I don't think I have ever seen Gordon Brown look both so competant and so ineffectual in one hlaf hour session. On Flu he was authoritive and measured. Then the questioning turned to Gurkhas and he fell apart.
The fact that he inferred that the justice for gurkhas campaign were lying about the figures was a bad start (though neither Clegg or Cameroon could point this out due to the rules of the house). His answers were quickly shown by Nick Clegg to be vague and unhelpful. Even back bench questions seemed to shake him.
The problem is that he has already had to U-turn this week over the flat rate daily allowance and he can't do so again. The problem is that the u-turn he made solved nothing and prevented him from making a u-turn that would have helped his image.
On the subject of images MPs in general have not helped themselves. I counted 3 wasted questions in that half hour and on the last one conservative mps loudly made the point. Rather hypocritical since the two previous wasters had come from their side! Also, the only time the speaker had to intervene was when the question of expsenses was brought up and the questioner was loudly shouted down. Not a good image, though it did let Brown try and reclaim come of the moral high ground of the session.
There followed a comedy moment when Brown forgot he was giving a statement and had half left the chamber when the speaker's announcement pulled him up short, much to the joy of the opposition benches.
However the single most significant moment of the day was the government defeat over gurkhas. This is the first major loss for Gordon Brown's premiership. With a vote on mp's expenses tomorrow this is looking like a very very bad week the pm. Maybe he could arrange to come down with a bout of flu and avoid the whole mess!
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Swine flu and the unneccessary panic.
I think that people need to get a reality check about the possible pandemic of H1N1 influenza commonly called swine flu. You see, like most of these things it is really not that scary.
The problem is that most people don't know the difference between the common cold and flu. A bad cold can lay you up quite badly. But flu will lay you up badly. And thats any type of flu not just one of the celebrity mutant strains that grab the headlines.
It was summed up nicely by a doctor on radio 2 this morning. He said that when patients walk into his office and say they have flu he tells them that if they had then they wouldn't have been able to climb out of bed.
This lack of understanding means that a headline saying that such and such a flu has killed 20 people somewhere causes panic. Afterall flu doesn't usually kill does it?
Well actually yes it does. Regular seasonal flu kills around 500,000 people a year in a good year. So on the face of it only 20 odd confirmed deaths is just nothing. The issue here is the ease of transmission. And even that doesn't seem to be too bad. In the UK there are now 5 confirmed (but all mild) cases and every single one of them has been to mexico recently. As no cases have been confirmed where the virus has been transfered in the UK. Precautionary treatment of people who might have been exposed is underway to minimise the chances of a spread.
H1N1 is one of the strains the which many people have a natural immunity. It is also easily treatable with the antiviral drugs being stockpiled by governments. This makes it vary different to H5N1 bird flu which would not have been so easy to treat. But public concern about the latter has enabled goverenments to establish robust plans which are now swinging into action.
Note here that I'm not acusing the government of panicing. Indeed I think that the state responses have been very well executed thus far. Ministers are saying that britain is the best prepared state in the world to deal with a major outbreak. And, unlike the similar claims made about the economy, the figures seem to square with this. So well done Alan Johnson and department, thus far you seem to be on top of this one.
The problem is that most people don't know the difference between the common cold and flu. A bad cold can lay you up quite badly. But flu will lay you up badly. And thats any type of flu not just one of the celebrity mutant strains that grab the headlines.
It was summed up nicely by a doctor on radio 2 this morning. He said that when patients walk into his office and say they have flu he tells them that if they had then they wouldn't have been able to climb out of bed.
This lack of understanding means that a headline saying that such and such a flu has killed 20 people somewhere causes panic. Afterall flu doesn't usually kill does it?
Well actually yes it does. Regular seasonal flu kills around 500,000 people a year in a good year. So on the face of it only 20 odd confirmed deaths is just nothing. The issue here is the ease of transmission. And even that doesn't seem to be too bad. In the UK there are now 5 confirmed (but all mild) cases and every single one of them has been to mexico recently. As no cases have been confirmed where the virus has been transfered in the UK. Precautionary treatment of people who might have been exposed is underway to minimise the chances of a spread.
H1N1 is one of the strains the which many people have a natural immunity. It is also easily treatable with the antiviral drugs being stockpiled by governments. This makes it vary different to H5N1 bird flu which would not have been so easy to treat. But public concern about the latter has enabled goverenments to establish robust plans which are now swinging into action.
Note here that I'm not acusing the government of panicing. Indeed I think that the state responses have been very well executed thus far. Ministers are saying that britain is the best prepared state in the world to deal with a major outbreak. And, unlike the similar claims made about the economy, the figures seem to square with this. So well done Alan Johnson and department, thus far you seem to be on top of this one.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
PMQs + Budget 22/4/09 - What have the romans ever done for us?
There were times, Listening to David Cameron's response to the budget when it felt like the famous scene in Monty python's life of brian. Although perhaps I should have subtitled this post "what have Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling and this Labour government ever done for us?"
If you take only Cameron's view then the answer is nothing positive. This is I think a rather large overstatment. What was in the budget is in several cases good. The guarenteed job offer for long term unemployed under 25s is a policy I personally feel is good, although I note no mention was made of what this job would entail.
However, writing this after a day to reflect on it frankly this budget in real terms is part hopeless optimisim and part rearguard action. Once you consider the numbers the tax increase for people earning 150K+ will acheive nothing. In his blog on the bbc Nick Robinson had pointed out to him that some bits of small print in the red book do show that the tax raise will eventually raise money. In about 4 years. The only reason to bring this proposal in now is to act as an anti-conservative minefield before next years election. Not really the sort of action you want when the country is tottering in the direction of bankruptcy.
It is instructive to look at the reactions of participants when they sit down after speaking. Both Brown after PMQs and Darling after his budget sat down with a grin that said "thats over, I survived, now I can get on with things knowing that I've got plenty of people I can blame if it all goes wrong." By contrast, Cameron's expression was one of "oh help this country's totally in the effluent now" or possibly "oh help the mess I'm going to inherit next year is worse than I thought".
Darling is now off the hook until the pre-budget report in november. But if his recovery forecast is not showing up by then I feel that he may not keep his job.
Then again, that would represent a politician admiting culpability.
If you take only Cameron's view then the answer is nothing positive. This is I think a rather large overstatment. What was in the budget is in several cases good. The guarenteed job offer for long term unemployed under 25s is a policy I personally feel is good, although I note no mention was made of what this job would entail.
However, writing this after a day to reflect on it frankly this budget in real terms is part hopeless optimisim and part rearguard action. Once you consider the numbers the tax increase for people earning 150K+ will acheive nothing. In his blog on the bbc Nick Robinson had pointed out to him that some bits of small print in the red book do show that the tax raise will eventually raise money. In about 4 years. The only reason to bring this proposal in now is to act as an anti-conservative minefield before next years election. Not really the sort of action you want when the country is tottering in the direction of bankruptcy.
It is instructive to look at the reactions of participants when they sit down after speaking. Both Brown after PMQs and Darling after his budget sat down with a grin that said "thats over, I survived, now I can get on with things knowing that I've got plenty of people I can blame if it all goes wrong." By contrast, Cameron's expression was one of "oh help this country's totally in the effluent now" or possibly "oh help the mess I'm going to inherit next year is worse than I thought".
Darling is now off the hook until the pre-budget report in november. But if his recovery forecast is not showing up by then I feel that he may not keep his job.
Then again, that would represent a politician admiting culpability.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Wondering why I feel so good about things
Looking back over today there isn't a great deal to be positive about. I looked back at my project plan and found that I was expecting to have all my results by today. Due to a continuous series of techincal problems I haven't got any. I discovered this morning that I have another assignment to do which I had forgotten about. I got a large bill for repairs to my car and fencing wasn't a runaway success this evening.
Yet despite all the above I have felt good all day.
and honestly I can't work out why. It may that I was out of the house in uni getting on with things. Maybe the weather which was extrodinarily nice had something to do with it. I don't know. But in spite of everything, today I feel really good.
Next post will probably be on wednesday. Its budget day and PMQs. Comedy theatre at its finest. Such it pity the performers are running the country.
Yet despite all the above I have felt good all day.
and honestly I can't work out why. It may that I was out of the house in uni getting on with things. Maybe the weather which was extrodinarily nice had something to do with it. I don't know. But in spite of everything, today I feel really good.
Next post will probably be on wednesday. Its budget day and PMQs. Comedy theatre at its finest. Such it pity the performers are running the country.
Friday, 17 April 2009
I love the east coast main line
National express are possibly the best thing ever to happen to rail travel. If only because they provide free Wifi throughout their trains. Meaning that I can write this from seat L39 in the 1st class carriage of the 7:00 AM train from Hull to London, currently arriving in Peterborough.
I like rail travel. There is the pleasent smoothness of it, the lack of extreme tiredness the I get from long drives and the simplicity. Yes air travel is faster but what with having to be there early etc it actually probably works out quicker (certainly cheaper!) to do the whole thing by train.
When I was viewing different univeristies before applying for my degree I spent a long time travelling by train. However for the most part since getting my driving licence I have driven most long journeys. The exceptions here are London and Manchester airport when I plan to fly. (the fact that manchester has a train station is one of the reasons I tend to fly from there.)
I miss my regular long journeys. So even though I could get the information I am going to london to find through the interlibrary loan system I would rather go to the RAS library and find it myself.
As an aside Peterborough cathedral looks like it's had all it's towers amputated.
The best thing about trains though is the freedom to see the english countryside. I am an unashamed old fashioned patriot. This does not mean that I watch england matches draped in crosses of St George necking lager. I simply love England and east coast mainland goes through some of the bast of it. Admitedly I am currently moving through one of the flatland areas which I like a bit less but when you travel through some of the low hills and valleys you see some of england's everyday best. Not the dinner jacket or tux for special occaisions, those would be the mountains, in particular the lake district, but your everyday nice tailored suit. And I love those areas of england. And since we are moving into one I will conclude this little rhapsody and enjoy the view.
I like rail travel. There is the pleasent smoothness of it, the lack of extreme tiredness the I get from long drives and the simplicity. Yes air travel is faster but what with having to be there early etc it actually probably works out quicker (certainly cheaper!) to do the whole thing by train.
When I was viewing different univeristies before applying for my degree I spent a long time travelling by train. However for the most part since getting my driving licence I have driven most long journeys. The exceptions here are London and Manchester airport when I plan to fly. (the fact that manchester has a train station is one of the reasons I tend to fly from there.)
I miss my regular long journeys. So even though I could get the information I am going to london to find through the interlibrary loan system I would rather go to the RAS library and find it myself.
As an aside Peterborough cathedral looks like it's had all it's towers amputated.
The best thing about trains though is the freedom to see the english countryside. I am an unashamed old fashioned patriot. This does not mean that I watch england matches draped in crosses of St George necking lager. I simply love England and east coast mainland goes through some of the bast of it. Admitedly I am currently moving through one of the flatland areas which I like a bit less but when you travel through some of the low hills and valleys you see some of england's everyday best. Not the dinner jacket or tux for special occaisions, those would be the mountains, in particular the lake district, but your everyday nice tailored suit. And I love those areas of england. And since we are moving into one I will conclude this little rhapsody and enjoy the view.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
What a degree teaches
One thing I have found as I come to the end of my degree is that I know more than I think I do.
I'm sure every student (certainly those of my friends who I asked) feels the same. I went into my degree with an expectation to come out able to do anything in physics instantly as a matter of course. Nearing the end of my masters degree I find that this is far from the case. In fact if pushed I would have trouble giving in depth information about any part of the subject off the top of my head.
However when asked what I do know I realise that the answer is rather a lot.
I've just finished an essay on white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. And right now if asked I could probably give a good lecture on the subject. However by tomorrow, when I'll be doing a short bit on chaos theory I won't.
But here's the key. Within a day of reading over something I wrote I can fully recount it again. And this I think is the key to a successful university degree. The ability, not to recall full details of a subject instantly, but to quickly grasp the details from a brief summary. And this I can do.
I'm sure every student (certainly those of my friends who I asked) feels the same. I went into my degree with an expectation to come out able to do anything in physics instantly as a matter of course. Nearing the end of my masters degree I find that this is far from the case. In fact if pushed I would have trouble giving in depth information about any part of the subject off the top of my head.
However when asked what I do know I realise that the answer is rather a lot.
I've just finished an essay on white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. And right now if asked I could probably give a good lecture on the subject. However by tomorrow, when I'll be doing a short bit on chaos theory I won't.
But here's the key. Within a day of reading over something I wrote I can fully recount it again. And this I think is the key to a successful university degree. The ability, not to recall full details of a subject instantly, but to quickly grasp the details from a brief summary. And this I can do.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Why...
Why on this quite dreary bank holiday monday afternoon am I sat in bed starting this blog?
Firstly because I'm having great difficulty finding the enthusiasm to get up to go to B&Q to buy lightbulbs.
Mainly though I realised through reading other people's blogs that all the clutter that appears frequently in my brain would probably be better elsewhere. So this is where it will arrive.
Put you off already? thought so.
Things that will probably make there way here will be rants about politics from a neutral point of view, moans about people's ignorance of physics, updates about sport (fencing and badminton plus helping officiate a local running league), cats (quantity two), and occaisional other stuff.
It's good to get these things out of your brain.
Firstly because I'm having great difficulty finding the enthusiasm to get up to go to B&Q to buy lightbulbs.
Mainly though I realised through reading other people's blogs that all the clutter that appears frequently in my brain would probably be better elsewhere. So this is where it will arrive.
Put you off already? thought so.
Things that will probably make there way here will be rants about politics from a neutral point of view, moans about people's ignorance of physics, updates about sport (fencing and badminton plus helping officiate a local running league), cats (quantity two), and occaisional other stuff.
It's good to get these things out of your brain.
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