A failing country - rewarding irresponsibility, corruption and cheating

In a speech in London, Ed Miliband, the current leader of the Labour party, admitted that, following a decade in power, voters looked upon Labour as the party which protected claimants abusing the welfare system (cheating), allowed reckless gambling in the City (corruption) as well as the reward of failure in the boardroom (irresponsibility). 

He said "Labour - a party founded by hard working people for hard working people - was seen by some, however unfairly, as the party of those ripping off our society".

The Labour leader said the party must now focus on changing this perception, he said Labour must become a party that "rewards contribution, not worklessness." He said Labour must also focus on rewarding "entrepreneurship" and "wealth creation", and said that Labour "must change" in order once again to be "the party of the grafters". 

He said Labour had failed to change the 'take what you can culture' (i.e. 'greed') and had "failed to change the ethic of the country" ...

Indeed so ... and they have now effectively admitted it! 

In fact the truth is they made things far worse ... as they showed that Labour, a party backed by the unions, and supposed to represent the interests of honest hard-working people, failed to represent their interests at all ... and, corrupted by power, and focused on media sound-bites and self-interest, acted recklessly and irresponsibly ... without any moral/ethical values at all ... 

Indeed Labour politicians promoted the line 'greed is good', and 'took what they could' for themselves (e.g. just take a look at the expenses scandal, and at all the executive/non-executive positions in large corporations/banks they took up for themselves) ... as they 'milked' their position of power, whilst preaching the moral high ground to everyone else! The truth is that New Labour, during their decade in power, destroyed the country ... and the vast majority of people in the UK are now paying the price ... (nb Tony Blair, on leaving office, immediately joined the bankers, and paid £1m/year for doing virtually nothing!) ... 


So should we trust them now ... definitely not (nb Ed Miliband was himself part of the Government that destroyed the country - and will say anything to regain power). Ok, so should we trust the people currently in power ... definitely not.


One day there will be change ... but it will be led by very different people, and not the leaders of any of the current parties. It's a shame the unions didn't bite the bullet and create a new party to really represent the people (as they threatened to do following all the expenses scandals) ... to fight corruption and greed, as well Miliband, Clegg and Cameron.

'Patient Care' vs 'GP Greed' - the real battle within the BMA

Doctors have today called upon the government to put a halt to its overhaul of the NHS in England, but stopped short of opposing the plans outright [nb due to GP greed]!

An emergency meeting of the British Medical Association - the first of its kind for nearly 20 years - urged ministers to withdraw the health bill so the plans could be looked at again -  plans the union did describe as "dangerous and risky".

The emergency meeting was called by the BMA leadership after concerns from its grassroots membership about the plans. The motion voted in favour of by delegates says withdrawing the health bill is needed so that the controversial and more radical elements of the legislation can be considered again. But a motion calling for outright opposition of the plans was narrowly rejected [nb a key moment, and again the result of greedy GP's].

This emergency meeting was called because those members want the BMA to go further and harden its stance following discussions by the leadership on Wednesday. The result could force union's leaders taking a tougher line with government.

However the 'government' - and in particular No. 10 - is 'fully committed' to the plans [even though the Liberal Democrat party - who are part of this coalition government - rejected the plans themselves only two days ago]! The bill is already well on its way through parliament [nb a bill created without a mandate from anyone and which is being forced though by No. 10] and pilots are starting across the country [nb they had no problem bribing a few greedy GP's to try it].

BMA leader Dr Hamish Meldrum said he would rather see the NHS as the preferred provider instead of having a level playing field with the big health companies, and said "We want to put more pressure on the government to change what are flawed and very risky proposals for the NHS" [nb he has deliberately avoided referring to the fundamental conflicts of interests, and GP profiteering, that these current plans create].

More than 300 doctors attended the meeting with many supporting Dr Meldrum's stance. Dr Layla Jader, a public health physician, said: "The NHS needs evolution not revolution - these reforms are very threatening to the future of the NHS. If they go through, our children will look back and say how could you allow this to happen?" [Well said - I couldn't have put in better myself].

Members voted not to support a "damaging and unjustified" shake-up, which will see GPs get control of much of the NHS budget along with the scrapping of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We are disappointed the BMA has decided to take this step rather than work constructively with us to improve services for patients. The reality is over 5,000 GP practices, covering two-thirds of the country, have already signed up and have started to implement plans to give patients better care" [nb those not voluntarily signing up are being forced to as no alternative is being given].

What they fail to highlight is the moral battle going on in the BMA, where on the one hand there are greedy GP's who see a fantastic opportunity to profiteer  [and who do not want the BMA to intervene] ... and on the other there are all the trustworthy and honorable doctors who are strongly against the plans due to the clear/fundamental conflicts of interest they create [but who have until now had little/no support, as the BMA has till now tried to play a 'passive role' in order to support the greedy GP's).

By 'bribing' greedy GP's, this Government is trying to push through it plans and it has effectively split the BMA [a clear 'divide and conquer' strategy]. But will it work ... IMHO I unfortunately think it will ... though I obviously hope it does not!

This Government is trying every trick in the book and if they do succeed, they will, without any mandate from the people, dismantle the NHS and destroy the trust a patient should have in their GP in the process.

Captain of a sinking ship ... or mutiny on the Bounty?

Nick Clegg faces potential defeat over the government's planned NHS reforms at his spring party conference, as a heavyweight group of Liberal Democrat figures tables an amendment opposing the "damaging and unjustified market-based approach".

Evan Harris, a doctor and former MP and vice-chair of the party's ruling federal policy committee, will table the amendment, supported by the former cabinet minister Lady Williams (Shirley Williams), registering their concerns that the current legislation will lead to a widening of UK health inequalities if left unchecked.

Defeat at his own conference on a central plank of the government's public service reform agenda would mean Clegg would have to choose between ignoring a vote by his grassroots and negotiating concessions from the prime minister.

The amendment complains that some of the proposed changes in the health bill "have never been Liberal Democrat policy, did not feature in our manifesto or in the coalition agreement, which instead called for an end to large-scale top-down reorganisations".

The changes sought by Harris and Williams include:

• No decision about the spending of NHS funds to be made in private and without proper consultation, as can take place by the GP consortiums proposed by Andrew Lansley, the health secretary.

• Restoration of the NHS as the preferred provider, only allowing new private providers where there is no risk of "cherry-picking" that would destabilise the existing NHS. At the moment, the legislation brings an end to the NHS as preferred provider.

• NHS commissioning retained as an entirely public function, rather than the subcontracting of commissioning to private companies. At present primary care trusts are democratically accountable and open to public scrutiny.

• Continued separation of the commissioning and provision of services to prevent conflicts of interest.

• Healthcare commissioning to be carried out by locally elected health boards or local authorities, with the ability to vary a fair local tax in order to invest in local healthcare services.

Given the fundamental conflicts of interest already raised by numerous well-respected healthcare bodies (as well as Channel 4) and the additional flaws contained within current reforms now raised by his own MP's, will Nick Clegg  decide to do a 'U turn' and fight to defend the NHS ... or will he bury his head, soldier on regardless and talk to David Cameron about securing himself a safe Converative seat to fight in the next election? Trust, honor, respect ... Nick Clegg appears to have abandoned all of these in pursuit of power ... e.g. look at tuition fees for instance, and what he wants to do with the NHS now ... with no mandate whatsoever from his party or the electorate.

IMHO the Liberal Democrats will rue the day they allowed their leader to put aside any moral values and renege upon all their elections promises, as many voters will not forget ... and they will not vote for them again! The Liberal Democrats are already getting worried about the future (e.g. in the recent by-election they were pushed into sixth place and also lost their deposit).

Interestingly, despite pushing for it, and despite the clear benefits/importance of electoral reform, one of the biggest risks to a YES vote in the referendum has been the actions of the Liberal Democrat leader himself! Since gaining office he has traded moral principles for power in an attempt to secure electoral reform. Having gained agreement for a referendum, Clegg's now hoping people will vote YES as this will give "him more power" ... however, wasn't he meant to be giving "people the power"! 

IMHO this appears to be yet another example of a 'leader' corrupted by Power and who, in their desire to gain more of it, has abandoned their moral compass as well as the people they're supposed to represent. There is no point striving to become captain of the ship (with the intention of steering it into better waters) if in the process of doing so you have to throw away your compass ... which causes the entire ship to sink!

By jumping ship, and the promise of a 'safe' Tory seat, I am sure Nick Clegg's lifeboat is at the 'ready' ... as the Liberal Democrats start to sink ...

In my humble opinion the referendum on electoral reform will be the point Nick Clegg will know whether he's going to need it or not ... as without a vote to change the electoral system (i.e. a YES vote) the Liberal Democrats are now almost certainly dead!

Are we really 'all in this together'?

Government announces tax free saving and inheritance plan for the ultra rich

The Government, with the use of a clever mix of smoke and mirrors and spin, is telling us it wants to sell off 15% of our national forest-land to private owners ... and says it is needs to do so to cut the deficit, but the real reason could not be further from the truth ... !

In reality this move is being done so the super-rich can profit from it, and at the same time have their tax bill reduced ... by expanding a unique tax free investment/savings loop-hole only available to them ... as investments in land are free from capital gains tax ... and are uniquely free from any inheritance tax too (which is why many ultra-rich landowners, bankers and football players have been quietly 'cashing in' and buy more land).

This carefully crafted move exposes the 'double standards' that currently exist and the real hypocrisy lying behind the 'We are all in this together' spin, as this move comes at the same time as ordinary hard-working people are being disproportionately forced to pay higher levels of tax as a result of the recent VAT hike!  

As I have said on this blog before, one of the most fair/just taxes we should be introducing as a country is a Land Value Tax, in order to replace unfair property taxes, to reduce VAT, to reduce tuition fees and to reduce the tax on jobs. The loophole on inheritance tax should also be closed too (so why have the Government, and indeed the last Government, failed to do such things ... well it's obvious really isn't it - i.e. just follow the money ... and look out for all the self-interest and greed).

Vince Cable (Business Secretary) understands the importance of introducing a Land Value Tax, as he held a summit on the subject in the House of Commons recently, so it's a disgrace that this Government, which he and the Liberal Democrats are a part of, are now actively pushing such immoral/unjust changes through ... especially after the immoral tripling of tuition fees and the scrapping of the EMA. Vince Cable must not care or he has become quickly corrupted - see my Homer Simpson post earlier. (NB Today his department also come under fire from the CBI, saying it needed to be 'less of a talking shop' and 'more of an action-oriented growth champion').

It's clear the Liberal Democrats are providing a convenient smoke-screen for the Conservatives, who are taking every opportunity to quietly reward their ultra-rich families/backers (e.g. landowners, bankers) ... and the quicker this smoke screen is removed the better!

It is worth noting that any potential benefit gained from selling off land is going to be short-lived, as any one-off revenue claimed will be quickly offset by large reductions in capital gains tax and inheritance tax bills for the ultra-rich (for generations to come). 

This proposal highlights how 'ignorance is not bliss', because it's young people, pensioners and hard-working taxpayers that are having to pay for these tax cuts to the super-rich, whilst also bailing out bankers (who are still paying themselves obscene bonuses)! 

A sign of things to come ...?

Police lines created to ensure tuition fees are tripled (despite all the protests)

The "Royals" - caught out, caught up, and looking at the road ahead ... ?

As the Government voted to triple student tuition fees, anger amongst the young bubbled up, a fellow blogger pointed out ...

"I reckon that most students protesting don’t really understand how the system works.

With all money (notes and coins excepted) being created as debt bearing interest, and more debt being needed to satisfy repayment of existing debt + interest, either there has to be more debt or deflation and debt default must occur.

The system is inflationary and requires an increasing level of debt to survive in its present form, but there’s a problem:

1. The hopelessly indebted will borrow till the cows come home, but can’t pay it back.

2. The modestly indebted could borrow, but are nervous of their economic future.

3. And the prudent won’t borrow per-se because they see it as the road to ruin.

Enter the poor student ... The system needs new debtors, and what better way to get them than sucking in the young with student loans. And if the system needs more money (debt), then raise tuition fees."

The banks created the crisis (and debt), were bailed out by the taxpayer, and continue to reward themselves billions in bonuses.  To generate more debt, the banks need more victims (and ones more likely to be able to pay it back) ... so the Government slash University teaching budgets by nearly 80% (over 3-4x the level of cuts to other public services), remove EMA for 16-18 year olds, and force students (the future generation) into becoming those debtors (to the tune of £40-80k)!  

Future generations will not forgive the perpetrators of this crime ... or those who renege on their election promises - so IMHO we will now see the Liberal Democrats heading towards the wastelands, along with any chance of real electoral reform  ... and for all the conspiracy theorists this will appear to be a cunning Conservative plan successfully completed!


But can the Conservatives be happy ... well no, not really ... as the politicians who are probably enjoying this the most are Labour, as they see themselves as the beneficiaries of all this at the next election, when both sides of the coalition are forced out of office for failing to deal with the mess (that Labour itself created)! This did not have to be the case, but the coalition are currently letting off/rewarding the guilty (i.e. the bankers) and punishing the innocent (i.e. future generations/hard-working people) ... which make previous comments by Mervyn King (referring to those voted into power in the 2010 election being subsequently out of power for a whole generation) more and more relevant!  

Whilst this may be the beginning of the end for the Liberal Democrats, IMHO it is not the beginning of the end to all the objections, protest and anger ... as the tuition fees debacle has a long way to run, and this is just one of numerous unfair, unjust and unpopular proposals/cuts the coalition are looking to force upon us ...

If you think education is expensive ... try ignorance

One picture is worth ten thousand words ...

and given Nick Clegg (and the Liberal Democrats) pledged before the election not to raise tuition fees, but on entering power is overseeing the process of tripling them ... it is no surprise he regrets such actions, but which ones ... pledging not to raise them ... or for tripling them ...?

This one decision, by yet another rich millionaire (made from banking/property just like David Cameron), could result in the demise of the Liberal Democrats, and casts further doubt that anyone in the corridors of Power really has the future of this country, and hard-working people's best interests, at heart ... 

Students wanted to protest outside Liberal Democrat headquarters today but were stopped from doing so ... and why was this ... what has happened to free speech?

Ignoromics (Type 1 is Ignorance, Type 2 is Apathy) is what allows Poweromics to flourish ... and denies a better future for everyone ... which IMHO makes the placard held by the student above so poignant ... 

to be continued ...

A small step in the right direction

Following the General Election, and five days of discussions, the Liberal Democrats have negotiated a referendum on electoral reform, as part of a coalition of the type not seen for over 70 years.   Whilst not a proposal to move to full proportional representation, the alternative vote (AV) is at least one step forward towards 21st century democracy.  

Most countries around the world already have such systems, and their political parties are quite used to working together as part of a coalition.  Parties have to work together and compromise, and make sure key policies are sufficiently scrutinised and prioritised, rather than simply 'nodded through' or 'pushed through' by party whips.  The effect of this is already starting to appear, with compromises already on the make up of Government (e.g. Shared cabinet), electoral reform (e.g. AV referendum) and economic policy (e.g. with lower rate tax thresholds taking priority over providing inheritance tax breaks for the rich) for the greater good. Rather than a 'hung parliament' in my humble opinion a better description is a 'balanced parliament'.

A new system based on fundamental 'values' such as fairness, responsibility and respect is also a good start, but there is a great deal to do and far more will be needed.  The challenge (particularly for the Liberal Democrats) is to now show how effective a UK coalition Government can be, showing how 21st century politics could work for the benefit of the people, as if they do not electoral reform will fall at the first hurdle - i.e. in the referendum itself.  One thing is certain, the Tory dominated press will take any opportunity to attack any change to the voting system. The Conservatives did not want to see a referendum on the voting system (as the 'first passed the post' system serves their party, and the labour party, so well), and will I am sure argue strongly against it when it comes to the referendum.  The press tried hard to push for a majority Conservative Government so they could avoid such concessions, but even with the clear headwind provided by an unfair voting system, they did not succeed.  

The voice of the people was still sufficiently large to demand compromise and coalition - and 21st Century democracy. There's a long long way to go ... and many challenges ahead ... hence we wish our new leaders, and everyone in the UK, every success in bringing this about ... and in successfully turning our economy around.