We All Go Round In Circles
I am a Control Engineer by training and I have extensively modelled dynamic systems and constantly changing projects, which are updated regularly, if not daily.
My experience tells me that because we are a rich and innovative nation, that we will attract migrants because they know if they work hard here, they will earn enough to look after their families. Which patently many can’t do in the war-ravaged countries they’ve come from.
Most migrants will bring skills and muscle to fuel our growth, whether we like it or not.
So we get richer as a nation and more and more migrants are attracted to come.
One way to stop the migrants is to say, that we will not let them in and stop them coming.
But then the NHS and other industries wouldn’t have the labour they need, as many migrants settled here would move on to places that valued their skills.
An alternative would be to close down our economy, so that migrants are no longer attracted. Control Engineering says you must balance your production to the need and the resources you have available.
I believe that because of the maths, we either accept migrants or reduce our standard of living dramatically. Our Victorian forefathers brought in the migrants and the rest as they say is history!
This evening, the bookies have it that it’s six to one on, that we stay.
I once had a horse start a race at odds of twenty-two-to-one on. The horse came home by almost the length of the straight at Ayr.
The bookies were right as they generally are!
TTIP Is Known About In Germany
If you were on the Clapham Omnibus or in my case the Dalston Omnibus and you did a straw poll of what TTIP was about, you probably wouldn’t find anybody who knew.
But obviously they do in Germany.
TTIP Stoppen!
Or at least they want to stoppen it!
The Leicester Effect On The Elections
Don’t forget that the Tories also play in blue!
My Father Has Been Proved Right!
My father described himself as a left-wing Tory. Today, he would probably have approved of the views of the likes of Michael Hesseltine or Kenneth Clarke.
I’m not sure what he actually did in politics, but I do know that he once worked at the League of Nations in Geneva before the Second World War. During the war, he was for some time a Civil Servant, but apart from one or two clues, I don’t know much. I should have a look at Kew and the web site.
I also know that I never heard him say anything racist and when someone questioned why he actually printed letterheads and wedding stationery for the local black community in Wood Green, he rebuked them by saying that as long as their money had the Queen’s head on it, he’d do business with everyone.
I also know that he was firmly anti-fascist and was at the Battle of Cable Street, where as he said, all the East End stopped Mosley and his Blackshirt thugs, marching through.
Recently, I took a taxi, where the driver had had talks with his Jewish grandfather, who had also been at Cable Street. His grandfather, like my father was adamant that it was not just the communists who stopped Mosley, but a wide alliance of right-thinking people in the East End.
I use the term London Mongrel to describe myself and my father used it himself, in my presence a couple of times, which is where I picked it up. You have to remember that the Nazis referred to people who were part-Jewish as mischling, which roughly means mongrel or half-breed. My father wasn’t Jewish but his great-great-grandfather, who I refer to as the Tailor of Bexley, was probably a Prussian Jew, who had run away from Napoleon.
As the term dates from the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, it would very much have been a term of the time my father was on the fringe of politics, so it is no surprise that he used it.
Incidentally, I’m probably more of a mongrel than my father, as my mother’s father was a Huguenot engraver and her mother was a posh lady born in Dalston Junction from Devonian yeoman stock with the surname of Upcott. Cullompton Museum told me that the family were very much involved in the development of worsted serge and made a fortune from it. This section in the Cullumpton Wikipedia entry, says more about the cloth trade and the Upcotts.
I once asked my father, if he’d ever wanted to stand as an MP and he replied that he’d been asked to put his name forward as a candidate for a by-election, but a young Duncan Sandys was chosen instead, which my father thought was probably the right choice.
Searching Wikipedia says that this was the Norwood By-election of 1935. Wikipedia says this.
The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, Walter Greaves-Lord. It was won by the Conservative candidate Duncan Sandys.
An Independent Conservative candidate was fielded at the by-election by Randolph Churchill, who sponsored Richard Findlay, a member of the British Union of Fascists to stand. This got no support from the press or from any Members of Parliament, despite Randolph being the son of Winston Churchill. Ironically, in September that year, Duncan Sandys became son-in-law of Winston and brother-in-law of Randolph by marrying Diana, the former’s daughter.
Knowing my father’s strong anti-fascist views, it fits with his version of the tale. The other thing that fits, is that although my father had met and liked Winston Churchill, he had no time for his son, Randolph.
Indirectly, I think I benefited from my father’s political contacts, as after the war, when he rebuilt his printing business in Wood Green, his largest customer was Enfield Rolling Mills, whose Managing Director was John Grimston, the Earl of Veralem, who was eight years younger than my father and had been MP for St. Albans a couple of times.
When in the early sixties I needed a summer job to earn money and I couldn’t have my usual one in his print works, as my father’s business was bad, my father phoned the Earl and asked if he had something that would suit.
The Earl of Veralem said yes and I had a very good job in the Electronics Laboratory for two summers, where I learned an amazing amount about life and making things.
I have no idea of the Earl’s politics except that he was a Conservative MP and very much thought to be a good boss of the company, by those with whom I worked.
One view of my father’s though, was that as he hated the likes of Hitler and Stalin equally, he said several times to me, that the extreme left are no different to the extreme right.
Reading this article on the BBC entitled Livingstone Stands By Hitler Comments, I can only conclude that the Labour Party has proved my father to be right.
Will Manchester Get A Crossrail-Style Levy?
My Google Alert for Crossrail found this story in Planning Resource, which is entitled Crossrail levy model proposed for Greater Manchester mayoral CIL. This first paragraph sums it up.
A proposed city-regional mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for Greater Manchester would operate in the same way as the existing pan-London charge to raise funds for the Crossrail project, with councils able to implement their own levies alongside the mayor’s charge, it has emerged.
Will Manchester’s council leaders and voters go for it?
From here in London, where if the Mayor wants to fund something sensible like Crossrail 2, all the Mayoral candidates and the Boroughs seem to back it, I can’t see all ten Manchester boroughs agreeing, as they seem to have a long record of doing things their own way!
Kenneth Clarke On IDS
I found this article on the BBC. This is said.
He is firmly on the socially authoritarian wing of the party: against abortion and gays in the military, in favour of capital punishment and the return of caning in schools – positions that led to Ken Clarke to describe him as a classic Tory “hanger and flogger”.
I think it says, that the vast majority of the centre of the British electorate, feel that IDS is one of the dinosaurs and his views belong in that enormous dustbin we reserve for history.
IDS Appears To Have Shortened Odds Of Staying In EU
On my Brexit Referendum Betting Odds page, since IDS jumped, the odds seemed to have moved slightly in favour of staying in.
But then despite his Road to Damascus moment, IDS in my mind, has always been someone from the dinosaurial wing of the Tory Party, who wouldn’t impress the vast number of voters in the centre.
Is Trump Fit To Run A Whelk Stall?
This article on the BBC web site is entitled US election 2016: Mitt Romney warns Trump not fit to run country.
It is one of the most amazing political attacks, I’ve ever heard by someone on a member of their own party.
Even Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, never had an attack like Mitt Romney’s on Donald Trump, from someone who is supposedly of the same political persuasion.
Look at the Wikipedia entry for Trump University or Trump Entrepreneur Initiative as it is now called.
And what about Trump Shuttle, Trump Mortgage, Trump Ice etc.?
Welcome To Huddersfield
In my trip to Huddersfield yesterday, I took the TransPennine Express from Manchester Piccadilly.
These pictures show the supremely inadequate three-car Class 185 train at Huddersfield and passengers tying to board to get to Leeds and York.
On return, I asked a Team Leader what was going on. He said trains had been cancelled because of driver shortages and that three-car trains were inadequate anyway and should be five-car. They certainly have overcowding issues and bad passenger feedback.
In some ways these trains are their own worst enemy. After Huddersfield, it was standing room only and the stop at Stalybridge took a lot longer than it should, as passengers fought to get on and off with suitcases and bicycles. So by the time we got to Manchester Piccadilly, where we called at the inadequate and very crowded Platform 14, we were nearly fifteen minutes late. There were several passengers who missed their booked seats on the 1815 to London.
I never book return seats on a journey back from football, especially if TransPennine or Manchester Piccadilly is involved.
The Team Leader at Huddersfield didn’t seem pleased, but he did indicate something would be happening soon.
It certainly needs to.
I think TransPennine’s only problem of their own making is the driver shortage. Nearly everything else can be put down to inadequate investment by various Governments over the last fifty years.
I suppose you could blame passengers for creating the increased demand across the Pennines, but as the Class 185 trains seem to have been ordered without an ability to lengthen, the trains have been unable to grow with the demand.
Compare this situation with that of the Class 390 trains on the West Coast Main Line and the Class 378 trains on the London Overground. Both these trains have been lengthened, by the simpler expedient of adding new carriages in the middle.
We should make sure that all the Ministers and the Civil Servants, who conspired to give the North some of the most crowded trains in Europe, should ride these trains at least once a week, so they can at least understand their crap legacy to the travelling public.
But then no self-respecting Government Minister or Civil Servant, would be seen taking a train between Manchester and Huddersfield, when a perfectly serviceable chauffeur-driven limousine is available.
Brexit Referendum Betting Odds
This is a log of the Brexit Referendum Betting Odds or Oddschecker.
- February 20th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 5/2
- February 21st – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- February 22nd – Stay 2/5 – Leave 15/8 – Boris comes out!
- February 23rd – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10 – Business leaders letter in Times
- February 24th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- February 25th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- February 26th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- February 27th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- February 28th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- February 29th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- March 1st – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- March 2nd – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- March 3rd – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- March 4th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 5th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 6th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 7th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 8th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 9th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 10th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- March 11th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- March 12th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- March 13th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- March 14th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- March 15th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- March 16th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- March 17th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 2/1 – Budget on the 16th
- March 18th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 21/10
- March 19th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 21/10
- March 20th – Stay 3/8 – Leave 2/1 – DLS Resigns
- March 21st – Stay 3/8 – Leave 2/1
- March 22nd – Stay 7/19 – Leave 2/1
- March 23rd – Stay 4/9 – Leave 15/8 – Brussels Attacks
- March 24th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 15/8
- March 25th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 15/8
- March 26th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- March 27th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 15/8
- March 28th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 15/8
- March 29th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 15/8
- March 30th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 15/8
- March 31st – Stay 4/9 – Leave 15/8
- April 1st – Stay 2/5 – Leave 15/8
- April 2nd – Stay 2/5 – Leave 2/1
- April 3rd – Stay 2/5 – Leave 2/1
- April 4th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 2/1
- April 5th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 6th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 7th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 8th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 9th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 10th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 11th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 12th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 13th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 14th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10 – Corbyn comes off the fence
- April 15th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10
- April 16th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10
- April 17th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10
- April 18th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 21/10
- April 19th – Stay 1/2 – Leave 21/10 – Gove speaks
- April 20th – Stay 1/2 – Leave 15/8
- April 21st – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1
- April 22nd – Stay 4/9 – Leave 2/1 – Obama speaks
- April 23rd – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- April 24th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- April 25th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 13/5
- April 26th – Stay 2/7 – Leave 3/1
- April 27th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- April 28th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- April 29th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- April 30th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- May 1st – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- May 2nd – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- May 3rd – Stat 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- May 4th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- May 5th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 23/10
- May 6th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- May 7th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- May 8th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- May 9th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 13/5
- May 10th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 13/5
- May 11th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 13/5
- May 12th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 13/5
- May 13th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 13/5
- May 14th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 12/5
- May 15th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 12/5
- May 16th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- May 17th – Stay 3/10 – Leave 11/4
- May 18th – Stay 2/7 – Leave 11/4
- May 19th – Stay 2/7 – Leave 16/5
- May 20th – Stay 2/7 – Leave 15/4
- May 21st – Stay 2/9 – Leave 4/1
- May 22nd – Stay 2/9 – Leave 15/4
- May 23rd – Stay 2/9 – Leave 7/2
- May 24th – Stay 2/11 – Leave 4/1
- May 25th – Stay 2/11 – Leave 4/1
- May 26th – Stay 2/11 – Leave 9/2
- May 27th – Stat 1/6 – Leave 17/4
- May 28th – Stay 1/6 – Leave 4/1
- May 29th – Stay 1/5 – Leave 4/1
- May 30th – Stay 1/5 – Leave 4/1
- May 31st – Stay 2/9 – Leave 4/1
- June 1st – Stay 3/10 – Leave 16/5
- June 2nd – Stay 3/10 – Leave 11/4
- June 3rd – Stay 1/3 – Leave 11/4
- June 4th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 5/2
- June 5th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- June 6th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- June 7th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- June 8th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 5/2
- June 9th – Stay 1/3 – Leave 11/4
- June 10th – Stay 3/10 – Leave 11/4
- June 11th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 9/4
- June 12th – Stay 2/5 – Leave 9/4
- June 13th – Stay 5/12 – Leave 2/1
- June 14th – Stay 4/7 – Leave 7/4
- June 15th – Stay 8/13 – Leave 7/5
- June 16th – Stay 6/11 – Leave 13/8
- June 17th – Stay 1/2 – Leave 13/8
- June 18th – Stay 8/15 – Leave 7/4 – The assassination of Jo Cox
- June 19th – Stay 4/9 – Leave 9/4
- June 20th – Stay 4/11 – Leave 12/5
- June 21st – Stay 1/4 – Leave 3/1
- June 22nd – Stay 2/7 – Leave 3/1
- June 23rd – Stay 3/10 – Leave 10/3
I shall let the figures do the talking.
The Anonymous Widower 