Bus Pass On Rails
Modern Railways is reporting that the government is doing an experiment with First Great Western, whereby a concessionary bus-pass can effectively be used as a Senior Railcard.
I have both and it would be one less card to lose, if I had to carry just one card. The Freedom Pass also has a photograph and I have used it where a photo ID is required.
I also have to show both cards, when I go to Ipswich, by buying a ticket from the Zone 6 boundary to Ipswich, as I do the London end of the journey on my Freedom Pass.
I don’t know how many concessionary bus passes and Senior Railcards are in circulation, but abolishing the Senior Railcard and using the concessionary bus-pass wouldn’t be very affordable in these times of financial restraint.
But then the experiment may show that if those with bus-passes got rail travel with a third off, the extra revenue might pay for the scheme.
It certainly seems an idea that will eventually be implemented.
Especially, as it would be a real vote winner for the party that brought it in. Especially, if they tied up the rules, so that bus-passes worked under the same restrictions nationwide.
Gordon Brown Knew He Could Not Do PM Job
This is according to Jack Straw’s memoirs, which are reported here on the BBC.
It’s just a pity, that Prudence didn’t tell the rest of us, as we might not be in the mess we are now!
We certainly wouldn’t have two aircraft carriers on order, that we don’t need! But then how else was he to buy the Scottish votes?
Should Well-Off Pensioners Pay More Tax?
I’m not in favour of the proposal of the Liberal Democrats that well-off pensioners, like myself should pay more tax.
If the government keeps the money, it’ll only spend it on something of which I disapprove, like more quangos to employ the so-called great and good, many of whom have never done a real day’s work in their lives.
I prefer to give more than equivalent donations to charities of my choice, which I do on my birthday each year, in thanks for surviving another twelve months!
Larry On The Voice Of Russia
Apparently, it’s not just the Chief Whip that’s in trouble, but the Chief Mouser to! This article from the Voice of Russia, shows how the most important news get distributed around the world. Note the picture.
I suppose President Putin uses tigers in the Kremlin.
This post was prompted by a wonderful picture of Larry in today’s Times.
Can We Trust Anything Nick Clegg Says?
Did Nick Clegg know the hornet’s nest he’d stir up by his temporary tax on the rich?
If he didn’t then he must be rather stupid and can we trust anything else he says?
But then politicians in this country, are often pilloried for simple statements. Remember, Norman Tebbit and getting on your bike and Harold Wilson on the pound in your pocket.
If we need to raise more money there are other ways to do it.
For instance, you could put a black box in every car and charge per mile. The Dutch government proposed this and promptly lost an election.
The only true statement is that from Dieter Helm, who said “Ministers who try to pick winners should remember that losers tend to pick governments.”
I wonder how many bright brains and successful companies are rethinking their future because of Nick Clegg’s statements.
Let’s say you are a small hi-tech Internet-based company, writing say apps for smart-phones. You can do this anywhere in the world, so perhaps if you fancied working in say Barbados, you might go.
If Nick Clegg had kept quiet, he wouldn’t have given anybody the idea to go.
Politicians seem to forget that most of our successful developments could be done from anywhere. They should make sure that they don’t encourage people to relocate. Except of course to the UK.
God Gives Her Verdict On Romney
It would appear that God is throwing everything she can at Tampa to try to stop the Republican Convention picking Mormon Mitt as their Presidential candidate. Read all about it here.
If Scotland Votes For Independence, Where Do Orkney And Shetland Go?
Only now, with the referendum on Scottish Independence now being seen on the horizon, do people start to think about the real problems of the vote and what happens afterwards.
This article in the Guardian lays out the problems of the northern islands. This quote is given.
All the Shetland ever got from Scotland was dear meal and greedy ministers.
It may be true and I have heard something similar all over Suffolk, as people always feel that other areas of the UK get better treatment. In Suffolk’s case that usually means Norfolk.
Somehow, we must find a better way to spend taxes all over the UK.
Romney’s Sin
Coffee, as is alcohol and cigarettes is banned to Mormons. However this didn’t stop Mitt Romney from having a scoop of coffee flavoured ice-cream.
When You’re In A Hole Stop Digging
Mormon Mitt seems not only to have a lack of diplomacy, but also the common sense, one needs to avoid trouble. Just read this piece by the respected BBC correspondent, Mark Mardell. Mark also questions whether his wife’s horse will go down well with blue-collar Republicans.
It is safe to say that dressage does not have the same place in the heart of the American blue-collar worker as Nascar racing or baseball.
It would appear though that the wags out there are already having great fun. Just type “moron Mitt” into your preferred search engine.
I particularly liked this one.
The size of the hole gets bigger every minute.
So make sure you’ve got a few hours or even days to spend. It will be an ideal pastime for sport-phobics in the next couple of weeks.
Back to the Eighties
In The Times today, Lord Mandelson is reported as saying that the Unions are taking the Labour Party back to the 1980s.
It certainly seems to me that the two organisations are not singing from the same hymn sheet.
I doubt in this country, there has ever been any strike, that has ever achieved all its objectives. Some small ones might, but in most cases the threat of strike action ends up with a positive result and usually for all parties concerned.
The Anonymous Widower 