Lord (Chris) Smith must go

Visibility not required for the facts to be related truthfully without negative twisting.

White wave

I am not coming at this subject from, as you like to inform me I was, listening to untruths and excepting a good yarn.

That condescending comment sums up exactly what I have been trying to say. The people who know how to work and maintain the Levels/Moors and rhynes have battled with that attitude for almost 2 decades . If only the Environment Agency had not been so b----y minded and listened to what they were being warned would happen because of years of neglect because dredging had stopped.

Mamie

I have not seen, heard nor noticed any comments that have been unfair to EA staff who have boots on the ground or lower ranks. Quite the opposite, I have only heard praise for them from the media, Gransnet poster's and politicians.

I have to say as the weeks and days have progressed it is true to say that the country is now in the grips of such horrendous weather conditions I feel it is somewhat futile to carry on talking about it. Then there is the other side to the story that tells me to keep it going as the Somerset Levels will and must be dredged after this is over if it is to survive as a good economic value to this country. As I am Somerset born and my 'large' family remain there I am naturally defensive of any comments that want to see it flooded because it is a useless area with hardly any inhabitants.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10631475/Mary-Archer-is-tipped-to-take-over-Environment-Agency.html
Sorry if this has already been posted.

I don't wish some people would read other's posts before diving in....eg 'perhaps it was more a comment than..'

And lighten up, can't you see the funny side of a throw away remark?

I know it's not exactly on this subject, but has anyone heard anything of David Nicholson lately?

Thanks for the explanation, aka. But your comments read sharply quite often so it's difficult to know when they are throw away ones. If they are that rubbish throw away, why make them?

djen, David Nicholson?

Googled. I guess you mean the NHS "Chief".

Mary Archer, well bless me. Gets points for being a woman, at a time when tories are being criticised for filling all posts with men. Gets points for being a scientist - Tory ranks not heavily stacked with these. The old Etonians tend to do PPE and the like. Get points for personal presence. But in terms of her experience she has been an academic and chairman of the National Energy Foundation, an extremely small, low-profile charity in Milton Keynes. I am probably the only member who has ever heard of them. And she gave that up about 10 years ago.

Aka - off topic, but no, you aren't invisible. Well, only in the cyber space way we all are on gransnet.

It's a two-day a week post - can the head of such a Quango have much influence over the direction and day to day workings?

They are just figureheads and political appointees.

Look Bags you may find it difficult to know when my comments are just throw away and meant to be taken with a pinch of salt, but yours are not difficult to read.

I'm just a bit sick of your two faced posts like the one above.

'If they are that rubbish throw away then why make them?'

Firstly I .am entitled to put my opinion forward, yes even when it differs from yours
Secondly, I know why you're being unpleasant .. very easy to figure it out.

So just get off my back will you?

Thanks Iam

Its not a quango it is the operational arm of DEFRA.

Mary Archer would certainly be an improvement, and a scientist to boot. Tes, that proposal has legs.

Didn't I read she'd had bladder cancer recently?

It might not be a quango Jess but the selection process for top dog seems no different i.e. selected from the privileged few.

aka, WTF!? I'm baffled by most of that post. Me on your back? Well, well. And there was me feeling it was the other way round (and NOT knowing why). Hey ho.

I've been wondering the same thing, riverwalk, about the top posts in these large organisations. I suppose they are where the buck stops, but how much day to day input do they really have? Don't they rely on advisors lower down the ladder who do and understand the work on the ground?

advisers ?

Bags if you genuinely feel like that then PM me.

Meanwhile I'm moving on.

Mary is herself very rich of course, but she should be good for kicking ass getting things done as she must have had plenty of practice with Jeffrey

Have done, aka.

Is being rich relevant to someone's ability to kick ass?

No thatbags, but I think it helps.

I was referring back to the OP where it was commented that Lord Smith is so grand and rich he would never have struggled at the bottom of the housing ladder from which I took it that he could be out of touch with ordinary people and their lives.

The same could be said for Mary Archer (Cheltenham Ladies College, Cambridge etc)

B----y hell.

Isn't there a thread already on this political spin on here.

Public Appointments - Tory takeover.

Just thinking, thatbags, but very slowly these days - I meant she has probably had plenty of practice kicking Jeffrey's *