Saturday 31 January 2009

PM stands by 'British jobs' vow


BBC NEWS Gordon Brown does not regret promising "British jobs for British workers", a No 10 spokesman has said, amid rising unrest about the use of foreign labour.

Pat McFadden, minister for employment relations, said Mr Brown had not meant UK firms would be encouraged to flout European laws on free mobility of labour when he promised "British jobs for British workers".

"What he's saying there is, I want to see the British workforce equipped for the jobs and skills of the future and that's precisely what the government is doing,"

So Gord, If you didn’t mean it why did you say it?

He didn’t say “training British workers for jobs in the future”. He didn’t say; “I meant to say “subject to EU laws””

What he actually said in 2007 was “drawing on the talents of all to create British jobs for British workers”.

Aren’t 300 jobs for skilled workers creating “British jobs”? Isn’t using British workers’ talents to fill those jobs “creating British jobs for British workers”?

Perhaps Gord’s mouth is not attached to his brain, or perhaps he is like all politicians, telling us what they think we want to hear and then doing a U-Turn when it comes back and bites them in the arse.

Come on Gord tell us what you really think.

"Vote for the man who promises least. He'll be the least disappointing." –Bernard Baruch

Angus

Friday 30 January 2009

EMPTY WORDS


It seems our Gord talks the talk but can't walk the walk.

His promise of "British jobs for British workers" is like most of the other bullshit that emits from the politicians: empty words.

If he is so interested in building projects to provide jobs, then why hasn't he ensured that the project at Lindsey Oil Refinery went to local workers, after owner Total gave a £200m contract to an Italian Company?

Sympathy strikes are now being held at Grangemouth, in central Scotland, Aberthaw, in South Wales, and Teesside. The action has also spread to the St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead, north-east Scotland.

It may only be small beer to the Government (300 jobs) but it really is a case of principle, there are 300 families that could be living with a bit of security in Lincolnshire, but instead there are 300 workers from Italy and Portugal that are reaping the benefits.

And I know it was won on a tender, but is the lowest price the best when it is a matter of peoples’ future?

Total Oil (which is a French Company) profits are surely large enough to absorb the difference in tenders, or maybe they don’t care about the workers in the UK.

Gordon Brown has once again showed us that he talks a lot but says very little.

"To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles."-Anon


Angus




Saturday 24 January 2009

TIME OFF




No post today, in fact no posts for a while.


I am taking some time off, real life issues.


Check back occasionally, you may be surprised!


Keep the faith.



Angus.

Friday 23 January 2009

RECESSION-IT’S OFFICIAL


I have been saying for a while now that we are in recession, now it’s official BBC NEWS.

The strange thing is that the “experts” seem surprised. Neil Mackinnon, chief economist at ECU Group, said; “the GDP figures were "grim" and underscored the depth of the recession.”

"There are no green shoots of recovery, no light at the end of the tunnel," he added.

Andrew Smith, chief economist at KPMG said; "It is difficult to see why things should improve in the foreseeable future,"

We have been sliding down the economic hill for months now, but “they” kept calling it a “downturn”, maybe now they will tell it as it is-a recession.

Pouring billions into the banks to “stimulate lending” won’t work with the general public because the average debt is £9,600 (excluding mortgages) and increases to £21,875 if the average is based on the number of households who actually have some form of unsecured loan. Credit Action

The debt is so high because the banks encouraged people to borrow money on the equity in their properties, the value of which was based on over inflated valuations.

So the man in the street isn’t going to add to this burden, cutting VAT won’t work because the amount saved is too small, unless you are talking about large purchases-cars, etc, which no one is going to buy because they don’t want the extra debt.

The banks MUST be made to ensure money is available for businesses to borrow, because if there are no businesses there are no jobs and no exports, no spending by the public and no recovery.

The banks won’t lend money because they are using the billions to cover their own debts and liabilities, they are not interested in helping business, but only in covering their own arse.

The banks have got themselves in a self-negating cycle, their main income is from mortgage repayments, so they repossess the homes of those with arrears and their income falls, so they ask for more money from the Gov, who borrow it to give to the banks who use it to cover their liabilities.

Banks need to put a hold on mortgage repayments, give every body with a mortgage a six month holiday, and lend to business using the billions fro the Gov (us), give people a chance to have money in their pockets; they will then begin spending which will “Kick start” the economy and allow the economy to recover.

That is the way I see it, it may be bollocks but so is the Government policy at the moment.

Angus

Thursday 22 January 2009

RUBBISH, NO…IT’S RUBBISH

Not one council has come forward to take part in the bonkers “pay as you throw” scheme Ananova - Councils rubbish 'bin tax' plans

Local authorities had been asked to apply to take part in the scheme, which would have begun in April, but Defra said that no council had responded by the deadline.

Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said: “The powers in the Climate Change Act enabling up to five voluntary pilot schemes were introduced at the request of local authorities and it is up to them whether they want to use them.”

"No local authorities have expressed an interest in piloting a scheme at this time.”

Surprise, surprise the councils don’t want to alienate the public, they don’t want to implicate themselves in a scheme that is rubbish.

They don’t want to see a revolution on the Poll Tax scale, nor do they want to listen to the people demanding a reduction in the Council Tax.

The Government as usual have not thought it through, we pay tax to the council for the collection and disposal of our rubbish, the recycling world is in a hole, they don’t know what to do with all the paper, cardboard and plastic they have stored.

The councils it seems are listening to us, when will the Government?

Angus

Wednesday 21 January 2009

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Or not?

No 10 has released the New Opportunities White Paper and a website
The introductory blurb on the website says: “Beyond today's global slowdown lies a world of new opportunities for which we must prepare. If we put in place the right foundations now, the prize is not just a richer country but also a fairer society. The challenge we face is to help safeguard people and businesses against the impact of the crisis now, while preparing our country today for the tremendous opportunities of tomorrow.”

Take a look at the website; there are links to “success in the global economy, Supporting child development and Pathways for all”, as well as other inspirational topics.

The white paper talks about “the new opportunities that will arise in Britain as up to a billion skilled jobs are created worldwide in the coming years and said he wished to “encourage the aspirations people have”.

Some of the proposals are “offering teachers a payment of £10,000 to work at under-performing secondary schools, extending free nursery and childcare places to 15 percent of the most disadvantaged families with two-year-olds, and a guarantee that vulnerable mothers will have access to a dedicated family nurse to help them through pregnancy and the first two years of childhood.”

It sounds forward thinking and altruistic, or is it just “Pie in the sky”, what are peoples aspirations at the moment?

To look forward a few years when the recession is over (lets call it what it is, it isn’t a downturn”) or to keep the job they have (if they still have one), to pay the mortgage or rent, to be able to heat their homes and feed their kids, to be able to afford to travel to work, or survive on a pension that has lost half of it’s value, to find the money for food that has risen in price by almost four times the rate of inflation, to find a job so that they can do all the above?

Or to look forward a generation to when we will still be paying off the debt that the Government incurred to give billions to the banks while 75,000 families are being evicted this year. To watch our kids struggling to live with the tax increases and price increases that are inevitable?

What are your aspirations, do they include planning ahead a few years, or are you, like most people living for the moment, and just trying to survive?

The book Building Aspirations was written by Mark Mikelat (this is not an advert, it’s just that I used his cover).

Angus

Tuesday 20 January 2009

THE GREAT FOOD RIP OFF


From the BBC “Food prices rose sharply in 2008, after years of food price deflation, research from Verdict shows.”

They have been telling us for months now that food is cheaper, but it isn’t.

Up to the end of December food price inflation hit 11.9%, while the monthly increase from November reached 1.4%. Inflation is currently at 3.1%.

We are being robbed.

Will the supermarkets tell us why their prices have increased by four times the rate of inflation? Of course they won’t they will moan about how much their profits have shrunk Corporate Watch

October 2008.

Sainsbury's reported a 13% increase in half-year profits to £272m

Asda, the UK's second-biggest supermarket chain, reported a 6.9% increase in like-for-like sales in the three months to the end of September.

Tesco reported a 10% increase in pre-tax profits to £1.45bn for the first six months of the year.

Nough said!


Angus

ON THE SPOT FINES DELAYED


Here’s a snippet of another u-turn by the Gov BBC NEWS, it is a short article so I have pasted and copied it.

“Plans to increase the number of offences punishable by on-the-spot fines have been delayed amid concerns voiced by magistrates.
Ministers wanted to give police in England and Wales powers to impose £80 penalties for 21 more offences but agreed to consult further.
The offences included threatening to damage property and failing to leave licensed premises.
Spot fines for cannabis possession will be introduced "as soon as possible".
The drug will be restored to class B status next week. Police can currently only warn or prosecute people caught in possession of it.
A parliamentary order covering the other measures was due for debate on Monday and the powers were expected to come into effect next week.
However, the plans to extend penalty notices for disorder have been heavily criticised by the Magistrates Association, which said some of the offences were too serious to be dealt with out of court and that payment rates were low.
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The government has listened to concerns about certain aspects of extending the penalty-notice-for-disorder-scheme and has decided to consult more widely on the new offences to be included."
Once consultation is complete, the government will lay a new order proposing a further list of offences, she added.”

What next on the spot fines for thinking the wrong things?


Angus

Monday 19 January 2009



Our Gord wants to pour even more of our money into the Banks- new plan to boost banks' lending.

After pouring £37 Billion into the ailing institutions a few months ago he wants to “do it again” because it didn’t work the first time.

Another brainwave is the insurance scheme where WE will underwrite the risks that the banks take if they ever decide to lend anyone money again.

In theory this is designed to help small businesses that need funds and want to borrow for re-capilisation or machinery for expansion.

Unfortunately the £37 Billion poured into the Banks was supposed to encourage them to lend, but it hasn’t. So why should this new “scheme”?

“Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the banks that had made losses from "irresponsible" lending.” But that isn’t going to stop him.

Gord has also given the Bank of England new powers. The ability to buy up to £50bn of high quality assets directly from companies.

“In the past, it has only bought such assets from banks or financial institutions. A new subsidiary company will be set up to buy the assets, but the Bank's executive will decide what sort of assets it will buy and from which companies.

But the list of assets includes corporate bonds, so some companies will now be able to borrow money directly from the Bank of England.

This new framework may also be used by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which sets interest rates, to buy assets to help it meet the inflation target.

This is a practice known as quantitative easing.” And is also known as “adjusting the figures”.

The Details of the business loan schemes is here.

Has it worked so far? No. Will it work? Doubtful.

Gord it seems has fixated on the banks, he seems to think that they are the be all and end all of the cure, maybe he should stand back and take another look, and listen to people who didn’t get us into this mess.
Angus