IMF rubbish VAT cut

The Chief Economist for the IMF has said the VAT cut is a waste of time. It will not have the desired effect and will be hugely expensive.

LA has now narrowed down to 2 people the moves proponents, a Mr Darling and a Mr Brown , both of Downing Street London. It appears no one else in the world believes it to be a good idea. Lord Allesley can confirm he has spoken to Labour front bencher's who disagree with it. One described it as "crackers" and a "massive waste of money".

So whilst our PM and Chancellor live in their world of delusion, the nation will pick up the bill.

LA

Labour MEP's show true colours in hours vote

LA has spent far more time than he should have with MP's Ministers and MEP's of all party's.
Labour MP's on the whole are reasonable people, with a vaguely sensible and pragmatic approach to life.(There are some serious exceptions). Labour MEP's are however a different breed. LA has found the vast majority to be rabidly left wing and in LaLa land.(there are again exceptions).
LA has often thought that the crazy labourites are packed off to Brussels to stay out of trouble.

There is of course a flaw in this plan. The majority of legislation and red tape flows from Brussels. This Mafia of Madness that is the European Labour Party has a major influence upon us all.

Today they really showed their true colours (USSR Red). Against their own party and their own government(and against their own citizenry if polls are to be believed) they voted to abolish the Opt Out for the Working Time Directive.

What right do they have to tell any man or woman in Britain the maximum hours they can work. How can they interfere in peoples lives in such a way.

A socialist and trade Union based dogma that the less we all work, the more we all gain pervades these people. Logic and common sense, that people have choices, and should have choices, are ignored in their 1984 dystopia.

LA is appalled, and also concerned, is this the True Face of New Labour. Nationalising banks that were allowed (via misregulation) to go all but bust, taxing the wealth creators to the point they may leave, taxing the working classes and then handing them tax credits so they are beholden to the state. And now finally dictating how and when we can work.

LA objects and awaits the police knock on the door for questioning our beloved government.

Was Orwell out by 25 years?

LA

Royal Mail is a Mess, plundered by Brown

The Royal Mail is a Royal Mess. The Hooper report merely clarifies the obvious. It does however appear to want to refuse to grasp the nettle. The abolishment of a Quasi Monopoly.

12 years ago the Royal Mail was an inefficient monopoly. It made a handsome profit, it paid into its pension fun. The fine Mr Brown then decided to steal all its profits, he also plundered its pension pot.

He decided that he would employ Messer’s Leighton and Crozier. The two new appointees rather than modernising this fine institution and preparing it for the new millennium, decided to dogmatically protect its monopoly, and by default strengthen the CWU.

So what has this left us: a lower service level, more expensive post, a strong and Ludite union, oh and huge losses.

Here is the Lord Allesley plan for the Royal Mail.

Break it up and privatise it!

This increases competition, creates efficiency, plugs the pension and gives greater service. At the same time it protects the Universal Service.

The plan looks like this.

Inputing to the system can be by anyone with a licence, TNT, UK Mail, you name it.

For delivery break the UK into regions, some rural, some urban. Obviously urban makes money, rural potentially loses.
Then bundle up the areas and sell franchises(the Royal Mail) for bundles. It works like this:
Whoever gets (for example) Greater London , also gets Highland and Islands. If you get Manchester you also get Cornwall.

Any company can bid for these bundles, they may pay, they may just offer to take on the pension deficit. In the tender process they not only agree to a fixed minimum handling fee per letter (preserve the Universal Service), they also put in their service levels such as time of latest delivery etc.

These contracts would be 5 years for starters, after that we would have real proof of delivery. Only those that give the service levels will get new licenses.

This way we introduce competition, we get customer service. Potentially the Treasury even makes money.

LA admits this plan needs to be refined. It is however the only way forward.
It is seamless to the consumer and painless for the taxpayer.

Dont just dish out cash in bail outs!!!

As the Government eyes up a bail out for automotive, following the failed bailout of the banks, LA ponders the missed opportunity.

LA knows the public sector is useless at investing its money, projects over run and come in over budget.

Here is an opportunity to change that. Offer the banks and the automotive industry money on condition that their staff and senior management work in the public sector. So if Jaguar needs half a billion, buy its peoples time. It could go on factory shut down for 6 months, its factory workers will be working for the public during that time, its project managers would be getting some commercial sense hammered into the public sector, and the bailout would then not be just a give away. Government wins, tax payer wins, workers keep their jobs and Jaguar maintains its skilled workforce. This has got to be better than just handing them cash, as we have done with the banks. It also beats putting the staff on benefits, for which the nation will see nothing in return. It also helps the government get on top of its woefully managed public sector contracts.

LA is trying to work out why this is not a good idea, why it wasn't done with the banks and why the government will not do it now. Any suggestions?

RBS may show the way

Lord Allesley has always been a free marketeer. The idea of regulation and red tape goes against the grain. LA has however been lobbying heavily to get the banks to guarantee existing funding streams where there has been no change in the business. it appears that RBS are now doing that. One of LA's businesses banks with RBS and LA knows his board will be pleased by the move. LA has always lobbied for this hoping that the threat of regulation would lead to a sensible self imposed solution by the banks. LA hopes this is now the case.

Well done RBS, common sense and a medium term view appear to have prevailed.

Lord Allesley

Government has no control on credit!! Automotive Downgrade

As the nation awaits the Pre Budget Report in fear, if it has sense, LA has come across a new and devastating problem.
Invoice discounters have downgraded Automotive.

What does this mean. it means that suppliers to the Automotive industry that had sensibly planned their cash flow are now stuffed.
The downgrade is 30%.

For those not familiar Invoice Discounting has grown massively over the last few years due to the brumark ruling (see post "Simple Steps 4"-9/11/2008). A raises finance by passing its debt onto an invoice discounter. It means on day 1 they will get usually between 70 and 90% of the value, this amount is pre arranged. the 30% reduction means an engineering company that would have raised a £100,000 invoice to an Automotive company would receive for example £80,000 straight away. As of this week that company will only receive £50,000!!!!!!! That could, and in some cases will mean the wage bill cannot be met!!!!!

These Invoice Discounters are not necessarily High St banks, the Chancellor and the treasury need to look at this now. Tens of Thousands of jobs are on the line. Of course, today it is Automotive, tomorrow which sector?

LA would point out that this is now the most serious short term threat to credit in this nation. The treasury are looking in the wrong direction. Action is needed now to avert disaster.

LA

Worrying Times

LA has not blogged for over a week.
He has been engaged with meeting Ministers, Shadow Ministers, Civil servants, the lot.

It has become apparent that the Government, in particular has a vision, a plan to spend like there is no tomorrow. This he believes will get the nation out of recession.

No external advise that does not match this idea is welcome. To say anything that is not in line with this grand scheme is Treason.

LA is convinced this will lead to disaster. Prime Minister there is a tommorow, and that is when we will have to pay the bill for the spending.

Sensible, essentially free short term measures are being ignored. Big Government is upon us, dissent will not be tolerated from traitors to the cause.

LA is dismayed.

Simple Step 5

LA now puts forward his 5th step to rapidly help the economy. Note none of these plans cost the tax payer a penny.

Job protection is key. If people feel their jobs are safe they have confidence and spend. The economy moves.

The rules of company administration and insolvency, have now worked well for many years. However, in the new world of tight finance they do not.

Most are not aware that the administrator is personally liable for health and safety the minute they are appointed, in the litigious society of today that is too risky. This and the pressures from creditors mean that most companies in administration look for a going concern buy out in only a very few days after that they close with all the asociated job loses. This was fine when you could get £1m out of a bank with a phone call (not an exaggeration). Now however perfectly viable proposition are being wound up and asset stripped because the finance cannot be arranged in a few hours by prospective buyer.

A system of "chapter 11" like protection needs to be brought in for companies in administration, and a sensible view on health and safety legislated for.

This would see many companies and therefore many jobs saved. Again this is free to the taxpayer.

This is not just hot air. LA ran out of time to rescue a company with 200 employees last month. Raising over a million in cash in 48hrs was impossible. Had it been 48 days or even 2 weeks, well, 200 jobs would have been saved.

LA

Simple Step 4

LA's 4th move would be to reintroduce a floating charge for banks on business finance.

For those not familiar, a New Zealand case that went to the House of Lords some years ago, removed the ability of banks to get there money back if a company went bust by having first rights to the money owed to that company by debtors.
This means banks face more risk in lending to business. this has led to a culture of the banks almost always asking from personal guarantees from directors. This is anti enterprise and makes the Limited company status pointless. We need to legislate to bring this back. Why would any successful business person expand their business if after years of work they are told if they borrow, not only will they risk their business, their livelihood, but also their home. What is the incentive for someone that is comfortable to go home to their partner and say, " Yes lets gamble the house." There is non.

Again this move would cost the government (The Tax Payer) nothing. It would re inject confidence into businesses, give confidence to the banks and oil the wheels of the economy.

LA hastens to add, if the banks had personal guarantees they could not have first charge on book debt, they cannot have it both way.

LA

Simple Step 3

LA has already stated that he is not one for regulation or legislation. It should only be the last resort.

The current crisis is seeing SME's the life blood of our nations economy hit hard. Order books slow, banks wont lend and debtors wont or cant pay.

Large organisations are better able to negotiate with banks, they can fund themselves in many different ways, especially if listed. The other thing they can do, and are increasingly doing so, is bullying their suppliers.
If large corporates call up smaller businesses and say, your on 60, or even 90 days terms now, like it or lump it, SME's are stuck. This eases the lending of the large business and puts the burden on the small business, a business that is not in a position to negotiate effectively with banks. This is not theory, this is the current reality. LA is hearing of cases daily. (sometimes 120 days)
Ministers who really dont know anything of the real business world claim that the Late Payments Act should prevent this. Rubbish, any supplier that uses the act ceases to be a supplier.

It is this squeeze down the fiscal food chain that will bring about economic collapse.It prevents the free flow of money across markets.

Sadly the answer is Legislation.Any organisation that turns over more than £100m pa must pay a 10% above base fine to the treasury on every invoice not settled within 30 days. Any disputed invoices do not count, authentication of disputes must be dealt with at audit, any that are deliberately put as disputed to delay payment when there is no problem will lead to a putative fine.
This act to have a 2 year sunset clause.

This would mean the small business is not "blamed", and will get paid.
This will have no fleeing the country effect as these large companies have to deal with their UK suppliers on the whole. Any business fleeing indicates they have dubious practices or financial woes.

This is another "Free to the Treasury" plan, infact it may generate income that should be ring fenced for business.

Again LA would push for this legeslation to be brought in before Christmas.

LA

Simple step 2

LA has spoken over the last few weeks to cabinet members and very senior civil servants about the credit crunch. He has spelt out why the bank bail out would not benefit small and medium business, they have failed to take note and still do not understand why SMEs are finding finance tough and are frankly too worried to invest. SMEs are concerned that the banks will not renew long standing lines of finance, and with good reason. This uncertainty leads business to suspend investment plans, reduce spending and hence slow the economy.
LA does not like legislation as a rule, but the banks need it. Emergency legislation needs to be brought forward that says a bank can only remove an existing line of credit on a business if it can show a fundamental change in the position of the business since it's last review. The banks would also not be able to ask for directors guarantees on the same basis. Such a bill with a 2 year sunset clause would add a considerable element of confidence.

LA also wonders why the opposition are not putting forward such suggestions?

LA

Simple measures can help in the downturn.

Lord Allesley has decided it is time he started putting forward a few measures that would help direct the nation out of economic slowdown (apart from an election that is).

The first is, as suggested very simple. Share Tax allowances across married couples with dependents. The effect of this is many parent (in the real world largely mothers) could then afford to stay at home should they chose. This would have a two fold effect, free up there jobs for those currently on benefits to do and secondly help fix broken British society as Children would have a more engaging home life where the only view of their parents is ironing or cooking, heaven forefend parents may have time to read with their children, or even play.

But how can the nation afford this? Simple its free. The working parent will leave a space in the market, if they chose to step out of employment, this means someone on benefits fills it. The reduction in benefits payments would more than cover the "lost" taxation.

This is an example of tax cuts stimulating the economy. LA believes many thousands of jobs would be created almost overnight.

Will the current government do this, LA doubts it.

LA.

EU Lala land

Lord Allesley has been to Brussels. Oh what fun! Having met the Leaders of the 3 mainstream UK parties, several MEP’s and many high ups from the UK reps office to EU, LA can report that he is almost lost for words.
It appears that the answer to the Global economic Crisis is closer EU integration.
We need more legislation, not less, we also need the EU to be involved in healthcare, security, the lot.(Apparently)
LA has always thought that Westminster Village is on another planet, Brussels is another galaxy. With very few exceptions, these people think interference will solve everything. They also believe the regulation is not a problem, just the implementation by States.
Social Engineering is rolling out, but who will stop it.LA believes in free trade, LA believes in a level playing field, LA believes Britain has led Global trade for centuries and should get on with it without pandering to French Farmers, Italian “Industrialists” or Latvian Lawyers.

Economic Cooperation, not undemocratic domination.

LA

PM spins whilst economy burns

On Thursday morning Allesley received a telephone call asking if he could attend a meeting that afternoon with the PM in Birmingham to discuss the economic situation. LA, had serious diary issues, but was told it was a small and private meeting, also confidential. On this basis LA canceled meetings and went along. Upon arrival at KPMG's offices in Bham, LA bumps in to a few acquaintances on his way in, as well as the press, not that confidential then? LA's colleagues had also been told, private meeting etc etc. After being taken in, there was a curtained off room, LA was not allowed to peak. The ante room, began to fill, 10 people, 20, 30..... Eventually to everyones surprise, curtain is pulled and a room laid out theatre style with about 200 seats. LA was furious, as were the majority of those present. When the PM turned up, with Mrs Balls (Cooper) the audience were subjected to a total PR stunt as GB explained how he was the greatest economic leader of the World, how his bank rescue plan would save us all. When he did receive a few questions, they were never answered, it was just hot air and spin, no acknowledgement of failure and none of the risk that the Bank rescue might fail.
BBC Thursday evening states PM had come to Birmingham to talk to business leaders, rubbish, GB had come to Birmingham to prance in front of the media.
This exercise was a waste of everyones time, should the PM not have been concentrating on saving the economy instead of raising his poll ratings.

LA

Lords or Commons?

LA is not convinced that in the 21st century ministers should really be in the Lords. Is Gordon Brown moving to an American model where his cabinet is made up of appointees, not elected representatives? Was it not Labour that thought the Lords should be more democratic? What next will Labour in its panic bring back Blair as PM from the Lords? We gave up having a PM from the Lords in 1902, it was seen as not accountable to the people. If its not good enough for PM why any other position.
LA thinks it smacks of desperation.

LA is also amused that in order to help an economic crisis caused through dodgy mortgages in the US and here, Mandleson, ex minister sacked because of a dodgy mortgage is brought in, oh the irony!

Act now to save businesses and jobs.

LA was delighted to see Alan Duncan on Sky say that the laws on administration need changing and need changing quickly in order to save good businesses and good jobs in extrodinary times.
As it happens LA is meeting with one of the BERR big wigs tomorrow and this is what LA had already put on the agenda. With banks abitarily removing long standing lines of credit on businesses, many are going to administartion. Once this happens the whole thing is madness. the administrators still think they can do deals in 5 days! Wrong, that was when money was cheap and the banks were queing to give it out. The administrators therefore chose to close the business and sell of its assets for pennies at auction. The main driver for this is their resposibility to maxamise return for creditors. In most administrations, the biggest creditor is HMRC, yes the tax man.
LA last week was trying to take a business out of administration, this would have saved up to 170 direct jobs and around 50 others. The deal fell apart over the timescale and the fact that an asset stripper effectivly offered £200k more. The company has closed. The system therfore maxamised its return for HMRC as a creditor. However it should be noted that the taxpayer is now picking up the social security tab for nearly 200 famalies. Crazy is the politest word LA can use, HRMC make a one off extra £200k max but will see that go out the other way every month whilst these people struggle to find work.
The government need to act now, decicivly and quickly. Such a move will save the small business economy, save jobs and stop a recession becoming a depresion.

LA will make his point, but is not holding his breath.

Where are the Chinese?

LA is wondering what China is up to. With the global economy on a knife edge and the US political elite tearing themselves apart, Chona stays silent. What is their plan, they could use their vast reserves to help kick start things,to assist with global liquidity. But no, they do nothing. Surely they would want a strong global economy,after all they are the worlds workshop. Or are they happy to see a weakened US and damaged EU. Do they see this as a way to shortcut their way up the global economic ladder. The strange thing, if not worrying thing is that LA is pretty sure that not only is he unsure, but so is every Western government.

Government removal from reality

As ministers speak out against the PM (in Code at least), and they speak of global forces hurting our economy, LA looks on in wonderment. At no point has any of them considered that the nation is over taxed, business over regulated and the state too big, too wasteful and a parasite on its own people. Is there really not one of them who even asks the question?
The answer is of course no. None of them has ever run a business (certainly not in recent years). None has ever had to understand the risk that is now involved in employing someone in modern Britain. None of them worries about their pension. Their transport and fuel costs haven't gone up as its all on expenses.
The power bubble corrupts perceptions, and personalities.
These are not the true leaders of our nation, they are a mediocre bunch of idealists around a semi socialist agenda. Go now, please, for the good of your country, go.

LA

What should Brown do?

LA has been asked to do 5 Live tonight on the subject of what should Brown do now. LA has been asked to give the business perspective. Without being partisan, LA's posting of 6th Sept says it all. Brown needs to call an election.At the very least he has to show the balls John Major had and start a leadership contest himself. That way, and that way alone can we have government that concentrates on government for the next 2 years instead of a government interested only in the short term survival of the PM.

LA has been asked how Brown can re-engage. from the business communities perspective, LA is not sure he can. CGT was a real burning bridges moment, never had a government pulled such a surprise on the business community, no consultation and no forethought.
Business feels it is always the soft target for Browns taxes, small business in particular feels it is the administrative arm of a Brown government as it deals with Tax credits and a whole raft of red tape that seems to appear with every Government initiative.

Over the next 2 years this country requires real leadership and strong stewardship, LA knows of no one who genuinely believes that Mr Brown is the best person in the country top do that.

Lord Allesley

Pointless Muppet Show in Brirmingham

LA has just returned from his morning with the Cabinet in Birmingham. What a charade. It at some points, felt more like a focus group for a manifesto, maybe it was.
LA has dealt with many a politician in his time but has never been in a room with the whole Cabinet. What an underwhelming Mafia of the mediocre, and thats polite.

The entire event was stage managed, questions vetted and dissent impossible. It was MC'd by Digby Jones. Any doubts that he had gone native are history. He gushed over Gordon as though he had a schoolboy crush. He said he had joined the government because of Gordons vision. LA fails to see how the vision of a Socialist Utopia could appeal to a former head of the CBI.

LA was particularly disturbed by some of the announcements that were made on developments in the West Midlands. These were developments that had the RDA involved, and there use as a media stunt shows that the RDA is being manipulated for party poitics.

LA has left with no doubt that this country is rudderless, leadership is non existant and the incumbeant government stagger around desperate for ideas.

Heaven Help us all.

Union Rants Have Started

Brendan Barber of the TUC say the rich (apparently anyone on over £100k) should be taxed more.
A report has been issued which also says Britain has more super rich than ever.

The report says Russian oil magnate and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich is currently Britain's second-richest man, worth £11.7bn, followed by the Duke of Westminster on £7bn, Sri and Gopi Hinduja on £6.2bn and Alisher Usmanov on £5.7bn.

Mr Barber, look at the list, all bar one have come to the UK because of its current tax regime, and up until recently its lack of surprise tax changes(CGT changed that view).

If we change the tax regime these foreign investors will leave, none will come in to replace them, and just like the 70's Brits will also leave and take their tax money with them.

Barber said extreme wealth was "socially divisive and morally objectionable". No Mr Barber, envy is divisive and morally objectionable, stop trying to destroy the country.

LA

TUC comedy

LA loves the conference season.
The Greens have gone first and spouted rubbish that amounts to Communism when it comes to the economy.
Now it is the clowns of the Unions to go. To quote todays Times" Tony Woodley General Secretary of Unite
"He said that the dire state of the economy called for radical policies and for Labour to throw out neo-liberal economics. Mr Brown had to “do a damn sight more to regain the confidence of the country”, he added. He also repeated union demands for a reversal of many of Margaret Thatcher’s trade union reforms. "
Yes , tax ,spend ,"redistribute" and regulate has failed what we need is an even more extreme version of it. These people are off another planet and of another era, these people also influence the Government.
Tony Woodley if you have a spoon full of poison it may make you very sick, if you drink the whole bottle, you die.

LA also notes that some of the current economic uncertainty comes from political uncertainty. Investors require stability and certainty. We sit 2 months from an American election that is too close to call. Which one wins will influence investment decisions, and will influence liquidity in banking. On this side of the pond we are effectively without government. No worse than that, we are without leadership and with a government that meddles and tinkers without thought and without warning. Mr Brown could go any day, or he could hang on 18 months, and in 18 months Cameron, who has not elucidated on his policies. Uncertainty breeds volatility. We have 2 months for the Yanks to sort themselves out, Mr Brown please call an election now and let this side of the pond get some certainty. One things for sure, the moment Brown goes, the pound will rally against the Euro.

Lord Allelsey

Relaunch is fataly flawed

The last 24 hours has seen as some parts of the media have put it, the Brown relaunch.
LA, is bemused , it is like painting the mast on a ship that has a gaping hole in the hull and relaunching it.
Again we see policy initiatives that are about propping up a failed PM, not about propping up the economy or helping the people of the nation. Incredibly from the bunker at No 10, the fools do not realise that everyone can see through it.
Mr Brown, if you have any integrity do what is right by your country, not what is good for your ego.

LA.

Darling spills the beans

Lord Allesley read the Chancellor's words in a state of exasperation. "The down turn will be deeper than many people though." Which people, the Cabinet and other cocooned fools in Whitehall who do not see the reality of what is going on.
LA maintains that some sectors are and will continue to do well, others will suffer badly. The problem is the banks. For years, when a small business had a bad year, the banks answer was to reduce funding and crucify that business, not work the problem through. Now the banks have one bad year and they crucify each other, hence liquidity crisis.
Sadly unlike punishing one small business, the effect of the banks hurting is felt by all. If liquidity returned much of today's problems would be resolved swiftly.
The banks need strong leadership from government. That government need to lead the way by reducing the size of the public sector economy and reducing the tax burden. That government needs to make it easier to start a business and easier to run a business. The unions need putting back in their kennel and the nation needs to get back to work and stop paying scroungers.
This would be a very unpopular stance in the short term, but everyone knows, good medicine tastes bad.

The socialist experiment has run its course, time for change.

Lord Allesley

The Emperors Clothes

It is finally over. 63 consecutive periods of growth has dissolved. Mr Brown, the Chancellor of the never never and Prime Minister of error error is finally shown for what he truly is.

No longer can he proclaim Magical fiscal powers, he has been seen to be nothing but a second rate conjurer.

As his socialist experiment crumbles, the victims are the British people, left to pick up the pieces. Not content with this, he and his ministers contaminate the wreckage with fall out, crazy unfinancable policies. This ensures the next Government will struggle to help its populous in any meaningful way.

Lord Allesley

Autumn Election?

Lord Allesley hears rumours of election planning.
Mr Brown knows he could well be out if he loses the Glenrorthes by election in the Autumn. Theory goes he will therefore go for an Autumn General Election (knowing he will lose). Idea behind this is minimise the devastation of Labour MP's. Prior to going to the nation there will be a give away budget of bribes and large troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Labour out, but handing Cameron a poison chalice of ruined economy and having to take away the promised bribes.
First plank of plan was put in place in Warwick when Brown secured the Union funding to get enough money to fight an election.
Is this more than rumour, more than theory?????

Lord Allesley

Lord Allesley Returns:So do the 70's

As Lord Allesley returns to the Blogsphere he reflects on the last week. Soaring inflation, rising unemployment, difficulty getting mortgages, an energy crisis, high taxes, a communist State showing its muscle through the Olympics and the West and Russia re entering the cold war.

Like an episode of Life on Mars his Lordship is convinced he should nip to his local for a pint of Harp.

One thing is for sure, Obama is going to be in trouble. McCain will go tough on Russia, Obama will look weak as Yanks head for their nuclear shelters in typical over reaction.

Lord Allesley looks on and wonders what Mr Browns position will be, he has left a vaccum so far.

Lord Allesley

Sunday Silly Season

So, Milliband is off on his hols, Manhater, odd eye brows and Denham (if you don't know who he is join 99.9999r% of the population, all back Gordon, the rest of the country just sits and looks as its gas bills go up.
Is it not time to ask why our economic downturn is worse than similar nations, it is not time to look at our growing public expenditure as a percentage of GDP and see the direct correlation. is it not time we realised that the return on this public expenditure declines with every £ spent. Surely the waste is evident for all to see. Lets kerb the spending and cut the waste. Oh, but lets not say that in public, after all, to announce the Emperor has no clothes would not go down well would it!

Lord Allesley

Back from Recess

Lord Allesley is back in blighty after his personal recess.(2 weeks not 3 months) He has noted from afar that the world of politics continues to defy logic and ignore the real people of the country. He will sober up and reflect in the next few hours. Silly season is here and Lord Allesley feels he must contribute.

Lord Allesley

Summer Recess, Saviour of the Nation

As Lord Allesley listened to PMQ's today it dawned upon him that it was the last for 3 months as our hard working MP's needed to take the summer off.
Initial anger at the idle uselessness of this soon passed. It was replaced by the knowledge that for 3 months- 13 weeks- 90 days no less, there would be no legislation passed. No more laws for the sake of it. Does the nation grind to a halt every summer because our Masters aren't passing new laws over us? No.. The obvious answer then is a 3 month Parliament and 9 months off, thus reducing the harm that can be done still further.

Lord Allesley challenges anyone to question this logic.

Lord Allesley

Are the BBC working for the Goverrnment

Lord Allesley has just been listning to PM. He has never been one to think the BBC was particularly biased. On this occassion though, the car nearly ended up in a ditch. Jacqui Smith goes on TV and say "yes" to Adam Boulton when asked about knife Crime victims being seen in hospital by criminals. Now the Home Office have realised this is ridiculous and have decided they didn't say that after all. The BBC then try to deconstruct Jacqui Smiths word (unsuccessfully) to point out she didn't really say it. They then have Shadow Home Secretary Domonic Grieve on to talk about it, and instead of revealling the emporor has no clothes when this spin mad government speaks.They procede to try to infer that the Tories had an incoherent line on the issue. Again the BBC were made to look foolish. Lord Allelsey fears he really is in the new Zimbabwe.

Bottled it at the UN

So, China and Russia both veto sanctions on the Mugabe murderers.
The UN is a joke. Mass murder condoned.
The US and Britain had a unique opportunity, Russia, offer talks on missile shield, China threat of Olympic disruption. If they cannot be held to account as reasonable nations in these circumstances, when can they. Brown & Bush busted flushes.

Lord Allesley

Jacqui Smith Wonderland

So the announcement has come out that is going to save our young (and others) from the Blade. We are going to shock them by showing them knife victims. That's it pretty much. We are not going to have more random checks, less police paper work and harsher penalties. we are not going to work with, and punish where appropriate irresponsible parents.

Instead the Home Secretary really thinks that a bunch of kids desensitised to violence through video games and TV are going to be "shocked" into changing their ways. No Home Secretary they are not they will see it as "getting away with it".

Lord Allesley has been a victim of knife crime and knows how pathetic the legal system was in dealing with it. A charge of possession of a bladed instrument against a man who was obviously attempting to kill Lord Allesley. Only one police interview and accept a plea on a minor infringement, the path of least resistance, prosecution target meeting and least paperwork.

Oh but victims get their say in this new age, they get to stand before the judge and tell how it was terrifying, how it has effected them....Oh not if you ring the police 8 weeks later only to be told the case has been to court, a guilty plea put in and now its all over.

What is the point of more legislation, more empty announcements and more fantasy politics. We need proper policy deployment, real policing less human rights PC rubbish. It is time the people of Britain regained their great country from the social pariahs. This government does not see that. It genuinely believes rewarding antisocial scum will change their behaviour, not reinforce it.

Time for change.

Lord Allesley

McNulty removed from reality

Lord Allelsey has pondered and fumed for 24 hours, sometimes to put thought down in the heat of the moment is wrong.

However Mcnulty the Minister for arrogance and stupidity has made Allesley explode.
On an interview on TV news on Friday evening, a day when it became apparent that Britain (England Technically) had become riddled with knife crime, when asked what the Government was doing about it, he had the audacity to say , over the last year the government had made several "announcements" on the subject. What does this imbecile believe. If the Government says something is bad we will all stop doing it, if it says its good we will all follow suit. All a Government has to do apparently is speak and we shall obey, the world will fall into line. Have these people really become this egotistical in the last 11 years.

This fool needs to understand we have a Britain where for huge sections of our population aspiration has been removed, normal and sensible aspiration that is. The idea of a career,a job, a better community, its gone. Hand out Britain has led to the only aspiration for some being to join a gang, to be a thug.For others to get 6 pints of Stella, or more channels on Sky. to achieve these goals sit at home and wait for the cheque to arrive.

Lord Allesley is despairing.

Regional Mayor

It appears that hot from the ridiculous bubble of Westminster, Hazel Blears really thinks there is an appetite for a Regional Mayor. This would cover The Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry and Telford and Wrekin.
Now I know Westminster is over 100 miles away, but for heavens sake, what on earth makes her think their is an appetite for such a post.

The idea that the region has a united identity is a thing of fantasy. The whole thing is based on a map of the Public Sector economy, not the real world. People in Coventry feel an affinity with Warwickshire, not Telford, and guess where the private sector trades.

This smacks of a tired government who's attempt at elected regional assemblies collapsed in tatters in the North East, this is it by the back door.

Go back to Westminster, have a lie down and then come back and actually listen to the people. 10 years in government has led to delusion. Its time for change, nationally, then we can have a think about our regions.

Lord Allelsey

Benn state the obvious and shows the PM is in fantasy land

Lord Allesley has just listened to yesterdays BBC interview Hilary Benn gave the BBC. It was on the ridiculous food waste statement. Benn defended it saying that in a world of high commodity prices it was something we could do, after all the Prime Minister can't effect international oil prices. So why the hell did he fly to Saudi a few days ago with press fanfare if his own Ministers knew he couldn't effect it. If anyone thought Blair ran a government of spin, this one takes the biscuit (only one biscuit of course,wouldn't want to waste food.).

The last desperate throws of government are sad, wasteful and pointless.

Lord Allesley

PM International embarrassment

So we have a G8 summit, under discussion are world commodity price. Our esteemed Premiers answer to this global issue is to ignore Best Before dates. I am ashamed to be British. many felt that Bush came to these gatherings and was seen as being a half wit, well now Brown is aiming to take the mantle.

The argument doesn't stack up, with the logistics and packaging etc in modern retailing, the extra third that goes in the bin is irrelevant to pricing, hence BOGOFF offers. This man has lost the plot entirely. Whats his answer to Afghanistan going to be, arm wrestling the Taliban.

Lord Allesley is of the opinion that Brown has gone from being buffoon to loon. It is very dangerous to have such a man in charge of your country, especially when those that surround him are of such a low calibre and cannot hold his madness in check.

Lord Allesley

Fuel tax rip off

Lord Allesley spent a good part of yesterday with experts discussing energy.
What came across loud and clear was the enormous wind fall of taxation the government is getting at the moment. It begs the question, what are they doing with this money. Surely if the government was serious about energy security and cost it would invest this windfall into insulating ALL homes, helping small business become more efficient, sorting out the road infrastructure eg. intelligent traffic light, oh and major public transport projects. No none of these are increasing. The money it appears, is going into the fiscal black hole that Mr Brown has created.

The other message was that we have a private public transport system, that is effectively dictated to on public sector terms, ie bus fares are negotiated by local government and fixed regardless of fuel cost. Many bus operators are on the verge of going bust as their cost model no longer works. Can they do anything about it? No not really, Public sector rules means that the minimum resolution time in these cases is 4 months, they wont survive that long! It also means no bus companies are going to be investing in new fleets, new routes or new services, mind you Gordon still taxes them. So if you thought not using your car was an option, forget it.

Overall Lord Allesley was depressed, he'd throw himself under a bus if he could find one.

Lord Allesley

Ministers give up, but were going down with them

Lord Allesley had an interesting meeting yesterday with a long term advisor to many a government. This is the least sensationalist, and least partisan person Lord Allesley knows. The reports of what is going on in the world of Brown were disturbing. It seems Brown has become a one man think tank, who throws out random policy ideas he has come up with on the back of an envelope, he then insists they are rolled out.

Worse still is the attitude of ministers. It appears they have given up, they are openly admitting they wont be around for much longer so policy's they announce are pointless. And even worse still it appears that several ministers are now embarking on a scorched earth policy. They are coming up with initiatives that promise the earth, are uncosted and undeliverable, they know that Cameron will have to pick up the pieces, and with the financial black hole they leave behind it will make the job nigh on impossible.

So as ministers implement their 6 year plan to get back in power, they obviously feel that the good of the country and its citizens are worth sacrificing so they can satisfy there own need to be at the controls.

So at least 6 years of gloom ahead? Lord Allesley hopes he hasn't ruined your day.

Lord Allesley

Cherie Blairs hypocracy (the H word is popular with me)

So the lovable Cherie says she fears for her children's safety on the streets. Well Mrs Blair, my kids don't get advice from the Mets protection squad, they don't live in a house (or houses) that the tax payers fork out to protect. If you feel venerable, welcome to the real world. Oh but then you will be in court tomorrow defending some scum bag on a technicality over "human rights", a law we now have as it was expedient for your husbands career. Blair's, hang your heads in shame. When you have a Parliamentary majority as large as yours was you have a moral duty to make your country a better place as you can avoid petty party politics. instead you blindly followed a Dogmatic trail of self interest. You are a disgrace, it is now down to the rest of the tattered society you have left behind to pick up the pieces. Lord Allesley needs a drink!

Lord Allesley

Passport Tax Lies

My God,

just found it now cost s£72 to renew a passport. The massive increases over the last 5 years were originally, according to government, to open local centres where face to face issuing would take place for security reasons.
Absolute rubbish, no such system in place for renewals and yet still massive price increases. This is just a tax on leaving the country.

It does appear that anything that we have little or no choice over gets taxed as this wasteful Government sucks more and more of our money into its inept black hole.

Am I being nostalgic or were most of our previous governments more honest with us than the present.

Its not just the high tax, poor delivery and waste I object to, it the lies and deceit.

Keep on like this and Lord Allesley might need a passport to escape once and for all.

Lord Allesley

Brown invites hypocrisy call

Yes, Gordon Brown is quite right to call the Zimbabwean election a new low. However he stood unopposed in his leadership election because other MP's were intimidated into not standing against him. Sounds familiar. then there is the fact that he basically gets to run the country with no mandate whatsoever. I am sure that will not be lost on Mugabe, I sadly it isn't to me.

Can Britain have a free and fair election for its leadership please Mr Brown.

Lord Allesley

Harmans crusade of stupidity and division

We now have legislation presented to "positively " discriminate, if that is not a contradiction in terms. What has this Government got on its mind, fuel crisis, slowing economy, credit crunch, rising crime or ridiculous unnecessary and divisive regulation. Oh yes, it was the later. Just at a time when employing people is becoming more of a challenge, these dogmatic fools try to make it even less attractive to business people around the country.
Can you imagine the day some one says to a female work colleague "you only got the job because you are a woman", that will hang over them for good. This needs stopping now, its bad for equality, bad for women, bad for ethnic minorities and bloody awful for employer. Ultimately it is bad for everyone. Except for Harriet of course, shell be punching the air and flicking through 1960's headlines of Bra burnings. well get with it Harriet, we have grown up since then and any employer with sense only employs the best for the job these days, we cant afford not to. Of course, Gordon Brown doesn't seem to pick on merit just makes sure he meets unwritten quotas of lefties, blairites, grass rooters, oh and feminists. Harriet were you best for the job or did you just manage to tick a box on a quota?

Lord Allesley

Lord Allesley on the money

Well, Lord Allesley has a good nose for events, he predicted Mandela was preparing to speak out against the vermin that is Mugabe. He was right. The clock is ticking for the ZanuPF tyrants!!!

Lord Allesley

PMQ's

For those of us who watched PMQ's today it was another sad disappointment. An old, old pillar of our democracy is now a total sham. We have a Prime Minister who never answers a question and MP's who ask pathetic set up questions for the No 10 propaganda machine. If they did that in China we would call foul. Its always been pretty poor but Im sure its getting worse.
Perhaps it could be made more interesting, the PM could be wired to a lie detector whose results show on a big plasma screen. What about a random number generator that picks MP's and they instantly ask a question, no rehearsals or stage management. Why not play a joker, on that question the PM has to answer only Yes or no, that would cut out the spin and flim flam.

It is sad that we do not appear to hold our "rulers" to account, and OUR members of parliament put party politics above there constituents interests

Lord Allesley

AWM- Business Link £6m waste

So, as businesses in the West Midlands will know, Business Link was Centralised (how USSR) by AWM. Midlands Today reports a £6m waste on a new headquarters. If only that were the true cost of the waste. Shut down costs of the old system amount to millions, waste in retraining and now advertising, something they must do as local businesses have lost all confidence in the new system.
Its supposed to be business support, not empire building.

Who is AWM answerable to; its not the voters, its undemocratic wasteful and useless. Who ever asked for this ridiculous body in the first place, isn't it time to SCRAP AWM????

Lord Allesley

Zim Update

So it appears the ANC is finally facing up to reality .(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7471105.stm) I Wonder if the 90 year old Mr Mandela who is in London at the moment is about to say anything? Lord Allesley hopes so.

Lord Allesley

Come on South Africa

I hear Mr Gaunt on TalkSport has now noted the lovely Ms Robinsons comments. He appears to agree with me on this one.

He is also talking about Zimbabwe. The situation there is a disgrace. The key to it all is South Africa, however the ANC seems to be, by the day in little ways, moving towards a position of absolute power. An organisation that knows it has no electoral threat becomes arrogant and listens to no one. There is therefore a moral vacuum at the top of the ANC, and a genuine belief that to strike against the Fascist regime of Mugabe is a betrayal of "African Blacks" and their historic struggle. Had Mugabe been white the whole world would have acted long ago. As for Britain, we are so scared of our colonial past we are paralysed. (Why is it such a British thing, we don't call on the Italians to apologise for the Roman Empire, or the Scandinavians to say sorry for Viking raids?)

The only course of action is full economic and sporting sanctions against Zimbabwe, and furthermore, sanctions against any supporting nation, ie South Africa. SA will then have to come off the fence. If it was good enough when Whites oppressed Blacks it should be when Blacks oppress Blacks. It is time this tyrant was ousted.

Mind you the current British government does find it hard to do anything that involves dicussing elections or ballot boxes.

Lord Allesley

Welcome

Welcome to a new Blog. I view this as a space to get off my chest all my whinges and observations on the world. Feel free to chip in.

Ill start with Anne Robinson. In her ridiculous past its sell by date act as some quasi pensioner domanatrix she has now taken to criticising Coventry. A place it appears she hasn't been to for many a year. Why is this wisened excuse for an ex journalist given free rein to spout rubbish. Oh yeah, its "entertainment" well done the BBC great use of my licence fee.

Ah, first blog and I already feel better.

Lord Allelsey