Tuesday 29 November 2011

The edge of the Abyss @ No 10

"I want to tell you a story", Arturo said, as we huddled near a large flat screen TV watching a packed House of Commons listening to 'Georgy' Osborne. "There was once a man, one of the leaders of his country, who gave a speech to a large convention. He said, 'My friends, we stand on the edge of the abyss. This year, we shall take one giant step forward!'"

Arturo nearly choked himself laughing at the story! Of course, I knew what he was really talking about - 'Georgy' Osborne, of course. I think that 'Mesmer Eyes' Balls would have appreciated the joke and agreed with it.

Today's Autumn Statement was what one expected - loads of words, figures and prognostications signifying nothing other than pain for the poor, a bit of discomfort for the rich and agony for the public sector workers - Oh and not much to sing about for the UK either.

Was it significant that yesterday, 'Mop-Head' Boris Johnson guided our Georgy around a new building site in Battersea? It was reported in the Daily Telegraph under the heading: Come stand near the edge, Boris Johnson tells George Osborne; With Britain's economic forecasts growing ever more gloomy before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, the Mayor of London tries to lighten the mood with a little joke on a visit to a construction site.

It went on to report:
... Boris Johnson attempted to beckon the Chancellor over to edge of a large hole on a visit to a building site in Battersea, south London.

"George, just come and stand near the edge," Mr Johnson quipped as the pair toured the regeneration site yesterday, where several new residential properties are under construction.
... Wisely, the Chancellor avoided the photo opportunity on the day that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development predicted that the UK would slip back into recession.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8922460/Come-stand-near-the-edge-Boris-Johnson-tells-George-Osborne.html

In effect, Georgy has been standing near the edge of the abyss for some time. We must all hope that today he didn't take himself and the country on one giant step forward!

Arturo and I are having sardines for supper tonight - thought you'd like to know that!

'Bye'


Saturday 26 November 2011

Pop goes the weasel @ No 10

Arturo is preparing himself for the 'big' strike next week. He's been hording chicken nuggets behind the curtains of the library. He's been collecting news cuttings about Francis Maude. I was intrigued, so I took a look at some of the cutttings.

For some weeks there have been few headlines about: 'Weasel Man' Francis Maude, Tory MP for Horsham, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General. You must know who I mean, the 'Lord-High-Everything'. The man who is the veritable cement holding this Coalition together who 'leads' on:

Public Sector Efficiency and Reform
Office of Government Commerce
UK Statistics
Civil Service issues
Government transparency
Civil Contingencies
Cyber security
Overall responsibility for Cabinet Office policy and the Department

With so much to occupy his talent, it appears that 'Weasel Man' Maude has one prime obsession. That is the subject of Arturo's cuttings!! It is a subject that is almost certain to make Maude emulate his nickname of 'Weasel' and perform the weasel 'war dance'. All weasels are said to perform this prior to trying to catch their poor hypnotised prey. The weasel 'war dance' according to Wikipedia is 'characterized by a frenzied series of sideways hops'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel_war_dance

I do not think that 'Weasel Man' Maude performs a frenzied series of sideways hops everytime he sees or hears about unions. However, his response to unions elicits the political equivalent of the weasel war dance.

This is because our Francis Maude is livid with the unions. As long ago as the summer, he was hectoring about the public sector workers having 'gold-plated' pensions. Now he is positively railing against the unions who are endeavouring to protect their members' pensions. For some reason, 'Weasel Man' Maude is sent into a frenzy - never mind the 'sideways hops' - at the prospect of unions defending their member's rights. I'm sure that Freud and Jung would have found him a most interesting case for examination!

In the 'Daily Telegraph', James Kirkup and Christopher Hope wrote an article about Francis Maude entitled: Francis Maude: unions are testing my patience Francis Maude says that the unions are testing even his monumental patience .

Why are the unions testing his patience? Because they are calling a strike in defence of their members' pension rights after what 'Weasel Man' Maude considers was a more than fair offer to them.

The article states:
Put to him that he is approaching the union dispute more in sorrow than in anger, he bristles. “I am in a state of considerable irritation about it,” he declares with a razor-cut smile.

The article continues:
What will voters think of ministers who are offering striking unions a deal that Mr Maude says will still leave many public sector staff with pensions beyond the dreams of their private-sector peers?

“People will look at the offer we have made, look at the pension schemes that public sector staff will still have afterwards. I think people will say, that’s pretty bloody reasonable actually.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8917048/Francis-Maude-unions-are-testing-my-patience.html

So, 'Weasel Man' Maude has decided 'enough is enough'. He has decided that the time has come for the unions to be put in their place. This is made clear by another article in the 'Daily Telegraph' by James Kirkup and Christopher Hope entitled: We’ll rewrite law on strikes, Francis Maude warns the unions, Trade union laws could be rewritten to curb unions’ ability to hold strikes in response to next week’s “stupid and wrong” public sector walkout, Francis Maude has disclosed.

The article states:
At present, once a union has voted to strike, a walkout must be held within 28 days or a new ballot must be held. But if a strike is held, the union then has a legal “mandate” for more strikes or other action until the dispute ends. Mr Maude says the rule gives unions a “perverse incentive” to strike and should be changed.
The Coalition will consider a new legal time limit on the mandate that a union has for industrial action after a vote. The limit could be as low as three months.

Now that is a crafty move, since it would involve the unions in huge costs in order to hold more ballots. Of course one would expect nothing more nor less from a 'weasel'!

The article comments:
Each ballot costs hundreds of thousands of pounds, and ministers believe the change could be a significant obstacle to future strikes. “There is a case for change. We’ll want to look at this carefully,” Mr Maude says.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8917075/Well-rewrite-law-on-strikes-Francis-Maude-warns-the-unions.html

So - do we have a man of high principle here? A man determined to cut the country's mountain of debt, at any cost. Well - steady on there! Let's examine 'Weasel Man' Maude's own pension arrangements.

The 'Daily Mirror' have a headline: Pension-slashing minister Francis Maude could pick up £731k retirement pot written by James Lyons.

In his article he states:
THE Tory minister ruthlessly slashing the pensions of millions of public sector workers could be in line to pocket a £731,000 retirement pot.

Francis Maude, 58, is among a number of Government ministers amassing vast, taxpayer-funded nest eggs.

But while the millionaire can look forward to a potential £43,000-plus a year income in his old age, he is cutting schemes for nurses, teachers and public sector workers.

The shocking sum is almost eight times the average £5,600 civil service employee’s pot.

James Lyons continues:
MPs can grow their pension pot by up to one 40th of their final salary – currently £65,738 – each year in return for putting in 11.9% of their wage packet.

Senior ministers, who earn more, can also pay in at the same rate and receive one 40th of their total frontbench earnings on top of their Parliamentary pension.

Veteran Tory Mr Maude, who is masterminding the showdown with unions, earns about £98,700.

He will have chalked up 27 years as an MP and eight as a minister during two spells in Parliament if he keeps his job until the next election in 2015.

If he paid in at this top rate he would get a pension over £60,000, according to Unite. Payouts are limited to two-thirds of an MP’s salary but it still means he could get £43,825.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/most-popular/2011/11/22/pension-slashing-minister-francis-maude-could-pick-up-731k-retirement-pot-115875-23579471/#ixzz1epJZSAli

Now that's what I call a bit rich!! 'Weasel Man' Maude fussing over the unions attempting to maintain their members' meagre pension rights! All in the name of getting 'cuts' so that the country can reduce its debt.

I have a better idea - why not cut the pension deals of the Coalition government's pension pots - after all most of them are already millionaires!

Do you remember that nursery rhyme:
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop goes the weasel.

I think that our 'Weasel Man' will go 'pop' in the popularity stakes, if he goes on like this!

I found a turkey twizzler on the kitchen floor and took it to Arturo, we're hunkering down in readiness for next week.

'Bye'

Friday 25 November 2011

Cable & Clegg 'Dirty Dancing' @ No 10

"Do you remember your post of 26 October:Whose unproductive @ No 10? Because the same issue has reared its ugly head again." Arturo had been tutting all morning. He was very exercised at the thought of Liberal Democrats supporting any actions to curtail workers' rights.

As usual, I set off to investigate, to try to put his mind at rest. I don't think I succeeded! Let me explain. This week, several papers have come back to the topic of the dire 'Beecroft Report'.

Some commentators have implied that the Liberal Democrats are supporting the Beecroft recommendation of 'unfair dismissal' of employees. Some have even concluded that they are involved right up to their necks, or in the case of Vince Cable - down to their twinkling toes. Remember our Vince's performance on 'Strictly Come Dancing' - enough to make your eyes water.

Anyway - back to the main point of the post. Vince Cable has the reputation of being fair minded, left leaning and quite brilliant. During the last election campaign, he was given the nickname 'Invincible' Cable. Invincible, now that is quite a monniker to live up to. It means someone who is 'too powerful to be defeated or overcome'. It has what you might call the 'Wow' factor about it. A monniker that any politician would find very desirable, thank you!

Vince Cable is now not just seeking power - he has power. He is the Secretary of State for Business. In a recession - you don't get much more powerful than that! So how will this man who cannot be defeated or overcome use his power?

Vince Cable finds himself slap bang in the middle of a Coalition government that is desperately running hither and thither to find a solution, some solution, ANY solution to the mess in which they and the whole country find themselves. It was in this setting that the Coalition lighted upon the venture capitalist, Beercroft, who reported back that it was just fine to sack workers and deny them a claim for 'unfair dismissal'. This would undoubtedly stimulate the economy!!!

Such ideas are surely an anathema to a man like 'Invincible 'Vince Cable and to all real LibDems.

The Guardian in an editorial entitled: Employment law: the sack race made some interesting comments:
After insisting that he didn't want to spread fear of the sack, the business secretary nonetheless went on to float quick-fire redundancies, massively extended probationary periods and axing unfair dismissal protection for staff in small firms. Oh, and as if that were not enough, he confirmed that those lucky workers who retain rights in the future will soon have to pay a fee for the privilege of enforcing them at a tribunal.

The Guardian editorial continued:
The truth is that Mr Cable's apparent conversion to free-market fundamentalism is not for real, which explains why he struck an uneasy note on BBC radio. It is not any economic argument but a political horse-trade which has led to the line that Britain can prosper launching a sack race among small firms.

It seems that 'Invincible' Cable and 'Wailing Lad' Clegg, as one would forecast, are not cheering the prospect of the unconstrained sacking of employees. They have said as much to their quivering supporters. However, to sustain the credibility of the Coalition, they are required to agree to many of the Beecroft proposals.

The Guardian editorial concludes:
Thought procedural wheezes – such as merely "calling for evidence" rather than launching formal consultations – they may yet kill off the plans, by pushing them so close to the next election that the Conservatives are forced to back off.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/23/employment-law-the-sack-race?INTCMP=SRCH

Hence, we have the rather undignified and troubling image of Cable and Clegg cha-cha-cha-ing their way to the throbbing rhythms of the Tory right-wing. Cable and Clegg's only recourse is to appear to trip over their own feet every now and again - to ask for the rhythms to be slowed down, so that they can catch up!

Maybe, it is a clever wheeze that will work, a sort of friendly filibuster. Maybe, 'Boy David' Cameron, Georgy Osborne et al will fall for it and slow down the frenzied pace. If they do, hundreds of thousands of employees will raise a cheer for the dirty dancing twosome of Cable and Clegg!

I hope Arturo feels a bit happier now.

'Bye'

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Big Brother rules - not OK @ No 10

Arturo and I thanked our lucky stars we did not have to go to a hospital for treatment for Arturo's bad neck. We felt we had been doubly blessed. Firstly, we knew a decent vet who looked kindly on Arturo. Secondly, we were not subjected to the appalling torture that is being inflicted on patients going into hospital.

Torture! Do I hear you exclaim? What torture? Let me explain.

Most hospitals have so-called 'patient entertainment systems'. These include phone, email and television. Often they cost an arm and a leg - hopefully not literally. However, knowing the present state of morale in certain hospitals, it may be more literal than one cares to imagine! Actually, they cost about £5 per day.

These patient entertainment systems have an extra bonus - a welcoming video of 'Old Silver Fox' Lansley. Welcoming? Yes, welcoming!

How do I know all this? I heard an item on BBC Radio 4 on the Today programme. Lansley thought it all highly amusing that some people had expressed alarm at seeing his face at every bedside in a ward.

There was also an article in the Daily Telegraph by Andy Bloxham entitled,
Coming to an NHS hospital screen near you: 'Lansley TV'
Hospital patients recuperating in bed are being put through a further trial – the face of Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, on a loop on the in-house televisions.

Andy Bloxham writes:
Until individuals register, the television plays the message, which repeats every three or four minutes and comes complete with subtitles.

Mr Lansley’s message starts: “Hello, I’m Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary. I just want to take a few moments to say that your care while you’re here in hospital really matters to me.”

Can you imagine the horror of it all? It loops until you register. Supposing you feel too unwell to register. Imagine you have broken your arms and cannot register. What if you have lost your memory and cannot remember your 'details'! In any of these situations, you are condemned to watch Lansley's grinning face mouthing platitudes! It's enough to make you feel like vomiting!

Andy Bloxham writes that Lansley commented
"They only have to see me once... so I would encourage them to see me once," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. :

As Arturo said, "Once is once too much! And if you're ill and captive - it's licensed torture!"

In the Daily Telegraph article, Lansley is quoted as saying:
When people go into hospital, I hope one of the first things they realise is we want them to have as comfortable and as high quality a stay as possible.

I want them to help join me in thanking the NHS staff and I particularly wanted to say if they had any feedback that would be really helpful.

I wonder if the idea will catch on. Will we soon see short televisual presentations from:
* 'Baby Face' Gove, before morning assembly in state schools, telling the kids to "pass the exams"?
* 'Georgy' Osborne staring from every cash point, exhorting: "Spend, damn you, spend."
* 'Boy David' Cameron appearing on billboards on every street corner ordering us to "Volunteer - or be sorry, very sorry."

The list could go on and on. Just imagine what 'Apple Schnapps' Shaps and 'Disgusting' Clark could order us to do. Lansley may well have started a trend, Heaven help us!

Of course, 'Old Silver Fox' Lansley might find himself reclining on a hospital bed, in the near future. Will he be subjected to the horror of watching his own grinning visage encouraging him to give some 'feedback'? Or will he take himself off to the newly privatised Hinchingbroke Hospital to the tender care of Circle?

Arturo was feeling better this afternoon. We went for a stroll in the park and saw the back of a giant billboard. We did not go passed it - just in case ...

'Bye' from us both.


Monday 21 November 2011

A Silver Bullet @ No 10!!!

"Every government needs a 'silver bullet', mi old pal." Arturo proclaimed. "This government is no exception! "Trouble is - they use a silver bullet to shoot themselves in the foot!" So saying, he stretched and yawned and pottered off to the kitchen.

I know exactly what he meant. On 30 August this year, I wrote a post entitled:
'Apple Schnapps' Shapps at it again @ No 10. You may remember it! At the time, the government was excited. It thought it had found the solution to its problems: unemployment, slow growth, debt. All these would be cured at a stroke. How? Apple Schnapps Shapps announced that they would be building: '170,000 new homes over the next four years'.

Arturo and I were rather sceptical, to say the least! The target would entail the building of approximately 42,500 homes every year.

That was in the height of summer optimism when prospects were still rosy. The PM 'Boy David' Cameron and his Deputy, 'Wailing Lad' Clegg were still on 'jolly old hols' and the full horror of the Eurozone crisis had not yet been realised. Even the forecasts for UK economic growth were not too dismal. 'Tally Ho' Fox was riding high. Ah, those heady days of August!

Now, we are in the gloom of misty November! The Eurozone is collapsing all around us! Our own borders are in crisis! 'Tally Ho' Fox has gone to ground.

"For goodness' sake find a silver bullet, Clegg!" Cameron must have said. "We've got to keep the prols happy!"

Today, the couple of PR idols, Cameron and Clegg announced to the waiting world in the foreword to their new housing strategy:
By the time we came to office, house building rates had reached lows not seen in peace time since the 1920s. The economic and social consequences of this failure have affected millions: costing jobs; forcing growing families to live in cramped conditions; leaving young people without much hope that they will ever own a home of their own.

These problems – entrenched over decades – have deepened over the past few years. The housing market is one of the biggest victims of the credit crunch: lenders won't lend, so builders can't build and buyers can't buy.

That lack of confidence is visible in derelict building sites and endless For Sale signs. It is doing huge damage to our economy and our society, so it is right for government to step in and take bold action to unblock the market.

With this strategy we will unlock the housing market, get Britain building again, and give many more people the satisfaction and security that comes from stepping over their own threshold. These plans are ambitious – but we are determined to deliver on them

Not only are they making these bold statements, they are also planning how to ensure the new homes are to get buyers! The Guardian has an article entitled: David Cameron and Nick Clegg to unveil £400m homes plan in which Nicholas Watt, the paper's chief political correspondent, makes the following comment:
A new scheme, running to hundreds of millions of pounds, to underwrite a small percentage of mortgages for "new-build" homes. The scheme is designed to reduce the size of a deposit, particularly for first-time buyers, by shifting the "loan-to-value" ratio. Banks are currently demanding deposits of up to 20% of the value of a property from first-time buyers.

If the housing market suffered a severe downturn, the taxpayer could ultimately be responsible for a part of the loss under the scheme. But homebuyers would first lose their deposits and the loss to the taxpayer would be shared with the bank.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/21/cameron-clegg-homes-plan

Now - wasn't there another such 'silver bullet' shot from the guns of various banks some five or so years ago? Wasn't that silver bullet called 'sub prime mortgages'? Now, Arturo and me, we ain't no geniuses; we're mere under stairs cats! But, these new mortgage arrangements from the two laughing boys, Cameron and Clegg sound very similar!

I reckon we don't need no silver bullet. What we need isn't a government that promises 170,000 new homes in four years in August - then three months later decides it will have 16,000 homes. Either they haven't talked to old Apple Schnapps Shapps or they're living in Wonderland for real!

'Bye' from Arturo and me!


Saturday 19 November 2011

Pickles goes crackers @ No 10

Arturo and I glanced through the papers today. We could not believe our eyes when we read one story. In the Guardian, a headline read: Pickles to serve up curry college in government integration strategy : School to train UK nationals in line with Tory policy of deep cuts in immigration and scrapping language of multiculturalism

"'Bagpuss' Pickles has gone crackers!" Arturo declared. "It's either that - or he's hoping to be sent the products from the curry cookery 'lessons'!"

The article was written by Alan Travis, Guardian home affairs editor. It concerned:
... a UK curry college that would teach British workers the secret of perfect pakoras a showpiece of the government's integration strategy to be published shortly.

A curry college! What about a houmous nursery? A goulash primary? A zupa szczawiowa university? Maybe I am being a cynic, I thought, maybe I need to read more.

The article continued:
Pickles's "curry college", as it is being called, would see the government backing a school to train British people from all backgrounds to become chefs specialising in Indian food as an answer to the crisis in the £3.2bn curry industry triggered by the Home Office's ban on bringing in chefs from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Being a cat of refined taste - I wouldn't touch a curry with a barge-pole! Let alone a curry from a 'curry college' encouraged by 'Bagpuss' Pickles!

It seems that the 'Silent Man' Iain Duncan Smith is also in favour of this type of initiative. The article states:
It also chimes with the position of Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary. In July he appeared to echo Gordon Brown's infamous plea for "British jobs for British workers" but has since said that he rejects that in favour of a policy of "getting British workers ready for British jobs".

The idea is backed in the long-awaited integration strategy being hammered out between Whitehall departments, which says the government is to "support British excellence in the Asian and Oriental catering" sector.

Brunel and Stephenson must be turning in their graves, I thought! If we need to rely on youngsters learning how to make curry to get the UK out of its multifarious problems - Boy, oh boy; are we in trouble! Do Pickles and IDS really think that a curry college will kick-start the economy and produce a harmonious society?

The Industrial Revolution that made the UK into a world leader was dependent on innovation not on re-hashing old cooking recipes! There were new techniques in the production of textiles – cotton spinning using Richard Arkwright's water frame, James Hargreaves's Spinning Jenny, and Samuel Crompton's Spinning Mule. There was innovation in steam power through the work of James Watt. These were just two areas where the UK lead the world - not through using Mrs Beaton's cookery book!

You know that a country is really on the skids when two of its government ministers reckon it's even worth giving the time of day to a 'curry college'!

It seems, however, that the 'curry college' is only one part of a strategy. It is not just to get youngsters into the role of curry-cooks. Believe it or not, it is also part of the 'integration strategy'. This strategy is referred to in the article in the Guardian as follows:
The draft paper confirms the strategy will be broken down in four separate strands: establishing common ground; increasing social mobility; improving participation and countering intolerance and extremism. Among its proposals are believed to be:

• A new drive against "anti-Muslim hatred" in Britain and a recognition antisemitism is also growing.

• Events to celebrate the Queen's diamond jubilee and the Olympic Games that bring together different communities.

• An online integration forum, which includes a "barrier-busting site" to remove bureaucratic barriers and encourage different community and faith groups to come together.

• An initiative to establish common ground with Gypsy and Traveller communities.

Can any of this be achieved by getting everyone to eat 'home-grown curry'? Truly amazing, if it works! One mouthful of curry and we love all foreigners - including the French!

There is a telling quotation in the article:
Paul Goodman, a former Tory shadow communities minister, and executive editor of Conservativehome website, said the curry college plan was "very Eric Pickles". Goodman said: "He [Pickles] has a dream: namely to set up a curry college. It combines border control with foreign cooking. It would both help satisfy the apparently inexhaustible appetite for onion bhajis and prawn birianis while also providing justification for the squeeze on visas."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/18/pickles-curry-college-intergration-strategy?CMP=twt_gu

When Martin Luther King had a dream about integration, I don't think he was dreaming of curry!

Arturo and I were troubled by the image of 'Bagpuss' Pickles and 'Silent Man' Duncan Smith gorging on onion bhajis and prawn birianis. We went out to hunt for a tasty rat - or two!

'Bye'


Monday 14 November 2011

'Off with their heads' @ No 10

So - why am I in yet another dither about the NHS? If you take a look at the Daily Telegraph, you will understand.

Max Pemberton has written a piece entitled: The NHS delivers fast patient care, so why privatise an NHS hospital? He makes a clear and cogently argued case against this new Health and Social Care Bill. He writes:
Last week I spotted three news reports about the NHS which, when considered together, provide a damning critique of the Government’s current agenda for the health service.
He then details these reports. The first item shows that "the NHS is a world leader in cancer treatment". He continues:
... this study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, claims that the NHS in England and Wales has achieved the biggest drop in cancer deaths and the most efficient use of resources among 10 leading countries.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/heal-our-hospitals/8884323/The-NHS-delivers-fast-patient-care-so-why-privatise-an-NHS-hospital.html

One of the co-authors of this British Journal of Cancer report, Prof Colin Pritchard, a health academic at Bournemouth University was quoted by Denis Campbell, the Guardian's health correspondent, as saying:
These results challenge the feeble justification of the government's changes, which appear to be based upon overhyped media representation, rather than hard comparable evidence. This paper should be a real boost to cancer patients and their families because the NHS's performance on cancer is much better than the media presents. It challenges the government's assertion that the NHS is inefficient and ineffective at treating cancer – an argument for reforming the NHS. ...
David Cameron and Andrew Lansley are happier with NHS 'bad news' stories rather than, as our research shows, that we should celebrate the NHS which, in monetary terms, is vastly superior to the private healthcare system of the USA.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/07/nhs-cancer-figures-cameron-lansley

The second matter to which Max Pemberton refers is based on, "the result of the Commonwealth Fund survey, which uses a range of measures to analyse health-care systems worldwide."

The Commonwealth Fund survey stated:
Despite having very different health care systems, the U.K. and Switzerland were leaders in having rapid access to primary care, easy access to after-hours care, and comparatively low rates of coordination gaps and patient-reported medical errors.
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Surveys/2011/Nov/2011-International-Survey.aspx

Max Pemberton in his comments on this survey writes:
The success of the NHS comes despite health spending per capita being the third lowest of the 11 countries examined.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/heal-our-hospitals/8884323/The-NHS-delivers-fast-patient-care-so-why-privatise-an-NHS-hospital.html

Finally, Max Pemberton drew attention to the fact that the findings of these surveys are:
... at odds with ... the announcement that the Treasury has given the go-ahead for a private company to take over an NHS hospital. This is despite the Coalition’s assurance that it is not pursuing privatisation of the NHS.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/heal-our-hospitals/8884323/The-NHS-delivers-fast-patient-care-so-why-privatise-an-NHS-hospital.html

The figures that the British Journal of Cancer and the Commonwealth Fund survey present are obviously not the ones that Lansley and Cameron see!

Increasingly their view of the NHS is like the distorted worlds of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Things are never quite what they appear to be. As Alice would say they are "Curiouser and curiouser!"

The case for retaining the NHS free from the taint of privatisation is clear. If I were judging this matter, I should expect a jury to come back with a 'Guilty' verdict against Lansley and Cameron. Guilty of what, do you ask? Guilty of attempting to destroy the much prized NHS, the jewel in the crown of the Welfare State. And the sentence for such wanton destruction? As Lewis Carroll's Queen of Hearts would say: "Off with their heads!"

'Bye'


Saturday 12 November 2011

The NHS enters 'Wonderland' @ No 10

Arturo has been in a state of great excitement for the last couple of days. The floor of the kitchen is scattered with newspapers. They have one thing in common, articles about Circle and Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Once Arturo had gone off into a twitchy sleep, I peered at what he had been reading.
The Guardian had a story from John Lister entitled: Andrew Lansley's NHS is all about private sector hype. It went on to analyse the news that Circle, a private company has been granted a £1bn contract to run the hospital for the next ten years.

John Lister writes:
The hype has come thick and fast from Circle Healthcare's smooth-talking boss, former Goldman Sachs banker Ali Parsadoust (known as Ali Parsa), who gives the impression that Circle is some kind of altruistic workers' co-operative, while in fact it is controlled by private equity and hedge funds. Far from handing control to the workers, Circle takes a negative view of trade unions and will have to resort to old-fashioned cuts in the workforce if it is to generate the "efficiency savings" it needs to put the hospital into surplus.

More hype has come from the architect of the contract, NHS East of England's director of strategy Dr Stephen Dunn, an enthusiastic advocate of private sector provision (which he denies is privatisation), whose unstinting efforts to secure this deal won him an award this year from HealthInvestor magazine.

Ummm! Difficult to understand how this Dr Stephen Dunn can say this is NOT privatisation! But then as Humpty Dumpty said:
When I use a word, ... it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

So, presumably Dr Dunn likes to travel Through the Looking-Glass hand in hand with Alice! Regrettably, the developing world of the new NHS is going that way as well!

Possibly, this company Circle is like another character in the Alice stories - the Walrus who gobbles up the little oysters! He did feel a bit sorry for them but he ate them all the same! Circle is convincing itself it is doing no harm as it gobbles up Hinchingbrooke! It is increasingly surprising how some people are able to convince themselves of almost anything!

John Lister's article continues:
Far from rescuing the NHS, Circle itself is heavily dependent upon the NHS: its main current income stream comes from an NHS contract. Circle's own business plan to expand its private hospitals relies on it continuing to build a workforce by poaching consultants, nurses and other staff trained by the NHS. And now Circle's future financial health depends on drawing profits from running one NHS hospital, and hopefully generating further contract income from the NHS – assuming Andrew Lansley's health bill successfully opens up the NHS to greater private sector involvement.

Quite a juggling act! Worthy of any Mad Hatter! If one were cynical, one might express doubts over the whole affair. Who exactly is going to gain what from whom? It seems unlikely that the NHS will be a winner.

John Lister writes:
The company will be under pressure to turn a profit. Ninety five per cent of the Circle Holdings is owned by a private equity and other city interests, including some of the world's biggest hedge funds and asset managers. Over the past six years they have funnelled a massive £140m into the company, for no return. They will want to limit further investment until they see results.

So the staff and services at Hinchingbrooke will be right in the firing line when Circle eventually takes over the reins next February.

How hard NHS staff will want to work at making surpluses for Circle is open to doubt. How many of them will lose their jobs and how many services will be sacrificed in the bid to make surpluses we can only wait and see.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/11/andrew-lansley-nhs-private-sector-circle

Anxiety about the contract was also voiced in the Mirror:
A British Medical Association spokeswoman said: “We are concerned about the potential pitfalls of this experiment. The Hinchingbrooke deal sets a worrying precedent that could lead to significant numbers of NHS hospitals being franchised to the private sector.”

And Louise Silverton, deputy general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said it had “serious concerns about the potential impact of privatisation in the NHS”. She added: “We will be watching this very, very closely.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/11/11/nhs-hospital-takeover-by-private-firm-sparks-fury-as-1billion-goes-to-tory-fatcats-115875-23553024/#ixzz1dUaF3ZLm

Who and what exactly is this Circle? The boss, one Ali Parsa, whose name is, in fact, Ali Parsadoust was a former banker with Goldman Sachs. He waxes eloquent about what Circle will do for Hinchingbrooke. What he has not mentioned, however, is what Hinchingbrooke will do for Circle! It will surely be expected to help close up the socking great hole in Circle's resources! To do so will require either ruthless butchery or magic!

Maybe, Ali Parsa is in reality Ali Baba from the Thousand and One Nights and like the mythical man will get the money from somewhere! Maybe, ex-bankers from Goldman Sachs are not like leopards and they can change their spots. Maybe, he will pour money into the ailing Hinchingbrooke! Ummm!

On the Circle website, it is stated that the company is 'passionate' about its objectives including:
Pursuing our ambition to be the best healthcare provider is a never-ending process. 'Good enough' never is.

Now that's what I call pretty cool! One worry I have is that the images chosen by Circle for their website are as intangible as the world of Wonderland and the treasures of Ali Baba. They have chosen soap bubbles for their 'Credo' page! (http://www.circlepartnership.co.uk/about-circle/our-credo)

On the 'Circle Story' page they have selected an image of a crop circle! (http://www.circlepartnership.co.uk/about-circle/circle-story)

These images worry me and I think they should concern Hinchingbrooke Hospital too. Bubbles have a habit of bursting! Crop circles are a hoax!

You pays your money and you takes your choice! Humpty Dumpty would love it!

'Bye'

Thursday 10 November 2011

Osborne's dodgy figures ... @No 10

There is an undoubted communal holding of the breath here in Downing Street while all and sundry await the ultimate fate of the so-called euro-zone. A man on BBC Radio 4 used the dreaded word 'Armageddon' about the present economic climate which made several of the Interns here shudder!

However, other government machinations continue unabated by various members of the Coalition. It seems that while there is life there is hope. Certain people round here have an abundance of hope and therefore they continue to plough their crooked furrows.

Today, Arturo once more pointed me in the direction of a story in the Daily Telegraph. Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent, has come up with evidence of such machinations.

He wrote an article entitled: Planning figures are two decades old. As soon as I saw that I thought to myself 'Ah ha! Old 'Bagpuss' Pickles and 'Disgusting' Clark are up to no good again! They will say or do almost anything to get the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) into force, thus helping developers start work crunching up the countryside. Well, Pickles was not mentioned by name, much to my disappointment. Clark's name, however, did feature.

Christopher Hope writes:
Chancellor George Osborne has justified controversial changes to planning rules by saying that planning delays cost the UK £3 billion a year.

However, it has emerged that the £3 billion figure is based on an estimate by the Confederation of British Industry in 1992.

1992! Well, I thought, if that's how Georgy Osborne does his financial calculations - no wonder the country is in trouble! Just think about it for a minute. 1992 is 19 years ago - when the PM was one John Major, a Conservative leader having problems with Eurosceptic backbenchers! Now - 19 years later, we have a Conservative PM having problems with hordes of Eurosceptic backbenchers! That's it! Obviously, Georgy is so worried about his pal, 'Boy David' Cameron that he started living in the past.

That is to put a favourable hue on Georgy's machinations. Actually, what is relevant is the present cost of planning policy issues? A more cynical creature than myself might put forward the suggestion that the CBI estimate from 1992 was more advantageous to Georgy's argument than the present figures!

Christopher Hope continues:
The Treasury published claims that planning delays cost the economy £3 billion a year in March, citing a study by Reading University. Mr Osborne repeated it in a speech in September.

However, the Royal Town Planning Institute told MPs yesterday that it had found the Reading study referred to a 2006 report by a former civil servant, Kate Barker, who in turn based it on a Confederation of British Industry estimate from 1992.

Trudi Elliott, the institute’s chief executive, said: “We don’t think there is any evidence, that planning costs the economy £3 billion.”

Does this remind anyone of the 'Dodgy Dossier'?

Georgy has been supporting the NPPF. Arturo says that Georgy is desperate to get the credit for something positive. If the NPPF is implemented and following this the costs of planning are reduced below the 1992 figure - Hey presto! Georgy Osborne is a genius. 'Disgusting' Clark is a genius! Even 'Bagpuss' Pickles is a genius! You see it's all sleight of hand - or rather sleight of figures!

How these men of politics desire to be thought brilliant - even if they have to fiddle the figures to get the reputation!

What was 'Disgusting' Clark's response to the assertion that the figures presented by the government were wrong? Christopher Hope writes:
The planning minister Greg Clark, who was giving evidence to the MPs, said it was “not for me” to question estimates from academics.

So there you have it - humility in bucketsful! 'Disgusting' Clark knows his limitations!

Let's hope that Georgy Osborne knows his limitations too! What was that figure he quoted for the National Debt?????

'Bye'

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Butchery @ No 10

Arturo and I never cease to be amazed at the machinations of political humans in power. A cat calls a rat - a rat. A political human calls a rat a rodent opportunity to make money out of a gullible public. And that, my friends, is exactly what the present gang of British political humans in power are doing with the word 'reform'. It is most obvious when 'reform' is connected to Planning and the three letters 'NHS'. But let me explain further.

The word 'reform', once uttered, is expected to be greeted by rounds of applause, cheers and general approbation. "What's not to like?" Lansley and Cameron declare that if it's reform - it must mean 'things can only get better'.

However, you and I know that when another former British premier uttered that slogan - things only got worse and worse and worse! He - Blair that is - even proposed that Casinos would regenerate impoverished areas! Tell that to the fairies! If that's what Labour thought reform of the gambling laws meant, then they must have been nuts!

To get back to the word 'reform' which is the crux of the matter. In the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of the word is to:
'make changes in (something, especially an institution or practice) in order to improve it'. Well, what could be better than that? We all want improvements, don't we? In the past, when politicians made reforms, in general, things were improved. But not always. Mr Beeching's 'reform' of the National Rail Service left communities isolated and abandoned. Mrs Thatcher's many, many 'reforms' left the country on its benders from which it is yet to rise!

The problem becomes apparent when the word reform is associated with money or profit. Then, you need to beware. The impact of one person's reform is butchery for someone else.

Just think of some of the present Coalition's long list of 'reforms'. The Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the love child of 'Disgusting' Clark is a case in point. It is so drafted that it gives a “presumption in favour of sustainable development”. In reality, it is a Developer's Charter and will allow large swathes of much loved countryside to be concreted over. All in the fair name of 'reform'.

There is worse though! The three words National Health Service have been used for generations of politicians as some sort of talisman.

The NHS is safe in our hands. The elderly are safe in our hands. The sick are safe in our hands. The surgeons are safe in our hands. The nurses are safe in our hands. The doctors are safe in our hands. The dentists are safe in our hands.
So said David Evans, Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield way back in 1996.

It's interesting to note that the present MP for Welwyn Hatfield is none other than 'Apple Schnapps' Shapps - a great champion of the word 'reform' but one who plays fast and loose with its dictionary definition!

The NHS: safe in our hands wrote Norman Lamb, member of the present Coalition government in Liberal Democrat Voice! Well - if he says so, you know there's bound to be trouble for the NHS!

The Big Cheese of the present Coalition, none other than 'Boy David' Cameron himself showed all his brilliant PR training when on Jan 4 2010, he wrote:
Remembering that when it comes to our public services – protecting them and investing in them, we are all in this together. We will cut the deficit, not the NHS because the NHS is the bedrock of a fair society.
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/01/David_Cameron_ill_cut_the_deficit_not_the_NHS.aspx

So, what exactly has this great reformer of the NHS done to protect it? If the so-called reforms go through the House of Lords, as seems likely, there will be considerable anxiety and disquiet among those who have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the NHS than the reforming PM and his Secretary of State, Lansley.

According to Professor Sir Neil Douglas, Chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges:
“Across the medical profession there are continuing concerns that the Health and Social Care Bill could damage patient care. All the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties representing the whole medical profession have come together to support this clear statement of our anxieties.

He went on to say:
We are not completely opposed to all aspects of the Bill but have grave concerns that the reforms will undermine the provision of joined up services for patients and lead to a widening of health inequalities which would run counter to the expressly stated wishes of the Government.
http://aomrc.org.uk/component/content/article/38-general-news/277-senior-doctors-to-lobby-lords-on-health-and-social-care-bill.html

Oh well! There you have it! "the reforms will undermine the provision of joined up services for patients and lead to a widening of health inequalities".

As worrying are the revelations made in the Guardian by Daniel Boffey. He highlighted the manner in which some of the 'reforms' of the NHS are being implemented.
A global consultancy firm seeking to profit out of the fallout from the shake-up to the NHS is being paid £250,000 a year by the government for advice on the transition towards health secretary Andrew Lansley's vision of the service.

The American firm, McKinsey Inc, with estimated revenues of £4.1bn a year, has been advising the Department of Health on how best to manage the radical changes since March. McKinsey is also one of a group of private consultants that have united to provide paid-for advice to GPs as they prepare for life after the reforms.

Daniel Boffey went on to quote the head of health at Unison:
...what is also becoming obvious is the close relationships being built between this Conservative government and the private companies who are making, or want to make, a profit from the reforms in the health and social care bill.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/05/nhs-reforms-mckinsey-conflict-interest)

So, there it is in a nutshell. For the word 'reform', just substitute the word 'butchery'. Of course the phrase - the planned butchery of the NHS - does not appeal to the punters in the quite the same way as - the planned reforms of the NHS. The results are the same - it's a plain old-fashioned carve-up!

But as always, Arturo hit the nail on the head with his now familiar expression, 'Plus ça change: plus c'est la même chose'. He's what you would call an educated cat, 'n'est pas'?

'Bye' from me and my pal, Arturo.

Saturday 5 November 2011

The world turned upside-down ... @No 10

It's been fairly quiet in Downing Street! But that does not mean that things are hunky-dory for either Georgy Osborne in No 11 or for 'Boy David' Cameron in No 10. In fact, Arturo told me that he thought both their worlds had been turned on their heads.

Arturo is right, of course. The world has been turned upside-down because of the comings and goings at the G20. 'Boy David' Cameron's nose was firmly put out of joint by that funny little man with the happy-sad face reminiscent of a Charlie Chaplin character - Sarkozy. The two never seemed at ease in each others company. Now the frost has become a veritable glacier and Cameron knows not what to do!

Of course, Cameron is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. By that I mean - if he pals up to Merkel and Sarkozy and offers a few pounds sterling as a gesture of goodwill then he has trouble back home. And does he have trouble back home with anyone? Well, he sure does! He has about eighty backbenchers who would be prepared to lynch him without turning a hair if he so much as smiled at Sarkozy!!

On the other hand - if he plays the cool Englishman card too often with the Europeans, then he'll get another Gallic slap in the face! Poor old 'Boy David'!

He is in a real dilemma. He told various people at the G20 meeting that the British economy is getting worse as the euro crisis remains unresolved.

That may be true - in fact it's very likely to be true. However, Cameron does have an uncanny way of always blaming others for his problems. He constantly harps on about the 'legacy of debt' left to him by Labour. Now, if it's not that ghastly Papandreou - it's that irresponsible Berlesconi or perhaps it's that tight-fisted Merkel woman or even the dancing master - Sarkozy. Of course, it is never Cameron himself!

There is one person who must be getting quite worried about all this! Cameron will soon be running out of people to blame. There is one fellow, very close to hand, who must now be teetering on the brink of 'blamedom'! That fellow is none other than Georgy from next door!

How so, do you ask? Well, just think about it. All Prime Ministers like to boast about their Chancellors. Until that is ... the economy starts to go wrong. Then, sensing blame may be heading to the doors of No 10, the PMs all turn their heads to the obvious fall-guy - none other than the 'brilliant', 'marvellous' Chancellor!

Poor old Georgy, as Fraser Nelson editor of 'The Spectator’, writes in the Daily Telegraph in his article : The eurozone crisis can’t hide George Osborne’s shortcomings for ever

Osborne’s path is a slow one. He’s cutting less over four years than Denis Healey managed in one year. The risk he faces is that, when he comes to fight the next election, a debt-burdened Britain will still be limping to recovery, while countries that genuinely front-loaded the pain – such as Ireland – will be recovering at Estonian speed. Then he will have some explaining to do. The G20, for all its rich comic potential, is a sideshow. The notion of global economic leadership is a chimera. Recovery begins at home.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/g20-summit/8867817/The-eurozone-crisis-cant-hide-George-Osbornes-shortcomings-for-ever.html

But maybe, Georgy won't even make it to the 'next election'! If the flat lining gesturing from 'Mesmer eyes' Balls every time Georgy stands up in the Commons actually materialises, Cameron may steel himself and decide friendship or not, Etonian brotherhood or not - Georgy Osborne will have to go!

Georgy is no fool - he sees the writing on the wall himself. He knows that he has to find a rabbit to pull out of the hat. He seems to doubt he will find one.

Fraser Nelson in his article writes:

I’m told that the Chancellor has been feeling glum recently, and has started to talk about the future with the proviso “if I am still here next year”. For all his superficial confidence, which his critics portray as arrogance, he is all too mindful of his vulnerability. A chancellor who is seen to have failed cannot stay, no matter how strong his friendship with the prime minister.

Oh dear! Oh dear! Maybe Arturo will be getting a new master!

'Bye'


Tuesday 1 November 2011

Down and Out ... @ No 10

"Remember 'Things Can Only Get Better'?" Arturo nudged me.

"Well, they haven't, have they?" I answered.

"They've got a bloomin' sight worse!" Arturo shoved a handheld tablet in front of me and then sauntered off. When I finished reading, I knew he was right.

Let me explain. The full impact of the Coalition cuts has not yet been felt. However, many local authorities are cutting grants to voluntary groups that provide support for the elderly and disabled. Services have been cut to these vulnerable groups. Many mentally ill people are suffering the full effects of this - and more cuts are due in the early part of next year.

In CommunityCare.co.uk (http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/31/10/2011/117681/hike-in-number-of-rough-sleepers-with-mental-health-issues.htm), Jeremy Dunning writes:

Increasing numbers of people with mental health problems are sleeping rough due to cuts to mental health services, homelessness outreach workers have warned.

He continued:
The findings come in a new report from the charity (St Mungo), Battered, Broken, Bereft – Why People Still End Up Rough Sleeping.

A separate survey of 1,500 St Mungo's clients identified that increasing numbers of new residents in emergency shelters have mental health problems. Outreach workers reported that mental health services were raising thresholds for support, denying care to all but the most needy. St Mungo's said that one mental health trust it worked with was cutting 100 in-patient beds and reducing staff numbers in community teams at the same time as the area's local authority was closing four mental health day centres.

So - I visited the St Mungo's site http://www.mungos.org.uk/press_office/1002_battered-broken-bereft-new-rough-sleeping-report

There are some very disturbing facts and figures here! For example Charles Fraser, St Mungo's Chief Executive, said:

The cuts in ‘Cinderella' services such as those supporting people with mental health conditions and domestic violence are of particular concern. As services close, or thresholds for accessing support are raised, some vulnerable people are being left with nowhere to turn with devastating effect. These cuts are proving too costly, both in human terms and in the very real costs of supporting people's recovery from the trauma of rough sleeping.

We know rough sleeping can be prevented if the right support is provided when people need it. People may well be battered, broken and bereft - but we must not abandon them.

Further down the site, various outreach workers make the following comments:
"The cuts to mental health services are meaning more mental health patients are hitting the streets as rough sleepers. The thresholds to accessing inpatient mental health beds and statutory services have been raised to exclude rough sleepers and those with dual diagnosis." Outreach worker - East of England

"[There is an] increase in those discharged from community care support as they no longer meet the matrix for learning disability or mental health, especially personality disorder" Outreach Worker - South East

I read all this with growing unease. The Health and Social Care Bill has not yet passed through the House of Lords. At the present time, there are still some Primary Care Trusts doing their work. Not many GPs have formed themselves into Clinical Commissioning Groups - but already mental health services are having problems. Without the support of voluntary groups whose budgets have been cut, the prospect is that more mentally ill people will end up on the streets!

So - Mr 'silver fox' Lansley, 'Boy David' Cameron and 'Wailing Lad' Clegg - what are you going to do about this? And what about you, 'Bagpuss' Pickles? It's your changes to the local authorities' finances that have caused them to cut services! What are you going to do to remedy the situation?

Of course, if the 'Silent Man' Iain Duncan Smith has his way and cuts benefits to those who misbehave, then the streets will be overflowing with the homeless!

It seems to me - and remember I am only an under stairs cat - that the humans in this Coalition have made a fine old mess of things and that the mess will only get worse. As Arturo whispered in my ear when he saw an elderly lady lying on the pavement near Waterloo: 'You wouldn't treat a dog like that!'

But maybe - the Coalition would!

'Bye'