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One theory is that a Tory victory is so unlikely Sunak could promise anything (pigs will fly under my administration) and never be troubled by having to deliver. For Starmer the challenge is rather different - if he does not deliver he will be held to account at the next election in 2029(?).

We seem to attribute certain mostly negative characteristics to "far right". So I speculated upon what was actually meant by "far right" or "far left". I came to the conclusion they are not far removed from one another - published by the British Journal of Political Science: Similarities and...

The pandemic changed the world as oldies knew it. Final salary pensions are a rarity. The gold watch has been replaced by early retirement or redundancy as hard won skills become obsolete. Work from home became a right not an unusual privilege. Furlough paid those doing nothing (some support...

Those not bothering to vote may be demonstrating "no confidence" in the political process. We know that ~30% of those entitled do not vote in general elections. We also know that many did not even register. The logic flowing is that the "non-muppets" will normally form the largest group from...

It's not often I agree with Jacob - but in this case I am happy to make an exception!

Blaming the tax system, and insisting increased taxes are the solution to inequality has elements of denial within it. Answers are first needed to some fundamental questions - eg: UK productivity is at a materially lower level than many developed other economies. We should better understand...

If you put holes in the jig, the dowel will need to be supported to give a 90 degree cut, or the table tilted to ensure the blade is at 90 degrees to the dowel. Alternative - set the fence the required distance from the blade to give a standard thickness. Set the mitre to 90 degrees. Hold the...

I am mindful that for you personally there is a difficult balance to be struck between firmly taking control and maintaining relationships - but you may find the following thoughts helpful: We had young children 30+ years ago who would cover the floor with toys. I used the black bag solution -...

In small, isolated, communities (up to 300 souls?) all are reliant on one another. Communities, in the absence of cheap transport and communications need to be almost wholly self reliant. Contact with other communities is limited to a few occasions each year for trade and barter. The global...

In all societies some rise to the top and others find their way to the bottom - whether defined by status, money, respect, position etc. People are not born equal, nor able to achieve equally. Children of financially secure parents, raised in a supportive home, provided with material...

Cameron is a Lord not a Sir. He is not an MP He cannot address the House of Commons - he is represented by more junior ministers. He is not the first ministerial appointment of a Lord - others include Lord Adonis, Lord Mandelson. Personally I initially regarded DC as a decent PM and able to...

You could fasten the bottom shelf to the wall in the manner of a floating shelf. The only sign of fixing would be a on the underside of the shelf to clamp the "dowel" that projects from the wall - a grub screw would be best as this would sit flush or below the surface of the shelf.

Brexit has happened - whether the decision was rational or not is now academic. A purely personal view - it was foolish - the benefits illusory and the risks very evident. Implementation was impacted by the pandemic. Progress on the transition with Europe, wider international scene, and even...

Policies are produced by politicians who have to balance what is required with the prospects of electoral success. It is naïve to expect politicians to act only upon what is required. They may be sacrificing their seat at the next election, to be replaced by those who may not share their...

The term "wealthy" and "rich" needs definition. Asset values need to be separated from income - a 25 year old IT wizard may earn £250k pa and rent a flat, a farmer with land worth £5m may struggle to make minimum wage. A few figures: related to taxpayers (not total population) The top 1% have...

Current opinion poll on Brexit Poll I can only deduce the consensus view is that on balance it has been a significant failure - the difficulty of trade in low value goods being an example. As neither Sunak (predictably) nor Starmer actively support re-entry it is unsurprising Brexit has been...

Unoccupied and second homes total ~1.5m in England. Not all could contribute to solving housing availability - some is structurally constrained: second homes in very nice area with limited infrastructure or jobs locally, probate, elderly owners moving into care, poor condition with no funds...

Many years ago I was involved with a collaboration between a number of public sector bodies - local authorities, police, government agencies etc - to set up and share a common administrative, accounting, procurement etc service centre running common software. The savings in software development...

Starmer and Reeves are choosing their words very carefully: they have (I think) outlined only three areas of tax increase - VAT on school fees, windfall tax on energy companies, non-doms - all populist targets they are ruling out some tax increases - but not all or any increases they are...

Assuming the figures are correct neither Sunak or Starmer have any need to work and could see out their lives at least very comfortably. It matters little what the wealth multiple of one to the other is. It is questionable whether the wealth of a spouse should be included. Criticism based on...