British Coal In A British Grate
This phrase was quoted in an article in The Times today by David Aaronovitch, where he likens the arguments of those who don’t believe in climate change, global warming and renewable energy, with those who were against the Clean Air Act of 1956. The MP for Bromsgrove, Michael Higgs was the opponent of the Act, who Aaronovitch quoted.
I can remember the smogs of that time and they weren’t pleasant. The only good thing was that we got sent home early from my primary school; de Bohun in Southgate. Teachers would organise us into groups and put a responsible ten or eleven year old in charge. Our parents didn’t know we were coming home, but then most mothers didn’t work in the 1950s.
I don’t think they’d do that now!
Payday Loans To Be Controlled
I feel that pay-day and short-term loan companies like Wonga are not the best of ideas. They’re not good for customers as their interest rates are just totally out of line and I think that their business model will come a cropper, as I outlined here.
The government has stated that the new Financial Conduct Authority will have the power to impose a limit on interest rates, as outlined in this article.
It sounds fine in practice, but what will happen to existing loans? And who will lend to those, who use the payday loan system?
It will also effectively kill off all these companies, so they’ll be more unemployed.
And how many criminals and thugs will move into the loan-sharking business?
So all in all, with the proposed alcohol price legislation, it’s been a very good day for criminals.
A Good Day For Criminals?
On the whole, I think a minimum price for alcohol is a good idea. I said so here a few days ago.
But the downside is that criminals will be smiling at all the profits to be had by selling cheap alcohol to all and sundry, after it was announced that a minimum price will come in. It’s here on the BBC. I doubt the measure will curb binge-drinking and the associated crime.
And then we have the Leveson report, which is due to be released in a couple of days. According to this BBC story, many are worried about it on a freedom f speech basis. They have a point, but if we have more restrictions on reporting, which overall is a good thing, the value of a good story will increase. So I think, we could see more harrassment of celebrities as the pot of gold will be even bigger. Especially, as many countries won’t care what is illegal in the UK and will fully publish on the Internet.
Just remember that if we had a privacy law like the French, would the details of the MPs expenses have emerged? So the so-called great and good, who break the law, may well be protected by Leveson’s recommendations.
But as the phone-hacking by the News of the World has shown, wrong-doing gets properly investigated.
The Telegraph Has A Go At A UKIP Candidate
Winston McKenzie, a UKIP candidate in the Croydon North by-election is reported to have said, that adoption by same sex couples is child abuse. The report is not in a gay publication, but here in Her Majesty’s Daily Telegraph.
LloydsTSB Move Customers Without Their Permission
I choose the organisation I bank with, not politicians or bloated bureaucrats from Brussels. So LloydsTSB is totally out of order to move customers to a new bank as reported here.
I suspect a good proportion of those moved will create a stink. UKIP must be rubbing its hands with glee.
You might also argue, that you have few rights when your bank is taken over by another. I used to bank with the Woolwich, which was taken over by Barclays, who I don’t care for. So I moved to Nationwide.
On the subject of Barclays, I used to work with a guy, who had a T-shirt complete with the Basrclay’s eagle, that said “Bank With Warclays”
George Osborne Hands His Successor A Poison Pill
I think that the appointment of Mark Carney to the Governorship of the Bank of England is a good one. I think he’s got the right experience and of course Canada has a much better-sorted banking industry than the United States, the United Kingdom and most of Europe.
So a good helping of Canadian experience can’t but help.
But say in 2016 or whenever the election is held, Labour should win, he would be a difficult thorn in the side of any Labour Chancellor.
Why Britain Doesn’t Have Revolutions
The BBC on its web site has published an article outlining an interesting theory about why Britain has not had a violent revolution in recent centuries.
Apparently, it’s all down to our political cartoonists.
Most of the article, is based on an interview with Lord Baker, who is an avid fan, despite having suffered at their hands a few times.
Labour-Run Rotherham Council Gives UKIP Credibility
The bonkers decision of Labour-run Rotherham Council to take children away from foster parents who vote UKIP is either very questionable or just downright bonkers. It’s reported here on the BBC.
I have no brief for UKIP and regard them as a non-mainstream party, that has a minority appeal to people of a particular leaning. I would include the Greens or the Monster Raving Loony Party in the same grouping. But not of course any party which was downright racist like the BNP.
The council has been rounding condemned by all major parties, including Labour, but I can’t help feeling that we’re going to see an interesting result after the Rotherham by-election next week.
Should Prisoners Get The Vote?
After hearing from a European legal commentator who said it would cost millions if they didn’t, prisoners certainly should get the vote. It would be the cheapest option. What constituency they would vote in is another matter.
I would prefer that they all voted in one special constituency. This might mean they got some complete lunatic elected, who would give us all a good laugh.
On the other hand, how many of the 80,000 prisoners would actually bother to vote? Probably more than we think, as it might mean they got extra time out of their cells.
Steve Coogan On Abu Qatada
I have had this thought, that it might be a good idea to put Abu Qatada on Question Time. After all, the BBC put the equally nice leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin on the program and it doesn’t seem to have done him much harm.
So I searched the Internet with “Abu Qatada Question Time” to see if anybody had suggested it and found this extract from the program featuring Steve Cooghan.
The Anonymous Widower 