When the only thing in front of us is nuclear destruction

 

When the only thing in front of us is nuclear desctruction

Hermann Göring told Adolf Hitler that "no German cities will be bombed". This did not go well. In fact, Western leaders, like Hermann Göring seem to believe that "Western cities will be bombed". But there are exceptions, Germany is today investing a vast amount of money building bunkers because German politicians do believe that there is going to be nuclear war.

Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), said Europe’s largest economy needed to wake up to the reality of conflict, and that in its current state Germany was inadequately prepared.

“For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe,” he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung news outlet.

Tiesler called for a national effort to pinpoint and turn tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, car parks and the cellars of public buildings into protective shelters to “quickly create space for 1 million people”. He said his agency will present a comprehensive plan later this summer.

He added that the country was in a race against time, and to rely on the construction of new bunker facilities was insufficient. Such shelters would take a long time to plan and construct and be very costly, Tiesler said. As a result, existing structures needed to be closely considered more immediately.

Capacity for a million people? Germany has about 90 million people. I guess President Trump, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others will have a difficult time telling their fellow citizens that in the event of nuclear war they are all going to die because there is no provision of accommodation capable of withstanding a nuclear impact and the aftermath of a nuclear impact.

When you hear so many politicians and informed individuals willing to send troops to a battlefield with the knowledge that it will trigger nuclear war......

Kier Starmer is very much willing to increase the blackhole ten times over or more

 

The expression "it does not add up" exists for a reason. So what we are being told clases with reality then you have to say that "it does not add up".

For months and even today in Prime Minister Question Time, Keir Starmer kept repeating the mantra about the 22 billion blackhole generated by the previous Conservative Administration.

Now, you look at the shopping list presented in the last few days and you realize that the numbers Keir Starmer is dealing with "do not add aup". More than 10 billion for Mauritius. More than 5 billion for Ukraine - in fact we have lost the count of all the monies sent to Ukraine and this includes also equipment for military use. About 22 billion Pound for a project promoted by Ed Milliband regarding the environment (not mentioning planning application changes that will allow developers to wipe out entire greenbelt areas) But the list of investments promised goes on and on. But not a word in terms of where the monies for those investments are coming from.

Keir Starmer keeps saying that Conservative criticism is unwarranted, and especially one specific benefit like the Winter Allowance that is less than peanuts compared to all other promises made by the Labour governement including nationalisation of railways services (not just the network, but also the trains that deliver such services) and the possible nationalisation of utility companies like Thames Water, a giant that is in financial troubles).

It is difficult to follow the Prime Minister and-or other members of the Cabinet that go around promised this, that and the other thing. Prime Minister, where is the money coming from?

John Healey came with announcements about the creation of 6 ammunition factories and the building of 12 nuclear submarines, the production of tens of thousands of drones promised to Ukraine, and much more.

Then we went the news that Helen Hayes MP is due to contact Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to ask for a financial plan to support struggling local authorities. Once again, where will the money come from if money is being sent left, right, up and down in every possible direction. Just cancelling the Winter Allowance and cutting benefits for the disabled and the unemployed will not do the trick. We are talking about hundreds of billions of Pound and especially after the news that NATO does not 3% investment in defense, but 3.5% investment in defense.

With every passing day, the Labour government keeps adding items to the shopping list and as Paul Samuelson, the American Economist, put it, it is either butter or cannons. Whatever you investing in one thing is the monies that you have to reduce somewhere else. We have not even reached the Autum Budget.

Once again the Secretary for Defense John Healey MP promised to increase tenfold the number of drones sent to Ukraine. The cost of building and sending those drones, will it come from the monies said to be invested in improving Britain´s state of readiness for war?

Are you an accountant or somebody that has some expertise in auditing accounts? Would you like to audit the Labour government´s accounts? I am sure that it could be an experience that you could not possibly ever forget. Has Rachel Reeves something to say about all the promises made? I am sure that Rachel Reeves herself is rather stressed up. Imagine having to change the books every time the Prime Minister or other Members of the Cabinet make promises that force you to recalculate the way you plan to run finances. From the time you get to bed until the time you get up, everything will have changed. I am sure that when she wakes up in the morning, she does not experience nice feelings. It is much more like a nightmare.

Now, Sue Grey, the woman chosen by Keir Starmer to be Chief of Staff, did not last long. She resigned and went as fast as she had come in. Well, if you are an intelligent and clever operator, you can see from a mile how things are going to be, and it has been a nightmare. And the nightmare is just beginning. 

UK Politics: Electoral Results seem to trump caution

Rachel Reeves seemed to symbolize levels of caution that from July 2024 led many to believe that Old Labour was gone. Labour sought to impose levels of autority that made many Labour Party supporters to question their allegiance to the Labour Party.

In a recent parliamentary election in Runcorn, neither the Labour Party Leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor the Conservative Party Leader bothered to shop up during campaigning. The outcome was a lost by-elecition in which Reform won the day with a less than 10 votes difference.

But at lot worse has happened since then. In a rush to reach financial agreements with foreign countries, Labour has effectively given up British sovereignty and even the future of British workerss and British companies by offering absolutely unfair advantanges to Britain´s competitors.

In this most recent appearance, Keir Starmer mentioned the leader of the Reform Party not once but once every minute. No mention of the official Oppositon Leader Kemi Badenoch that has been reported absent.

Undoubtedly, this is fight for survival, but it feels like pushing an entire Army without weapons towards the frontline. Caution has been thrown to the wind. All the talk about financial control has been lost and Britain is bleeding money. Money for foreign countries for dubious deals and money to buy its way out of electoral disaster. Maybe the new Labour Party promises should be limited by the Electoral Commission because Labour´s announcements in terms of using public monies sound more and more like political campaigning and not as the actions of responsible government.

Keir Starmer vs (John McDonnell, Nigel Farage and Angela Rayner)

 

Keir Starmer was employed to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn. This was his main job. In so doing, he tried to wipe out every one who was seen, openly or under cover) as a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn.

When started moving towards the right, Keir Starmer started creating a void in areas that have been traditionally Labour Party territory.

Keir Stamer won an election telling lies about what Labour was going to do. He made promises and turned promises into slogans. Like George Bush and the famous "read my lips, no more taxes), Keir Starmer proposed auterity on top of austerity. It has been an absolute disaster, given Reform the golden opportunity to make a very successful incursion into Labour´s traditional territory.

Many years ago, the Labour Party turned its back to the British working class and opened the floodgates to mass immigration, bringing in thousands upon thousands to replace the white working class that, left without representation, joined the National Front and the British National Party. Even a London Assembly Member elected to represent the British National Party was a well known Labour Party member that disillusioned with the Labour Party decided to joine the British National Party then led by Nicholas Griffin.

The working classes trusted the British National Party and the British National Party had resounding victories, including the election of local councillors (it was the official opposition in Barking and Dagenham) and had elected members in several local authorities, had a London Assembly Member and had two Members of the European Parliament.

Some years ago, a Conservative Leader, Boris Johnson, won the vote of the working clases in the so called Red Wall. Now, Reform threatens to do exactly the same by taking onboard former Labour Party policies, and this comes after a massive electoral success, having taken over most of the local authorities being disputed in local elections and turning other local authorities into no overall control, several mayoral seats and winning an additional parliamentary seat in Runcorn.

And what is the danger for Keir Starmer. Two factions are threatening his authority from inside the Labour Party. Undoubtedly, although John McDonnell was practically forced to become independent, people who support the line supported by John Mcdonnell can see this as an opportunity to get rid of Keir Starmer. Angela Rayner went all the way to the BBC, appearing in one of the main, if not the main, political programme of the BBC to say that she has no intention to challenge Keir Starmer. She should have added "not yet". 

Foreseen events like strikes in the state education sector, in the NHS and in several areas of the public administration, combined with comings and goings when it comes to economic policies will be fertile ground to cut short Keir Starmer´s Prime Ministerial Career.

Any more faux pas, any more mishaps, any more electoral disasters could be the iceberg that sinks the Titanic. Interesting to see the outcome of the next local elections, including local elections in London, in 2026. 

Rachel Reeves is a key player and her room for maneuver is schrinking in size one day at a time. She herself might decide to throw the towel and this would be an absolute disaster. Labour´s argument is entirely based on the economy and the resignation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be undeniable evidence of the total failure of the Labour Administration.    

Geopolitics or Magnified National Politics: The effects are already strongly felt

This is more than Ukraine. This is an earthquake and the waves are spreading. In the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer had to turn around and deal with foreign aid, in the very same way President Trump decided to deal with foreign aid. This is a new world, Keir Starmer said.

Well, Keir Starmer should stop criticizing President Trump and listen and act accordingly. If you want to invest in defense, you must deal with budgets and waste. The Health Secretary is himself dealing with waste and cutting down redundant expenses in the National Health Service and pretty soon every cabinet minister will be asked to do exactly the same. Budgets will be cut in other areas to ensure that there are enough resources to invest in defense.

In France, in Germany and in every country associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation will be doing the same and political parties will struggle to deal with financial stress with dramatic political consequences. Butter or Cannons, stated Paul Samuelson. That has not changed. 

Like or not, Environmentalists will be put aside. Those seeking improvements in Health, Education, Transport and other vital areas will be put aside. The emphasis is now on Defense. What are the resources for war? Those are the resources that are going to become crucially important. Societal changes will occur to reverse what has been happening for decades. Woke will be dead and replaced with traditional realism. It will be a no nonsense approach.

The Southport Killer was himself a victim, not that politicians and mass media care about it.

 Dear Helen Hayes MP,

Watching the news I come to the conclusion that Britain, starting with the Prime Minister, is run by people who suffer from mental retardation.

Nobody, not the politicians, not the mass media, dare or bother to ask the right questions. Look at the images and ask yourself how could it happen. How could a visibly normal and well adjusted friendly young boy turn into a monster just a few years later?

So the incompetent idiot that we have got as Prime Minister believes that making an example out of a human tragedy to score political points is the right way forward.

There will be many other young boys out there that might end up like the Southport killer. Why? Because we are dealing with the consequences and not with the root causes. The girls that were killed were victims of violence. The boy that was sent to jail presumably for 52 years was a victim too. What happened along to the way to turn the boy into a killer? Did somebody ask the questions? Is somebody out there trying to deal with the root causes?

I listen to the comments made by politicians and to the comments made by mass media and I would send both politicians and mass media operators to jail for sheer stupidity. Does anybody care?

Just a few years ago, there was research done by Kings College indicating that 10 per cent of teenagers show signs of mental illness that could turn yet another boy or girl into another Southport killer. At a meeting at Emgreen School in Southeast London, researchers explained their findings. They said that many cases go undetected and only become known when there is a serious incident and by then it is all too late to do anything about it. Far too many cases of 'bad behaviour' in schools are related to underlying issues. Nothing happens out of nothing. One boy did not suddenly turn into a monster. There is an evolution that took years. Every step of the way, opportunities to nip the problem in the bud were obviously missed. This is an example of absolute carelessness.   

The time is long overdue to stop posturing and to stop making idiotic speeches to justify the unjustifiable. People growing up in extreme situations end up themselves producing extreme situations. Working for social services, I encounter the most unbelievable situations. Walking around in British cities, I encounter the most unbelievable situations. Travelling on public transport I encounter the most unbelievable and harrowing situations. I see people turned into shadows of their former selves. It is absolutely pathetic and shameful. 

The scourge of drug abuse and mental illness is in full display for all those coming to Britain to see. It is absolutely deplorable, but it is even more deplorable to see the degree of public desensitization to the point that it has become apparently normal to see vulnerable people that seem to have been completely forgotten, discarded, by the rest of society.  

4 Days to go: 20 January 2025

 

Whether the Knesset ratifies any ceasefire remains to be seen. President Biden wanted to close his time in office with some big news, but premeditated Jewish delays are already threatening the supposed ceasefire deal as 70 Palestinians are murdered by Israel in the last few hours.

Everybody is expecting big changes in national and international politics. Panama Canal built by USA to be controlled by USA. Another USA State or more than one new USA States? And when you talk about the Gulf, it might not be about Middle East or Asia Minor but closer to home as the Gulf of Mexico becomes the Gulf of America.

Will Keir Starmer, Zelensky and Ursula von der Leyen be invited to the inauguration of the new American President? Another bit of 'let's wait and see'. Will the now British Foreign Secretary that has repeatedly insulted President Donald Trump be invited to the ceremonial and very formal occasion?

We know that happened to Governor Trudeau that soonafter a meeting with President Trump was given his marching orders. Will other politicians be given their marching orders? Again, let's wait and see. In Germany, a Federal Election can dramatically change the political environment in Germany and in France the new Prime Minister is fighting for his survival and being threatened with a no confidence vote. Will he last until July 2025 when new French Assembly Elections can take place.

And in Britain, Keir Starmer is losing cabinet members as trees lose leaves in the autumn. Will Rachel Reeves remain in her post? Let's see what she can come up with in the new budget. Although inflation is said to have fallen, the fall has nothing to do with announced financial measures that will only come into effect in April 2025. Let's see what happens to inflation after April 2025 when the real picture of the British economy will come to the surface. 

Keir Starmer planning to cut down British Armed Forces by 20,000

 

Plans announced as part of a Defence Review indicate that the British government led by Keir Starmer is planning to cut down the size of the British Armed Forces by 20,000 (down from present level of 73,000 including all branches). 

It must be said that barely 40,000 are actual trained combattant personnel. Such is the state of the British Armed Forces.

Manpower or lack of it is a very serious issue, but also material resources are critically absent. All of which renders Britain totally incapable in case of a real conflict involving Air Force, Navy and Army and other branches of the services.

Statements made by David Lammy beggar belief. The Foreign Secretary does not have a clue about what is he is actually saying and has no knowledge whatsoever when it comes to military matters. President Trump, during his first mandate as American President, made abondantly clear that each NATO member country should do its part. This is not just about Article 5. It is about Article 3 that commits every NATO member country to be self-reliant when it comes to self-preservation. Changes proposed by the Labour government goes in exactly the opposite direction, weakening Britain even more.

We must look beyond statements made by politicians regarding state of readiness. Britain is only ready to lose and budget constraints are not reassuring. It takes years to recruit and train military personnel. No matter how much money you have got, time is of the essence and time for Britain is running out.

January 20th 2025: Let's Hope that Joe Biden does not start World War Three

Let's Hope that Joe Biden does not start World War Three

We are almost two months away from the inauguration of a new USA President and there are reasons to be concerned when Joe Biden authorised the use of long range weapons against the Russian Federation. 

The Russian Federation acted with extreme caution knowing that in two months time, Joe Biden will no longer be around. The use of intercontinental ballistic missiles against Kiev show that the capability exists to wipe out Kiev in a single move. The payload might be conventional but this is something that not even the USA and others with all their technology can prevent. The technology to prevent an attack with such missiles does not exist.

London is merely 15 minutes away from a nuclear catastrophe. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer knows that. Paris and Berlin are even closer to a Nuclear Holocaust. Only the Russian Federation's rational and measured approach has prevented World War Three, but I reckon this is the last call. 

Whoever cut submarine communication cables is preparing for war. China has not been practising about how to destroy satellites without a plan and is preparing for the worst case scenario. A world without communication satellites is a world that will go back decades. Nowadays, everything depends on either communication satellites or submarine cables. Without advanced communication systems, the economy will be the first critical casualty and with it will go any sense of political stability. This goes beyond hacking, when there will be nothing left to hack.

The financial losses without advanced communication systems will be catastrophic in every possible sense. Somebody said that should the Gulf Stream cease to exist this would trigger a new Ice Age. The losses will be not less dramatic.  An entire way of life will be wiped out.

Nuclear sites will be immediately targeted and no one knows for certain what would happen when silos containing vast amounts of nuclear weapons are hit. One can only imagine the dimension, what happens when ammunition depots are hit. Although in this the case, the ammunition will not be conventional ammunition, but hydrogen bombs.

Britain is building depots for nuclear weapons in at least three locations in the United Kingdom. Should any of those depots be hit, Britain as we know it will no longer exist. 

 

 

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick: Conservative Party has demolished stereotypes

 

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick

The British Conservative Party has demolished all stereotypes 

In a few years, the British Conservative Party has demolished all stereotypes and offered the country a wide range of choices, both in terms of ethnicity and of political beliefs, going much farther afield than any other political party, destroying every tool in the Labour Party's workshop. The traditional left used to dress itself as the representative of ethnic minorities and talked a lot about gender. The traditional left has been totally and utterly defeated and can no longer use the race card nor the gender card.

Kemi Badenoch, married, mother of three is an engineer that has held several high positions in government. Robert Jenrrick, also married, father of three, also University graduate and has held several high positions in government.

Both of them have been described as Far Right of Extremist. Really? I suppose that having family values, solid education and professional careers, caring more about the country in which they were born, it is easy to understand that those bent on destroying family values and British identity would certainly see them as something to be afraid of, especially when none other than Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, does not know what a woman is.

Political commentators who oppose them say that they might become leaders of the Conservative Party, but would have no political future in terms of leading the party and winning the next General Election.

One can never foresee what the future will bring. Suffice to say, that in recent by-elections, 14 Labour seats were already lost, after a disastrous beginning for a political party that had recently won a General Election with an outstanding majority. We haven't even reached the first national budget and there is already infighting within Labour ranks. 

We await the first national budget with trepidation.Already several MPs decided to become Independent and major figures of the Labour Party were literally pushed out of the Labour Party. It can be literally said that the present Labour Party won the General Election under false pretenses. Major policies that helped them win the election have already been thrown out. No more taxes? It seems that there was one Labour Party before the General Election and another, different, Labour Party after the General Election. A combination of lies, deceit, and miscalculation. 

Oil and Gas: they never learn

When in the 1970s, Britain was going under, North Sea Oil and Gas saved the day. When the war in Ukraine started the conflict led to a shortage of oil and gas that led many European countries and Britain to harsh economic realities.

Now, Britain has a Labour government that is bent on taxing oil and gas companies to the hilt. Companies pay almost 80% as taxes. There comes a point when exploration and production costs are no longer sustainable and the natural consequence is that the oil and gas business can become no longer viable. We already have the experience of what happened to British shipyards that could not remain competitive. They went under. They could not survive.

Now, we have a vociferous government that is bent in getting Britain into several wars, wars that could make oil and gas unattainable, unreachable. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and others happen to be in a region that could be engulfed by war and if that happens access to oil and gas produced in such region will no longer be a possibility. What will happen then? What happened before when we had no access to oil and gas?

The British Prime Minister that does not know what a woman is believes that carbon capture is energy production. The level of stupidity has risen exponentially. He talks about alternatives. Well, private business might not be interested in such alternatives when they don't make sense for business. In fact, in recent times that been public tenders and the private sector showed no interest in bidding.

It could be the case that everything will have to be financed mostly with public monies coming from taxation and not with private investment. But in the meantime, while the British governent struggles to transform dreams into reality we might find ourselves facing blackouts and mass unemployment should there be a military conflict that prevents from having access to present energy sources. 

 

Keir Starmer: is he a Labour Labour Party Leader?

From the very beginning, and despite a massive majority in terms of number of Members of Parliament representing, the Labour Party has been struggling and will presumably continue to struggle.

None other than Keir Starmer is asking whoever remains loyal to the leadership not to vote for the fuel winter allowance that benefits pensioners in the United Kingdom. Keir Starmer want to get rid of it and cannot trust his own MPs. This week in the House of Commons, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, Independents and presumably several Labour Party MPs might vote against the Labour goveernment. What will happen is tens of Labour MPs vote against the Labour government? Will they all be suspended?

Speaking openly and directly, many now former Labour voters and former Labour Party supporters are saying the Labour Party is no longer a Labour Party and talking about voting for other political parties because the Labour Party does not represent them anymore.

If Labour Party grassroots turn against the Labour Party, who knows what could happen at the next elections. There will be Council Elections across London in 2026 and guess what.... Keir Starmer's constituency is a London constituency. If as a reaction Labour voters across Greater London turn against the Labour Party the situation will be not just uncomfortable, but also very difficult in political terms. There will also be by-elections coming up. The political honeymoon is over even before the first budget is announced.

Labour's 1997 historic majority led to Afghanistan and Iraq, but a war in Europe is a different cup of tea

 

Tony Blair / Prime Minister

Labour's historic majority in 1997 led straight to war in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Years later, we face the prospect of yet another war - although much more catastrophic if it ever happens.

In one of his initial appearances, Keir Starmer told the country and the world that he will allow the use of British weapons to attack the Russian Federation.

No interpretation needed. It is all too clear in which direction the wind is blowing.

And this is the same Labour Leader that opposed National Service. When conscription letters arrive telling young untrained men and women that they have to fight a war, I wonder what the public response will be.

Be assured that Keir Starmer will have no hesitation in terms of sending untrained British citizens to war, because reality tells that the British Armed Forces have been severely weaknened and do not have the manpower nor the equipment for any long term war.

It is not secret that Britain as well as other NATO countries expect that the USA will send young Americans to the slaughter house to defend European countries that have been entirely negligent when it comes to compliance of NATO Article 3 that demands that each member has to be able to defend itself.

Britain has done very little to beef up its Armed Forces. In fact, the now former Defense Secretary Grant Shapps could hardly explain why what he called an increase in defense expenditure was what actually a reduction in real terms. He couldn't because it was a reduction.

British morale is at an all time low affecting recruitment. Reports about more than 64% of those serving members of the Armed Forces living in substandard accommodation do not help. Let's see what Keir Starmer has to say about beefing up the Armed Forces because if he does not pay attention to the Armed Forces then we will know that all the rhetoric is based on thin air. 

Labour government: Public sector pay promises that cannot be delivered will be the beginning

 

Is the edifice already starting to fall apart? Rachel Reeves promises of public sector pay rises have already backfired with Unions told that what they were promised is not affordable.

Winning an election acting under false pretenses is not a sign of political stability.

The 2024 September Budget will be crucial to know if this is the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end for the new Labour Administration, and this without taking into account dangerous statements that could take Britain to war in Europe, a war that will transform the Britain mainland into a battlefield.

Labour Administrations have a tendency to get Britain involved in disastrous wars. In 1997, Tony Blair won a historic majority only to get Britain involded in two major military conflicts that spelled absolute disaster. If Keir Starmer follows suit, the consequences for Britain would be catastrophic.

British Conservatives: No leader? Until when?

 

Now former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also former Conservative Party Leader.

Some say that the General Election was premature, but the manner of his resignation as Party Leader was certainly premature.

Next week when elected MPs assemble in the House of Commons to choose the next Speaker of the House of Commons, the Conservative Party will be headless.

Despite comments made by David Cameron and George Osborne about delays the election of the next Conservative Party Leader, it is self-evident that the Conservative Party cannot be leaderless for long. Who is going to face Keir Starmer as Shadow Prime Minister? Who is going to give the Conservative Party a sense of direction?

In debating chamber of the House of Commons will be three powerful figures: Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and Lee Anderson that speaking for Reform and the door is open for more disertions from the Conservative Party if no one stands to lead the Conservative Party. We are dealing with the survival of the Conservative Party. 

So, any delay can only increase present dangers for the Conservative Party. Those who were on the brink of leaving the Conservative Party before the General Election could be tempted to join Reform or other political forces if the issue of leadership is not resolved.

In the selection process that led to his appointment as Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak lost to Liz Truss because party members voted mostly for Liz Truss. When Liz Truss was forced to resign, then Rishi Sunak was chosen but only by Conservative MPs without the support of Conservative Party members.

Therefore, the question is absolutely relevant. Who is going to choose the next Conservative Party Leader? Will Conservative Party Members be given the chance to vote or will the next Conservative Party Leader be chosen by Conservative Party MPs?

Britain: What happens after the General Election? The package of promises falls apart when confronted with reality.

 

A few days ago came the news that life for 4 million people in the UK will turn into a nightmare if they don´t manage to regularize their visas turning paper visas into digital visas. 4 million people? How much can the state apparatus do from now until 31 December 2024? 

How many people are needed to locate and process 4 millon visas in such a short period? But this is a minute dot in terms of things that will need to be done. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has formally committed a new Labour government to increase salaries across the entire public sector and Unions are already on a war footing to keep the now Shadow Chacellor of the Exchequer accountable.

The promise about getting rid of Zero Hour Contracts might erode even more public services in an attempt to improve working conditions in the UK and the effect in the private sector must not be underestimated. Faced with the prospect of having to issue regular contracts with all legal requirements, both the public sector and the private sector will struggle.

Grant Shapps as Defence Secretary has been struggling to explain where he is going to find more than 70 billion Pound to beef up the Armed Forces. The same questions will be asked to a new Defense Secretary since Grant Shapps has publicly acknowledged that he believes that the Conservative Party will lose the General Election.

The clock is ticking and many of the faces we see today as symbols of power and decision making will vanish and probably soon to be forgotten. Should announcements made about critical issues be postponed until we know who is going to be in command? Whatever the present authorities say today could be absolutely irrelevant in a few days time. It is a tradition that a new Parliament is not bound to follow what the outgoing Parliament decides.

With a new Parliament, today´s points of reference will vanish. There will be a new political reality. Rachel Reeves has already announced that there will be a new relationship with the European Union. Does this mean the end of Brexit? Reform´s campaign might have a lot to do not with destroying the Conservative Party but with assurances regarding the present relationship with the European Union. the irony is that freedom from any budgetary restrictions gives Britain the necessary flexibility to increase public deficits. We known what happened with the ERM, precursor of the EURO. Will a government headed by Keir Starmer want to fall into the same trap John Major and his government were in before finally deciding to step out of the ERM? What did Tony Blair and Gordon Brown avoid joining the EURO? Precisely because of what happened with the ERM?  

  

Labour will put up taxes: no matter how many times they try to deny it, improvements have to be paid for

 

No matter how many times, Keir Starmer or any other Labour party supporter tries to deny it, the fact remains that promises made by the Labour Party will have to be paid for by rising taxes and Council Tax is the one thing that will be targetted as it was targetted in Birmingham to try to rescue Birmingham from bankruptcy. 

You cannot increase salaries across the public sector and invest monies to rescue the British Armed Forces from extermination without paying for it with higher taxes. For many, next July is going to be a very hot summer and not just because of weather conditions. 

Remember: there is no free lunch. And we must start wondering how rising taxes and rising prices in the shops are going to affect the economy and what the political consequences will be for the country as a whole. Any worsening of financial circumstances will push people towards extremes.

The Truth shall set you free: You cannot promise salary increases and all kinds of improvements without putting up taxes, borrowing or both borrowing and putting up taxes

 

As July 4th 2024 approaches, both of the main contenders in the UK General Election are promising cakes and promising that you can eat your cake, and that you will have the same cake after eating it. They will have to put up taxes and borrow ever more and most probably print monies in what has been known as 'quantitative easing'. 

The Unions are already making noises and saying that they will request that promises made by Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves are delivered. She has already spoken about salary increases in the public sector and this includes the most fundamental services like the NHS, the biggest employer in Europe and possibly the biggest employer in the world.

July 4th, 2024 happens to be Independence Day in the USA, but in Britain it might become Dependence Day if prices get out of control and people end up seeing the buying power of their income reduced. The Covid Pandemic and the energy crise generated by geopolitical decisions kicked in inflation and force the Bank of England to put up interest rates, but in spite of interest rate rises prices paid for basic items of the family basket are high and rising. How much people need to earn to have a roof over their heads? How much do they need to earn to feed themselves properly?

Funny to see on the pages of The Guardian comments about working families and pensioners as if they were part of different species. The reality is that more and more people already retired are returning to work to make ends meet and therefore they are part of working families. Most people could not possibly survive if their sole income was a pension.

Keir Starmer: Labour has changed. No rise of Income Tax or National Insurance?

 

There was a candidate in times past standing for election in Latin America. He said that he was going to build roads that could allow motorists to save money. The brilliant idea, he said, was to build one side of the roads going upwards and the other side of the roads going downwards.

Massive investment in salaries in the public sector and in Welfare without spending a penny? Somebody will have to pay for it.

'Read my lips', was the catch phrase of President George Bush Sr.

Monies for salaries and welfare will have come from somewhere - either from borrowing or from higher taxes or from both borrowing and higher taxes. There is no way out. Father Christmas promises will not do. Public budgets will have to be financed with sound economics or we will end up having Britain as the new Slough or the new Birmingham. What was the emergency measure approved for Bimingham? A rise of Council Tax to try to shore up a bankrupt authority that, in spite of tax rises, was forced to stop offering vital services.

We are at a crosswords. Grant Shapps made promises about defense that cannot be delivered - not even by cutting down other vital sectors of the administration. The fact remains that Britain is unfit for war because Britain does no longer have the industries that supported strong military capabilities. But things are a lot worse than that. In a country with more than 60 million people, the numbers of those serving in the Armed Forces are below 70,000 and those capable and fit enough for combat are far below than that. So the Conservative proposal in terms of bringing in National Service are not just a realistic solution, but the only solution available. Keir Starmer should be asked about how you can fight a war without Armed Forces.

 

Rachel Reeves: Do you increase salaries across the public sector without raising taxes?

 

Just hours ago the Labour Party launched an attack against Conservative policies regarding National Service and possibly concription because of the cost of such policies. But after that, Labour Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves stated that a Labour government would increase salaries across the public sector. Well, how much will it cost to increase salaries across the public sector. I reckon that it would be a lot more than National Service or Conscription.

Right before an election the mountain of contradictions rises on a daily basis. Just before Rachel Reeves spoke about salary increases in the public sector, Keir Starmer said that he would not get rid of the two children cap when it comes to Children Benefits in spite of the fact that he would want to do so. I guess the Labor Leader was thinking about cost of getting rid of the two children cap.

Services are necessary, but services cost monies that need to be paid with higher taxes at a time when interest paid on public borrowing is extraordinarily high. Labour says that it will not implement austerity, but you cannot promise to pay high interest on public borrowing and raise salaries without increasing taxes. And if you start increasing taxes, you can guarantee that companies that pay higher taxes are going to turn those higher tax payments into higher prices to balance the books. There is also the danger that higher taxes will lower consumption thus affecting the monies that the state can collect as taxes. Higher rates and lower amount of monies coming to the Treasury. And what about companies that are struggling to make ends meet? Less customers coming through the doors and higher taxes pushing up prices are not a recipe for success.

This is the way it works. If you collect 100 Pound as taxes and suddenly prices go up, then you will collect 100 Pound as taxes but only nominally. You are going to be able to buy less with your 100 Pound. State employees will be getting salaries that are worth less money in spite of nominal increases.

If you are paying 2500 for rent and suddenly the cost of renting goes up to 3500 then your salary has actually been devalued. Nominal increases will make things a lot worse.