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Why are you apparently incapable of referencing the most RECENT general election performance when the then incumbent Labour leader managed only 32%?

You entirely miss the point - the state has the obligation to ensure delivery free at the point of use. It has nothing to do with lower taxes and a smaller state. The only issue is how much of its income the state wishes to apply to healthcare. How it is delivered is an entirely different...

There may be some benefit in articulating the extent of "privatisation". The total costs of the NHS in 2022/23 was £182bn - £171bn running expenses and £10bn investment. Total staff costs of the NHS in 2022/23 was £71bn The balance of costs of £110bn were all external services - includes...

I was once told that organisations with a plan perform better than those without, even if sometimes the plan is wrong. Similarly, politically one can do nothing or do something. Doing nothing causes no stress and takes no effort. Change will be the outcome of natural evolutionary political...

In truth my political outlook is traditional slightly right of centre conservative. Honesty on the part of Labour would probably reinforce my political outlook, not change it. This lack of transparency afflicts all major parties, reduces a serious democratic process to an exercise in...

Last night I went to a hustings. All the major contenders, bar one, were represented - LibDem, Labour, Greens and Reform. It took the form of a brief introductory statement, questions from the audience (topics pre-submitted but not the detail) and a closing statement. The incumbent Tory...

There are some actions which have little or no money attached - eg: reducing voting age to 16, legislating for LGBTQ+ issues, changing planning regulations, etc. They may have little cost to government but impact (for better or worse) on both business and individuals. Other changes need...

They seem to be to Labour what Reform are to the Tories - with much less chance of electoral success - it helps to have candidates on the ballot papers.

Starmer is all but certain to get the keys to No10 - probably with a substantial overall majority. A Tory/Reform pact, an increasingly unlikely possibility, could deliver a hung parliament. I expect that if this happens, some sort of deal between Labour and LibDems or SNP will follow. The...

In 2017 Corbyn may have benefitted from Tory disarray over Brexit and an ineffectual (although decent) Mrs May. In 2019, Corbyn at the helm, Labour managed 32% of the vote and allowed the Tories to dominate. Two lessons - Corbyn failed and very large majorities do not make for good government.

I agree that if integrity and honesty ruled, and clear tax and funding plans accompanied the vision of a better UK, Labour would struggle to get elected. As would any party - it is only the magic money tree and voter credulity that allows aspirations and money to be balanced. So I wonder what...

Sarcasm rules - no intention of voting Reform or Green. LibDem is looking like the best of a bad bunch.

I have no intention of supporting Reform - their "contract" is economically and financially illiterate, and their policies (taken as a whole) divisive and unpleasant. What they do explicitly communicate is the need for radical change, as do the Greens. A stark contrast to the established...

I have just been watching a presentation by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on the main party election manifestos. Completely scathing - in summary: "They have singularly failed even to acknowledge some of the most important issues and choices to have faced us for a very long time. As...

Both far left and far right are characterised by authoritarian dogma forcing a polarised view on all. UK political success has largely been found in the centre ground - probably why in terms of likely outcomes there is little to choose between a Labour and Tory government. Painting those...

There may be a subtle semantic distinction between "entry" and "immigration" - but it is an offence to knowingly arriving to the UK without entry clearance Illegal entry and related offences Section 24 of the 1971 Act contained provisions for illegal entry offences that were summary only. Most...

Membership of the ECHR is both a benefit in securing the protection of human rights and freedoms, and a constraint to the nation state (in this case the UK) in exercising its sovereignty. That the UK through democratic process may choose to leave ECHR is reasonable if the barriers created by...

It has always seemed to me that selling is the most difficult of business activities. All others are within the control of management - finance, HR, production. purchasing, product development etc. I am not suggesting they are without challenge, but the solutions are in the control of the...

As always the politicians are telling us what they want us to hear, irrespective of reality: the NHS spent £10bn in 2022/23 on temporary staff - includes cover for maternity leave, recruitment gaps, extended sickness, etc. The cost included agency staff at £3.5bn. if all agency requirements...

We recently had the kitchen replaced and our builder suggested Howdens. As the kitchen was only part of the house refurbishment, I somewhat reluctantly decided to go with them. I find their lack of pricing transparency thoroughly frustrating. I would guess I ended up paying ~£2k more for...