These tools

800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don’t exist – report

The Sunday Times reports around 800 NHS workers no longer have a fixed role but remain on the public payroll, at a cost of at least £27m per year...

In response to the reports, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our policy for no compulsory redundancies remains. Public bodies are expected to ensure that they deliver value for money and to see that all staff, including those who are redeployed, are engaged in appropriate work for their pay scale.

“For example, the NHS has clear redeployment policies that helps boards to make use of staff with experience and expertise even while their posts may change.

“Public bodies manage their workforce through steps such as redeployment, attrition, vacancy management, reskilling and, where necessary, voluntary severance.

“These tools will form part of our work to deliver public service reform – focusing on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to deliver real improvements in public services.”

“These tools will form part of our work..." It's my puerile sense of humour I suppose, given the headline I smiled at that.

Honest discussion

PM open to honest discussion about return to EU free movement

Andy Burnham says that an "honest discussion" is needed about readopting the EU's free movement rules.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the prime minister said immigration into ⁠Britain had ⁠been "different" since Brexit, with more foreigners ‌moving permanently.

Burnham says this as if an honest discussion would be an innovation. Maybe he's right, it would be an innovation, but we couldn't have an honest discussion about it being an innovation, he'd dishonestly deny it.

Burnham could have admitted that from his point of view a dishonest discussion is needed, which would at least have been honest.

The wrong solution for the wrong problem

'Ridiculous' No 10 better off as a museum, says ex-Starmer aide

No 10 Downing Street should be turned into a museum or flats, Sir Keir Starmer’s former cost-of-living tsar has said.

The building, which has been the official residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain since the 1700s, is “not fit for purpose”, according to Lord Walker of Broxton.

Lord Walker, the chairman of Iceland supermarket and former cost of living tsar, called the 300-year-old building “not conducive to collaborative working”, with officials struggling to book “tiny” meeting rooms.

The problem is the quality of the discussions conducted inside No 10 and decisions made as a result of those discussions.

The solution is not - blame the building and move to somewhere bigger and more convenient.

May as well blame Larry the No 10 cat.

  

The EU has unlimited opportunities to interfere

EU restricts private sale of used spare parts for cars

With Regulation 2026/1738, the EU is tightening the regulations for the extraction and trade of used spare parts. From September 2028, the private cannibalization of end-of-life vehicles will be more restricted. From September 2029, additional requirements will apply to commercial spare parts sellers. However, there is no general ban on private individual sales. The new rules can have significant consequences, especially for owners of older cars and classic cars. This is because many manufacturers no longer supply spare parts for older models. Private parts stores are therefore often the only way to carry out necessary repairs at all. Additional restrictions could complicate procurement, make repairs more expensive and jeopardize the preservation of older vehicles.

EU restricts private extraction of used spare parts

Until now, private mechanics have often bought old vehicles in order to obtain functional components from them. Engines, transmissions, axles and body parts then serve as spare parts for other vehicles. However, the new EU regulation sets tighter limits on this form of recycling. According to Annex I, a vehicle that has been dismantled accordingly is considered to be an end-of-life vehicle. Special legal regulations then apply to its further treatment.

Not a Bono fan

 

Bring to me

 

Bring to me your feckless and bored

That I may teach them benefits fraud
Raise mighty windmills to the sky

Catch the sunlight before we fry.

I’ll open wide the prison gates
Let hundreds of old lags go

Free to join with all their mates

And find out all they know.

Trust me I’m your Northern Bloke
Driving the Bus of Hope

With lower fares and…

Sorry Andy.. major power blackout.

Do I send an emergency alert?

Not working Andy.

Can’t I just fin...

No relevant engineering backgrounds to manage the energy industry

From the video description - During a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Rupert Lowe confronts a panel of civil servants from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for having no relevant engineering backgrounds to manage the energy industry.