Brief Encounter: PMQs 5th February 2025

The first question, from Dr Neil Hudson (Con, Epping Forest), highlighted suicide among the under-35s; another from Calum Miller (Lib Dem) spoke of the crisis in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), which leaves youngsters waiting for years - in a case he mentioned, the girl would only become a priority if she was ‘actively trying to kill herself.’ Our young people are suffering.

The PM’s opening remarks began with the fatal stabbing of a Sheffield boy on Monday. Later, Labour’s Louise Haigh echoed his horror and called for ‘a whole-system, cross-Government approach to address the root causes of violence.’ Sir Keir sidestepped that systemic suggestion and focused on knife crime, saying ‘we redouble every step to ensure that young people are kept safe.’

A recent governmental step is to make it harder for young people to buy knives online. It’s not the purchase that counts - such a bureaucratic deflection - but the carrying. That has been successfully tackled in the past: in the 1950s a Glasgow judge subdued the city’s razor gangs by giving long jail sentences to all caught carrying a blade. Since then the problem has been allowed to get well out of hand, with over 55,000 knife-related offences recorded in England and Wales in the year to September 2024.

We have been soft on crime for too long. As Starmer told Labour’s Claire Hughes, the Tories ‘effectively told the police to ignore shoplifting of under £200-worth of goods.’ He said Labour had got rid of ‘that shoplifter’s charter’ and that they ‘are working hard to ensure that we take a grip.’ Specifics would be nice.

Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch started with yet another portmanteau question combining the ‘immoral surrender’ of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius - ‘so that north London lawyers can boast at their dinner parties’ - with Ed Miliband’s failure to defend the Rosebank oil and gas field in the litigation by ‘eco-nutters.’ Starmer may need a voice coach but Badenoch needs a trainer in forensic interrogation.

Nevertheless Sir Keir went for the Chagos option, using the phrase ‘national security’ five times in his first reply and saying that Badenoch was not ‘properly briefed’ on the implications. Riposting in kind, Kemi claimed the PM had shown last week that he did not know what was in his own employment and education bills. The spat rambled on into energy and investment issues - ‘all she can do is student politics’ said Starmer, clearly briefed to take the sting out of a common accusation against Labour by throwing it back without looking at the dartboard.

Curiously, Sir Keir blurted that Badenoch’s inadequate security briefings demonstrated that she was ‘not fit to be Prime Minister.’ Does he sense that he may not have four and a half years of his premiership left?

We need to return to Chagos. The concern in the US is considerable. Senator John Kennedy broke off from a speech about Musk’s audit of USAID to discuss the history and strategic importance of the islands, the UN’s non-binding legal ruling and how Starmer has doubled down on his potentially disastrous historic error, offering even more money for even less lease time. ‘Please don’t do it, Prime Minister.’ Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will forgive, said Kennedy, ‘but they will never ever forget.’ Watch him here.

During her desultory questioning Kemi Badenoch made two references to Sir Keir’s voice coach as did Gagan Mohindra (Con) who, perhaps mischievously exploiting Parliamentary privilege, went so far as to name her in his query about a possible breach of lockdown rules on Christmas Eve in 2020. Neither was as bold as Katie Hopkins on Twitter/X - but then La Hopkins is notorious for her recklessness.

Labour’s Johanna Baxter spoke about Scotland’s funding crisis and the Strathclyde pension fund slashing their employer contributions. Starmer’s stock answer to Caledonian matters was that the Scottish government is a failure, they have the powers and money and no excuses left.

There are implications for the rest of Britain in that reply. Once the great devolution Bill has split up the country we may expect to hear more brushoffs like this about problems in other regions; and then the PM can knock off on a Friday evening as he wishes.

Labour’s John Slinger used his question to swipe at Nigel Farage, whose Reform Party has just overtaken both Labour and Conservatives in a YouGov poll. Would the PM reaffirm our right to medical care free at the point of use? Of course he would.

Soon after, Farage began by responding on that point and there was much noise. He noted ‘there appears to be some panic on the Labour Benches’ before proceeding and the Speaker said he was keen ‘to get this question over with.’ It turned out to be a link between the Clacton constituents’ loss of the Winter Fuel Allowance and the £18 billion loss of our military base on the Chagos Islands. The PM said Reform’s policy ‘would be to charge them for using the NHS’ and they should vote Labour ‘because we are stabilising the economy and boosting their jobs.’ Are those truths, readers?

On immigration (another Tory embarrassment), there was a Bill coming; law settles all. Would the Conservatives support it?

On Gaza, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey declared himself ‘alarmed’ at President Trump’s proposal to take over the Strip and ‘forcibly displace’ its people. Starmer replied emotively with images of Emily Damari reunited with her mother and of ‘thousands of Palestinians literally walking through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza.’

Crime, energy, health, immigration, Hamas’ nest on the shores of the Med… big ideas and swift executive action on the other side of the Atlantic. Here?

Maybe it’s an age thing. Two weeks have passed and already President Trump (78) has shaken the American and global establishments, with more to come. By contrast the British Prime Minister has little to show after six months in office other than multiple crises and promises of jam tomorrow. Is it time for Sir Keir (62) to make way for an older man?

FRIDAY MUSIC: Dan Hicks, by JD

Dan Hicks, 1941-2016

As he admits, Dan Hicks was in the right place at the right time when, after moving from Arkansas to California as a child, then cutting his musical teeth in the US’ burgeoning folk clubs, he landed in 1966 San Francisco, where the counterculture was coalescing into the city’s psychedelic revolution. As drummer with The Charlatans, he played the acid-coated residency at Virginia City’s Red Dog Saloon credited with kickstarting 1967’s short-lived summer of love, but soon struck out to lead the old-time hothouse jazz of his Hot Licks.

http://www.danhicks.net/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Hicks_(singer)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2pfYcswtVB6ncdkd5PP0H2N/psychedelic-frontiersmen-how-dan-hicks-and-the-charlatans-licked-west-coast-rock-into-shape

Dan Hicks Remembered: 1941 - 2016

Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks-Canned Music

Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks-Payday

Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks on Flip Wilson

A tough game – PMQs 29 January 2025

The match opened with Labour’s Damien Egan asking the Prime Minister to oppose means testing of the State Pension and committing to the ‘triple lock,’ which Starmer was glad to do, despite its estimated cost of £137.5 billion this year.

Instead of means-testing, how about raising the tax on the income of wealthier retirees, instead of persecuting employment with National Insurance rises? Or perhaps the Assisted Dying Bill (if passed) and the continued use of the M&M (morphine and midazolam) kill-shot for the ill and old will help reduce the strain on the Treasury. Sign that Respect form, everybody?

The Leader of the Opposition began with a solemn reminder of the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

(A shame that the Russians who freed the camp had not been invited, but we are / are not at war with them; it’s complicated.)

The Tories have a problem hurling stones at Labour from within their glass house. Kemi focused on the Employment Bill, which she said either followed previous Conservative policies or would cost a lot. She accused Sir Keir of not knowing the provisions of his own Bill, and even of having misled the House on the Education Bill last week – at that, the Speaker blew his whistle.

Badenoch cited various clauses in the Employment Bill that made it a ‘playground for lawyers’ and gave more power to the trade unions. Employers were hesitant about hiring; changes to sick pay rules might cost up to £1 billion extra. Entrepreneurs were disincentivised and millionaires were fleeing the country. By contrast, the US and Argentina were slashing regulation. Despite the PM’s aspiration to economic growth, he could not tax, borrow or legislate his way to it.

Starmer said that his Chancellor had given “a brilliant speech” and the CBI had celebrated its “positive leadership and a clear vision to kickstart the economy”. The Tories’ claimed “golden inheritance” had been tested on 4 July (with that said, the support of only 20.2 per cent of the electorate was hardly a mandate for his radical changes).

After these exchanges, there were twenty questions – half from Labour – which were about:

Home insulation; the poverty of the disabled and the need to support them into work; the Ipswich bypass and the PM’s determination to back the builders over the blockers (oh, to be a construction company these days!); the shortage in council housing; the economic benefits of paternity leave (this from Luke Charters, awaiting sprog #2); compensation for sacked LGBT military and intelligence personnel; the commemoration for the service victims of a 2005 air disaster in Iraq; problem in getting GP appointments.

Rossendale and Darwen’s Andy MacNae was upbeat about the devolution plan; Starmer said it was “moving power out of Westminster and into the hands of those with skin in the game” (though others might say it was weakening the voice of local people). Glasgow’s Gordon McKee made Scotland’s cold an advantage in bidding to become an “AI growth zone” (though cheap Chinese AI may have just shot that fox).

On the other side of the aisle, Rosie Duffield (Independent) asked about the Drax power station, which has received billions in subsidies (possibly illegally) to burn trees. The PM would look into it…

The Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey once again urged speed in hospital construction, and then asked the PM’s support for a ‘UK-EU customs union’; on the other hand, North Antrim’s Jim Allister complained of over 300 areas of EU economic law governing Northern Ireland and the Republic, rather than Britain – what did this imply for the retention of NI in the UK? Gavin Robinson (Belfast East) reminded us of the Omagh bombing; would Starmer encourage the Irish Government to cooperate in this enquiry into Irish terrorism?

Three other Lib Dems asked about building hospitals, one of them about the impact of NIC rises on ward staffing. Another (Paul Kohler) praised the system of restorative justice between perpetrators and their victims (high-minded, provided there is no hypocrisy).

Only two Conservatives had shots at goal, both right at the end.

One was Sir Jeremy Wright, who said the compensation for Covid vaccine injuries was inadequate. The PM merely said he and the Health Secretary would “look at it”.

It’s a can of worms. America’s new Health Secretary is not only claiming that the disease was genetically modified to target certain races, but that countries with a lower vaccination rate suffered fewer deaths.

The other Tory question, right before the whistle blew, came from Andrew Rosindell, quoting the Office for National Statistics, who say that the UK population will rise to 72.5 million by 2032. Sir Keir countered with the Conservatives’ own record on immigration and vaguely promised that Labour would “bring those numbers down”.

Then the referee blew up – no extra time for that one.

Reposted from Wolves of Westminster

FRIDAY MUSIC: Chas & Dave (aka Rockney), by JD

Chas & Dave (often billed as Chas 'n' Dave) were an English pop rock duo, formed in London by Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock.

They were most notable as creators and performers of a musical style labelled rockney (a portmanteau of rock and cockney), which mixes "pub singalong, music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll". For a time, Rockney was also the name of their record label, their major breakthrough being "Gertcha" in 1979, which peaked at No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and was the first of eight Top 40 hit singles the duo played on. They had their biggest success in the early 1980s with "Rabbit" and "Ain't No Pleasing You". They also had nine charting albums. In October 2013 they released That's What Happens, their first studio album in 18 years.
http://www.chasndave.net/chas-hodges/

Chas & Dave - Ain't No Pleasing You (Official HD Music Video)

Chas & Dave - Stars Over 45 (Official HD Music Video)

Tottenham Hotspur Squad & Chas & Dave - Ossie's Dream

Chas & Dave - Margate (Official HD Music Video)

Chas & Dave with Eric Clapton - Good Night Irene
From The Chas & Dave Christmas TV Special-1982.
Royal Club - Guildford, Surrey
Band:
Eric Clapton: Guitar
Albert Lee: Guitar
Chas Hodges: Piano
Dave Peacock: Bass
Mick Burt: Drums

WEEKEND MUSIC: Music and more, for Burns Night, by JD

Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) is Scotland's historic national bard. His life, poetry and songs are celebrated each year on his birthday, 25 January, with Burns Supper events featuring poetry, haggis, whisky and bagpipes.

Address tae The haggis by Harry MacFadyen

And here is the full text of 'the address' in the Scots dialest with a translation in English -
http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/toahaggis.htm
- -
Some of Burns' lesser known poems are included in 'The Merry Muses of Caledonia' a collection of bawdy verse. Many scholars and Robert Burns enthusiasts prefer not to mention his association with the Merry Muses of Caledonia because they don't like him to be associated with this sort of material. Burns allegedly made no secret of his interest in erotic verse and bawdy song but apparently he kept this in a locked drawer at home. Well, you would, wouldn't you? http://www.robertburns.org.uk/merrymuses.htm

Ewan MacColl - What Can a Young Lassie Do Wi' an Auld Man? (Robert Burns)

Robert Burns - Last May A Braw Wooer (Gillian MacDonald)

- -
My Heart's in the Highlands.

Robyn Stapleton - Ae Fond Kiss

We end with possibly the most famous song in the world and this sublime version by Addi Reader -
Eddi Reader - Auld Lang Syne

Inceptions – PMQs 22nd January 2025

 It’s not been a good week for the PM.

Yesterday, he attempted some damage limitation over the Axel Rudakubana case and the associated initial official and legal responses, but nevertheless, social media has been busy fisking him. It is not true, as some online have claimed, that he represented the Rwandan father in an asylum appeal, but immigration issues have flared up again. Why can the Government not take swift and decisive action, as Trump has done straight from his inception as President?

Belatedly, Labour have announced a public enquiry, previously avoided in favour of locally-based investigations (which might be a prey to local intimidation.) “We will not let any institution deflect from its failures,” said Sir Keir now, bowing to the inevitable.

There was a sense of predators circling at PMQs. Andrew Snowden (Con) twitted Starmer with Labour’s “honeymoon period” sackings, resignations and counter-briefings; was Sir Keir himself the root cause? “We have just won a landslide victory,” came the non-reply.

Not one like Trump’s, it must be said. Bearing in mind the slender support for Labour in July’s General Election, perhaps we should have a referendum on the PM’s radical agenda. There is a triple precedent in Britain for votes on major constitutional change – Brexit (twice) and the Alternative Vote (once, but in the light of 2024, maybe again sometime).

In the light of recent dismal news about unemployment and government borrowing, did Starmer still believe the Chancellor was doing a good job? This was asked by Rebecca Smith (Con), to which Sir Keir gave another flippant answer: “I thought the honourable Lady was just reading out the last Government’s record.”

That was hardly adequate, for as Reeves flew to Davos, a hedge fund manager was warning of a potential “debt death spiral” here. Yet the PM told Sir Bernard Jenkin (Con) that, despite our recently increased taxes and regulation, the IMF was predicting the UK would see better growth than Europe. Perhaps we should ‘trust the science’? Or at least compare results with the US, which is taking the opposite tack.

America is certainly giving us pause for thought. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey wanted a reassurance that our farmers were not going to be undercut in trade deals with the US. The PM replied that “we will never lower our standards”. On the other hand, Trump was yesterday bemoaning America’s trade deficit with Europe and, whereas Sir Keir was telling Mike Martin (Lib Dem) of his commitment to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, The Donald opined to his press conference that Europe needed to boost that to 5%.

Clearly, there is much for us to discuss with our special friends in Washington. Whether or not Lord Mandelson is the man to speak for us is moot; some say yes, while others think he will be somewhat restricted in his duties.

Marx said that capitalism’s inherent contradictions would cause it to collapse. Labour’s paradoxical approach to economic recovery may well do the same for us and for its own party, what with aiming for growth while making it harder and more expensive to employ people. Similarly, we still have Miliband the Mad driving for Net Zero while the Government plans to approve Heathrow’s third runway – a U-turn on Starmer and Co’s 2018 position – as Adrian Ramsay (Green) pointed out. But then, Ramsay himself is a NIMBY on ‘renewable infrastructure’, as Sir Keir reminded him.

When Will Stone (Lab) boasted of the Panattoni Park development in Swindon, the PM used the chance to mention the new National Wealth Fund’s potential contribution to economic stability and growth. Here, we have another double bind, for ‘no man can serve two masters’: exploiting our pensions for HMG’s projects may well hamper fund performance, which could in turn impact pensioners; still, the latter are by definition not ‘working people’, who ‘don’t have savings’.

The theme of the exchanges between Starmer and Badenoch was education – another field bristling in difficulties. Kemi highlighted the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’s cap on teachers’ pay and restrictions on hiring talented non-qualified staff; Sir Keir spoke of breakfast clubs and limiting uniform expenses. Kemi said that the Bill was an ‘attack on excellence’, something that did not bother Anthony Crosland when, in 1965, he promised to ‘destroy every f***ing Grammar School in England. And Wales. And Northern Ireland.’

Checking on home education was a safeguard against domestic child abuse, claimed the PM, skirting around another relevant issue – that of raising children with a radicalised political or religious agenda. Home education is a vexed area; the right to educate one’s own child ‘otherwise’, in defiance of a creeping State power grab, has become complicated by an influx of people who, in some cases, seem to have some very different values to our own. Now, we are into the culture wars, as well as a political conflict.

As of Monday, the transatlantic ideological divide seems now to be between those who want to level up, versus those determined to level down.

Different beginnings – how will the seeds grow?

Reposted from Wolves of Westminster

Dragonflies

This is an extraordinary animation video about dragonflies. The information about their eyes and brain, the Alien-like grabber used by the nymphs in water!