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January 2009

E is for Efford, Expansion but certainly not Environment

Fri, 30/01/2009 - 09:33 — David

So Clive Efford proved himself worthy of his reputation once again as he dutifully voted to dump yet more pollution all over West London for no demonstrable benefit to the UK.  Unlike some of his colleagues who quite their roles as bag carriers to Ministers, he did as he was bid by the PM and voted to expand Heathrow - rather than force Spanish owners BAA to invest in the existing airport which is little short of a national disgrace.

This government has no credibility any longer as one that cares about our environment.  Everything is about short termism, there is no thinking of the longer term or the consequences of their actions.  That much is obvious from the Tax and Spend policies which have led to every new baby being born nearly £20,000 in debt.

Happy Year of the Ox

Mon, 26/01/2009 - 20:43 — David

I have enjoyed the Chinese New Year celebrations today and would like to wish everyone in the Chinese community a very happy and prosperous year ahead. 

Are Labour Lords corrupt?

Sun, 25/01/2009 - 17:10 — David

It would be very unwise to rush to judgement on the story which appears in today's newspapers, which alleges that 4 Labour peers offered to cha

nge legislation in return for hard cash.  There has been a pretty strong denial from

 one of them (Lord Taylor) and the House of Lords authorities are launching their own investigation.  

If the story is true, I hope those involved will be stripped of their peerages and hung out to dry.  There can be no room for corruption in politics.  If that lesson hasn't been learned by now, what more must happen before it is?  Many people already have a low enough opinion of politicians, this story will only add to the lack of trust.

Canvassing on a Saturday morning

Sat, 24/01/2009 - 17:07 — David

Thank goodness the rain laid off this morning.  I was slightly dreading being drowned as I had a long standing commitment to knock on doors in Blackheath. Opening the door to a political canvasser looking like a drowned rat probably doesn't do much to make you want to vote for them!

It was a crisp but dry morning and the team were on excellent form.  The obvious issues were raised but so too were some less predictable ones.  Mesothelioma is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos.  The son of a couple I met has been told his life will be cut short by the illness which went undetected for years despite many tests.  This is one of those silent killers of which we hear little, yet many in the building and electrical trades have been tragically affected.  I need to do more research but one thing is for certain, it is a tragic misfortune for the man and his family.

Recession is official

Fri, 23/01/2009 - 17:51 — David

We have been using the term to describe the economic depression for months but now it is official.  I have met so many people already affected by this slump in recent weeks.  It is impossible to feel anything but sadness and anger to see honest, hard working, proud people reduced to the despair they now feel.  Gordon Brown and his colleagues have a lot to apologise for and very little time to put things right.  Sadly, they fail to even accept they have done anything wrong.

Women and young people hit hardest

Wed, 21/01/2009 - 13:25 — David

According to the BBC, The Prince's Trust has reported that 45% of the people who have become unemployed in the last three months were under the age of 25.  Meanwhile the TUC claims women are being made redundant at twice the rate of men.

That unemployment has risen to the highest level since 1997 is not a surprise in the current climate, but much of the blame for the depth and severity of this recession must lay with Gordon Brown.  As Chancellor he gave banks the freedom to lend as they wishes, doing away with much of the regulatory framework.  He also frittered away taxpayers' money creating non-jobs which now cost the country billions to retain.

With every new baby born starting life with a minimum of £17,000 debt, and nearly 2 million people unemployed by the end of November, I fear there is a long way to go before we hit the bottom of this very deep recession.  The impact on Eltham and surrounding areas will be long lasting and very severe.

Former life-long Labour voter sees Blue

Tue, 20/01/2009 - 09:33 — David

“You can tell David that he now has a new supporter as I will be voting Conservative at the next General Election due to the approval of the 3rd runway at Heathrow and also the diabolical tax and spending plans of this Labour government.”

It's long been a bit of a running joke between me and a very good friend, that his brother in-law would never vote Conservative, no matter how bad things got.  "He has always voted Labour, and even if he became totally disillussioned with the party he would possibly vote for a middle party in protest, but never Tory".  How the times are changing.  This Eltham resident, who asked for the comment to be passed to me directly, will now abandon the party he has always supported because Gordon Brown has squandered the economic legacy he inherited and is refusing to listen to the views of the people who put his party in power. 
I oppose the third runway at heathrow not because I don't believe in flying but because Heathrow is a shambles, getting there is a nightmare and the economic arguments made in support of it are - at best - baseless.  If more capacity is needed I would support Stanstead, possibly Gatwick, even City airport being expanded.  But I would also like to see Heathrow run in a manner fitting of one of the major economies of the world.  Not like a cattle market in the developing world.

The right team to take us out of recession

Mon, 19/01/2009 - 13:25 — David

I am delighted that Ken Clarke is back in the Shadow Cabinet.  He is one of the few former Chancellors generally respected by economists on all sides of the political divide and he is not afraid to state his views, even at the risk of unpopularity among his own colleagues.  That's an important attribute in such a serious crisis as this.

The Shadow Cabinet is truly a government in waiting, ready to tackle the mess the current Prime Minister made of our economy and the shambolic state of the country's finances.  That every child will inherit a £17,000 debt is a disgrace, and they have Gordon Brown to thank for it.  It seems that debt is only going to grow.  The sooner we get a change of leadership for this country the better.  Truly, we cannot afford to wait much longer.

Being frugal...

Tue, 13/01/2009 - 22:15 — David

Healthy fruit salad

This recession is really biting and everyone's feeling down.  But on the positive side, it's been fun staying in, having people round for supper rather than going out - and being invited to friends' homes for a home cooked meal.

Inspired by articles in magazines going on about making savings on the weekly shop, I have now started making a huge bowl of fruit salad at the weekend which we enjoy at breakfast.  It's healthy, cheap (you can use whatever fruit is on offer that week) and far more interesting than toast or cereal.  Tonight was bolognese night.  I found a packet of minced beef in the freezer, used up some onions and mushrooms and hey presto.  Another cheap but delicious meal, if I say so myself!

If there is a single benefit from the current turmoil, it may be that we realise how much money we have all wasted on ready made meals and unhealthy eating. 

Interest rate cut is not good news for most of us

Thu, 08/01/2009 - 19:33 — David

Interest rates are now lower than at any time in the Bank of England's history.  There was a time when I might have been among the people celebrating - after all, the mortgage on my flat tracks the base rate, so my mortgage cost goes down.

However, anyone with savings will now receive virtually no return on their nest egg.  Many that do will lose a proportion of it to the Tax Man.  The Pound has slumped against foreign currencies making it even harder for British families to travel on a Summer holiday this year.  And because banks will argue they are making even less money from borrowers, they will justify their policy of lending less and less to small businesses and individuals, even where there is a good credit rating.

We need to get banks lending again, and we need to cut public spending so that public borrowing can be reduced over time.  Help needs to be directed to those who have been responsible, not the careless bankers who are now getting away completely free.