tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post3008853520260972868..comments2024-03-28T09:55:42.123+00:00Comments on Capitalists@Work: Ed Milliband - An empty Prime Minister to beCityUnslickerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-27691103045353935152012-10-04T16:02:00.155+01:002012-10-04T16:02:00.155+01:00No boundary changes - and NO answer to the West Lo...No boundary changes - and NO answer to the West Lothian question. Meaning we will once again be held to ransom by a bunch of bastards who already have their own parliament. <br /><br />FUBAR<br />Elby the Beserkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15060519682739666145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-82107189984364776132012-10-04T11:20:58.317+01:002012-10-04T11:20:58.317+01:00... NB it was Theresa Villiers who formulated the ...... NB it was <a href="http://www.passengertransport.co.uk/2012/08/george-muir-the-dft-must-know-west-coast-will-fail/" rel="nofollow">Theresa Villiers who formulated the new train franchise system</a>, which makes sense as she was Shadow Secretary of State for Transport from 2007, then Minister of State for Transport until a month ago. Strange that, leaving a long-running job a few weeks ahead of the shit hitting the fan!rwendlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861901317813829419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-39630381342029367092012-10-03T22:07:23.437+01:002012-10-03T22:07:23.437+01:00Agree with EK re Balls.
But seriously who the hell...Agree with EK re Balls.<br />But seriously who the hell gives a damn what Ed M says ? In fact I can't be bothered to go......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-77709707614125453442012-10-03T21:32:01.719+01:002012-10-03T21:32:01.719+01:00Re trains fiasco: to be fair to Justine Greening, ...Re trains fiasco: to be fair to Justine Greening, it wasn't she who recently changed the franchise system. It was <a href="http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/statements/hammond-20110805/" rel="nofollow">Philip Hammond who announced it</a>, but I think it was dreamed up by someone else (anyone know who?) while in opposition (like the NHS changes).<br /><br />The new scheme gets rid of the previous "Cap and Collar system" which provided for risk-sharing with government regarding future demand, and creates a scheme where the new operator is exposed to far more risk in guess-timating future demand. Over 15 years the risk is pretty much putting the whole company on the line, so luckily they have an option to walk away from the contract if they want to. It is intended to provide greater incentives for cost reduction by operators. But I struggle to see that it is a better idea - seems closer to gambling than the previous scheme, which must put up the cost of any capital they need.rwendlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861901317813829419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-13690316902009658322012-10-03T20:36:57.164+01:002012-10-03T20:36:57.164+01:00The BBC give them an easy ride. Ed Balls makes me ...The BBC give them an easy ride. Ed Balls makes me want to vomit. How is he allowed to get away with what he did ?Electro-Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18073103431166273080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-74879478309228743812012-10-03T15:55:51.721+01:002012-10-03T15:55:51.721+01:00@Demetrius
Ed is memo man too apparently. Admitte...@Demetrius<br /><br />Ed is memo man too apparently. Admittedly Wallace has more important things to write about, like cheese, as opposed to being cheesy.measuredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11281134269555074558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-22331071269460349402012-10-03T14:45:26.687+01:002012-10-03T14:45:26.687+01:00My I protest about using Wallace in your post. He...My I protest about using Wallace in your post. He is a giant of intellect and a man of rare administrative talent compared to Ed. Ask Ed's wife.Demetriushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198549581667363991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-60907906030287428452012-10-03T13:08:03.369+01:002012-10-03T13:08:03.369+01:00This makes us sound depressingly like Japan.
The r...This makes us sound depressingly like Japan.<br />The real difference between what the Tories are doing and Labour say they will looks to be getting close to a rounding error on the big issues.<br />At that point voters will gravitate to someone - anyone who can persuade us iti s someone else's fault and point a way forward.<br />I predict the rise of UKIP in terms of %, but not seats (safe bet)<br />I also predict a lot of conservative candidates coming up with a curiously consistent form of words on europe in their personal statements, at which point, curiously, UKIP will not stand against them. (not such a safe bet)<br /><br /><br />Changing the subject, now we know the real reason why they shuffled the Transport Minister.<br /><br /><br />andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07311993288675111834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-83190994257225354762012-10-03T12:42:04.005+01:002012-10-03T12:42:04.005+01:00I think it does Jan. Shoolz 'hospitals not so ...I think it does Jan. Shoolz 'hospitals not so much - general taxation very much so. appealing to the client state is the central plank of both parties - with Labour in power that is large-scale redistribution efforts from away from the middle class.CityUnslickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-87880677462335017622012-10-03T12:35:15.903+01:002012-10-03T12:35:15.903+01:00The speech is empty because it doesn't deal wi...The speech is empty because it doesn't deal with Europe. <br /><br />Renegotiation can only be undertaken by leaving first; there is no Treaty provision (pace my view that the Treaties provide for almost anything) for recasting relations with Europe from within the EU.<br /><br />Any UK political party not, as a central and priority policy, discussing an exit route for the UK from the EU is collaborating in advancing its own irrelevance. hatfield girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12673905475452420002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-4903341206026619542012-10-03T12:35:05.604+01:002012-10-03T12:35:05.604+01:00In reality does it make any difference who the PM ...In reality does it make any difference who the PM is or even which party is in power when their hands are tied by vested interests and the Civil Service?Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-64452477167240177272012-10-03T11:17:55.382+01:002012-10-03T11:17:55.382+01:00ROYM - there is a decent elite-led consipracy to p...ROYM - there is a decent elite-led consipracy to prevent anyone of experience getting near politics now. I voted David Davis in 2005 for Tory leader, he would have been much the better now.<br /><br />Noticeably none of the main rivals to Ed or Dave have any background at all and the rising stars are as bad or worse. Complete fakes like Chuka etc.<br /><br /><br />BQ - We are pretty much nailed on for 10 years of pain at least, so thatis to 2018 - but your right, that leaves a window for the economy to turn itself and Labour to claim the credit. Who would have thought 2 terms of Red Ed?CityUnslickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-25818750660504493872012-10-03T10:47:23.651+01:002012-10-03T10:47:23.651+01:00Today's train shambles does rather make one th...Today's train shambles does rather make one think of the Major-Blair battle.<br />The public had a deep, deep distrust of the high taxing, high spending and utterly union dominated Labour party.<br /><br />But Major had made so many cock ups, had offered so very little, that even his government's relative economic competence wasn't enough to save him from an embarrassing and heavy defeat.<br /><br />Miliband is looking like the next PM, even if just on the maths. And like Blair he's going to be so nervous of not having enough votes he'll offer pacts and deals to every fringe group in the land, until he realises he won't need them after all. But it will mean a really bizzare set of manifesto commitments for his first term.<br /><br />And he will get two terms. Because if we haven't any growth by 2015 then we'd have been in the worst recession in recorded history. Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-33333826684775898922012-10-03T10:07:15.912+01:002012-10-03T10:07:15.912+01:00'To have such a political wonk, with no real e...'To have such a political wonk, with no real experience of running anything, real people or an understanding of how the world works rather than how a wonk thinks the world may work'<br /><br />equally, you could be talking about the current administration!<br /><br />to be fair to EdM i think he did mouth some stronger together platitudes re scotland<br /><br />there is a clear issue that our current generation of politicians simply do not have the inclination to think strategically for the good of the UK. to whit, this morning's revelations on train franchises and the way the DfT is not taken seriously by ministers. of course energy is extensively covered here. Is anyone keeping count of u-turns that have arisen to date due to lack of thinking things through?roymhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11040387761432476794noreply@blogger.com