Not an election please

even HM!!

I see we are back to the high intellectual chat again
well, it is very late

That is some hand clasp

'Do not touch the Queen'
She doesn't seem to mind

You're right Jalima. I hear the boing and Zebedee calling

'Time for Bed' said Zebedee

Another reason for an election?

"Today has the only significant diary item that looked problematic once Theresa May had secured the June 8 election date last week. Yes, Monday 24 April was always the deadline set by the courts for the Government to produce an air quality action plan to cut illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide in the UK’s most polluted areas.

But in a classic move to bury the bad news, or at least delay it, ministers lodged papers on Friday night at 6.30pm, after the courts had closed. They argue for a postponement in the court action “to comply with pre-election propriety rules”. And even if the courts today reject that, Defra looks like it will appeal anyway to get the delay. Ministers don’t just want to err on the side of caution, they’re really saying ‘er, let’s just delay to the other side of the election’. Andrea Leadsom is certain to either make a Commons statement or face an Urgent Question.

But this isn’t some metrosexual hobby horse. Legal limits have been breached in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow, with fears that children are breathing damaging fumes by the roadside as they walk to school. Lawyers for Sadiq Khan and Client Earth will challenge strongly. The Times has a neat line: Cabinet office guidelines allow for purdah rules to be lifted where public health is at risk."

From huffpost.

This is far more tricky and complicated than it would appear at first glance. People were encouraged to buy diesel cars by Gordon Brown (the questionable advice at the time was that diesel produced less carbon dioxide than petrol therefore contributed less to global warming). Diesel has been found to emit far more dangerous pollutants and, of course, what happens to all these cars purchased by people who thought they were doing the right thing and were encouraged by cheaper diesel prices? Should they be forced to give up their cars and receive compensation?

Park and Ride schemes are a good idea but in many areas there are campaigns against these because people in the localities of proposed park and ride schemes are opposed to them saying they are a blight on the countryside, proposed in areas where wildlife will be disturbed and a protracted fight ensues with no progress being made.

There is no quick-fix solution but they do need to work on a solution which works for all.

Yes exactly Jalima1108 we were encouraged to buy diesel vehicles by Gordon Brown ! and of course many of us followed government advice and bought the bloody things.

My small business invested in 3 diesel vans which we need to last us a very long time. There is no way we are in the position to replace them and it looks like they could become worthless anyway. We can't go to jobs and carry parts/machinery/tools on a Park and Ride bus so what on earth are we supposed to do?

There must be thousands of people in a similar situation.

Vans and lorries too, of course, delivering our food and other essentials.

And most buses are diesel aren't they?

There is not a short-term quick-fix solution.
What is the alternative?

Yes, a convenient excuse. But not really a reason to call an election. More a problem for them in choosing now for an election.

Why is it poor old Gordon Brown's fault? Other than you want something else to blame Labour for - very nasty and underhand.

The advice to encourage diesel was based on the best advice around at the time. Any government would have followed it or they would have been going against the best scientific advice they could get. Personally I am glad science makes progress and we find that the things we once thought were true can now be seen in a different way - that's progress. Occasionally it works against some people but the government could put in a scrapage system if they chose to do so.

What nonsense some people talk.

The advice to encourage diesel was based on the best advice around at the time

That's exactly what I said Gracesgranmark2

I don't think I said you didn't. Don't be so paranoid I may not have been addressing my comments to you - unless you were trying to have a nasty little go at Labour when any government might will have done the same.

I am not the one whose post sounded paranoid.

No party gets everything right.

Diesel are in fact better engines and the manufacturers sell them without the full extra manufacturing cost being added - al bough they are still more expensive than the petrol car. What they need is an even better system for cleaning the emissions.

It is a nuisance that those of us who bought these vehicles are being made to feel bad about driving them around. The way the Govt looks to be aiming to deal with decreasing the number of them on the road is by offering an extra discount (£2k I saw reported) off the cost of a new car. The French are offering €5K off the price of a new car if you have a very old one. We have an second car which is ancient but DH is very fond of it and so far my charms have not persuaded him to part with it!

Although they are still more expensive --- did not preview this one!

You could drive it through a small flood or large puddle Welshwife
It tends to finish them off (well, it did ours).

The scientific evidence of the carcinogenic and other respiratory problems from diesel was not recognised until relatively recently. Diesel was pushed because of the co2 emissions in petrol and the greenhouse gas effect. Electric is the way to go!!! My son has a plug in car, and it is brilliant.

I don't want to listen to Corbyns speech, not because I dislike him, I doubt what he says because he reads from written speeches, who wrote them ? His closest advisor is the chap who founded Momrntum , did he write them

Going back to Corbyn

Is the £10 Living wage going to be brought with immediate effect, I have watched the question asked a couple of times (not to Corbyn) but the answer is not a YES.

Corbyn said the 4 extra days holidays to celebrate the 4 nations Saints days is a way of uniting the 4 nations . Nice to know Scotland will for example celebrate St Georges Day.

When questioned about the cost to industry he said we will go out and ' spend ' more money so there is a an offset. [confused ]

Another time he will say we all ' have no money ' 'we live on credit ' He is not credible.

I'm listening to it.

It is speaking to the 'Unions' and naturally it will go down well with his audience.

Left Wing Populism so will appeal to his core voters and Momentum followers.

He is going to hold an enquiry into Orgreave and the actions of the police during the miners in strike in Scotland, sod Wales .

Oh he is speaking at a TUC conference , there's a surprise

Jalima did that happen to a Transit - pre 2000?

I have no desire to listen to a union puppet speak. Obviously whatever he says will have been approved by the real people in charge of the LP. The unions.

The cost of diesels has always been higher than that of petrol and a couple thousand pounds will not replace my company vans that need to last us at least another 4 years.

Electric is the way to go!!! My son has a plug in car, and it is brilliant Technology still has a very long way to go with regards to electric vehicles. The ones currently available are only any good for short distances whitewave. Absolutely useless for running a business where you do longer journeys.