilst I do not agree with the strikes" this was an unselfish act and he would make the same contribution to the fund.
HERE'S another example of Tory Right Wing nastiness surfacing on the street.
Bob Stewart has surrendered the Conservative whip while he considers appealing against his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence, the BBC understands. The MP for Beckenham, south-east London, was fined £600 after telling an activist to "go back to Bahrain". Magistrates heard he got into a row with Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei in Westminster last December. Labour and the Liberal Democrats had called for Stewart to lose the whip. The 74-year-old is understood to have told the Chief Whip Simon Hart he wishes to surrender the whip until any future appeal is resolved.
Add Braverman's call for 'nuisance' rough sleepers in tents to be moved off the streets and you start to get a very ugly picture of the Tories. Alright, these are isolated incidents but they add up and the general picture that is being projected of the government is not a pretty one.
See THIS op ed piece by Laura Kuenssberg which attempte to assess the Tory current position. It doesn't make good reading for Sunak!

[Tripps]

Nearer to home Eleven Burnley Councillors leave Labour Party There remain many Labour Councillors who do not feel the need to quit the party.

I asked the view of ChatGPT on the subject of national versus local issues in politics. There's plenty to consider in their reply - though it seems to be slanted towards American politics - (state or federal representatives).

"The question of whether local politicians should base their decisions on national issues is a matter of debate and can depend on the specific circumstances and priorities of their constituents. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Constituent Priorities: Local politicians should primarily focus on addressing the specific needs and concerns of their constituents. These issues may include local infrastructure, education, public safety, and economic development. If national issues are not a top priority for their constituents, it may be more appropriate for them to concentrate on local matters.

Interconnectedness: Local and national issues are often interconnected. Decisions made at the national level can have a significant impact on local communities. In some cases, it may be necessary for local politicians to engage with national issues to protect the interests of their constituents. For example, federal funding for local projects, changes in healthcare policy, or environmental regulations can all have a direct impact on local communities.

Balance: Local politicians should strike a balance between addressing local and national issues. They should be responsive to the immediate concerns of their community while also being aware of broader national policies and their potential implications. Balancing these priorities can be challenging but is often necessary for effective governance.

Advocacy: Local politicians can play a role in advocating for their community's interests at the national level. They can communicate with representatives at higher levels of government to ensure that national policies align with the needs of their constituents.

Expertise: Local politicians may not always have the expertise or resources to address complex national issues. In such cases, they may need to collaborate with state or federal representatives who have more jurisdiction and expertise in those areas.

Ultimately, the approach of local politicians to national issues should be guided by the best interests of their constituents. Their decisions should be informed by an understanding of the local context and the potential impact of national policies on the community. It is essential for local politicians to remain responsive to the changing needs and priorities of their constituents while also recognizing the broader national context".

[plaques]

I think it's becoming obvious that Israel will ignore any call for a ceasefire. The great and the good big powers can't do a thing about it.

We want you to stop killing people.
Sod off we are at war and there's nothing you can do and America is on our side.

Suddenly countries and people will realise that there is nothing they can do because to do anything is antisemitic.

.

[Stanley]

You are right of course Ken. And from the look of today's political news the only people who are protesting are the UN and the Arab nations.
David, There remain many Labour Councillors who do not feel the need to quit the party. . That may be but I listened to the leader of the ex-councillors yesterday and he had a coherent case against the Party which was simply a matter connected with Gaza but carried with it many other long term grievances. Largely to do with the way Central Office treats them. In fact almost identical complaints to those made by the Scottish Labour Party against the Blair government.
I see Starmer has now forbidden local parties to even debate what is happening in Gaza but even some of his Shadow Cabinet are kicking against the pricks. He may be coming to the limits of how much 'discipline' he can impose without suffering a back-lash.

[PanBiker]

I see Starmer has now forbidden local parties to even debate what is happening in Gaza but even some of his Shadow Cabinet are kicking against the pricks. He may be coming to the limits of how much 'discipline' he can impose without suffering a back-lash.

Well I know one thing, he wont stop me debating it whenever and wherever I want to.

[Tripps]

Well I know one thing, he wont stop me debating it whenever and wherever I want to.

That's good to hear - well said.