Notices by Emeritus Prof Christopher May (chrismayla6@zirk.us), page 7

Given the long term policy of the pensions 'triple lock' has lifted many pensioners out of relative poverty (even if our pensions remain low by international standards), it make sense to suggest that a similarly long-term political commitment on child poverty is required - a 'child's lock' commitment to raise child-related benefits to a higher level & track them to rises in earnings & inflation.

Whether Labour will commit to this is another Q.

#childpoverty #inequality
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/25/next-government-urged-to-wake-up-to-uks-shocking-levels-of-child-poverty

@JohnLoader6

yes....

More on Election 2024:

Rishi Sunak has stated its going to be about who the public trusts...

Not the ground on which he might be best advised to fight after a decade & half of scandals, corruption & crisis....

Indeed, he says he's going to 'earn our trust'.... well given he's been PM for some time, and is (therefore) admitting he hasn't earnt our trust already, this looks like howl statements scripted by a advisor, unless he's monumentally out of touch.... oh, hold on

As Rachel Reeves stresses the link between international relations & economics... for those of us who've been (in my case) or still are International Political Economists, this is all very much what we've been talking about for decades.

So, for those of you wondering how that might work, one great book that brings a lot of the things Reeves is talking about together is:

Stopford & Strange's Rival States, Rival Firms.

or try the collection of Strange's work.

#economics #politicaleconomy

From Liberty UK:

Last summer Suella Braverman changed the definition of “serious disruption” to mean “more than minor” – giving police huge powers to shut down protests.

Liberty said this move was undemocratic, unconstitutional and unacceptable.

The term ‘serious disruption’ comes from another Public Order Act from 1986. The Home Secretary has the power to *clarify* what is meant by ‘serious’ – not completely change its meaning.

The Court agreed.

The police should stop using these powers.

Lets be absolutely clear - at the centre of the infected blood scandal, as so many other 'scandals' involving institutions riding rough-shod over the interests & well-being of ordinary people (see the posted list & additions in my timeline over the weekend) is one thing:

People in power lying to those whose lives have been ruined.

LYING... not making mistakes, not misunderstanding... LYING.

This is the culture that infects our political & social 'elites'; being (very) comfortable lying to us!

I sometimes thought my father thought he could't die while he still had books on his pending pile (a stab at immortality I seem to be replicating)... so, it was strangely touching to see Tom Gauld has had similar thoughts.

#reading #immortality

@bookstodon

Ben Jennings on Keir Starmer's 'first steps for change'....

#KeirStarmer #politics

h/t Guardian

More callousness compounding the inequities of the housing crisis...

As other have remarked Thurrock's communication(s) with Heidi Dodson are remarkable for their inhumanity, but it sort of follows from declarations that the vulnerable & poor are making 'lifestyle choices'.

Cruelty & callousness come down from our politicians who are forever 'punching down'.

Sometimes I wonder how we have come to this, then I look at grinning Tories & I know all too well!

#politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjq5qxlgy39o

Using the threat of criminal damage, Lord Walney's review of protesting seems about to recommend energy & defence sites should have protest exclusion zones around them - of course these being two key areas of politics that attract significant dissent.

Each (further) restriction on protest is another erosion of democracy; what criminal damage that is caused by protestors is a small price to pay for a right to protest.

Democracy is in danger whatever pious reassurances we hear!
#politics
h/t FT

Forced cashless society.

Our nearby small market town used to have 3 banks; they're all closed (taking their cash machines with them), and this week one of the two remaining cash machines was removed from the supermarket where it was located.

So, we're down to a single cash machine in an area with a radius (I'm guessing) of around 20 miles.

The cashless society doesn't represent consumer choice, its pace is being forced by financial institutions keen to charge fees on transactions!

#money

Meanwhile in the Lake District, more evidence that the sewage discharge(s) already identifies across the country as ruining the UK's beaches & seawaters, are having similar impact inland - Lake Windermere is going green as more semi-treated sewage flows into the lake & feed the algae that turn the water green.

Yet more proof that the only people who gained from water privatisation were the investors - for the rest of us it looks like daylight robbery!

#water #sewage

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68953523

So now cash-strapped NHS trusts are being required to balance their books, and as such are being forced to choose between repairing buildings or retaining staff.

This engineered crisis of the NHS looks to be accelerating as the Tories use their last months in Govt. to squeeze the health service some more & ensure the maximum mess for Labour to deal with on gaining power (a mess so big the Tories will soon start blaming Labour for not clearing it up).

#health #NHS

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/05/cuts-will-result-in-patient-deaths-hospitals-shed-medical-staff-after-being-told-to-balance-the-books

Client Earth, Friends of the Earth & the Good Law Project have succeeded at the High Court in requiring the Govt's to once again net zero/climate action plan to properly detail risks & actions and be less reliant on little tried technologies like carbon capture.

Costs have been awarded to two of the campaigns who bought the action, and as Sam Hunter-Jones (ClientEarth), says: 'this judgment means the government must now take credible action to address the climate crisis'!

#climate #politics

While accurate data is hard to assemble, it now looks like around 8-10% of people who are 'self-paying' for private medical treatment are borrowing the money.

As the Tory defunding strategy has pushed more people into the arms of private healthcare so their chums in financial services are also starting to garner some more business.

That desperate people are being forced into indebtedness to pay for treatment is a sad confirmation of the Tory's strategy of wrecking the NHS.

#health #debt

I'm thinking ITV is not getting the viewers for Red Eye that it had promised its advertisers.... what makes me think that?

The fact that in today's Guardian ITV has paid for an effective six (!) pages of advertising for the series - 2 x double page, 1 x full page, 2x x half page...

Oh dear....

#redeye #advertising #TV

Tom Gauld on the AI (investment) bubble

#AI #investment

Results are still coming in, but (other than the large losses suffered by the Tories which were expected), there's now confirmation that Labour's political stance on Gaza has cost them Oldham Council where there has been a surge in support for independents, leaving Labour unable to reach majority control....

Whether this is a local phenomena or something that may have a national dimension will not be clear until the general election, but disquiet at Labour positioning should not be discounted!

ICYMI: The political economy of UK private healthcare:

in 2022 private hospitals' revenue looked like this:

28% - self-paying procedures (including non-nationals)

41% - procedures covered by private health insurance

31% - contact work for the NHS (which has tripled since 2003)

The normalisation of private health care is a direct result of the Tories NHS strategy, and will (even if Labour wanted to) take years to unravel.

#NHS #healthcare #privatisation

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/apr/28/no-ones-being-honest-about-it-how-nhs-crisis-forces-patients-to-go-private

The view from Japan... well from Ellen Milligan of Bloomberg actually...

'Everybody is saying that we should compare the UK with China in terms of customs formalities' notes Christian Pedersen (DFDS) having been asked by Milligan how the new border checks will play out.

This is going to go soooo well!

#brexit

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2024/04/27/companies/brexit-border-checks-begin/