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Post by isa on Aug 17, 2022 21:34:24 GMT
mandolinist and isa - thankyou. Personally, I thought my 'lunches' gag was quite funny, but either it was too subtle for most of them, or you two have experience of the 3pm Blur in some past life. You might say that, alec. I couldn't possibly comment.
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on Aug 17, 2022 21:34:51 GMT
“A director of Ofgem has accused the energy regulator of damaging households by allowing a huge increase in the price cap and quit her job.
Christine Farnish resigned from the watchdog after it allowed suppliers to pile additional costs onto customers this winter, contributing to an expected surge in the cap on gas and electricity bills from £1,971 to £3,523 in October.
Ms Farnish said that Ofgem had not had not in her view “struck the right balance between the interest of consumers and the interests of suppliers”.
She added that the regulator had an “overarching legal duty to protect the interests of consumers”, telling the Times: “I resigned from the Ofgem board because I could not support a key decision to recover additional supplier costs from consumer bills this winter.””
Telegraph
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Post by isa on Aug 17, 2022 21:58:27 GMT
Pope doing well at the test
Got me wondering if the selectors could recall Matt Prior, then find a man called Bishop who can play, alongside a bowling attack of Deacon, Priest, and Vickers. There would be a place for a Parsons somewhere, and if there was a Warden that could bat we'd be nearly there for an Ecclesiastical First XI. Bit stuck on the last four places, but if we were looking at the women's game that one called Trinity from the Matrix might fancy a game? I think you're vergering on the ridiculous now, alec.
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pjw1961
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Post by pjw1961 on Aug 17, 2022 22:11:07 GMT
It's not that surprising. You have questioned my use of the The description of British nationalism but this is it in action. Here are some other gems from the hustings which signal a determined assault not just on devolution but on the very basis of the union: I think UK nationalism is a reasonable description of the rhetoric Truss and Sunak have been coming out with in this leadership contest, although I would say the tone is new even for the Tories. This 'fascist lite' stuff seems to flow from the Brexit referendum disaster inflicted on us by Cameron - it opened Pandora's Box and many evils that had doubtless always been there but hidden were allowed out. It is hard to imagine Cameron and May coming out with such sentiments (in fact Cameron's leadership campaign took the exact opposite route - hug a husky/hoodie, etc.). As ever with Truss it is also lacking in understanding. Even before the late 90s devolution the UK was not a wholly unitary state. Northern Ireland had its own parliament for 50 years and Scotland maintained its own legal system, right to issue currency and a different education system. Truss seems to want a unitary UK that would be wholly novel, although I'm sure she has no idea of this as she seems singularly ignorant of facts on most subjects. My objection is to replacing the the term "unionist" with a blanket "British nationalist". Labour and the Lib Dems are unionist parties but they are committed to devolution. To call them British nationalist comes over as just a rather childish way of trying to wind up their English supporters. I don't care much about that but I do object to the misuse of language to pretend the hard right of the Tory party is exactly the same as the quite different position of those parties committed to devolution.
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 17, 2022 22:12:13 GMT
Pope doing well at the test
Got me wondering if the selectors could recall Matt Prior, then find a man called Bishop who can play, alongside a bowling attack of Deacon, Priest, and Vickers. There would be a place for a Parsons somewhere, and if there was a Warden that could bat we'd be nearly there for an Ecclesiastical First XI. Bit stuck on the last four places, but if we were looking at the women's game that one called Trinity from the Matrix might fancy a game? I think you're vergering on the ridiculous now, alec. This is excellent ecclesiastical punnery. Of course, John Canon was a useful off spinner for Northants 2nd XI and Mike Dean, before he took up football refereeing, was a more than useful middle order batsman and wicketkeeper.
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Post by mercian on Aug 17, 2022 22:25:14 GMT
Sunak saying Truss' cost of living plan is a "moral failure", while Tory peer Lord Rose says - “We have been very, very slow in recognising this train coming down the tunnel and it’s run quite a lot of people over and we now have to deal with the aftermath. We’ve got to have some action. The captain of the ship is on shore leave, right, nobody’s in charge at the moment.” Even the Conservative Party seems to agree that their government, present and future, is shambolic. And 30% of Yougov voters still think they're a good bet for No 10? I think there are 2 cemented on groups - the die hard tribal Tory and the pro-Brexit possibly even anti-Labour vote. Can't see the Tories getting below 30% - they even got that in 1997 as our schools and services collapsed and the Tories were drowning in sleaze. They've actually increased their share of the vote in all 6 GEs since then. It would be quite a turnaround to see all those gains lost in one election. Contrary to what one would think just from reading this forum and possibly Twitter and the Guardian quite a lot of people think that the Tories have done a reasonable job considering the triple whammy of temporary Brexit hit, Covid and now war in Ukraine. Every country is suffering from inflation and whether ours is a point or two higher than some countries is irrelevant. There is a world crisis and should the voters let a team of totally inexperienced people into government at such a time, or stick with what we've got, whatever their shortcomings? Is anyone left in the HoC who was a cabinet minister under Blair?
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domjg
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Post by domjg on Aug 17, 2022 22:35:50 GMT
I think there are 2 cemented on groups - the die hard tribal Tory and the pro-Brexit possibly even anti-Labour vote. Can't see the Tories getting below 30% - they even got that in 1997 as our schools and services collapsed and the Tories were drowning in sleaze. They've actually increased their share of the vote in all 6 GEs since then. It would be quite a turnaround to see all those gains lost in one election. Contrary to what one would think just from reading this forum and possibly Twitter and the Guardian quite a lot of people think that the Tories have done a reasonable job considering the triple whammy of temporary Brexit hit, Covid and now war in Ukraine. Every country is suffering from inflation and whether ours is a point or two higher than some countries is irrelevant. There is a world crisis and should the voters let a team of totally inexperienced people into government at such a time, or stick with what we've got, whatever their shortcomings? Is anyone left in the HoC who was a cabinet minister under Blair? "temporary Brexit hit" - delusional, and not just with that. This country is seemingly going to suffer far more than other European countries even Germany with their relative reliance on Russian energy. "stick with what we've got, whatever their shortcomings?" F* me. What about if 'what we've got' have amply proved their colossal incompetence and venality?
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Post by leftieliberal on Aug 17, 2022 22:39:48 GMT
leftieliberal Nec reported paid up membership was about 380,000 a while back so still falling. Not sure how a "united" party losing £5m in a year can be seen as better than a feuding party not losing £5m in a year. You also have to consider that even if the party is united, which it really isn't, those who have left are creating havoc on social media. Just look at the replies to any tweets Starmer or Labour put out. Feuding parties don't win elections. I thought that was the lesson that Labour finally learned by the end of the 1980s.
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Post by isa on Aug 17, 2022 22:47:24 GMT
I think you're vergering on the ridiculous now, alec . This is excellent ecclesiastical punnery. Of course, John Canon was a useful off spinner for Northants 2nd XI and Mike Dean, before he took up football refereeing, was a more than useful middle order batsman and wicketkeeper. You're very kind, crossbat11. A propos of nothing at all, I've been racking my brain as to what your new avatar represented. I think I have just deduced from the line at the bottom of your post that they are characters from Supercar, which I've sadly never seen. For the life of me, I couldn't work out what Groucho Marx and Sydney Greenstreet were doing in the same car!
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Post by mercian on Aug 17, 2022 22:48:42 GMT
And not just Oxford, Norfolk, Leeds and Greenwich: "Liz Truss is making her opening statements at the hustings on the Culloden estate, near Belfast. She says having grown up in both Scotland and England, she is a “child of the union”." Our SNP correspondents might be interested in this statement from her as well: "I think we need we are a United Kingdom and we need to apply laws right across the United Kingdom. That is what being a union is." She was saying it in respect of abortion law, where a majority of us would agree with her, but presumably she would say the same of other things too. Why on earth are they campaigning in NI? The Tories don't even stand candidates there, so party members must be a very small number, if any. As party members are the constituency they are supposed to be appealing to, why NI?
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Post by mercian on Aug 17, 2022 22:54:44 GMT
"This country is seemingly going to suffer far more than other European countries even Germany with their relative reliance on Russian energy." Another supposition. Any evidence? And what definition are you using?
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on Aug 17, 2022 23:04:38 GMT
“ Green party calls for nationalisation of big five energy firmsGreens also want energy price cap rolled back to last autumn’s level, part-funded by taxes on rich people” www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/17/green-party-calls-for-nationalisation-of-big-five-energy-firms“ In a proposal that goes well beyond Labour’s idea for a freeze on energy bills for at least six months, the Greens said nationalising the main five energy firms was a necessary part of a plan sufficiently ambitious “to avoid a catastrophe this winter”.
The scheme would be based on one proposed by the TUC last month. This was based on a cost of about £2.85bn to nationalise the big five supply firms – British Gas, E.ON, EDF, Scottish Power and Ovo. As a comparison, the government spent £2.2bn bailing out another firm, Bulb.
…
Carla Denyer, a co-leader of the Greens alongside Adrian Ramsay, said the party would also aim to create more energy efficiency by introducing differential tariffs under which households that use a lot of power face proportionally rising prices, with exceptions for people with disabilities or chronic health conditions.“
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oldnat
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Post by oldnat on Aug 17, 2022 23:30:59 GMT
It's not that surprising. You have questioned my use of the The description of British nationalism but this is it in action. Here are some other gems from the hustings which signal a determined assault not just on devolution but on the very basis of the union: I think UK nationalism is a reasonable description of the rhetoric Truss and Sunak have been coming out with in this leadership contest, although I would say the tone is new even for the Tories. This 'fascist lite' stuff seems to flow from the Brexit referendum disaster inflicted on us by Cameron - it opened Pandora's Box and many evils that had doubtless always been there but hidden were allowed out. It is hard to imagine Cameron and May coming out with such sentiments (in fact Cameron's leadership campaign took the exact opposite route - hug a husky/hoodie, etc.). As ever with Truss it is also lacking in understanding. Even before the late 90s devolution the UK was not a wholly unitary state. Northern Ireland had its own parliament for 50 years and Scotland maintained its own legal system, right to issue currency and a different education system. Truss seems to want a unitary UK that would be wholly novel, although I'm sure she has no idea of this as she seems singularly ignorant of facts on most subjects. My objection is to replacing the the term "unionist" with a blanket "British nationalist". Labour and the Lib Dems are unionist parties but they are committed to devolution. To call them British nationalist comes over as just a rather childish way of trying to wind up their English supporters. I don't care much about that but I do object to the misuse of language to pretend the hard right of the Tory party is exactly the same as the quite different position of those parties committed to devolution. Your first 2 paragraphs are a very fair description of the changed rhetoric within the Tory Party. One could add to it the new context that they have applied to their stance - no longer "Scotland is too poor and small", but a more imperialist "There are lots of resources in Scotland that 'we' (rUK) need to keep control of".
As to your 3rd paragraph - It may be that some folk in England are somewhat insecure as to their role in this post-imperial world (as numerous commentators have suggested) and feel a victimhood that is confirmed by some not wanting to be in a political union with them. Such people may imagine that terminology is used "to wind up their English supporters", but that would be a very self-centred belief.
If "Scottish nationalism" is to be used as a blanket term inclusive of all the shades of opinion that wish Scotland to be an independent state, then "UK/British nationalism" is equally valid as a term for all the shades of opinion that wish the UK state (or a British state, as many are unconcerned about the status of NI - or use the term "British" as incorporating NI) to continue.
Now, you may well be correct that the Liberal Democrats don't believe in their professed preference for a federal UK, but actually believe in Westminster sovereignty, and its right to change the powers of the sub-state parliaments at its whim. But their official position is a preference for a federal UK, in which the sub-state parliaments have sovereignty over their powers.
Labour's constitutional views on the construct of the UK are structurally very similar to the Tories. The UK parliament is supreme and may grant temporary powers to the devolved parliaments. but these can be revoked at any time, or those parliaments dissolved by Westminster legislation. That, at various times, Labour and Tory parties may vary their views on which powers they will allow the devolved parliaments to exercise is neither here nor there. Constitutionally, both believe in the total sovereignty of the UK Parliament over the entire UK. In that sense, both are UK nationalist parties, while the LDs are a federal UK party, which is a different concept.
There are, of course, many other uses of the term "nationalism" and any of these may be relevant to particular sets of attitudes which match that usage, but if any of these are to be employed, they can't be applied as a blanket term either to those who wish the current UK state to continue, or to those within that current state who wish to be independent of it.
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Post by mercian on Aug 17, 2022 23:53:05 GMT
I came across a reference to David Koresh of the Waco incident, and followed a few links. The Branch Davidians which he led, were a schism from the Seventh Day Adventists and in turn broke into various competing sects. There are parallels with the Presbyterian Church and the 'Wee Frees', but it put me in mind of not only the famous scene from The Life of Brian, but of left-wing politics in general. Though in the UK the Labour Party is to some extent a unifying force, there are many splinter groups and offshoots such as TUSC, Workers Revolutionary Party if they still exist and so on. It doesn't seem to happen so much on the right. UKIP was an exception perhaps, but it drew much support from Labour voters as well as Conservative. There are tiny parties such as English Democrats as well. Reform UK is Continuity UKIP so isn't really right-wing as far as I know. It's just a thought - a discussion point if you will - is the left more prone to splintering, and if so why?
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Post by eor on Aug 18, 2022 0:08:16 GMT
From the US - Liz Cheney's defeat was noted upthread, but we remain none the wiser on Sarah Palin's attempt to return to the national fray. The votes counted so far are close enough that we must wait for the postal votes to finish trickling in before the third-place candidate can be identified and their second preferences assigned, which may take a couple of weeks.
In a quirk of electoral law they also ran the primary for the same House seat at the same time as this by-election. The three candidates that are contesting this election have all advanced to November's general election for the next Congress (Alaska is also now using Open primaries where candidates from all parties are on the same ballot and in their case the four with the highest plurality go on to contest the general election), so whether Palin ends up winning or losing there'll be a do-over with the same people in less than three months time.
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Post by eor on Aug 18, 2022 0:16:14 GMT
Arguably, Labour win elections when the Tory vote is suppressed enough to let them through in the key marginals. The best way of suppressing the Tory vote is 1. don't be too scary/extreme (as you say) and 2. allow the Tories to be absolutely terrible in every way possible. They seem to be achieving both at the moment.
A potential '3' would be to present a set of competent and popular policies and '4' would be to generally look good/cool (-Brittania). These actually increase the Labour vote and excite the sort of people who turned out for Blair in '97 and Corbyn in '17 but otherwise don't usually bother to vote. Blair achieved all 4 and won a landslide. Corbyn achieved 3 and 4 but failed on 1 and probably 2.
Starmer has 1 and 2 in the bag and is finally getting round to a bit of 3, but maybe needs to give up on 4 or give more airtime to his less wooden colleagues. Just 1 and 2 on their own should be enough to be the largest party though.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-membership-loss-accounts-deficit-b2146691.htmlThe Independent reporting that "A mass exodus of supporters saw the party's membership – which stood at 523,332 at the end of 2020 – fall to 432,213 by the close of 2021." If this means that the Extreme Left have left the Labour Party, then Starmer should find it easier to manage; a united party is always better for VI in the run-up to an election and over 400,000 is still a healthy membership these days. It will be interesting to see what the Tory Party membership is when they release the figures for the leadership election now underway. It would also seem to be expected that there'd be a fall? Having had three leadership elections and three GEs in the previous five years, the reasonable expectation in late 2020 that neither would happen again for several years would cause renewing to be a low priority for some number of members, before you get to any consideration of their views on the current leadership etc.
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oldnat
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Post by oldnat on Aug 18, 2022 0:18:13 GMT
mercian
Perhaps the point is more that those who wish to change the political status quo in a particular direction don't necessarily have the same vision of where the destination is. Sometimes, the differences become so huge that strong believers in a particular destination split off into different political organisation.
That can be equally true for whichever dimensions of politics we might discuss. This is one of the many areas in which a unidimensional view of politics isn't very helpful. I don't know much about the extreme English/British nativist wee parties but I see occasional references to EDL, Britain First, National Front, British Unity etc. If those sort of views are labelled "right wing" there might be as much splintering there.
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Post by eor on Aug 18, 2022 0:41:13 GMT
oldnat - I think the key difference is scale. None of those groups you mentioned is electorally significant, whereas some of those mercian cited (such as TUSC) regularly field candidates in opposition to Labour in local and Westminster elections in E&W. Also the ongoing discussion on here involving those who would vote for the Green party in E&W in preference to Labour. Whereas if Farage does crawl back under his rock (and noting mercian's valid point about mostly taking votes from Labour in certain areas of E&W) then the ROC voter goes back to a much more straightforward "vote Tory or stay home" choice. That is of course an advantage that they've managed to turn into a spectacular weakness at times through corruption, impotence and venality, 1997/2001 in particular. Whether that will be the case again in 2024 we wait to see...
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 18, 2022 6:50:50 GMT
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Post by hireton on Aug 18, 2022 7:28:15 GMT
pjw1961I concur with oldnat and would add that the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems all agree that the results of Scottish parliamentary elections should be ignored as they are better placed to decide what is the "will of the people" and in the best interests of them.
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oldnat
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Post by oldnat on Aug 18, 2022 7:40:21 GMT
oldnat - I think the key difference is scale. None of those groups you mentioned is electorally significant, whereas some of those mercian cited (such as TUSC) regularly field candidates in opposition to Labour in local and Westminster elections in E&W. Also the ongoing discussion on here involving those who would vote for the Green party in E&W in preference to Labour. Whereas if Farage does crawl back under his rock (and noting mercian 's valid point about mostly taking votes from Labour in certain areas of E&W) then the ROC voter goes back to a much more straightforward "vote Tory or stay home" choice. That is of course an advantage that they've managed to turn into a spectacular weakness at times through corruption, impotence and venality, 1997/2001 in particular. Whether that will be the case again in 2024 we wait to see... "Splintering" does suggest that small groups will break off from the main block, as opposed to "split" which (in terms of wood, at least) is the block splitting into larger parts, usually along the grain (which is why it is a good analogy for political division). Any assumption that Labour (or ex-Labour) voters must be LoC, seems wrong to me, as it involves another assumption that politics is unidimensional.
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 18, 2022 7:59:56 GMT
This is an interesting account of the dark arts being employed by movers and shakers in the Tory Party during this current fractious leadership campaign. It would appear that Johnson's old fixer and enforcer, Mark Fullbrook, now masterminding Truss's campaign, has been trying to get big name Sunak backers to switch sides and endorse Truss. It's not clear what the inducements may be, but ministerial jobs in a Truss administration could be in play. There's a lot of arm twisting going on and the ill feeling between the two camps is now at poisonous levels, apparently. Two other things caught my eye in the article too. Firstly, the rumours emerging that some backbench Sunak backers have switched to Truss after threats of deselection by local pro-Truss constituency associations and, secondly, the considered view from the wise old polling seer, John Curtice, that neither Truss nor Sunak are likely to deliver a Johnson-esque polling bounce for the Tories. Any uptick will be anaemic and short lived as events quickly devour the winner. A one night honeymoon at best, perhaps. All in all, this seems like a ruinously divisive and politically unproductive process for the Tories. All pain and no gain. We'll get all the Surrey golf club mannered fake bonhomie after the contest is all over, but I'm starting to think that the divisions, publicly and luridly aired too, will be difficult to heal and very likely to erupt again as the vicissitudes of grim incumbency grind on. www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/17/political-strategist-calling-sunak-backing-mps-to-win-them-over-to-truss-camp
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 18, 2022 8:11:57 GMT
This is excellent ecclesiastical punnery. Of course, John Canon was a useful off spinner for Northants 2nd XI and Mike Dean, before he took up football refereeing, was a more than useful middle order batsman and wicketkeeper. You're very kind, crossbat11. A propos of nothing at all, I've been racking my brain as to what your new avatar represented. I think I have just deduced from the line at the bottom of your post that they are characters from Supercar, which I've sadly never seen. For the life of me, I couldn't work out what Groucho Marx and Sydney Greenstreet were doing in the same car! isa You identified my current avatar correctly! I like the comparison in looks to Groucho Marx and Sydney Greenstreet, although I thought it was more Mick Lynch and Leon Trotsky. A pairing more in dreamland than reality, perhaps?? Of course, as all us Supercar devotees will know, it is in fact Master Spy and his ever loyal but always bungling accomplice Zarin. They were a sort of Dick Dastardly and Mutley combination and both vinyl puppet heroes of mine when I was a kid.
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Post by moby on Aug 18, 2022 8:12:13 GMT
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Post by bedknobsandboomstick on Aug 18, 2022 8:12:54 GMT
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Post by shevii on Aug 18, 2022 8:21:17 GMT
oldnat Had a look at SNP membership numbers with the handy Daily Express report from yesterday and it does indeed mention money as a reason for the drop. Different for Labour I think although we do know membership tends to drop if there are no elections so what Labour might gain when there is an election is unknown. Labour have problems with their membership database after a hack so true numbers are apparently difficult to know but will get a more accurate idea when the nec election results are declared later this year.
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steve
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Post by steve on Aug 18, 2022 8:26:42 GMT
Today is of course according to our media national photogenic 18 year old girl jumping in the air day.
Best of luck to them and those who don't actually get off the ground.
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 18, 2022 8:32:51 GMT
As you say, a very good post/blog. Is it replying to something Blanchflower said or is it largely endorsing his view on what the policy responses should be? I've always thought Danny Blanchflower to be a wise economic voice, sadly lost in the wilderness.
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Post by moby on Aug 18, 2022 8:47:40 GMT
As ever with Truss it is also lacking in understanding. Even before the late 90s devolution the UK was not a wholly unitary state. Northern Ireland had its own parliament for 50 years and Scotland maintained its own legal system, right to issue currency and a different education system. Truss seems to want a unitary UK that would be wholly novel, although I'm sure she has no idea of this as she seems singularly ignorant of facts on most subjects. My objection is to replacing the the term "unionist" with a blanket "British nationalist". Labour and the Lib Dems are unionist parties but they are committed to devolution. To call them British nationalist comes over as just a rather childish way of trying to wind up their English supporters. I don't care much about that but I do object to the misuse of language to pretend the hard right of the Tory party is exactly the same as the quite different position of those parties committed to devolution.
'As to your 3rd paragraph - It may be that some folk in England are somewhat insecure as to their role in this post-imperial world (as numerous commentators have suggested) and feel a victimhood that is confirmed by some not wanting to be in a political union with them. Such people may imagine that terminology is used "to wind up their English supporters", but that would be a very self-centred belief.' You can put your slant as to this and that about attitudes in England and (Wales). For me the self centredness comes from Scottish Nationalists who see themselves as having an escape route from a failing union and who seem to relish every opportunity to tell us that. It's as if we are all on a sinking ship but some of us have access to a lifeboat. Imagine being in the group that don't have access to the lifeboat! Many people in England and Wales have very similar views and attitudes to people in Scotland. There is more that unifies us than divides us in relation to culture, language, foreign affairs, defence etc. The areas that are different can be managed by devolution and both Labour and LibDems have an honourable history in devolving power. If "Scottish nationalism" is to be used as a blanket term inclusive of all the shades of opinion that wish Scotland to be an independent state, then "UK/British nationalism" is equally valid as a term for all the shades of opinion that wish the UK state (or a British state, as many are unconcerned about the status of NI - or use the term "British" as incorporating NI) to continue. No it's not because it ignores the 'shades of grey' in relation to devolution. Now, you may well be correct that the Liberal Democrats don't believe in their professed preference for a federal UK, but actually believe in Westminster sovereignty, and its right to change the powers of the sub-state parliaments at its whim. But their official position is a preference for a federal UK, in which the sub-state parliaments have sovereignty over their powers. 'Labour's constitutional views on the construct of the UK are structurally very similar to the Tories. The UK parliament is supreme and may grant temporary powers to the devolved parliaments. but these can be revoked at any time, or those parliaments dissolved by Westminster legislation. That, at various times, Labour and Tory parties may vary their views on which powers they will allow the devolved parliaments to exercise is neither here nor there. Constitutionally, both believe in the total sovereignty of the UK Parliament over the entire UK. In that sense, both are UK nationalist parties, while the LDs are a federal UK party, which is a different concept.' This is inaccurate. Labours history on devolution demonstrates that and to describe it as 'temporary' is pushing it to extremes. I see very little evidence of Labour policies designed to returning powers from Holyrood to Westminster 'There are, of course, many other uses of the term "nationalism" and any of these may be relevant to particular sets of attitudes which match that usage, but if any of these are to be employed, they can't be applied as a blanket term either to those who wish the current UK state to continue, or to those within that current state who wish to be independent of it.' Lets keep it simple then...... 'Unionist' and 'Nationalist'.
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Post by alec on Aug 18, 2022 8:48:23 GMT
@bedknobsandbroomstick - I think the key thing here is whether or not the concerns over inflation becoming embedded in expectations is valid. My current sense (as a non expert) is that it won't be. We are already seeing pay rises well below inflation, along with strong signals of stress in company balance sheets as they try to absorb as much of the cost rises as they can, as they judge consumers cannot afford the full price rises if these are all passed through. If companies are under financial stress in times of inflation, wages can either go up and companies fail, or they can can offer below inflation rises and try to survive. It's the latter that seems to be happening. So I tend to agree that raising interest rates will be very difficult. Where I am less certain is on the issue of falling commodity prices, but the evidence I have seen in the last week or so does suggest that this is happening. Anecdotally, petrol at my local garage is now £1.64/litre, a 13% fall from it's peak. If we really are seeing a sharp drop in input prices, then I think the BoE strategy begins to look like mindless self flagellation. colin - I would be interested in your take on this?
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