The Fata Morgana of Liberty

Three quotes on that elusive state we call 'liberty'.

Most people have no more definite idea of liberty than that it consists in being compelled by law to do as they like.

Ambrose Bierce - The Fiend's Delight (1872)

In fact, the more I think upon it the more I am convinced that the most important thing in any social system is the protection of the individual—personal liberty: freedom of contract: right to enjoy in safety what his ability, his enterprise, and his dexterity may gain for him.'

Walter Besant - The Ivory Gate (1892)

And this is the Fata Morgana of Liberty, or Freedom. She may lead you very definitely away from to-day's prison. But she also very definitely leads you towards some other prison. Liberty is a changing of prisons, to people who seek only liberty.

D. H. Lawrence and M. L. Skinner - The Boy in the Bush (1924)

Every World Land Speed Record Car (1898–2026)

 

Ensuring the government functions normally

Burnham heading on holiday two weeks after becoming prime minister

• Prime minister Andy Burnham is taking an overseas holiday after just over two weeks in office, having assumed the role on 20 July.
• Despite his absence from Downing Street, officials state he will remain in direct contact and continue meetings, ensuring the government functions normally.
• During his initial fortnight, Mr Burnham made numerous policy announcements, including pledges to remove VAT from electricity bills, end rough sleeping, and reinstate a £2 bus fare cap.
• He also initiated cross-party talks on social care, vowed to tackle small boat crossings, cut business rates for pubs, and established No 10 North.

Not much is it? Even if we search around for reasons to be positive, it's still not much. 

It's also worth mentioning that we don't want a government that functions 'normally', piddling around with trivial adjustments, petty restrictions and empty promises. We know the promises are empty because they always are - that's just one of the problems.

Maybe when Mr Burnham returns from his hols we'll see bets being taken on who could be the next Labour Prime Minister. 

Greek Irony

Wind farm cables triggered huge wildfire in Greece

The blaze began on Friday morning near Agios Vasileios in the Boeotia region at a site known as Mavro Spithari.

Greek authorities have arrested two people after investigators concluded that sparks from electricity cables linked to a private wind farm ignited a major wildfire that has been burning for three days west of Athens...

A similar incident involving the same network occurred only weeks earlier, about 100 metres from the current ignition point, burning around 60 acres before being contained.

Straitjacket

Education secretary vows to undo Gove’s ‘straitjacket’ school reforms

Education Secretary Lucy Powell says schools are stuck in a “straitjacket” of academic prioritisation, hindering children’s potential.

She has announced a review into whether teaching adequately prepares pupils for their futures, signalling a move to undo reforms implemented by Michael Gove.

Writing in The Times, Ms Powell said: “The one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t suit all children. For some it’s become a straitjacket. A straitjacket that has left too many being branded a failure — again and again — instead of being able to realise their potential.”

She intends to take a “fresh look at what we are teaching our children and whether we are equipping them for their lives ahead” as part of efforts to reverse Mr Gove’s education policies.


We have a review of course, but we we also have Michael Gove as the Tory to blame. To go with that we have a "one-size-fits-all approach" as the approach to blame even though this has been the Fabian dealing-with-the-plebs approach for over a century.

We also have the Freudian slip, a "straitjacket." That's another clue that more money will be needed, from you, via increased taxes, for the new straitjacket.

Oh yes - we also have a "fresh look at what we are teaching our children and whether we are equipping them for their lives ahead”, but that's just the usual sinister hint about taking a firmer grip on the approved political background to schooling.

Has 'laser-focused' been downgraded?

Mahmood ‘laser-like focused’ on securing UK’s border

The Home Secretary was touring the National Crime Agency’s offices in Stratford, east London.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “laser-like focused” and will do “whatever it takes” to secure the country’s border, as she toured the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) offices in Stratford, east London.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, Ms Mahmood said: “I think the most important thing that people need to hear from their Home Secretary is that I’m doing whatever it takes to secure our border.

“And that is what I’ve been absolutely laser-like focused on from the moment I became the Home Secretary, taking all of the measures that I know are needed in order to secure our border.”

As we know, under the Starmer regime, 'laser-focused' was the zippy metaphor for Ministerial determination to make something happen. 

It would be disappointing to find that 'laser-like focused' is the poor relation of 'laser-focused', akin to something such as pork-like sausages, milk-like coffee additive or meat-like pie filling.

Gosh - a Rachel Reeves script

John Healey vows to protect the public from price gouging

• Chancellor John Healey announced he will be closely monitoring for price gouging at petrol pumps and in supermarkets, as the war in Iran continues to affect prices.
• Healey conceded that the government ”can’t completely stop the squeeze” on families and businesses but signalled readiness to intervene against unfair price rises.

Reeves reveals plan to protect public from unfair Iran war price hikes

A crackdown on companies profiteering from the Iran war at the expense of millions of Brits is among cost-of-living plans announced by Rachel Reeves today.

The Chancellor vowed that the Government would guard against unfair price rises amid fears over surging oil and fuel costs sparked by Donald Trump’s conflict in the Middle East.