The Office of Budget Responsibility
The Office of Budget Responsibility or OBR may well turn out to be one of the lasting ideas of the Coalition Government.
It is supposed to be independent, and lets hope it stays that way!
But isn’t it in a way, exactly the same as any business having an external set of auditors to check what it is doing?
After all, the biggest failures in business are often ones where a bully like Maxwell gets the auditors to approve his dubious actions or at least not notice them.
It could also be argued that some of the biggest political economic failures have been caused, by dubious thinking by politicians and bad or corrupt economic models. As an example, many of my Irish friends, thought the Celtic Tiger woyuld come a cropper and planned accordingly.
Only time will tell if the OBR is a good thing! I do worry though, that sometimes it is less gloomy than the government, but then it may have much better figures, that lack any political gloss or bias.
How Do We Get Rid of this Waddling Woman?
So Ann Widdecombe is still in Strictly Come Dancing! I just think she’s had her fun and now is the time for her to go. So do the judges, but the British public keep voting her back in!
My bet on Pamela Stephenson is still there and I’m hoping she goes all the way!
The Unusual Art Collector
I like art and have a few paintings, but quite frankly there are only two that I treasure. They are drawings and were both done by my uncle Leslie. I think one is my mother as a child and the other is his wife, who was also my mother’s and his first cousin. That doesn’t happen now, but two of my mother’s brothers married cousins.
But all the rest is for sale at the right price.
Last night though they told the story on The Culture Show of Tom Alexander, who was a shopkeeper on the Isle of Arran. He got a payment of £40 each year as a reservist and spent it on a painting of the day. He purchased a Lowry and a Hepworth to name but two. There has just been an exhibition in Edinburgh and it is described here.
Talk about a canny Scot!
Howard Flight States the Obvious
Howard Flight has been quoted on the BBC as saying this.
We’re going to have a system where the middle classes are discouraged from breeding because it’s jolly expensive.
“But for those on benefits, there is every incentive. Well, that’s not very sensible.
I could also add to the first part of his statement, that young children stop you going on those long-haul holidays, as every one needs a ticket. As to the second part, it may or may not be true, but I think it probably isn’t.
On that issue though I refer you to Peoplequake. which shows that unless there is adequate provision for flexible working and a female-friendly society, the birth rate falls drammatically. Just look at Italy, Russia and Iran for a start.
Book Burning
It is being reported that a fifteen-year-old girl has been arrested for burning a copy of the Koran.
My father was a printer and bookbinder and to me, all books are to be treasured and not defaced or burnt in any way. Perhaps, when a book has been fully read, it should be passed on, but only in the last resort, should it be burned and then to do something positive like generate heat.
So the girl was wrong in what she did and arresting her for what was probably a childish act, will only encourage others to do similar things.
We need a lot more tolerance and common-sense.
Especially in these days, where we have had the Sunningdale and Milton Keynes murders and the Derby sex attacks to keep the Police busy, with more much serious problems that could be considered to a racial dimension.
Brian Cant has Parkinson’s
There is sad news that Brian Cant, the former BBC children’s presenter has Parkinson’s Disease. But he is also to get a richly-deserved Children’s Bafta.
An Appropriate Day for the Royal Wedding?
It would appear that the date of the Royal Wedding is the same as Save The Frogs Day.
Would Plain Packaging Cut Cigarette Sales?
The government is thinking of making cigarette companies sell their death in plain packets. The response of the companies is predictable and says that it will make their products easily to counterfeit. It probably will, but then there is every reason to cut cigarette smoking.
I said in a post a few weeks ago what I would do. If anything, I’ve got even more outrageous in my views.
Ann is Still There!
Isn’t it about time that Ann Widdecombe was voted off Strictly Come Dancing! I suppose the cost of the viewers’ votes help to support Children in Need, but surely we’ve had our and she should go!
At least my bet on Pamela Stephenson is still running and her odds are showing her as third fvourite after Matt Baker and Scott Maslen.
I live in hope, but is Ann going to beat them all? I hope not!
The Ugly Face of Scottish Football
Scottish football seems to going to be hit by a referees strike this weekend according to many reports like this. There has been this comment from John Hughes, a former manager of Hibernian and Falkirk.
The game is in a little bit of chaos. It needs bringing together and I sympathise with the referees because they do get a hard time.
But managers are also open to criticism, that is part and parcel of the job.Referees need to be accountable and there has to be more transparency in what goes on behind the doors at Hampden.
But one thing I will say, if referees are getting phone calls to their home or work place, or their kids are getting a hard time at school, then that is not on, that is way below the belt.
After all, it is just a sport.
I heard a bit last night on Radio 5, where it would appear completely outrangeous claims have been made to employers as well, with even claims of religious bigotry.
Obviously, these critics don’t agree with the last part of John Hughes comment.
The Anonymous Widower 