One week on and Gurhkas still dominate

How can a week pass, the PM gets photographed with a Swastika backdrop and now Phil Woolas is destroyed by an Actress?

LA has not blogged much over the last few weeks, it has seemed pointless, it is impossible to add to the current farce with commentary, as it is beyond even the writing of Armando Iannucci.

LA

All Coventry MP's vote against Gurhkas

LA has just looked into whether Coventry MP's voted for or against (or abstained) the motion to allow Gurkha's to reside in Britain.

Bob Ainsworth, as Minister for the Armed Forces voted against, Sir how do you think all our service personnel will regard you now?

Jim Cunningham and Geoffrey Robinson bot voted against. They both put party over morals and showed a fear and a spinelessness before the whips, that no Gurkha has ever shown before any enemy of Britain.

We voted for these people to represent and lead........pathetic.

LA

Will Brown be a Swine

LA has not blogged for a whole week for a variety of reasons.

It has been another week of Government failure and Brown fiasco, from Polish visit, Gurkha loss to walking off before giving a statement.

The biggest concern for LA is given Browns misanthropic nature, will the Swine flu issue be used to his advantage, regardless of the good of the public. It has to be remembered that Brown is fond of crisis, floods, foot and mouth, even bank collapse at the start.

Would he dare? Is he that callous that he will build this up so he can "save Britain".

LA just thinks he and his cabal may be.

LA

Time Bomb Budget

"he is gambling on a swift recovery"; the words of the BBC website reacting to the budget.

The thing is "he" is not gambling, we are, the taxpayer and public. for him there is no gamble. He knows his growth forecasts are Jackanory, but he also knows he wont have to deal with the consequences.

His only gamble is did he poison the ground enough to restrict Camerons majority.
The 50% high rate tax is like an episode of Life on Mars. We are into the failing economics of the 70's. It will lead to a brain drain, goes counter to the Chancelor saying he wants Britain to be a Global Financial centre and is just a political gauntlet thrown before the Conservatives in a look back to class war mentality.

The headline grabing stuff such as the "scrappage scheme" are garbage in themselves, how many people running a 10 year old car will buy a new one, how can the government ensure it is fully passed on to the buyer and not skimmed by the dealer.
Also if you are a nurse who works when there is no public transport, you need to buy a £900 run about, well they will be no more!

Why continue with the lower VAT rate, scrap it now. Train under 25 year olds to do what. Fund sixth form places, it was thia lot that cocked the funding up in the first place.

LA can think of no redeeming features.

Cameron and Osbourne had better be good at Bomb Disposal, because this is a big one.

Nice rant, LA feels a little better now.

LA

Will anyone defect?

Will any Labour backbenchers defect to the Conservatives?

For some it could be their only slim hope of staying an MP after next spring.

The Email scandal and tomorrows budget could deliver all the reasoning?

LA doubts it but does not think it impossible.

Lets hope someone does jump ship, it would pour even more pressure on Brown.

LA

Even Lego mocks Brown

LA visited Legoland Windsor today. Whilst looking at the incredible Lego copy of London he could see all the major landmarks, he could not however see Downing Street.
He then spotted a big model truck parked at the back of a building, he instantly, and correctly, knew it was the back 10 Downing Street, the truck said "Browns Removals". Fantastic, even Lego model builders get it.

LA

How can you spin rubbish?

LA has been amused by Mandelson today. His idea to spin away from the Ed Ball, Brown McBride, et al affair is to come back to "The Recession".

Has it not struck him that polls reveal that despite their denial, the majority of UK voters have them firmly in the dock for "The Recession".

It is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer to nullify the pain of a broken leg.

The meltdown continues, and who knows what treat Guido has.

LA

Is Browns administartion collapsing?

Even LA is surprised by the headlines already appearing from the Sunday papers.
Balls, Collins and Maguire all in deep trouble. And still Guido has just a tease on his site that tomorrow could have a bombshell.

On other blogs LA warned that he felt the McBride affair and the denials had a hint of the Nixon administration about it. LA predicted that it really could be the start of a very rapid spiral of destruction. With even more leaks likely and with such stark denials, if this gets any closer to Brown will his position be tenable, will we have a governmental collapse, an election in just weeks.

LA hopes so.

Geoffrey Robinson to stand down?

LA has for some time thought that Robinson, Browns long time financial backer, was planning to step down as an MP. Events over the last few days make that more likely.
The Coventry North West MP, who is 71 next month, has now sold (virtually given away) his stake in The New Statesman. Another step towards retirement.
LA is convinced that Brown, as all outgoing PM's can, will elevate Robinson to the Lords. That is what Geoffrey wants, a seat in Londons best and most exclusive club. The glamour of parliament without the bother of constituents.

Councillor Ed Ruane is being groomed for the seat. The 29 year old Politics graduate who has never had a real job outside political bag carrying is being pushed as the local face of Labour. LA understands that many of the long standing local Labour party may not allow such a smooth transition though.

Of course Clr Ruane may find even if selected he does not get elected, although unlikely it is not impossible given the current polls that the Coventry North West seat could fall to the Torys. This again is another reason why Geoffrey will step aside, to save the risk of ending his political career, a loser.

LA

Who will become our future politicians?

Today two stories have dominated the agenda. Damian Greens arrest, and Damien McBrides lies.

Both of these beg the question who the hell would go into politics?

Lord Allesley has for some time been considering moving into front line politics.
LA has extensive experience at Board level in both the Private and Public sector, he is also experienced at working with the media, senior politicians and public speaking. He is also financially able to commit to the costs of campaigning. He should therefore fit the bill perfectly.
There has however always been one big question mark that has prevented LA from stepping forward. That has been the exposure it would bring LA's family. Lady Allesley has always questioned why LA should put himself and his family in the firing line.

Todays stories really don't help. One says if you do go into politics you may well have the police conduct a dawn raid on your home if you conflict with the government. The other, you and your family will be destroyed by spinning scum like McBride.

How can LA persuade Lady Allesley any different on this evidence? LA's line has always been that he has no skeletons in his cupboard, however both of these stories highlight that even the whitest of white politicians could have themselves and their family life destroyed by pernicious opponents.

On this basis, who will become the next generation of politicians and what will motivate them, is it right to put the nation before ones own family?

LA

Downing Street rats in a spin

Smeargate kept unions off the front page.

Over the Easter Break the McBride affair was, an to an extent still is the big political news. It dominated not just the mainstream media but also the blogsphere.

What that meant was there was little coverage of the teachers unions conferences.

What we saw there was definitely worthy of headlines.
Votes for 10% pay increases, reduced hours and strikes over government policy.
Far more militant than we have seen in 12 years.

LA thinks that the big public sector unions realise it is the last throw of the dice.
Gordon and his gang will be gone in a year, and reality will come back to public expenditure.

On the basis that they feel they can not damage the Labour party electoral hopes as they are beyond repair, they are going all out to bank some deals before any change of Government.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out over the coming months. Will the socialist experiment see its sunset surrounded by public sector picket lines?

LA.

Politicization of Civil service is the real story

Lets get all the McBride smear story stuff in perspective.
Every one knows that spin and smear goes on in politics, sad but true. It is just that in the last 13 years this has gone to new levels of "professionalism". The best proponents of this have been the Labour Party. LA feels sure the Torys sometimes look on and wish they had the same abilities in this disgraceful skill.

The thing is, the emails are horrible, the man is clearly scum and has no regard for political opponants (Tory or Labour) as people, no regard for there family life. He does undobtdly bring politics into the gutter, he does make those that could be good for the country step back from politics as they do not want to have to contend with such filth and upset. But the real story is Gordon Browns (and Blairs) politicization of the Civil Service. Pitt the Younger was the first Prime Minister to really remove patronage from Government positions, but also from the civil service. It became mainly based on talent. Civil servants were there to serve the Government for delivery of its policies, not to fight its party political battles.

Brown made McBride a Civil Servant, the tax payer was therefore funding an organ of the Labour Party, that cannot be right. It also puts full responsibility for all McBrides actions firmly with the Prime Minister. Let us not hold our collective breath for an apology though, we know Mr Brown is as incapable of that as he is of running the country.

LA

Time to clamp down on Pakistani visa's

It is now obvious that Britain and the non Islamic world has effectively had war declared on it by some of the Autonomous regions of Pakistan. The Pakistani government either will not or cannot do anything to protect us.

We must therefore treat all those who travel in and out of Pakistan and over our borders as potential combatants or spies, just as we would in any state of war.

The scrutiny of anyone entering this nation who has been into or from Pakistan must be forensic.

LA says this for two reasons; the first the protection of our security:
Terrorism is about terror, instead of the state clamping down on all of our freedoms, clamp down on those who statistically may offer the biggest threat. If Britain's know that proper Border controls are in place they will feel at ease, and if they feel less oppressed by the situation they will also feel less threatened.

The second reason is the far right. The BNP will grab the suspicion this places on the British ethnic Pakistani community and twist it to their own ends. If it were considered that the threat was neutralized and those that are of Pakistani origin that are in this country are not hostile or a threat, the BNP lose.

Let us not have the sensibilities around the cry of racism lead us to an ineffectual course, which in itself will breed racism in our nation.

LA

Could Brown win an election?

Post G20, Brown has come out with the media spin putting him in a good light, who knows he could even go for a snap election, LA thinks that is very unlikely though. The only reason he would was if we were on the verge of calling in the IMF. Some of the phrases used post G20 by him, Mandelson and Darling all give a hint that is possible.

Would Brown go to the electorate now and then stick through the IMF claiming he had a new mandate?

There is another possibility that worries Lord Allesley. LA is starting to believe Britain may face a double troughed economic crisis.

The first slow down could well appear to be bottoming out, house prices stabilising, people (the vast majority) who have been saving for the last few months feeling a little better off. Then add in the governmental stimulus which has in reality had little effect so far, by the summer/Autumn things might on the surface seem to look a lot better. Throw in a bit of quantitative easing and the perception could be that Brown has saved the day.

It is at this point he goes to the polls thinking, at best he wins, at worst we have a hung parliament.

LA is concerned about this scenario. With a biased media, BBC in particular this nightmare could be a reality.

This would of course be smoke and mirrors economics, as Britain would then see continued rising unemployment as there is always a time lag. Then the inflationary pressures in the economy will also start to show through, poor exchange rate, printing presses running. Stagflation hits. Add to that mix the fact that we have somehow to pay for the folly of the financial stimulus. Bust Britain, with brown at the helm for a further 5 years.

How can Cameron fight this? Is this in Gordon's mind?

LA needs a drink!

LA

Can this Government Govern ?

Let us suppose LA agreed with all of the Governments policies.(Yes far fetched but stick with it)

The question then is can this Government actually deliver any of these policies?

This week alone it has spent its time dealing with forign governments mocking it, its MP's sex romp in the commons, Tony Mcnulty and his Mum & Dads house expenses claim, Obama planning to see Cameron and Jacqui Smiths expensed Adult entertainment.

This is getting to be a standard week.
With all this going on how can they concentrate on putting in place any policy. How can they help the country through its turmoil.

It would appear the only real politics is the "collapse" of the Dunfermline Building Society, and even as LA types that seams to be unravelling into a confused mess, possibly highlighting that Ministers cannot concentrate on their jobs in this atmosphere of farce.

LA concludes they cannot govern?

Once again LA says, 30 years on from the collapse of a Labour Government that brought the nation to its knees, it is time for an election.

LA

Is LA unpatriotic , ask Tom Harris MP

This is Tom Harris reposte to his party leader being shown for the sham he is , he says of Dan Hannans destruction of Browns delusion:

"What was truly repugnant about his speech was the total absence of any sense of patriotism. Some Tories on the extreme right of the party share the problem of some Republicans in the States: they don’t regard the head of government to be the nation’s leader unless he or she is also a member of their little party.

Gordon Brown isn’t just Labour’s prime minister; he’s Britain’s prime minister, and for any UK politician to launch such a disgraceful, personal attack on his country’s leader — in a foreign country — is nothing short of disgraceful."

This would make LA's previous postin on Dan Hannan's speech unpatriotic.

Mr Harris, it is you sir who puts his party and its leader over and above his country ,that is unpatriotic. This unelected Prime Minister needs removing, you Mr Harris and the rest of the parliamentary Labour Party are the ones keeping him in place. It is you who should be taken to the Tower.

LA.

Its is LA's Patriotic duty to post this

Hat tip to half the blogsphere for this, but just in case you have not watched.This is what our Parliamentary system with its lapdog speaker does not allow to be said.
Watch and enjoy.

LA

Ups and down of inflation

Government figure now conflict, CPI up, RPI down. If you take out the reduced cost of mortgages, prices have gone up!!

LA has been warning this would happen for months, the devaluation of the pound is having a major effect, politicians, BoE officials and government officials have chosen to look on LA as a heretic when he has warned them.

Brown has left Britain in a terrible position globally and now we are payin the price.

The retired who rely on their savings interest and do not have a mortgage are well and truely stuffed. Less income, higher prices.
They would have been better off wasting their money on holidays, booze and fags. Then they could have applied for extra benefits from the hand out, bankrupt state.
Thank you Mr Brown, now just call an election!

LA

RBS Non Execs "Bowed to pressure"

There are reports that Non Execs of the tax payers new bank, RBS, backed down from asking questions about the banks financing, when they were threatened with the sack.

If this is true this shows that the wrong people are being chosen to be Non Exec Directors (NED's).

NED's are supposed to be independent. Any board taking on a NED should ensure that they are also financially independent. They then have no worries over being sacked.

A NED's ultimate sanction is to resign highlighting issues to shareholders (Or government if a public sector NED). If they "fear" the sack, they should not be there in the first place, they are critical friends on the board, not co-conspirators.

Until boards recognise this they will be ineffective and not deliver true shareholder value.

LA

Another Sunday, another expenses exposé.

According to this Mornings papers Tony McNulty has been claiming housing allowance for his parents home 8 miles from his family home. By all accounts this is within the rules. But was it within the spirit of the rules. I can't see that anyone would say that it was.

There are two points here.

The first is the inescapable view that MP's allowances is a joke. It should be brought in line with that of the private sector, if it is not the repute of all politicians is brought into question and democracy suffers.

The second point is that just as the Major government found, when the rot sets in, it cannot be turned. LA is sure that there are MP's on all sides of the House pushing the system to the extreme for personal gain. They are however not all part of a crumbling government. A predatory media are like Lions, they will pick off the lame and weak. This government is both of those, over the coming weeks we should expect similar headlines.

Drip, drip drip.

LA.

Why does cabinet devalue Parliament

LA notes the debate on the Economy that the opposition tabled yesterday. Incredibly given the recession, the economy has not been the subject of debate since December. It took the Tories to use up some of their allocated Parliamentary time to have the debate.

The Shadow Chancellor headed the debate, Alistair Darling did not show up, he had Yvette Cooper front things for the Treasury.

He was not at any summit, overseas or at any appointment that could not have easily been rearranged, he also had weeks of notice of the debate.

There are only 2 conclusions to draw.

1: The government is afraid to debate the economy as it knows it would become apparent that it is useless.

2: The government has no respect for Parliament, MP's or those people that elect them.

Of course the third option is both of the above.

LA

Cameron Confirms regional changes to LA

LA this evening asked David Cameron how a Tory government would see the regions. Cameron confirmed that the role of the RDA's would be hugely diminished ad power would be devolved to local councils.

LA is happy. That allows for democracy and accountability.

LA.

Are Banks Blackmailers

LA has had disturbing reports.
It is anecdotal, but if true very wrong.
LA has been told that high street banks have told businesses that they will only get renewal on overdraft and finance facilities if they move their insurances etc to the bank.

If this is true the FSA should step in without delay.

LA would welcome feedback, if it is true, and he has it from two sources it is a disgrace!

LA

West Midlands Minister peddles the delusion

LA has just attended a meeting with the west Midlands Minister in Birmingham. It was to discuss retention of skills.
His audience of around 150 business people was greeted by the opening line "The current recession, which started in America"
At this point, 2 seconds in, the entire audience shook its head and was lost.
How can anyone take these people seriously, an alcoholic cannot start on the road to recovery until he recognises he is an alcoholic, denial and delusional is damaging.

LA

Partyless Politics

Sir Paul Judge has set up a new "party" it is for all waifs and strays of politics who have no party. It is supposed to reflect a sense of independence, the ability of MP's to truly representing their constituents, not their party.

How laudable, however it is destined to fail, even if they took every seat, it would fail the nation. It was only during the Disraeli and Gladstone era that party politics as we know it really took shape.Prior to that there were loose affiliations, whigs, torys,liberals members would vote however they felt. Sounds great but of course it was only with a true party system that real reform of the nation took place. It takes a party system to get real change through. Therefore even if the public find toeing the party line uncomfortable, in reality it is in the best interests of a progressive democracy.

LA

When has quantitative easing worked?

LA has been asking this question a lot. It was ineffective in Japan but didn't ruin the economy, all other cited examples have been unmitigated disasters from Germany to Zimbabwe.
George Osbourne describes it as "a leap in the dark". LA fears it is a leap in the dark by a blind man, he does not even realise its dark.

The worry is all these government measures have not hit, Government Ministers are unaware of the underlying risk of inflation( Ford announcing price increase due to £, timber prices up, food prices up). Put these facts in the mix and it starts to increase the risk.

11 years of the great socialist experiment and it has come to this.Surely the nation will now realise for a generation that artificial wealth redistribution leads to wealth devastation, with the poorest in society and working families and saving pensioners hit worst. Big government equals high taxes high public spending equals higher waste not better sharper services.

LA hopes, but with the left wing media, memories can be reprogrammed with remarkable speed.

LA

The "NYLon" recession

LA met with a representative of the Bank of England yesterday, obviously the discussion was around the recession and its solution.
The Bank of England is still forecasting a "V" shaped recession, on what basis never became clear.
There was a reticence to enter into the argument of where the thing started, although there was recognition that it started on both sides of the Atlantic, not as Gordon says "it started in America".
LA has now coined this the NYLon recession, it started and was produced by the banks and institutions of New York and London, and as with Nylon the more you have the more shocks you get.
Obviously in parallel to this was the two most useless administrations in living memory, Bush Washington and Blair-Brown Britain. There was nothing inevitable about the current crash, it was produced over years, it was not natural, like Nylon.

When will Brown admit to this, more importantly, when will he finally go.

LA.

"It started in Britain"

As the Lame duck PM keeps repeating his "it started in America" mantra, LA has a different perspective.
LA has been on the Continent for a couple of days on business, he has met people from almost all EU country's. LA took the opportunity to find out what they thought of the current situation. LA was astonished to hear, from many mouths, "It started in Britain".
He even heard on more than a couple of occasions, Europeans blaming Mr Brown personally for dragging Europe into this.

Aside from blame, it is obvious that Mr Brown is not the man to get us out of the mess.

Election now!!!!!!

LA

Why do Labour offer no local opposition

Yesterday the Tory council of Coventry (the country's 9th largest city) voted through its budget.
Left wing journalists called it controversial.
Yes there are some services ceasing and resources being diverted, yes there are some potential job losses.
It is odd however that the Labour opposition that ran the city (into the ground) for over 20 years prior to the current administration offered no alternative. No opposing budget. No constructive critique, nothing, it appears moribund.
It has basically rejected any "cuts" very vocally, but not said how it would even attempt to balance the books. Nothing, not a jot.
Opposition is about alternatives, offering nothing is not an alternative.
Will the main stream media notice this, LA doubts it, bad news gets listeners and sells papers.
It is notable that the main reason the council has problems balancing the books without service restructure, is the increasing burden of duties placed on it by central government, but with no central government funding. Gordon Brown has found this quite a wheeze. He can promise the nation all sorts of things from Westminster knowing that it will be Local Government that has to raise the tax revenue.

In terms of the budget LA is unhappy at the increased parking charges within the City, in a recession the City needs to encourage visitors not charge them more. but given the invidious position Browns withering government has left councilors LA is not sure what else they could have done.

David Cameron visited the City last week and said local government should be more Local. This must mean less Central targets and more local prioritisation.
That is true democracy, of course true democracy needs effective alternatives too, Coventry's Labour party is currently neither effective nor an alternative.

LA

Part Privitisation of Post Office, Tories must vote against!

The proposal to part privatise the Royal Mail is not viable. The only thing it will do is give a cash injection into the pension fund, and not even enough to cover the defecit.
The idea that TNT owning 30% will bring in true efficiency is not realistic. TNT's own Mail side in the UK is not efficient, LA has visited its sites and seen very wasteful oprerations. Any implementation of efficiency will be impossible with this proposed set up as there will still be a union based around a virtual monopoly. This means they can hold a gun to the nations head.
The result will be reduced services, higher prices and an abuse of monopoly. The Taxpayer will also pick up the bill for the pension scheme.
This is bad for the customer, bad for the taxpayer and bad for the country.
Break up and privitisation of the network is the only way forward.
For this reason the opposition must vote against. In this case this would not be a token gesture, it would defeat the government.
However Cameron may not wish to wound Brown any further, after all he wants top be fighting unelectable Brown on election day, any vote loss in parliament could see the PM ousted and a new Labour leadership installed.

LA

PS. If the Government feels only external investment can bring in efficiency, why have Leighton and Crozier been paid such high bonuses.
Also lets not forget 10 years ago when RM was making money, Brown as Chancelor took the money and also reduced payments to the pension fund. We reap what he sowed.

Don't just ground yobs, ground the parents too!!

Chris Grailings initiative to ground yob's is welcome.
LA like most grew up in an era when kids respected the Police and their parents.
The Police should be able to pull kids off the street for a ticking off. They should also be able to send them home.
Some of these homes though, will be empty, as anything resembling a parent will be out at a pub etc. These same parents that perpetually allow their kids to roam Ferrel around the street intimidating the law abiding, should face the same treatment. If the child is grounded, so too should the parent, to look after the little cherub, but also to make them take responsibility.

Surely this is just common sense, even the Guardian must agree.

Our economy in their hands

LA is back in the blogsphere.

So the Treasury has now said that it will start "quantitative easing" or effectively printing money.

The Treasury's forecasts on the economy have for the past few years been dreadful, its growth figures woefully inaccurate. These forecasts of the economy are the governments eyes on the economy.

Quantitative easing is the economic equivalent of open heart surgery. Very complicated and deadly to an economy if not carried out with precision.

The surgeon is the Treasury, the trouble is it has the eyesight of Mr Magoo.

Given this, if you were the patient would you undergo the op or wait a while to see it might be better to try alternatives?

Keep an eye on the heart monitor folks it may well get scary.

LA.

no post for a while

LA will not be in a position to post for a week.
Do not worry he is not sharing a cell with Damian Green.
LA

Will the Brown Curse hit Coventry

LA is well aware of the Jonah status of Gordon Browns reverse Midas touch.
Today he visits Coventry.
For the superstitious it is also Friday 13th............

Should Coventry be scared, what ill will befall the City.
LA is taking the precaution of leaving the country for a few days to avoid any , earthquake, great fire, unexploded bomb, plague etc etc!!!!

LA

LA will not take part in Government publicity stunt

LA ,has, as he said he would last year, declined an invite to "meet" a senior cabinet member tomorrow. LA believes it most likely to be the Prime Minister. Said Minister will be visiting the West Midlands.
Having last year been sumonsed to a "private meeting" with the PM which turned out to be nothing but a parade for the TV cameras, LA along with others felt hoodwinked.
LA will not do it again. There is no point in these "meetings" when the only thing the Minister will listen to is his own voice and the click of the camera.

LA has better thing to do with his time.

Lord Mandelson Bottles it

LA knows for a fact that last nights Newsnight was originally due to be the first head to head debate between Mandelson and Ken Clarke. LA is of the belief that the reason this did not happen was not down to Clarke.

Paxman and the whole production decamped to the West Midlands specifically to stage this debate in the nations industrial heartland, the only thing they couldn't get was Mandy.

Why not? Why is he hidding, he loves the TV.

Oh, perhaps even he cannt spin the facts to look favourable.


LA

Police decline to investigate Lords

It seems the Met are declining to investigate the alleged cash for legislation Lords.
The reason appears to be that it is too hard. No, really that is what they say. Why then is it not too hard to raid the office of a member of the opposition?
LA asks, have the police become a party political arm of government? Is that a product of a 12 year old regime?
LA hopes not, he does feel that a few individuals do buckle under government pressure.
Yet another reason to hope for change.
LA

The drip drip drip of sleaze

LA is wondering when Labour Grandees will step in to oust Brown or at least insist he call an election.
Today's newspapers have Jacqui Smith and her expenses in question. Lord Moonie, a man close to Brown has questions to answer over questions raised by him on defense, whilst in the pay of a US defense company.
Whether either has done anything wrong is immaterial it is the impression of sleaze that matters. It now seams, as with the dying days of the Major administration, every Sunday there is a new tit bit, a further erosion of trust in the governing party.
Surely the Labour party will have seen what happened to the Conservatives after the Major years. Are they willing to risk a decade in the wilderness. Every week Brown continues to cling to power is going to see more and more voters turn their backs on Labour. Prospects of a hung Parliament now look fanciful, but what will Labour grassroots do as they start to see the reality of a Tory landslide look more likely by the day.
LA cannot believe they are all delusional enough to think they are doing well.
LA.

Was Clarkson pressured by Beeboids

Clarkson has apologised. What for? Did Ben Elton apologise for suggesting an ailment Lady thatcher had was turning her into Satan in te 80's? No and quite rightly. Public figures have to accept ridicule. Mr Brown has objected to being portrayed as "fat" by cartoonists, no one expects them to apologise.

This whole PC agenda is now getting to be a gagging order on decent. The BBC need to stop being so sensitive and stop feeling they have to justify everything.

LA is not a comedian or entertainer so he will not say the PM is a "one eyed idiot", it would be out of place.
LA is however happy to point out the PM is a delusional leader who is ruining the country.

Come on thought police close LA down!!!!

The Clarkson effect.

So Jeremy Clarkson has called the PM a "one-eyed Scottish idiot". Uproar has followed.

LA asks why, why the uproar, Clarkson is more an entertainer than he is journalist, if a stand up comedian where to say this no one would bat an eyelid.

The truth be known, this is smoke and mirrors, it is to obscure the rest of what he said, lines such as "He keeps telling us every thing's fine and he's saved the world and we know he's lying, but he's smooth at telling us."

The trouble is people know he is on the whole telling it straight, The Emperor has no clothes!!!

The fact that our PM is also a laughing stock around the world brings shame on us as a nation.

Why does the media chose to shoot the messenger.

LA

Motor giants first big warning of inflation risk

LA has not been alone in warning that the biggest threat to our economy is long term hyperinflation. The risk is fairly low, the consequences massive.
Today GM & Ford have raised prices 5% due to the incredibly weak £.
Government said this would not happen as low demand would prevent inflation being an issue, there again they also claim Britain is best placed to deal with recession. Obviously currency dealers disagree, as do sane people.
Companies cannot just sell at a loss, they have to regulate their prices by supply and demand but also by cost.
So far we have seen wood suppliers raise prices in the UK, paper prices up around 5% and now Automotive manufacturers.

Is there anything Darling and the treasury can predict.
The only way the £ will strengthen is when the markets feel national debt and spending are realistic. this is going to take strong leadership, tough decisions and firm action.
If David Cameron is the next PM, there may be times when he is more like an Administrator than a PM as we have to settle our debts.

Cabinet in touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Labourlist entry from Hazel Blears:

"I know what recession does to families, and as I look around the Cabinet table, I see colleagues who are in touch with the daily realities of hard-working families"

LA can not even bring himself to comment.

LA

Will labour support turn to the BNP

LA looks on at the growing numbers of "Union" members walking out of oil refineries and worries.

"British jobs for British people" placards are on display.Nick Griffin will surely be rubbing his hands.

LA has real concern as this escalates as to where it ends.
The poor immigration controls of this administration over the years are now turning against them. It was the 30's that ,through economic depression, the far right in Germany prospered. Hatred and turning on others because of their nationality could devastate our nation.

Mr Brown and his cabinet are to blame for the recessions severity, lets us not turn to the weakest in society as scapegoats. Let the blame lie where it should.

Forget demonsrations, let us not have riots. Give us an election. We are the mother of modern democracy and freedom, we should continue in that vein.

There must never be a kristallnacht in Britain.

Smoke and Mirrors job cuts

The more LA asks around and digs the more he finds evidence of job cuts that have little or nothing to do with the recession.
Eon announce 450 job cuts for their retail division, it hasn't made a profit in 2 years that means it was losing during the good times.
LA is aware of a major manufacturer who has been looking for an excuse to scale back UK operations for years but couldn't get it past the unions, they have shinny new plants overseas that were nowhere near capacity.

If this is the case it would suggest that the recession could be more V Shaped, deeper but shorter. LA sincerely hopes this is the case. If not David Cameron will be more like and administrator than a Prime Minister when he gets elected.

LA

UK "Best Placed" lunacy.

How many times have we heard the Prime Minister say Britain is best placed in the current Global slowdown. Time and time again he and his puppet Chancellor have repeated this fallacy.

Today the IMF has issued its predictions for 2009. Global growth of 0.5%, The Eurozones economy to shrink by 2%, US economy to shrink by 1.6%, and wait for it…. UK economy to shrink by 2.8%.

That is the UK economy to shrink 40% more than the Eurozone decline.

How can anyone seriously call this “Best Placed”.

LA knows the only thing best placed to get us out of this is the British fighting spirit. The macro management of the economy over the last 11 years has been steadily worsening, which is why our statistics are far more stark than our competitor nations.

One thing is for sure, delusional Leadership that is in denial will surely condemn Britain to a deeper and longer recession than most.

Should the British people really be subjected to an unelected Prime Minister stumbling through the next 18 months just to massage his own ego? Is it right that UK citizens weather the worst of the storm just to keep a dysfunctional and failed cabinet in position?

Why Mr Brown will you not let the people decide? Why does your arrogance make you believe you know better than them?

Call an election now, let the people speak, and then at their behest just go!

LA

Mandleson ignores the problem

Lord Mandelson has just announced the Automotive package to the Lords. As Lord Allesley predicted, short term sticking plaster on the supply side, no mention of the real problem on the supply side.

Cameron suggested that Mandelson was an alien today, he certainly lives on another planet.

LA

How to sell cars in Britain, fast.

LA has been speaking to car dealers. Very specifically dealers, not manufacturers. They are saying that credit is available for the right people, trouble is those that can get credit are choosing not to apply, they are choosing not to enter the showroom. Fear and uncertainty are keeping the potential car owners away.

Dealers point out, prices are low. On small cars, they expect very little market change as the sort of person likely to buy one cannot get credit, on the bigger vehicles and the prestige vehicles, they know people could get the finance they need. They also know as does LA that many companies could get credit, and there are still private companies sitting on cash, cash that now earns nothing in interest.

Therefore what is needed is a stimulous, not just economic, psychological.
A colleague of LA may well have come up with it.
Remove all punitive taxation and red tape around company cars. Do it for a 2 year period.

LA has no doubt this would see an absolute stampede of people re assess their car ownership. Whether employee or small business owner. Cost to the tax payer ZERO as these people were not going to change car so there would have been no tax generation to lose.

Imagine the Jags and Land Rovers that could be shifted in no time. It would in itself give a lift not just to the car owners, but to the whole economy not just monetarily but mentally.

LA knows this has now been passed as a suggestion to government. It makes sense, costs little and would act swiftly. For all those reasons LA is sure it will be ignored.

LA

Would the IMF cancel 2012

LA sees that over on The Coffee House ( http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3286261/how-bad-will-this-get.thtml) James Forsyth is concerned about how deep the recession could get and how desolate the British economy will be.
He notes that in the City, some are predicting that the Government Debt Time Bomb will go off in 2012 with the intervention of the IMF.

This got LA thinking, what if the IMF moved in in January 2012? They would dictate terms to UK plc in order to reduce debt, they would insist public spending were slashed beyond recognition. That summer London would be hosting the Olympics. This leads LA to ask the hypothetical question; would the IMF insist the Games were canceled?
Would it be felt that as most of the money had been spent, it may as well go ahead to recoup some of the costs?
LA knows if he were on the IOC he would be concerned.
LA is pro the 2012 games provided the opportunity it provides is not wasted.
It should be an opportunity to join up social schemes to do with activity, health, obesity, anti social behavior. It should act as a catalyst and totem to come around, giving huge economies of scale on the mixed up disparate myriad of current initiatives. It should save millions on promoting these schemes whilst bringing optimism, pride and exitement to a nation.

It is time for government to openly come up with a realistic financial plan for the games in our new economic paradigm. If they do not, many around the world, and any potential private sector funders, may have the same worry as LA.

This is too big, too expensive and too important for Gordon Brown to keep his head in the sand, we need transparency, truthfulness and reality: Three strangers to the Brown administration.

LA

TNT withdraw credit from postal market

TNT Post part of the TNT group that Lord Mandelson has lined up to buy a major stake in Royal Mail is pulling credit lines.

Whilst Lord Mandelson attempt with the inept Chancellor to increase credit availability, his suitor for Royal Mail is doing the opposite.

It appears that over in Amsterdam TNT's insurers have decided they will only insure major blue chip corporates such as Utilities. TNT have therefore decided they will withdraw credit facilities from long term clients that have always paid on time and have no real risk.

This has effectively once again brought the postal network to monopoly status for the vast majority.

The question is what would happen if TNT did get its share of Royal Mail. Would we see thousands of companies lose credit facilities.

It also begs the question as to what TNT's own financial position is if it is totally in the power of insurers; Indeed can it afford to buy the Royal Mail?

LA is still intrigued to know why TNT has been chosen by Mandelson, LA has visited TNT Posts operations and seen the same inefficiency and old fashioned practices that the Royal Mail has like a cancer.

LA also note the Royal Mail "profits". Take off the £200m government bung and it made a loss.Remove the far far above inflation price hikes and it made a loss.

Why does Deutsche Post make 10 times the profit without fiddling the figures.

RM needs to change, see earlier blogs with the Royal Mail tag.

LA is annoyed.

Geoffrey Robinson does he back saving Jaguar?

As a Coventry MP and ex Chief Exec of Jag, Geoffrey should be fairly knowledgeable on this subject.

He is also known to have been a backer of Brown (especially financially) for many many years. He certainly has the ear of the PM.

Robinson has joined the "Back the Jag" campaign with the Coventry Telegraph. This is asking for Government support.

However LA has discovered an interview on the Today program made on November 19th last year where this Coventry MP in a debate with SMMT says that the UK automotive company should not receive government assistance!!

He is adamant that as most manufacturers in the UK are foreign owned and they should sort themselves out.

If such an influential MP as Robinson is saying one thing on one day, and another the next,is it any wonder we are getting no decision or guidance.

It is also one of the greatest U turns and pieces of cynical politicking LA has ever witnessed. LA wonders if his constituents are aware.

LA

Government by "urging"

LA is this morning baffled.

The PM is reported to be "urging" the banks to "Come clean" on their toxic assets.
What?!?
Since when, if something was in the national interest and so important, did governments govern through "urging".

The Government have since nationalisation of the banks, had two tools to use to find out. Pack the board with Government placed Directors, or legislate that they must be forthcoming with the information.

It is madness. The government does not "urge" Lord Allesley not to speed. Its will certainly not "urge" LA to carry an ID card. LA as with every other citizen and organisation in this country is ordered by law to comply if the Government feels it is for the good of the nation. On many of these thing LA fundamentally disagrees as to whether it is in the interests of the nation. No one can disagree though that the stability of the financial system is in all of our interests. So why is Brown (for it is he, not his puppet Chancellor) delaying.

A huge reason for the current crisis is a lack of leadership, here with Brown and over the Pond with Lame Duck Bush. Whilst the US will now get Leadership and Direction (one may disagree with the policies but at least they will be decisive), the UK has still to be given that option.

Tough times need tough decisions and tough leaders, the unelected Brown has time and again shown he is spineless. UK Plc will continue to be blown by the storm as the helm is left unattended.

LA

Lord Digby back to his senses.

It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since LA was sitting in a room with Digby and Gordon Brown with Digby extolling the virtues of what a wonderful visionary Gordon is.

LA thought Digby had not just gone native,but clinically insane too.

It appears that distance from the Ministry of Red Tape has, however, led to Digby regaining his senses and starting to tell it as it is.

Following LA's recent rants on efficiency in the Public Sector Digby has sat before a committee of MP's and told them what he thinks of the Civil service.

He described the civil service as "honest, stuffed full of decent people who work hard".

But he added: "Frankly the job could be done with half as many, it could be more productive, more efficient, it could deliver a lot more value for money for the taxpayer.

"I was amazed, quite frankly, at how many people deserved the sack and yet that was the one threat that they never ever worked under, because it doesn't exist."

LA can only agree. If Digby can see it and say it why can no one else, or is a truth never to be told.

LA trusts the opposition will seize this, and who knows, maybe seize Digby.

LA

No wonder they do not understand efficiency!

LA has noticed an article by Peter Oborne in today's Mail that pretty much sums up why it is not the actions of Government that will save us from recession, they may however send us into a depression.

LA

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1113700/PETER-OBORNE-If-want-know-whats-wrong-Gordon-Browns-masterplan-remind-man-did-Britain.html

Quantitative Easing- There are other less risk options

Quantitative Easing (QE) the creation of more money in the money supply appears to be on the way. LA believes there are other less dangerous options to use first. QE is and should be seen as a very risky last resort.
Many politicians, bankers and business people are pedaling the idea at present.

LA will, like a stuck record, come back to an alternative, it creates cash but from real assets not from the printing presses.

Most of the big companies in the companies in the UK pay their suppliers on somwhere between 40 and 60 days, in some cases more, this is real money not available to the majority of the businesses. This is £billions.

If the top 100 companies in this country were told they over the next 60 days they had to sort out all of their credit payments to on UK invoices to be settled on 30 days, and from then on all payments would be 30 days. £billions would be pushed into the system.

All 100 would have to meet their financiers and work out how to do this, where there are difficulties, government could step in to guarantee some of this amount.

This is not new made up money. This is money that by rights should have gone down the supply chain already, this is money due and owed.

Instead of guaranteeing hundreds of thousands of little loans, government will be looking at less than 100.

When this money hits suppliers it will for many of them be the first time ever they have had no overdraft, for others they will be well within their limit. This will lead to confidence and hence investment. This will kick start the economy.

Unlike plans to grow the small loans guarantee scheme, business will not have to go cap in hand to the banks, it will be able to make its own decisions.

This method is less risky than quantitative easing which, if overcooked, will lead to hyper-inflation, if undercooked, will be pointless. It is less bureaucratic and faster to deliver than small loan guarantees.

If it works it should be rolled out to the top 250 companies and then the to 500. That would be its maximum due to the cost of administering the scheme. If it fails, the taxpayer cost will have been minimal, the risk to the economy is all but nil.

LA begs that this is considered.

Lack of understanding of efficiency.

This morning LA watched David Cameron on the Marr show. LA was incensed by Marrs lack of understanding of "Efficiency", LA was also a little disappointed DC did not seize on this. However, it is not that surprising, the majority of the Media have never worked in the real world,the same goes for quite a few politicians too. Their understanding of "efficiency" is cuts. This is so far from the truth. The Sir Humphries will also peddle this line as they are so afraid of change (why rock a boat that has such a healthy pension as cargo).
Efficiency isn't about cuts it is about quality. If you deliver right first time, the savings are immense. The biggest waste in the public sector is error, rework and failure. When figures of saving 1% are bandied about LA scoffs. In the private sector such a low target would be seen as playing at it. LA works alongside organisations that regularly find 20 and 30% efficiencies, enhance the skills and pay of the workforce, reduce the carbon footprint and deliver a better product or service to the customer. This is not some panacea, this is reality.

The only reason we never see real efficiency in the public sector is because of the unions, the media and a lack of guts and vision from the political leadership. Perhaps David Cameron will show that when in power, the economic collapse of the nation will certainly present a burning platform to focus minds and generate delivery.

The biggest difficulty will be hearts and minds, The Guardian will call any reduction in expenditure a cut, even if the results are better than previously. Polly Toynbees' idea of efficiency is bulk buying her wine, the rest of them think its using a slow cooker to do the lentils. This is the battle ground, it will be a hard battle, but it can be won and it is worth fighting.

LA

Nissan Missed Opportunity

Back on December 13th Lord Allesley posted that bail outs should only be offered to industrys in a way that saw the tax payer get something back.
Yesterday Nissan announced over 1000 job loses. The impact of this on the tax payer is 1000 dole cheques per month. The impact on Nissan is lost skills.

Is their not something more productive that can be done in the short term.

On the basis that in 12 months many of these people could A) find new employment, B) be retrained C)be needed by Nissan surely a joint Government / Nissan initiative could be put in place.

If the Government gave Nissan the equivilant of the Dole Money & the income tax, by the time Nissan have saved the redundancy money they would have very little expense and could retain the skills for 12 months.

In return the government could insist they get to use their project managers, trainers and some staff in the public sector.

Imagine the benefits that they could bring.

Government could also insist that Nissan people go into their British supply chain and work on efficiency training the staff and building the processes to make them world beating. They could also use them for other companies that are having difficulties. Even the track workers at Nissan know how to for a quality circle and an impovement cell. Inaluble skills.

This approach would make much more sense than throwing tax payers money to have these people on the scrap heap, and then throwing another load of money at Business Link and the Learning and Skills council to help other businesses.

LA points out that due to the fact that this is common sense, it is very unlikely to happen.

LA

Another day another empty brown promise.

On Sunday 100,000 jobs were to be created by the PM, today Its 35,000 apprenticeships.

These are empty promises, Lord Allesley has failed today to find anyone who finds them credible. There is no real measure for sucess, also a feeling that as with government investment, the same number job is counted several times over and re announced and re announced.

The country and business faces a credit crisis, money is not flowing, this is effecting investment spending confidence etc etc. LA does not recall anyone in the last 3 months or so saying "We need more apprentices you know!". We need the markets to begin to move again, that is the important job.

Having tried to analyze todays smoke and mirrors statement on apprentices, LA sees this as a Government initiative not a Business led one, that means whatever apprenticeships that are created(funded) will be dictated by government on their terms, those that the education sector can deliver, rather than those business need and want.

So more waste to come, no realization of the real world and more spin than sense. Who said the Pantomime season was over?

LA

More Money for the Banks

LA is sure the world has gone mad, or the government at least. Why is the Chancellor considering giving more money to the banks. The reason the Banks continue to be in trouble is because of their own behavior. If they remove lines of credit from companies,charge inflated interest or indeed close perfectly good companies , the net result is a reduction in their own asset base and hence balance sheet.

If a bank causes a company to close, chances are a quarter of the debt that it leaves behind is owed to that bank as the creditors also bank with it. This is the economics of the mad house.

LA again urges the chancellor to legislate that the top 250 companies have to pay on 30 days (see previous posts). Yes they will moan, but that means 250 negotiations with financier that would pump around £15 billion into the economy. This will save companies, save jobs, save bank assets and save the tax payer billions.

Why is this not being seized by the treasury, nor the big issue for the opposition?

LA says act now, this is true leadership and if rolled out across the globe, really would stop this recession being a depression.

'09 - Oh Dear

After a Christmas break LA is back sharing his thoughts.

The entry into 2009 sees LA doing two pieces of media work, both with the BBC, one a TV piece on how redundancy and job losses in this down turn are on the whole more low key as the nation does not have that many mass employers, unlike the 80's, and another almost the opposite on the final closure of Woolworths.

LA does not see this as a great start to '09 and wonders when the good news will come again. LA feels that current government policy will not only prolong the agony but leave the nation trailing the world when the upturn eventually comes.

Until the Banks take responsibility collectively for the economy and start behaving in a rational way, nothing is going to change.

Sadly LA does not think we will see a General Election this year, hence this moribund government will stagger on with its delusional Leader believing he is sprinkling magic on all he touches.

As this most authoritarian of government goes into panic mode as 2009 draws to a close, LA expects to see even tighter controls on blogging, government leaning on the media and more restrictions on the public. After so many years in power the governing party will find it impossible to contemplate being out of power and will resort to unorthodox if not unfair means to preserve their grip.

We will also see more unbugeted ill judged and unafordable bribes to the electorate as more and more tax payers money is thrown at a bloated and inefficient public sector.

Is LA dejected? You bet, LA's businesses may be booming, but as he looks at the ruination of his nation, the impoverishment of its people and the removal of their libertys, he thinks 2009 will be a year to forget. Roll on 2010!