Government Watch - 2

"Retirement solutions" is a euphemism, in Jen's link, for advising millionaires about the best place to stash their retirement fund, how to minimise inheritance tax etc. Difficult to do such a job and keep your hands clean.

It's like the other euphemism that has been around for a while "wealth management consultancy"

Mmm. I notice my moment of sympathy for her has passed.

uk.businessinsider.com/paradise-papers-theresa-may-husband-philip-may-capital-group-tax-avoidance-2017-11

This is another headache for May.

I put it on another thread or two, GracesGran.
Perhaps somebody will read it now.

Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths

The Conservatives have been accused of “economic murder” for austerity policies which a new study suggests have caused 120,000 deaths.

Sorry if this is a repeat. I haven't really caught up with today's posts.

Found it; Mark Garnier. Unfortunately no news about his case, except it has been reported today in an Australian newspaper.

Give us a clue, Jess. Can't remember his name.

And the minister that told a female member of staff to go an buy a vibrator for him?

kittysjones.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/fourteen-year-old-hasan-patels-fantastic-speech-at-the-free-education-now-rally-yesterday/

Gove has had every other job so far, and not liked any of them.
He wants out of environment because his MPs voted down the fact that animals should be seen as sentient beings and would have no special clause in Brexit.
Sorry about that dog lovers.

Our Laura was asking just that yesterday.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42001259

What’s happened to the Damien Green case?

I read yesterday, and today it was on the politics Show that Gove was showing off using long words and phrases used by economists. He fancies the chancellors job.

We really are being governed by pigmies.

www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/120000

People's assembly has caught up on it.

Article seems to have disappeared.
It's in the BMJ, the Nursing Times, Hospital Doctor.

www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/our-news/health-social-care-spending-cuts-linked-120000-excess-deaths-england

www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/changes-in-nurse-numbers-may-be-key-to-120000-excess-deaths/7022104.article

I've just read about half a dozen emails telling me about this number.
This government is to blame for 120,000 excess deaths because of austerity, and what it encompasses.
Makes me feel in despair.

Just had a discussion today about Bill Gates with my grandson.
Yes, he spends lots of money helping people in Africa. However if his company, and all the others, paid taxes in the country where the transactions occurred, including the UK, we would be able to spend more money on Africa because we would have closed the tax gap.
The people in Africa do not care who helps them as long as they are helped.
However, Bill Gates is still a good man. He could be better.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/if-bill-gates-walked-the-talk-hed-be-a-lot-more-credible/

Apart from the obvious things such as holiday homes, flash cars etc why do these people need/want SOOOO much money? At the end of the day we can only sleep in one bed at a time and eat a certain amount of food. At least Bill Gates does good with much of the money he has made - does interesting things with it too - not just usual run of the mill stuff.

I guess as with any theory there is a grain of truth. If business thrives then jobs are created. However in the unregulated Victorian age business thrived and jobs were created - hideously unsafe jobs in factories and mines. Yes, those jobs did pay more than the agricultural wages which which were the alternative (otherwise why did ALL my ancestors flock to the nearest industrial city in that era...) And huge profits were generated. At least in those days rich people spent their money on employing hundreds of servants, and building extravagant country houses. These days they salt their money away overseas, spend thousands on overseas holidays, buy overseas property and overseas yachts or invest in gambling on the stock exchange. Someone showed me a phot0 they had taken of a UK property developer yacht recently, that they's clocked on holiday. It was rather larger than most of the vessels in the royal navy.

This is a response about HS2 and not chopping down ancient forests.

"Thank you for your email regarding the importance of this country’s ancient woodland. The Government recognises the significant value and irreplaceable nature of ancient woodland and veteran trees, including the part they play in our natural heritage and their intrinsic value to society.

We are committed to ensuring stronger protection of our woodlands and to ensure they are sustainably managed to provide a wide range of environmental, societal and economic benefits. This is why the Government acknowledges their special status in the National Planning Policy Framework, and is very clear that the development of such areas should be avoided where possible.

As far as High Speed 2 is concerned a robust assessment of environmental factors, including the location of ancient woodlands, was carried out before the decision on the line of route was made. Where it was not possible to avoid them completely, refinements to the proposed line have been sought to reduce the impact on these areas. For example, the size of the cutting through Cubbington Wood in Warwickshire was reduced in size, thereby minimising loss of woodland

Going forward, as part of the construction of Britain’s new high speed railway up to 7 million trees and shrubs will be planted as part of the scheme’s landscape and habitat creation programme. This will cover over 900 hectares between London and the West Midlands, using UK grown trees wherever possible and tree species that reflect the local landscape.

In addition to this extensive tree planting programme, a separate fund, which is being managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of HS2 Ltd, has been established to help local landowners create new native, broadleaf woodlands and enhance existing ancient woodlands. An initial £1million of grant funding will be open to applications in January 2018. In the meantime, eligible landowners are being encouraged to consider their plans and discuss potential applications with the Forestry Commission.

Thank you again for taking the time to write and express your views."

The government recognises the value and importance of ancient woodlands, so will chop them down and replace with British grown tress.
What? They just don't understand the word ancient.

"Among the most shocking examples of deprivation in this wealthiest of boroughs are: children hospitalised with hypocalceamic shock caused by a lack of calcium; one child diagnosed with rickets; adults with TB; a man in the wealthy Hans Town area has a life expectancy of 94, 22 years longer than his counterpart in the deprived Golborne wards, where the average age of a man is 72. “If trickle down economics worked, we would not have four food banks in K&C,” she says."

news.huffingtonpost.com/t/t-l-kkdillk-bdttdydit-i/

From the new Labour MP for Kensington and Chelsea. A microcosm of the whole country.
If trickle down economics worked, there would be no poverty and no Grenfell in Kensington and Chelsea.

I see JC is the bookies favourite to be the next PM

Can't wait for a Govism about the rivers and flooding, as he's suddenly so interested in the environment, whitewave.

He's agreed that the use of neonics should be stopped as they damage insect health.
However, Roundup is okay, so the flowers they feed on can be killed.
I wonder if he's thought that through.

Johnson mouthed the words “this case is very sensitive, and so I won’t say anything further” what an utter idiot.