It looks like the SNP govenment has put Labour, Conservative and SNP councillors in Scotland's capital on the political naughty step for playing silly buggers with the tram project.
As I wrote last week, all three groups had ganged up on the Lib Dems (who are the senior adminstration partner) and voted to turn the tram project into a farce that would cost the city's taxpayers millions.
Now the beeb reports the government has said it will provide no more cash until councillors can agree a sensible route for the tram. A special council meeting has been called for Friday.
Expect Tory, Labour and SNP councillors to turn up with their tails between their legs.
30 August 2011
Government shouldn't listen to bankers on regulation
Apparently, bank shares have risen following criticism from bankers that they might have to face some more regulation. The BBC reports, the chief Executive of the British Bankers' Association, Angela Knight, saying, "This means allowing the banks to finance the recovery first, pay back the taxpayer next, and only then turn to further regulatory change."
Well they would say that. In other news apparently the British Bears' Association has called on the government not to prevent them defecating in woodland areas and the Bishop of Rome has asked to be allowed to carry on attending mass.
My problem with the government proposals is that not that they regulate the banks too much, but too little. Vince Cable needs to get his way so that the investment arms are hived off from the retail side and any bank 'too big to fail' is deemed too big to exist.
Angela Knight is a former Conservative MP.
Well they would say that. In other news apparently the British Bears' Association has called on the government not to prevent them defecating in woodland areas and the Bishop of Rome has asked to be allowed to carry on attending mass.
My problem with the government proposals is that not that they regulate the banks too much, but too little. Vince Cable needs to get his way so that the investment arms are hived off from the retail side and any bank 'too big to fail' is deemed too big to exist.
Angela Knight is a former Conservative MP.
When Goldsmith tried to buy the election...
Stephen Tall on Lib Dem Voice has a lot to answer for. As a result of him posting footage of the 1997 general election coverage I have wasted rather more of my bank holiday weekend than I should have.
As I was involved at a count until 4am I didn't get to see it at the time, so although much of it is familiar there are some bits worth seeing again. Here's where a rather cross David Mellor who had been ungraciously heckled by Goldsmith senior during his acceptance (of defeat) speech - gives the old goat both barrels.
As I was involved at a count until 4am I didn't get to see it at the time, so although much of it is familiar there are some bits worth seeing again. Here's where a rather cross David Mellor who had been ungraciously heckled by Goldsmith senior during his acceptance (of defeat) speech - gives the old goat both barrels.
28 August 2011
Is this a Tory-led coalition?
Labour have been keen to emphasise (repeatedly) that the UK is governed by basically a Tory government - propped up by the nefarious Lib Dems. And for much of the last year this has been the accepted case by the so-called liberal media - and with some justification from the closeness with which Clegg was wanting to be seen to be to Cameron.
But this view is changing - partly because of a change in attitude at the top of the party, which has finally realised being Cameron's 'city cousins' is as damaging to the Lib Dem vote as being seen as Labour's 'country cousins'. But only partly. What is finally being picked up in the mainstream media is the anguish coalition policies are causing Tory loyalists.
This is no red-blooded Thatcherite government beloved of the Tory grassroots - it's a mainstream centrist government - much like those in other European countries and much like its predecessor. One can look at Friday's Spectator that complains about Clegg 'painting the world yellow' or ConservativeHome (almost every minute) whose editor Tim Montgomery complained - again on Friday - 'With every passing day the Liberal Democrats are dragging the Coalition further away from the Conservative manifesto'.
One can only hope that this is the start of a more measured analysis and reporting of what is a very rare thing in UK politics (at least in peacetime). And a more rounded, detailed and unemotional reporting of the coalition and politics in general can only be a good thing.
But this view is changing - partly because of a change in attitude at the top of the party, which has finally realised being Cameron's 'city cousins' is as damaging to the Lib Dem vote as being seen as Labour's 'country cousins'. But only partly. What is finally being picked up in the mainstream media is the anguish coalition policies are causing Tory loyalists.
This is no red-blooded Thatcherite government beloved of the Tory grassroots - it's a mainstream centrist government - much like those in other European countries and much like its predecessor. One can look at Friday's Spectator that complains about Clegg 'painting the world yellow' or ConservativeHome (almost every minute) whose editor Tim Montgomery complained - again on Friday - 'With every passing day the Liberal Democrats are dragging the Coalition further away from the Conservative manifesto'.
One can only hope that this is the start of a more measured analysis and reporting of what is a very rare thing in UK politics (at least in peacetime). And a more rounded, detailed and unemotional reporting of the coalition and politics in general can only be a good thing.
26 August 2011
Friday favourite 21
Have just returned from a wedding in Brighton where this track was played and I thought it deserved repetition.
25 August 2011
Clegg demands release of Hillsborough files
I suspect Nick Clegg is not a regular reader of this blog, but he has, according to the Mirror, come out and demanded full disclosure of all the papers relating to the Hillsborough disaster as I argued last week.
With 100,000+ signatures on the e-petition there is no excuse for the government to further delay the release of these papers.
With 100,000+ signatures on the e-petition there is no excuse for the government to further delay the release of these papers.
Edinburgh's tram project goes from crisis to farce
Tory and Labour councillors in Edinburgh today joined forces to take a farcical decisions that will cost the taxpayers of Edinburgh millions of pounds.
Edinburgh's tram project has been beset by trouble since its inception under the previous Labour administration. Like Donald Dewar's Parliament building it is hideously overbudget and beset by contractual difficulties.
The cost of cancelling it is now greater than the cost of part completing it from the city's airport to St Andrew's Square in the heart of the city. Originally it was supposed to go all the way to the port of Leith.
Instead of biting the bullet and agreeing to get the tramline partially built Labour and Tory councillors voted for a nonsense option to cut the line back even further to Haymarket.
So once opened instead of making a profit the tram will require an annual subsidy of £4 million, passengers to and from the airport will have to change onto a bus to get to the main centre and city centre businesses who have put up with months of disruption will get no benefit for the pain they have suffered.
The already laid tram tracks along Princes
Street will be left to rust.
And most ludicrously the contractors who have messed things up may be entitled to walk away with full payment of its costs. The Scotsman has the full report here
It's clear real civic leadership in Edinburgh is coming from the Lib Dems - their coalition partners the SNP irresponsibly sat on their hands. Labour and Tories appear content to snipe on the sidelines and risk huge liabilities on the public purse just to embarrass the Lib Dems. With elections for the council next year one hopes the good burghers of Old Reekie remember who battled to try and prevent the trams from becoming Edinburgh's second 'disgrace'.
Edinburgh's tram project has been beset by trouble since its inception under the previous Labour administration. Like Donald Dewar's Parliament building it is hideously overbudget and beset by contractual difficulties.
The cost of cancelling it is now greater than the cost of part completing it from the city's airport to St Andrew's Square in the heart of the city. Originally it was supposed to go all the way to the port of Leith.
So once opened instead of making a profit the tram will require an annual subsidy of £4 million, passengers to and from the airport will have to change onto a bus to get to the main centre and city centre businesses who have put up with months of disruption will get no benefit for the pain they have suffered.
The already laid tram tracks along Princes
Street will be left to rust.
And most ludicrously the contractors who have messed things up may be entitled to walk away with full payment of its costs. The Scotsman has the full report here
It's clear real civic leadership in Edinburgh is coming from the Lib Dems - their coalition partners the SNP irresponsibly sat on their hands. Labour and Tories appear content to snipe on the sidelines and risk huge liabilities on the public purse just to embarrass the Lib Dems. With elections for the council next year one hopes the good burghers of Old Reekie remember who battled to try and prevent the trams from becoming Edinburgh's second 'disgrace'.
The political back story to end all back stories...
And no it's not Zac Goldsmith...
Here's a politician who can be truly said to have an exceptional background - even though I have to declare a personal interest.
Here's a politician who can be truly said to have an exceptional background - even though I have to declare a personal interest.
24 August 2011
Arab spring turns to autumn
With the end game for Gaddafi being played out on the 24 hour news channels, it is clear that events that started in Tunisia in the spring are coming to a conclusion in Tripoli in (almost) September.
As the Libyan uprising moves towards a victorious end it is a vindication for the new way of doing things and a rejection of the Blair/Bush so called 'liberal intervention'. The overthrow of the tyrant Gaddafi is mainly as a result of the actions of the Libyan people, some external pressure - principally from other Arab states - and in the background, the intelligent use of western military power.
The Libyan insurrection should mark a way forward. Ostentacious displays of western military power are no longer needed to oust unpleasant dictators - whether because of simple austerity or because the pratical application of 'nudge' theories appears to work.
It is almost certain the Libya faces a far better and more secure future than either Afghanistan or Iraq - where the old ways have so far spectacularly failed to deliver the sort of stable, open and peacful countries that were supposed to come about as a result of so-called 'liberal' interventions.
And the other lesson will hopefully be that sucking up to people like Gaddafi is always wrong.
As the Libyan uprising moves towards a victorious end it is a vindication for the new way of doing things and a rejection of the Blair/Bush so called 'liberal intervention'. The overthrow of the tyrant Gaddafi is mainly as a result of the actions of the Libyan people, some external pressure - principally from other Arab states - and in the background, the intelligent use of western military power.
The Libyan insurrection should mark a way forward. Ostentacious displays of western military power are no longer needed to oust unpleasant dictators - whether because of simple austerity or because the pratical application of 'nudge' theories appears to work.
It is almost certain the Libya faces a far better and more secure future than either Afghanistan or Iraq - where the old ways have so far spectacularly failed to deliver the sort of stable, open and peacful countries that were supposed to come about as a result of so-called 'liberal' interventions.
And the other lesson will hopefully be that sucking up to people like Gaddafi is always wrong.
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